The Raising of Lazarus

A man named Lazarus of Bethany was ill, prompting his sisters, Mary and Martha, to send word to Jesus. Upon hearing this, Jesus remained in his location for two days before proposing a return to Judea. When the disciples expressed concern regarding previous attempts by people there to stone him, Jesus stated that Lazarus had fallen asleep and he was going to awaken him (John 11:11). Thomas, also called Didymus, told his fellow disciples that they should go so they might die with Jesus (John 11:16).

When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Martha met Jesus and stated that if he had been there, her brother would not have died. Jesus informed her that her brother would rise again, identifying himself as the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). Martha then went to call Mary, who came to Jesus and fell at his feet, repeating that her brother would not have died had Jesus been present. Jesus saw her weeping and was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. The text does not say the specific reason for his emotional state beyond his reaction to the weeping of Mary and the Jews who followed her.

Jesus went to the cave where Lazarus was buried and commanded that the stone be moved. Martha noted that there would be an odor because the body had been there for four days. After the stone was removed, Jesus looked up and prayed to the Father before crying out in a loud voice for Lazarus to come out (John 11:43). The man who had died came out with his hands and feet wrapped in linen strips and his face covered with a cloth. Jesus instructed those present to untie him and let him go.