Jesus Resurrects Lazarus

Jesus had three very close friends who lived in Bethany.  They were Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha.  One day,  while Jesus was on the other side of the Jordan. Mary and Martha sent him an urgent message.  'Lazarus is very sick.  Please come quickly!' But Jesus did not go right away. He waited for two more days and then said to his disciples:  'Let's go to Bethany. Lazarus is sleeping, and I am going to wake him up.' The apostle said:  'If  Lazarus is asleep, that will help him get well.' So Jesus told them clearly:  'Lazarus has died.'

When Jesus arrived at Bethany, Lazarus had already been buried for four days. Crowds of people had come to comfort Mary and Martha.  When Martha heard that Jesus had come, she rushed to meet him.  She said: 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.'  Jesus told her:  'Your brothers will live again. Do  you believe this Martha?'  She said:  'I believe that he will rise again in the resurrection.'  Jesus said to her: 'I am the resurrection and the life.'

Then Martha went to Mary and told her: 'Jesus is here.'  Mary ran to Jesus, and the crowd followed. She fell down at his feet, and could not stop crying.  She said:  'Lord, if you had been ere, our brother would still be alive!'  Jesus saw how much she was suffering, and he also began to cry.  When the crowd saw his tears, the said:  'See how Jesus loved Lazarus.'  But some wondered:  'Why didn't he save his friend?' What would Jesus do next? 

Jesus went to the tomb, where a large stone covered the entrance.  He commanded:  'Roll the stone away.'  Martha said: 'But it has been four days!  His body will smell.'  Still, the rolled the stone away, and  Jesus prayed:  'Father, thank your for hearing me. I know that you always hear me, but I speak aloud so that these people may know that you sent me. '  Then he called out in a loud voice: "Lazarus, come out!"   Something amazing happened:  Lazarus came out of the tomb, still wrapped in linen cloths. Jesus said:  "Free him and let him go."

Many who saw this put faith in Jesus.  But some went and told the Pharisees.  From then on, the Pharisees wanted to kill both Lazarus and Jesus.  One  of the twelve apostles, Judas Iscariot, secretly went to the Pharisees and asked:  'How much will you pay me to  help you find Jesus?  They agreed to pay 30 pieces of silver, and Judas began to look  for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to the Pharisees.

"The true God is for us a God who saves; and Jehovah the Sovereign Lord provides escape from death." - PSALM 68:20. 

Matthew 26:14-16; John 11:1-53; 12:10.

Next time: Jesus' Last Supper

From the jw.org publications