The Death of Lazarus

1Now there was a certain sick man, Lazarus of Bethania, from the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2And Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was sick. 3Therefore, his sisters sent to him, saying: “Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick.” 4Then, upon hearing this, Jesus said to them: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” 5Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister Mary, and Lazarus. 6Even so, after he heard that he was sick, he then still remained in the same place for two days. 7Then, after these things, he said to his disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.” 8The disciples said to him: “Rabbi, the Jews are even now seeking to stone you. And would you go there again?” 9Jesus responded: “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the daylight, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10But if he walks in the nighttime, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11He said these things, and after this, he said to them: “Lazarus our friend is sleeping. But I am going, so that I may awaken him from sleep.” 12And so his disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he shall be healthy.” 13But Jesus had spoken about his death. Yet they thought that he spoke about the repose of sleep. 14Therefore, Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus has died. 15And I am glad for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16And then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us go, too, so that we may die with him.”

Jesus Comforts Martha and Mary

17And so Jesus went. And he found that he had already been in the tomb for four days. 18(Now Bethania was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia.) 19And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, so as to console them over their brother. 20Therefore, Martha, when she heard that Jesus was arriving, went out to meet him. But Mary was sitting at home. 21And then Martha said to Jesus: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But even now, I know that whatever you will request from God, God will give to you.” 23Jesus said to her, “Your brother shall rise again.” 24Martha said to him, “I know that he shall rise again, at the resurrection on the last day.” 25Jesus said to her: “I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in me, even though he has died, he shall live. 26And everyone who lives and believes in me shall not die for eternity. Do you believe this?” 27She said to him: “Certainly, Lord. I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God, who has come into this world.”

28And when she had said these things, she went and called her sister Mary quietly, saying, “The Teacher is here, and he is calling you.” 29When she heard this, she rose up quickly and went to him.

30For Jesus had not yet arrived in the town. But he was still at that place where Martha had met him. 31Therefore, the Jews who were with her in the house and who were consoling her, when they had seen that Mary rose up quickly and went out, they followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb, so that she may weep there.” 32Therefore, when Mary had arrived to where Jesus was, seeing him, she fell down at his feet, and she said to him. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33And then, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had arrived with her weeping, he groaned in spirit and became troubled.

34And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35And Jesus wept. 36Therefore, the Jews said, “See how much he loved him!” 37But some of them said, “Would not he who opened the eyes of one born blind have been able to cause this man not to die?”

Jesus Raises Lazarus
(Acts 9:36–43)

38Therefore, Jesus, again groaning from within himself, went to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone had been placed over it.

39Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who had died, said to him, “Lord, by now it will smell, for this is the fourth day.” 40Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you shall see the glory of God?” 41Therefore, they took away the stone. Then, lifting up his eyes, Jesus said: “Father, I give thanks to you because you have heard me. 42And I know that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the people who are standing nearby, so that they may believe that you have sent me.” 43When he had said these things, he cried in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44And immediately, he who had been dead went forth, bound at the feet and hands with winding bands. And his face was bound with a separate cloth. Jesus said to them, “Release him and let him go.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus
(Matthew 26:1–5; Mark 14:1–2; Luke 22:1–2)

45Therefore, many of the Jews, who had come to Mary and Martha, and who had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in him. 46But certain ones among them went to the Pharisees and told them the things that Jesus had done.

47And so, the high priests and the Pharisees gathered a council, and they were saying: “What can we do? For this man accomplishes many signs. 48If we leave him alone, in this way all will believe in him. And then the Romans will come and take away our place and our nation.” 49Then one of them, named Caiaphas, since he was the high priest that year, said to them: “You do not understand anything. 50Nor do you realize that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the entire nation should not perish.” 51Yet he did not say this from himself, but since he was the high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation. 52And not only for the nation, but in order to gather together as one the children of God who have been dispersed. 53Therefore, from that day, they planned to put him to death.

54And so, Jesus no longer walked in public with the Jews. But he went into a region near the desert, to a city which is called Ephraim. And he lodged there with his disciples.

55Now the Passover of the Jews was near. And many from the countryside ascended to Jerusalem before the Passover, so that they might sanctify themselves. 56Therefore, they were seeking Jesus. And they conferred with one another, while standing in the temple: “What do you think? Will he come to the feast day?” 57And the high priests and Pharisees had given an order, so that if anyone would know where he may be, he should reveal it, so that they might apprehend him.