Jesus Raises Lazarus
Jesus weeps, then calls his friend out of the tomb
This story is about the death of a close friend and his family's grief.
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- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Jesus: The one the Gospels present as the promised Messiah and the Son of God.
- Lazarus: A man from the village of Bethany. He is Jesus's friend.
- Martha and Mary: Lazarus's sisters. John says Jesus loved all three of them (11:5).
- The disciples: Jesus's closest followers. One of them is Thomas.
- The mourners: Friends and neighbors, many from Jerusalem, who came to comfort the sisters.
Setting
- First, a quiet place across the Jordan River. Then Bethany, a small village a little less than 2 miles from Jerusalem (11:18). Last, a tomb. It is a cave with a stone across the opening (11:38).
When
- About 2,000 years ago, not long before Jesus's last Passover (12:1).
Before the Story
Jesus had close friends in Bethany. They were Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus (11:1-5). Luke tells about a time Martha welcomed Jesus into her home (Luke 10:38-39).
Jesus was in danger near Jerusalem. Not long before, some people there picked up stones to throw at him (10:31). So he went away, across the Jordan River (10:40).
John calls Jesus's miracles "signs." A sign points to something bigger. John wrote about them so that readers would believe in Jesus (20:30-31).
Here's what you know that almost nobody in this story knows: Jesus said this sickness would not end in death (11:4).
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The message | 11:1-6 | The sisters send word. Jesus waits two days |
| 2. Back toward danger | 11:7-16 | Jesus says Lazarus is dead. Thomas says they will go too |
| 3. Four days | 11:17-19 | Jesus arrives. The house is full of mourners |
| 4. Martha | 11:20-27 | Martha meets Jesus outside the village |
| 5. Mary | 11:28-32 | Mary falls at Jesus's feet |
| 6. Jesus wept | 11:33-37 | Jesus is troubled, and he cries |
| 7. The stone | 11:38-42 | Jesus tells them to move the stone. He prays |
| 8. Come out | 11:43-44 | Lazarus walks out of the tomb |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 8The Message
In the village of Bethany, a man lay sick. His name was Lazarus. His sisters, Martha and Mary, lived in Bethany too.
John tells us more about Mary. She was the one who later poured perfume on Jesus's feet and wiped them with her hair (12:3).
The sisters sent a message to Jesus. It was short. "Lord, the one You love is sick" (11:3).
When Jesus heard it, he said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it" (11:4). Glory means God's greatness, shown so people can see it.
John says Jesus loved Martha, her sister Mary, and Lazarus.
Then John says something hard to understand. Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, and he stayed where he was for two days.
Scene 2 of 8Back Toward Danger
After two days, Jesus said, "Let us go back to Judea" (11:7).
Judea was the area around Jerusalem. Bethany was there. So were the people who had tried to stone Jesus.
The disciples were afraid. They reminded Jesus that people there had tried to stone him not long ago.
Jesus answered with a comparison about walking in the daylight. People who walk in the day don't trip, because they can see. People who walk at night do trip, because they have no light.
Then Jesus said, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up" (11:11).
The disciples said that if Lazarus was sleeping, he would get better. They thought Jesus meant real sleep. But "asleep" was a comparison. Jesus meant that Lazarus had died.
So Jesus told them plainly. "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him" (11:14-15).
Thomas spoke to the other disciples. "Let us also go, so that we may die with Him" (11:16).
Scene 3 of 8Four Days
Jesus came near Bethany. By then, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days.
Back then, people were usually buried on the day they died. Four days meant there was no doubt left. Lazarus was really dead.
Bethany was close to Jerusalem. Many people had come to be with Martha and Mary. They came to comfort the sisters after their brother died.
The house was full of people, and everyone there was sad. Martha and Mary had sent word to Jesus, and they had waited. Their brother had died anyway.
Scene 4 of 8Martha
Someone told Martha that Jesus was coming. She got up and went out to meet him outside the village. Mary stayed at home.
Martha said, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died" (11:21).
Martha was grieving because her brother had died, and she said so. But she also said she knew God would give Jesus whatever he asked, even now.
Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise again" (11:23).
Martha said she knew that. Lazarus would rise again at the resurrection on the last day. Resurrection means coming back to life after death. Many Jewish people believed God would raise the dead at the end of time.
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" (11:25-26).
Jesus did not only say that the resurrection would come on the last day. He said that he himself is the resurrection and the life.
Martha answered, "Yes, Lord ... I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world" (11:27). Christ means the same as Messiah, the king God promised.
Martha said this before the stone was moved. She had not seen her brother come back. She said it while she was still grieving.
Halfway thereThis is a good place for a break. Your spot is saved on this device.
Scene 5 of 8Mary
Martha went back home. She called Mary aside and told her quietly that the Teacher was here and was asking for her.
Mary got up fast and went out to him. Jesus had not come into the village yet. He was still at the spot where Martha had met him.
The mourners in the house saw Mary leave in a hurry. They thought she was going to the tomb to cry there. So they followed her.
Mary came to Jesus. When she saw him, she fell down at his feet.
She said the same words as her sister. "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died" (11:32).
John does not record any other words from Mary here.
Scene 6 of 8Jesus Wept
Jesus saw Mary crying. He saw the people with her crying too.
Jesus was "deeply moved in spirit and troubled" (11:33).
He asked, "Where have you put him?" (11:34).
They said, "Come and see, Lord."
"Jesus wept" (11:35).
In many English Bibles, this is the shortest verse. It is only two words.
Jesus already knew what he was about to do. He cried anyway. His friend was dead, and the people he loved were hurting.
Some people said, "See how He loved him" (11:36).
Others asked a hard question. Jesus had opened the eyes of a blind man. They asked if he could have kept Lazarus from dying too.
Scene 7 of 8The Stone
Jesus came to the tomb. Once again, he was deeply moved. The tomb was a cave, with a stone laid across the opening.
Jesus said, "Take away the stone" (11:39).
Martha spoke up. "Lord, by now he stinks," she said. "It has already been four days" (11:39).
Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (11:40).
Jesus had already asked Martha to believe (11:26). When the message first came, Jesus had said this sickness was for the glory of God. Now Jesus spoke of God's glory to Martha.
So they took the stone away.
Jesus looked up. He prayed out loud. "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me" (11:41).
Jesus said he knew the Father always hears him. He said he prayed out loud because of the people standing there. He wanted them to believe that the Father had sent him.
Scene 8 of 8Come Out
Then Jesus called out in a loud voice.
"Lazarus, come out!" (11:43).
The dead man came out.
His hands and feet were still wrapped in strips of linen cloth. A cloth covered his face.
Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him go" (11:44).
Four days earlier, Martha and Mary had buried their brother. Now he had come out of the tomb alive.
That was not the end of the story. Many who saw this believed in Jesus. But some went and told the Pharisees. The chief priests and Pharisees met, and from that day on they plotted to kill Jesus (11:45-53).
Soon Jesus would lie in a tomb too, wrapped in linen, with a stone at the door (19:40-42, 20:1). On the third day, that stone would be moved as well. And Jesus would leave his linen cloths behind (20:1, 20:6-7).
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "Lord, the one You love is sick" (11:3) | The sisters did not tell Jesus what to do. They named his love and left the rest to him. |
| "It is for the glory of God" (11:4) | God would show his greatness through what happened next. That did not make the sickness or the sadness good. |
| "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep" (11:11) | This is a comparison. Lazarus was dead. Jesus spoke of death like sleep because he could wake Lazarus. |
| "Lord, if You had been here" (11:21) | Both sisters said this. It is an honest cry of grief. Jesus did not scold either of them for it. |
| "I am the resurrection and the life" (11:25) | New life is not only a future event. It is a person, Jesus. Whoever belongs to him has life that death cannot end. |
| "Jesus wept" (11:35) | Jesus is truly human. He grieved for his friend, even though he knew he would raise Lazarus. |
| "Unwrap him and let him go" (11:44) | Jesus gave Lazarus back to his family and his life. He asked the people there to help. |
Back Then
Bethany was a small village on the Mount of Olives. It was about 2 miles from Jerusalem (Easton's Bible Dictionary). John says a little less than 2 miles (11:18).
Burial happened fast. People were usually buried on the day they died. The body was wrapped in cloth, often with spices (Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah). John describes the same custom at Jesus's burial (19:40).
Many tombs were caves. They were natural caves or rooms cut into rock. A large stone covered the opening (Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah).
Mourning lasted days. Friends came to sit with the family and cry with them. The first three days were the hardest. A special week of mourning followed. Lighter mourning went on for about a month (Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah).
Four days mattered. Edersheim reports a Jewish belief that the soul stayed near the body for three days. By the fourth day, people believed the soul had left for good. They also believed the body had begun to decay (Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah).
Literal Reader Alert
Why did Jesus wait two days? John puts two sentences side by side. Jesus loved them. So he stayed where he was (11:5-6). That is hard to read. It's okay to notice things like this. Careful readers have asked about it for centuries. John gives two reasons. It was for God's glory (11:4). And it was so the disciples would believe (11:15). Jesus still cared while he waited. John names Jesus's love first. And when Jesus arrived, he cried.
Was Lazarus already dead when the message came? Maybe. Some readers count the days. The message took time to arrive. Jesus waited two days, then traveled. Lazarus had been in the tomb four days when Jesus came (11:17). The Bible doesn't say exactly when Lazarus died.
What does "deeply moved" mean? John uses it twice (11:33, 11:38). The Greek word shows a very strong feeling. It can even mean anger. Many readers think Jesus was upset at death itself and the pain it causes.
Who are "the Jews" in John? John often uses "the Jews" to mean the leaders in Jerusalem who opposed Jesus. It does not mean all Jewish people. In this chapter, it mostly means the friends and neighbors who came to comfort the sisters. Martha, Mary, Lazarus, and Jesus were Jewish. So were the neighbors who came to cry with them. Many of them believed in Jesus that day (11:45).
Will God bring back the people I have lost, like Lazarus? Jesus raised Lazarus as a sign, to show who he is. Lazarus came back to this life, and this life still ends. The Bible does not tell us about his later death. Most of the time, God does not bring people back to this life now. If someone you love died, it does not mean you or they lacked faith. Martha believed in the resurrection at the last day (11:24). Jesus did not tell her she was wrong. He told her that he is that resurrection. If this story brings up big feelings, talk with a parent, pastor, or trusted adult.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Martha and Mary | Worried | Their brother was sick, and they sent word to Jesus (11:3) |
| Thomas | Afraid but loyal | He expected they might all die in Judea (11:16) |
| Martha | Grieving and hopeful | Her brother was dead, but she still trusted Jesus (11:21-22) |
| Mary | Heartbroken | She fell at Jesus's feet, crying (11:32-33) |
| Jesus | Deeply troubled and sad | His friend had died, and the people he loved were weeping (11:33-35) |
| The mourners | Divided | Some saw Jesus's love. Others asked why Jesus had not kept Lazarus from dying (11:36-37) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
What does this story stir up in you today? Tap one.
I miss someone
Jesus grieved for his friend too. He cried at the tomb. You can bring your sadness to him, and you don't have to hide it.
Why didn't God help?
Martha and Mary asked almost the same thing. Jesus did not get angry at them. He stayed, and he cried with them. You can ask him too.
I feel alone
Mary stayed home in a house full of people. Then Jesus asked for her, and she went to him. He knows your name, and he asks for you too.
Not sure I believe
Jesus prayed out loud so the people there could believe. Faith is a gift. You can keep coming back to this story and ask God for it.
It's really bad right now
Please tell a trusted adult today. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 any time. If you are in danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. Outside the U.S., findahelpline.com lists free helplines. Jesus stays near people who are hurting, and he uses other people to help.
You Might Have Heard
"If you really trust God, you shouldn't be sad when someone dies."
What's true: Christians have real hope. Paul wrote so that believers "will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope" (1 Thessalonians 4:13). He did not say they would not grieve at all.
What the story is mainly about: Jesus knew he was about to raise Lazarus. He still cried. Grief is not a lack of faith. It is what love feels like when someone has died. Martha and Mary said honest, hurting words to Jesus, and he stayed with them.
Where Jesus is: At the tomb, crying with his friends. Then calling a dead man by name.
Good News
At the council meeting, the high priest Caiaphas said, "It is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish" (11:50). John says Caiaphas did not say this on his own. Caiaphas was prophesying, which means speaking a message from God. The message was that Jesus would die for the nation, and for God's scattered children too (11:51-52). Jesus gave Lazarus his life back. Soon Jesus would give up his own life.
Jesus went into a tomb for us. Then he came out and left the linen cloths behind. Paul writes that in Baptism, "We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death" (Romans 6:4). Paul does not mean a burial in the ground. He means that in Baptism, God joins a person to Jesus's death and to his rising. Christians belong to the one who is the resurrection and the life.
Jesus also said, "The hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice" (John 5:28). The same voice that called Lazarus will call again.
Jesus weeps with you now, and on the last day he will call his people out of the grave.
Big Idea
Jesus weeps with us in our grief, and he has the power to call the dead to life.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
In A Sermon on Preparing to Die (1519), Luther compared dying to a baby being born. A baby leaves its mother's small womb and comes into this wide world. Birth brings danger and pain. In the same way, Luther wrote, we leave this life through the narrow gate of death. He told people facing death to look at Christ, who suffered death and overcame it by rising from the dead.
In Church
Many churches follow a reading plan called the Revised Common Lectionary. It reads John 11:1-45 on the Fifth Sunday in Lent in Year A. It also reads John 11:32-44 on All Saints Day in Year B.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
I am the resurrection and the life.
How did that feel?