Three brothers and sisters lived in a small village: Lazarus, Martha and Mary. They were friends of Jesus. One day Lazarus became very ill. Martha and Mary sent someone to Jesus to tell him: “Lord, your friend Lazarus is very sick!”
Jesus heard the news, but he stayed where he was for two more days. He said to his disciples, “This disease will not lead to death. It will show how powerful God is.”
After those days, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go to Lazarus.” The disciples were confused, because they knew that Lazarus was sick. But Jesus told them, “Lazarus is dead, but I am going to wake him up.”
When Jesus came to the village, Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Martha ran to meet Jesus and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that God can give you anything you ask.”
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will live again.”
Martha knew that Jesus could do great miracles and said, “I believe that you are the Son of God!”
Mary also came to Jesus and wept. This made Jesus very sad. He asked, “Where have you laid Lazarus?” They led him to the tomb. There Jesus burst into tears. The people whispered, “Look how much he loved Lazarus!”
Then Jesus demanded: “Take away the stone that closes the tomb!” Martha said, “But Lord, it smells already, for he has been dead for four days.”
But Jesus replied, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
They took away the stone. Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.” Then he cried out loudly: “Lazarus, come out!”
Everyone held their breath. And then it happened: Lazarus came out of the tomb, still wrapped in linen. Jesus said, “Free him from the cloths and let him go.”
Everyone was amazed and full of joy. They saw that Jesus was really the Son of God, who has power over life and death.
Message of history
God can bring everything, even the dead, back to life! We can trust Him in any situation, no matter how difficult it seems.
Bible passage
The story of the resurrection of Lazarus can be found in the Gospel of John, chapter 11, verses 1-44:
*”Now there was one sick, Lazarus of Bethany, from the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (Now it was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and dried his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was sick.) 3 Then the sisters sent to him and said to him, “Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick.” 4 When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness is not for death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” 5 But Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 When he heard that he was sick, he stayed two days in the place where he was. 7 Then he said to the disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were about to stone you, and you are going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Is there not twelve hours in the day?” When someone walks in the daytime, he does not bump into it, because he sees the light of this world; 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles because the light is not in him.
11 He said this, and then he said to them, “Lazarus, our friend, is asleep; but I go to wake him up. 12 Then his disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will be healed.” 13 But Jesus spoke of his death; but they thought he was talking about natural sleep. 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead,” 15 and I am glad for your sake that I was not there, that you might believe. But let us go to him! 16 Then Thomas, who is called the twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go and die with him.”
17 When Jesus came, he found him lying in the tomb for four days. 18 And Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away. 19 And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them because of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she ran to meet him; Mary, however, remained seated in the house. 21 Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 22 But even now I know that God will give you everything you ask of him. 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me will live, even if he dies; 26 And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe that? 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.
28 And when she had said this, she went and secretly called her sister Mary, saying, “The Master is here and is calling you.” 29 When she heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 But Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was in the place where Martha had met him. 31 So when the Jews who were in her house and comforting her saw that Mary quickly got up and went out, they followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.” 32 So when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 So when Jesus saw that she was weeping, and that the Jews who had come with her were weeping, he was deeply moved in the Spirit, 34 and was agitated, 34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They answer him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “Look how much he loved him! 37 And some of them said, “Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind man cause him not to die?”
38 Then Jesus was again deeply moved within himself and came to the tomb. But it was a cave, and a stone lay in front of it. 39 Jesus says, “Take away the stone.” Martha the sister of the deceased said to him, “Lord, he smells already, for he is four days old [hier]. 40 Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you if you thought you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone where the dead man lay. But Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.” 42 But I knew that you would always hear me; but for the sake of the surrounding crowd I have said it, that they may believe that you have sent me. 43 And when he had said this, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out with his feet and hands wrapped with grave cloths, and his face was bound with a handkerchief. Jesus said to them, “Loose him and let him go.” *
