The Death of Lazarus
Lazarus is introduced as a sick man in Bethany, the village shared by Mary and Martha.
A1t this time a man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
The narrator identifies Mary as the one who will later anoint the Lord and wipe his feet with her hair.
2(Mary, whose brother Lazarus was sick, was to anoint the Lord with perfume and wipe His feet with her hair.)
The sisters send word that the one Jesus loves is sick.
3So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.”
Jesus says the sickness will not end in death, but will display God’s glory and glorify the Son.
4When Jesus heard this, 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.”
The narrator repeats that Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus.
5Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
After hearing the news, Jesus remains where he is for two more days.
6So on hearing that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two days,
Jesus then tells the disciples to go back to Judea.
7and then He said to the disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
The disciples remind him that the Jews had just tried to stone him there.
8“Rabbi,” they replied, “the Jews just tried to stone You, and You are going back there?”
Jesus answers with daylight language, saying that walking in the light keeps a person from stumbling.
9Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? If anyone walks in the daytime, he will not stumble, because he sees by the light of this world.
He adds that one who walks at night stumbles because there is no light in him.
10But if anyone walks at night, he will stumble, because he has no light.”
Jesus says Lazarus has fallen asleep and that he is going to wake him.
11After He had said this, He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.”
The disciples take his words as ordinary sleep and think Lazarus will recover.
12His disciples replied, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get better.”
The narrator clarifies that Jesus was speaking about Lazarus’s death.
13They thought that Jesus was talking about actual sleep, but He was speaking about the death of Lazarus.
Jesus speaks plainly and says that Lazarus is dead.
14So Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead,
Jesus says he is glad he was not there, so that they may believe, and then says to go to Lazarus.
15and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
Thomas tells the other disciples to go with Jesus so they may die with him.
16Then Thomas called Didymus said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”