Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of
Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary who
anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair,
whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent a message
to Jesus, saying, Lord, your friend who you love is sick. When Jesus
heard that, He said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the
glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified by it. Now Jesus
loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus so when He heard that he was
sick, he stayed for two days still in the same place where He was.
Then after that He said to His disciples, Let us go into Judea again. His disciples said to Him, Master, the Jews recently tried to
stone you; and you're going there again? Jesus answered, Are there not
twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he doesn't
stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if a man walk in
the night, he stumbles, because there is no light in him.
Then He said, Our friend Lazarus sleeps; but I go, that I may awake
him out of sleep. His disciples said, Lord, if he sleeps, he shall do
well. However, Jesus spoke of Lazarus' death: but they thought that He
had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then Jesus said to them
plainly, Lazarus is dead, and I'm glad for your sakes that I wasn't
there, so that you may believe; nevertheless let's go to him. Then
Thomas said, Let us go also, so we may die with him.
Then when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had lain in the grave four
days already. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs
away (about 2 miles), and many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to
comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she
heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him: but Mary sat still in
the house. Then Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my
brother wouldn't have died. But I know, that even now, whatever you
will ask of God, He will give it to you. Jesus sad to her, Your
brother shall rise again. Martha said to him, I know that he shall
rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said to her, I
am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he
were dead, yet shall he live: And whoever lives and believes in me
shall never die. Do you believe this? She answered Him, Yes, Lord, I
believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, which should come
into the world.
And when she had said this, she went her way, and called Mary her
sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calls for you. As
soon as Mary heard that, she arose quickly, and went to Jesus.
Now Jesus had not yet entered into the town, but was
in that place where Martha met Him. The Jews then which were with her
in the house, and comforted her, when they saw that Mary rose up
hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She's going to the grave
to weep there. When Mary found where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell
down at His feet, saying to Him, Lord, if you had been here, my
brother wouldn't have died. When Jesus then saw her weeping, and the
Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and
was troubled, and said, Where have you laid him? They said to Him,
Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, Behold how He
loved him! Some of them said, Couldn't this man, which opened the eyes
of the blind, have kept this man from dying? Jesus again groaning in
Himself came to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone covered it.
Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha said to Him, Lord, by this
time he stinks, he has been dead four days. Jesus said to her, Didn't
I say that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God? Then
they took away the stone from the place where Lazarus was buried. And
Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou
hast heard me. And I knew that you hear me always: but because of the
people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that you have
sent me.
Then Jesus cried with a loud voice,
Lazarus, come forth.
And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave
clothes, and his face was wrapped around with a napkin. Jesus said to
them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to
Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed in Him, but
some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them the
things Jesus had done.
Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said,
What should we do? This man does many miracles. If we leave Him alone,
all men will believe in Him: and the Romans will come and take away
both our place and nation. One of them, named Caiaphas, being the high
priest that same year, said to them, You know nothing at all, nor
remember that it is advantageous for us, that one man should die for
the people, and that the whole nation perish not. Caiaphas didn't say
this of his own doing, but being high priest that year, he prophesied
that Jesus should die for that nation; and not for that nation only,
but that also he should gather together in one the children of God
that were scattered abroad. Then from that day on they took counsel
together to put Jesus to death.
Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went from
there to a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim,
and stayed there with His disciples. The Jews' Passover was near at
hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the
Passover, to purify themselves. Then they sought for Jesus, and spoke
among themselves as they stood in the Temple, What do you think, that
He will not come to the feast? Now both the chief priests and the
Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where Jesus
was, He should tell it, that they might take Him.