In the town of Bethany lived a sick man named Lazarus, brother to Mary and Martha. Mary was known for anointing Jesus’s feet with a special ointment, a symbol of deep respect and love in their custom. As Lazarus’s illness grew severe, his sisters sent word to Jesus, hoping he could heal their beloved brother.
Upon receiving the news, Jesus, who held a deep affection for the family, declared that Lazarus’s illness would not lead to death but would ultimately serve to glorify God and His son. Nonetheless, Jesus did not rush to Bethany; rather, he stayed put for two more days before deciding to journey back to Judaea, where Lazarus was. Despite knowing the dangers that awaited him there – the Jews had just recently tried to stone him – Jesus wished to go, much to the concern of his disciples.
Jesus explained to his disciples that Lazarus was sleeping, intending to mean that Lazarus had passed away. But the disciples misunderstood this, assuming that Lazarus was merely resting. It was plainly then explained to them that Lazarus was dead. Yet, Jesus expressed gratitude for not being present during Lazarus’s death as this situation would help strengthen the disciples’ faith in him. Thomas, one of the disciples, resignedly said they should go with him and prepared to face death alongside Jesus.
When they arrived, Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Many Jews had come to Mary and Martha’s home to offer condolences. Upon hearing of Jesus’s arrival, Martha went to meet him, while Mary stayed at home. Mourning and distraught, she told Jesus that if he had been there, Lazarus would not have died. In her grief, she nonetheless expressed her unwavering belief in Jesus’s divine powers, asserting that God would grant anything he asked.
Upon hearing her faith, Jesus told Martha that Lazarus would rise again. She interpreted it as future resurrection on the last day. But Jesus corrected her, announcing that He was the resurrection and the life, and whosoever believed in him would live, even if they died. He asked if she truly believed this, to which she confessed her faith in him as Christ, the Son of God.
Martha returned home and secretly told Mary that Jesus had arrived and was asking for her. When Mary saw Jesus, she fell at his feet, expressing the same lament as her sister. In response to her weeping and the mourning crowd around her, Jesus felt deeply moved and asked for Lazarus’s tomb. Upon seeing the tomb, Jesus wept, and the Jews remarked on how much he must have loved Lazarus. Some wondered why Jesus, who had healed the blind, couldn’t prevent Lazarus’s death.
Jesus went to the gravesite, a cave sealed by a big stone. He asked for the stone to be removed. Martha, concerned about the smell of a four-day-old corpse, was reassured by Jesus reminding her about the glory of God. After the stone was removed, Jesus prayed to God, thanking Him for hearing his prayer and performed one of his most profound miracles: he commanded Lazarus to come out. And to the amazement of all present, Lazarus emerged from the tomb, still wrapped in his grave clothes but very much alive.
The miraculous event convinced many Jewish onlookers to believe in Jesus. However, some reported the incident back to the Pharisees. Alarmed by Jesus’s growing influence, the religious authorities felt threatened and gathered to discuss the matter. Caiaphas, the high priest of that year, declared prophetically that it would be better for Jesus to die for the people than to let their nation perish. From that day forward, they planned to put Jesus to death.
Fearing for his safety, Jesus no longer moved openly among the Jews and retreated into the wilderness. As the Passover festival approached, many people started to speculate whether Jesus would make an appearance for the feast. The head priests and Pharisees spread the word around, asking for information about his whereabouts, hinting at their plans of capturing Jesus.
