Who was Lazarus of Bethany in the Bible? His fascinating story is told in the book of John 11:1-45.
A Brother And A Friend Gets Sick
Lazarus of Bethany was the brother of Mary and Martha, as well as a friend of Jesus. He lived with his sisters in Bethany. When Lazarus became sick, Mary and Martha sent a message to Jesus letting him know Lazarus was very sick. Upon hearing of how sick his friend was, Jesus said, “Lazarus’ sickness will not end in death.”
Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, but stayed where he was for the next couple of days. When Jesus finally decided to go to Lazarus, he told his disciples that Lazarus had fallen asleep and he was going to wake him up. The disciples thought Jesus meant Lazarus was sleeping, but Jesus meant he had died.
Jesus Arrives To Everyone Grieving
When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was informed of the death of Lazarus, and that he had been in the grave for four days. Martha met the Lord and told him if he had only been there, her brother would not have died. Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” She replied, “He will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”
When Mary arrived to meet Jesus, she fell at his feet and said as Martha did, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus was deeply troubled when he saw Mary and all the others crying. In fact, Jesus himself began to weep.
When Jesus shows up at the tomb he instructed those who were gathered to roll the stone away from he grave. They did so under protest, believing the smell from the dead body was going to be terrible.
Lazarus of Bethany Is Raised From The Dead
After the stone was rolled aside, Jesus looked up to heaven, prayed, and then shouted those famous words, “Lazarus, come forth!” Lazarus stepped out with his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” This great miracle led many people to become believers in Jesus!
For more on what happened to Lazarus after he was resurrected, check out “What Happened to Lazarus After Jesus Raised Him From the Dead?”
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