The Raising of Lazarus

Martha and Mary, two sisters who lived in Bethany and loved the Lord, had a brother named Lazarus. Lazarus was a disciple and close friend of Jesus. One day, when Lazarus became seriously ill, Martha and Mary sent a message to Jesus, who was at the time near the Jordan River. Bethany was at least a day’s journey from where Jesus was, and He waited two days before beginning the journey, which took another day. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead and in the tomb for four days. At that time, Jews believed that a person’s soul would linger for three days after death, during which time there was still a hope of revival. It was only after Lazarus had been dead for four days that his resurrection could clearly show it was a work of God’s glory.

When Jesus came to Lazarus’s tomb, He told people to roll away the stone. He prayed to heaven, and the glorious power of God was revealed so that people would turn to the Son of God and be certain that He had been sent by the Father to be the Christ who would break the power of death and give life to the world. Then Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and his face wrapped with a cloth.

By raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus demonstrated the power of the resurrection. This miracle happened shortly before Jesus was crucified, serving as a preview of His own death and resurrection. It was God’s wisdom that Jesus would raise others from the dead, only to enter death Himself.

(Edited and compiled based on the Chinese Union Version Bible and Comprehensive Biblical Interpretation)