John 11:1–44

Jesus Brings Lazarus Back to Life

¹Lazarus, who lived in Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived, was sick. ²(Mary was the woman who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. Her brother Lazarus was the one who was sick.) 

³So the sisters sent a messenger to tell Jesus, “Lord, your close friend is sick.” 

⁴When Jesus heard the message, he said, “His sickness won’t result in death. Instead, this sickness will bring glory to God so that the Son of God will receive glory through it.” 

⁵Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. ⁶Yet, when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days. 

⁷Then, after the two days, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.” 

⁸The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, not long ago the Jews wanted to stone you to death. Do you really want to go back there?” 

⁹Jesus answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day don’t stumble, because they see the light of this world. ¹⁰However, those who walk at night stumble because they have no light in themselves.” 

¹¹After Jesus said this, he told his disciples, “Our friend Lazarus is sleeping, and I’m going to Bethany to wake him.” 

¹²His disciples said to him, “Lord, if he’s sleeping, he’ll get well.” 

¹³Jesus meant that Lazarus was dead, but the disciples thought Jesus meant that Lazarus was only sleeping. ¹⁴Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, ¹⁵but I’m glad that I wasn’t there so that you can grow in faith. Let’s go to Lazarus.” 

¹⁶Thomas, who was called Didymus, said to the rest of the disciples, “Let’s go so that we, too, can die with Jesus.” 

¹⁷When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. ¹⁸(Bethany was near Jerusalem, not quite two miles away.) ¹⁹Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. 

²⁰When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. Mary stayed at home. ²¹Martha told Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask him.” 

²³Jesus told Martha, “Your brother will come back to life.” 

²⁴Martha answered Jesus, “I know that he’ll come back to life on the last day, when everyone will come back to life.” 

²⁵Jesus said to her, “I am the one who brings people back to life, and I am life itself. Those who believe in me will live even if they die. ²⁶Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe that?” 

²⁷Martha said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who was expected to come into the world.” 

²⁸After Martha had said this, she went back home and whispered to her sister Mary, “The teacher is here, and he is calling for you.” 

²⁹When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to Jesus. ³⁰(Jesus had not yet come into the village but was still where Martha had met him.) ³¹The Jews who were comforting Mary in the house saw her get up quickly and leave. So they followed her. They thought that she was going to the tomb to cry. ³²When Mary arrived where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 

³³When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who were crying with her, he was deeply moved and troubled. 

³⁴So Jesus asked, “Where did you put Lazarus?” 

They answered him, “Lord, come and see.” 

³⁵Jesus cried. ³⁶The Jews said, “See how much Jesus loved him.” ³⁷But some of the Jews asked, “Couldn’t this man who gave a blind man sight keep Lazarus from dying?” 

³⁸Deeply moved again, Jesus went to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone covering the entrance. ³⁹Jesus said, “Take the stone away.” 

Martha, the dead man’s sister, told Jesus, “Lord, there must already be a stench. He’s been dead for four days.” 

⁴⁰Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see God’s glory?” ⁴¹So the stone was moved away from the entrance of the tomb. 

Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. ⁴²I’ve known that you always hear me. However, I’ve said this so that the crowd standing around me will believe that you sent me.” ⁴³After Jesus had said this, he shouted as loudly as he could, “Lazarus, come out!” 

⁴⁴The dead man came out. Strips of cloth were wound around his feet and hands, and his face was wrapped with a handkerchief. Jesus told them, “Free Lazarus, and let him go.”