John 11

The Death of Lazarus

1 A man named Lazarus, who lived in Bethany, became sick. Bethany was the town where Mary and her sister Martha lived. ( 2 This Mary was the one who poured the perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair; it was her brother Lazarus who was sick.)

3 The sisters sent Jesus a message: “Lord, your dear friend is sick.”

4 When Jesus heard it, he said, “The final result of this sickness will not be the death of Lazarus; this has happened in order to bring glory to God, and it will be the means by which the Son of God will receive glory.”
5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he received the news that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days.

7 Then he said to the disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

8 “Teacher,” the disciples answered, “just a short time ago the people there wanted to stone you; and are you planning to go back?”
9 Jesus said, “A day has twelve hours, doesn't it? So those who walk in broad daylight do not stumble, for they see the light of this world. 10 But if they walk during the night they stumble, because they have no light.”

11 Jesus said this and then added, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I will go and wake him up.”

12 The disciples answered, “If he is asleep, Lord, he will get well.”
13 Jesus meant that Lazarus had died, but they thought he meant natural sleep. 14 So Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead,

15 but for your sake I am glad that I was not with him, so that you will believe. Let us go to him.”

16 Thomas (called the Twin) said to his fellow disciples, “Let us all go along with the Teacher, so that we may die with him!”

Jesus the Resurrection and the Life

17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been buried four days before. 18 Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem,

19 and many Judeans had come to see Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother's death.
20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “If you had been here, Lord, my brother would not have died!

22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask him for.”

23 “Your brother will rise to life,” Jesus told her.

24 “I know,” she replied, “that he will rise to life on the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die;

26 and those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

27 “Yes, Lord!” she answered. “I do believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”

Jesus Weeps

28 After Martha said this, she went back and called her sister Mary privately. “The Teacher is here,” she told her, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up and hurried out to meet him. ( 30 Jesus had not yet arrived in the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him.)

31 The people who were in the house with Mary comforting her followed her when they saw her get up and hurry out. They thought that she was going to the grave to weep there.

32 Mary arrived where Jesus was, and as soon as she saw him, she fell at his feet. “Lord,” she said, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died!”
33 Jesus saw her weeping, and he saw how the people with her were weeping also; his heart was touched, and he was deeply moved.

34 “Where have you buried him?” he asked them. “Come and see, Lord,” they answered.
35 Jesus wept.

36 “See how much he loved him!” the people said.

37 But some of them said, “He gave sight to the blind man, didn't he? Could he not have kept Lazarus from dying?”

Lazarus Is Brought to Life

38 Deeply moved once more, Jesus went to the tomb, which was a cave with a stone placed at the entrance.

39 “Take the stone away!” Jesus ordered. Martha, the dead man's sister, answered, “There will be a bad smell, Lord. He has been buried four days!”
40 Jesus said to her, “Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believed?” 41 They took the stone away. Jesus looked up and said, “I thank you, Father, that you listen to me. 42 I know that you always listen to me, but I say this for the sake of the people here, so that they will believe that you sent me.” 43 After he had said this, he called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

44 He came out, his hands and feet wrapped in grave cloths, and with a cloth around his face. “Untie him,” Jesus told them, “and let him go.”

The Plot against Jesus

45 Many of the people who had come to visit Mary saw what Jesus did, and they believed in him. 46 But some of them returned to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the Pharisees and the chief priests met with the Council and said, “What shall we do? Look at all the miracles this man is performing!

48 If we let him go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Roman authorities will take action and destroy our Temple and our nation!”
49 One of them, named Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, said, “What fools you are! 50 Don't you realize that it is better for you to have one man die for the people, instead of having the whole nation destroyed?” 51 Actually, he did not say this of his own accord; rather, as he was High Priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish people,

52 and not only for them, but also to bring together into one body all the scattered people of God.
53 From that day on the Jewish authorities made plans to kill Jesus.

54 So Jesus did not travel openly in Judea, but left and went to a place near the desert, to a town named Ephraim, where he stayed with the disciples.
55 The time for the Passover Festival was near, and many people went up from the country to Jerusalem to perform the ritual of purification before the festival. 56 They were looking for Jesus, and as they gathered in the Temple, they asked one another, “What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?”

57 The chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where Jesus was, he must report it, so that they could arrest him.

John 11

1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister Martha.2 And it was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.3 The sisters therefore sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby.5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.6 When therefore he heard that he was sick, he abode at that time two days in the place where he was.7 Then after this he saith to the disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.8 The disciples say unto him, Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If a man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because the light is not in him.11 These things spake he: and after this he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus is fallen asleep; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.12 The disciples therefore said unto him, Lord, if he is fallen asleep, he will recover.13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death: but they thought that he spake of taking rest in sleep.14 Then Jesus therefore said unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.16 Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said unto his fellow-disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.17 So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already.18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off;19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.20 Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary still sat in the house.21 Martha therefore said unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.22 And even now I know that, whatsoever thou shalt ask of God, God will give thee.23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live;26 and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. Believest thou this?27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I have believed that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, even he that cometh into the world.28 And when she had said this, she went away, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Teacher is here, and calleth thee.29 And she, when she heard it, arose quickly, and went unto him.30 (Now Jesus was not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met him.)31 The Jews then who were with her in the house, and were consoling her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, supposing that she was going unto the tomb to weep there.32 Mary therefore, when she came where Jesus was, and saw him, fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,34 and said, Where have ye laid him? They say unto him, Lord, come and see.35 Jesus wept.36 The Jews therefore said, Behold how he loved him!37 But some of them said, Could not this man, who opened the eyes of him that was blind, have caused that this man also should not die?38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it.39 Jesus saith, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time the body decayeth; for he hath been dead four days.40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou believedst, thou shouldest see the glory of God?41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou heardest me.42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the multitude that standeth around I said it, that they may believe that thou didst send me.43 And when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.44 He that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.45 Many therefore of the Jews, who came to Mary and beheld that which he did, believed on him.46 But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them the things which Jesus had done.47 The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many signs.48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.49 But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,50 nor do ye take account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.51 Now this he said not of himself: but, being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation;52 and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God that are scattered abroad.53 So from that day forth they took counsel that they might put him to death.54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, but departed thence into the country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there he tarried with the disciples.55 Now the passover of the Jews was at hand: and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the passover, to purify themselves.56 They sought therefore for Jesus, and spake one with another, as they stood in the temple, What think ye? That he will not come to the feast?57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given commandment, that, if any man knew where he was, he should show it, that they might take him.