John 11

The Death of Lazarus

1 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in the town of Bethany, where Mary and her sister Martha lived.2 Mary was the woman who later put perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. Mary’s brother was Lazarus, the man who was now sick.

3 So Mary and Martha sent someone to tell Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
4 When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness will not end in death. It is for the glory of God, to bring glory to the Son of God.”5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.6 But when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days.

7 Then Jesus said to his followers, “Let’s go back to Judea.”

8 The followers said, “But Teacher, some people there tried to stone you to death only a short time ago. Now you want to go back there?”
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the daylight, he will not stumble, because he can see by this world’s light.

10 But if anyone walks at night, he stumbles because there is no light to help him see.”

11 After Jesus said this, he added, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him.”

12 The followers said, “But Lord, if he is only asleep, he will be all right.”
13 Jesus meant that Lazarus was dead, but his followers thought he meant Lazarus was really sleeping.14 So then Jesus said plainly, “Lazarus is dead.

15 And I am glad for your sakes I was not there so that you may believe. But let’s go to him now.”

16 Then Thomas (the one called Didymus) said to the other followers, “Let us also go so that we can die with him.”

Jesus in Bethany

17 When Jesus arrived, he learned that Lazarus had already been dead and in the tomb for four days.18 Bethany was about two miles from Jerusalem.

19 Many of the Jews had come there to comfort Martha and Mary about their brother.
20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed home.21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

22 But I know that even now God will give you anything you ask.”

23 Jesus said, “Your brother will rise and live again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know that he will rise and live again in the resurrection 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will have life even if they die.

26 And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Martha, do you believe this?”

27 Martha answered, “Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the One coming to the world.”

Jesus Cries

28 After Martha said this, she went back and talked to her sister Mary alone. Martha said, “The Teacher is here and he is asking for you.”29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to Jesus.30 Jesus had not yet come into the town but was still at the place where Martha had met him.

31 The Jews were with Mary in the house, comforting her. When they saw her stand and leave quickly, they followed her, thinking she was going to the tomb to cry there.

32 But Mary went to the place where Jesus was. When she saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw Mary crying and the Jews who came with her also crying, he was upset and was deeply troubled.

34 He asked, “Where did you bury him?”
“Come and see, Lord,” they said.

35 Jesus cried.

36 So the Jews said, “See how much he loved him.”

37 But some of them said, “If Jesus opened the eyes of the blind man, why couldn’t he keep Lazarus from dying?”

Jesus Raises Lazarus

38 Again feeling very upset, Jesus came to the tomb. It was a cave with a large stone covering the entrance.

39 Jesus said, “Move the stone away.”
Martha, the sister of the dead man, said, “But, Lord, it has been four days since he died. There will be a bad smell.”

40 Then Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”
41 So they moved the stone away from the entrance. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you heard me. 42 I know that you always hear me, but I said these things because of the people here around me. I want them to believe that you sent me.”43 After Jesus said this, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with pieces of cloth, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take the cloth off of him and let him go.”

The Plan to Kill Jesus

45 Many of the people, who had come to visit Mary and saw what Jesus did, believed in him.46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.47 Then the leading priests and Pharisees called a meeting of the council. They asked, “What should we do? This man is doing many miracles.

48 If we let him continue doing these things, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will come and take away our Temple and our nation.”
49 One of the men there was Caiaphas, the high priest that year. He said, “You people know nothing!

50 You don’t realize that it is better for one man to die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.”
51 Caiaphas did not think of this himself. As high priest that year, he was really prophesying that Jesus would die for their nation

52 and for God’s scattered children to bring them all together and make them one.
53 That day they started planning to kill Jesus.

54 So Jesus no longer traveled openly among the people. He left there and went to a place near the desert, to a town called Ephraim and stayed there with his followers.
55 It was almost time for the Passover Feast. Many from the country went up to Jerusalem before the Passover to do the special things to make themselves pure.56 The people looked for Jesus and stood in the Temple asking each other, “Is he coming to the Feast? What do you think?”57 But the leading priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where Jesus was, he must tell them. Then 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.