Berean Standard Bible
(BSB)

The Death of Lazarus

11 ^<1>At this time a man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ^<2>(Mary, whose brother Lazarus was sick, was to anoint the Lord with perfume and wipe His feet¹ with her hair.) ^<3>So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.”

^<4>When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

^<5>Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ^<6>So on hearing that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two days, ^<7>and then He said to the disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

^<8>“Rabbi,” they replied, “the Jews just tried to stone You, and You are going back there?”

^<9>Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? If anyone walks in the daytime, he will not stumble, because he sees by the light of this world. ^<10>But if anyone walks at night, he will stumble, because he has no light.”

^<11>After He had said this, He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.”

^<12>His disciples replied, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get better.” ^<13>They thought that Jesus was talking about actual sleep, but He was speaking about the death of Lazarus.

^<14>So Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, ^<15>and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

^<16>Then Thomas called Didymus² said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”

Jesus Comforts Martha and Mary

^<17>When Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already spent four days in the tomb. ^<18>Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, a little less than two miles³ away, ^<19>and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them in the loss of their brother. ^<20>So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him; but Mary stayed at home.

^<21>Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. ^<22>But even now I know that God will give You whatever You ask of Him.”

^<23>“Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her.

^<24>Martha replied, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

^<25>Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. ^<26>And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

^<27>“Yes, Lord,” she answered, “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”

^<28>After Martha had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside to tell her, “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.” ^<29>And when Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to Him.

^<30>Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met Him. ^<31>When the Jews who were in the house consoling Mary saw how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. ^<32>When Mary came to Jesus and 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 her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit⁴ and troubled. ^<34>“Where have you put him?” He asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they answered.

^<35>Jesus wept.

^<36>Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”

^<37>But some of them asked, “Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept Lazarus from dying?”

Word Come Alive
(WCA)
(An extended translation)*

Lazarus is seriously ill

^<1>A man called Lazarus was ill. He came from Bethany in Judea, the village where two sisters, Mary and Martha, lived. ^<2>(Mary was the one who later poured perfume on Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.) Because their brother was ill, ^<3>the sisters sent an urgent message to Jesus: ‘Sir, your dear friend is seriously ill.’

^<4>When Jesus received their message, he said, ‘Lazarus’ illness won’t end finally in death. Its deeper purpose is that people will see the glory, power and love of God and come to praise me, the Son of God.’ ^<5>Now Jesus was very fond of Lazarus and his sisters. ^<6>But when he received the message that Lazarus was ill, he decided not to go immediately but to stay where he was for two more days. His delay must have puzzled the sisters greatly. ^<7>After that, two days later, he suggested to his apprentices, ‘Let’s go back to Judea.’

^<8>His apprentices were puzzled too and also alarmed. They replied, ‘Teacher, a short time ago the Jews there were trying to hurl stones at you to kill you. Are you sure you really want to go back there? Isn’t it too dangerous for you?’

^<9>Jesus replied, ‘It’s like this. A day has about twelve hours of light and twelve hours of darkness. You’re active during the daylight hours because you can see what you’re doing and where you’re going. ^<10>But when it’s dark, you can’t see where you’re going and you stumble around. So it is with me. I’m not afraid that my life will end before my work is completed. Night hasn’t yet come when I’ll no longer be here. So it is with you too. You’re to stay close to me as the light and then you’ll have light to walk by and you’ll be safe.’ ^<11>He paused for a few moments and then declared to them tenderly, ‘Our friend Lazarus is only asleep. But I’m going to him in Bethany to wake him up.’

^<12>His apprentices answered him, ‘Lord, if he’s only asleep, then he will get better naturally.’ ^<13>(Jesus, however, had been speaking about Lazarus dying, while they thought he had been speaking about Lazarus just getting a good night’s sleep, which would help him get completely better.) ^<14>So Jesus told them clearly, ‘Lazarus is dead. He really has died. ^<15>I’m glad for you that I wasn’t there when he died, that you may come to trust in God’s power for yourselves. But now let’s not delay any longer and go to him.’

^<16>Next, Thomas, who was a twin, spoke up. He expressed his devotion bravely. ‘Let’s go with Jesus,’ he told the rest of Jesus’ apprentices, ‘and if necessary die with him also.’

‘I am the resurrection and the life’

^<17>As soon as Jesus arrived in Bethany, he found that Lazarus had already been in a tomb for four days. ^<18>(Bethany was less than two miles away from Jerusalem.) ^<19>Many Jews had come from Jerusalem to Martha and Mary to comfort and support them following the death of their brother. ^<20>When Martha heard that Jesus was on his way to see them, she couldn’t wait but went out of the village to meet him while Mary stayed sitting quietly at home.

^<21>Martha poured out her grief to Jesus, ‘Lord, if only you’d arrived sooner, my brother wouldn’t have died. I know you’d have healed him, and everything would have been all right. ^<22>Yet even now, I trust you enough to know that somehow God will give you anything you ask.’

^<23>Jesus began his reply to her by saying, ‘Your brother will rise again. He will be restored to life.’

^<24>Martha answered, revealing how much she trusted in him, ‘I know for certain that he will rise again in the resurrection at the end of time. But what comfort is that now?’

^<25>Jesus then declared to Martha, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Everyone who continues to trust in me—even though they die physically—will live for ever. Even though they have died, as Lazarus has, they will be raised from the dead and live again by my power. ^<26>Everyone who lives by continuing to trust in me will never die spiritually. They will never be separated from God’s presence but will live for ever. Do you really believe this? Do you believe I have power over death?’

^<27>Martha immediately responded, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe you are the Messiah! I trust in you, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.’ ^<28>Martha then went back to her home and had a quiet word with her sister Mary. She told Mary, ‘The Teacher is here and wants to see you.’ ^<29>As soon as Mary heard this, she leapt to her feet and went out to meet Jesus.

Jesus’ distress and sympathy

^<30>Jesus had not yet entered the village by this time but was still at the same place where Martha had met him. ^<31>When the Jews who had been comforting Mary in the house saw how quickly she had leapt to her feet and left the house, they followed her, assuming she was going to the tomb to mourn there. ^<32>When Mary reached the place where Jesus was, she saw him, fell at his feet and broke down, saying the same as her sister, ‘Lord, if only you’d arrived sooner, my brother wouldn’t have died. I know you’d have healed him, and everything would have been all right.’

^<33>When Jesus saw that Mary was in tears and that the Jews who had come with her were also crying, he was intensely distressed. He felt their pain and burnt with rage in his spirit at the evil of death.

^<34>Jesus asked, ‘Where have you laid my friend?’

They answered, ‘Come and see, Lord.’ ^<35>Tears of sorrow and sympathy welled up in Jesus’ eyes.

^<36>The Jews noticed Jesus’ crying and said, ‘He must have been very fond of him!’ ^<37>However, others of them asked, ‘Couldn’t the man who opened the eyes of the blind man have prevented Lazarus from dying? If Jesus really loved him, why did he let his friend die?’

Study Guide

What was the purpose for Lazarus’ illness? (John 11:4)

How does this compare to the purpose for the man born blind? (John 9:3)

There was a second purpose for Lazarus’ illness. What was it? (John 11:15)

• Do these verses change how you look at illnesses? Or accidents?
• Which of these purposes has the most special meaning or importance to you? Why?

Study Resources

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