New Testament Stories

Jesus and His Friend Lazarus

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, in the village of Mary and her sister Martha.  John 11:1

                              Jesus got a message from His friends Martha and Mary.

       "Our brother is very sick. We know You love him. Will you please come?" said the message.

      Now Jesus loved Mary and Martha and Lazarus. But instead of going to Bethany, where they lived, He stayed where He was for two days. Then He said to His disciples, "Let's go to Bethany."

     The disciples said, "Jesus, should we go there? Not long ago the people in that region tried to kill you."

     But Jesus started out, and they followed. As they were going, Jesus said, "Our good friend Lazarus is asleep. I will wake him up."

     The disciples didn't understand that Lazarus was really dead. So they said, "If he is asleep, he will get well won't he?"

     "Lazarus is dead," Jesus told them. "What will happen next will help you to believe in Me."

     His friends could certainly not understand what He meant. When they got to the edge of town, they heard that Lazarus had been dead for four days.

     When Martha had heard Jesus was coming, she ran out to meet Him. But her sister Mary sat in the house.

     "Lord, if you would have been here, Lazarus would be alive!" Martha cried when she saw Jesus. "I know that even now, the Lord will give you anything you will ask for."

     "Martha, your brother Lazarus will rise from the dead, "said Jesus.

     "Yes, I know that sometime, at the last days he will rise again," she said."That will be at the resurrection."   

     Jesus said, "I am the resurrection, I am the life! Whoever believes in me will have a new life. Do you believe this Martha?"

     Martha looked at Jesus, "Yes, Lord," she said, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God.

     Then she went to her house. "Come Mary," she whispered to her sister. "Jesus is here, and He is asking for you."

     Jesus was still at the edge of town. When the people of Bethany saw Mary get up quickly and leave the house.  They followed her. They thought she was going to the tomb to cry for Lazarus, and they wanted to comfort her.

     She ran where Jesus was talking to His friends. She knelt at His feet crying and said, "Lord, If you would have been here, my brother would not have died."

     When Jesus saw how unhappy she was and how many people who had came with her were also crying for Lazarus, He was terribly sad.

     "Where is Lazarus lying," He asked.

     "Lord, come with us and see the tomb," they said, Jesus cried too.

     When people saw Jesus crying with Mary and Martha, they said, "See how He loved His friend!"

     But some others said, "He made a blind man see, why couldn't He help His friend Lazarus?"

     By this time they were at the tomb, which was in a cave. Jesus was very, very, sad, but He told the people to take the stone away from the door.

     Martha said, "He's been there for four days, dead! Why open the tomb now?"

     Jesus said, "Didn't I tell you that you would see God's wonderful work, if only you believed?"

     So some strong men rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb.

     Then Jesus looked up at the heaven and said,  "Father, I thank you for hearing Me!"

     Then He looked at the tomb. And in a loud voice He cried, "Lazarus, Come out!"

     And Lazarus came out and was no longer dead. Jesus had made him live again.