The Raising of Lazarus.
1. Now a certain man was sick (named Lazarus of Bethany) the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick).
2. Therefore his sisters sent unto him saying,
Lord, behold he whom thou lovest is sick.
When Iesus heard that, he said,
This sickness is not unto death, but that the glory (of God) might be manifest in him.
Now Iesus loved Mary and her sister and Lazarus.
3. When he heard that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. Then after that, saith he to his disciples,
Let us go into Judea again.
4. His disciples said unto him,
Master, the Jews (of late) sought to stone thee and goest thou thither again?
Iesus answered,
Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walketh in the day he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light (of this world).
5. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
These things said he, and after that he saith unto them,
Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of sleep.
6. Then said his disciples,
Lord if he sleep, he shall do well.
And a messenger came unto him saying,
Lazarus is dead.
7. Now when Iesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already (Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off). And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother.
8. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Iesus was coming, went and met him, but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Iesus,
Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died. But I know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
9. Iesus saith unto her,
Thy brother sleepeth, and he shall rise again.
Martha said unto him,
I know that he shall rise again, at the resurrection at the last day.
10. Iesus said unto her,
I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead yet shall he live. I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.
11. She saith unto him,
Yea, Lord : I believe that thou art the Christ (the Son of God) which should come into the world.
And when she had so said she went her way and called Mary (her sister) secretly saying,
The Master is come and calleth for thee.
As soon as she heard that she arose quickly and came unto him.
12. Now Iesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. The Jews then which were with her in the house and comforted her, when they saw Mary that she arose up hastily and went out, followed her saying,
She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
13. Then when Mary was come to where Iesus was, and saw him she fell down at his feet, saying unto him,
Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died.
When Iesus therefore saw her weeping and the Jews also weeping that came with her, he groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And said,
Where have ye laid him?
They said unto him,
Lord, come and see,
and Iesus wept.
14. Then said the Jews,
Behold, how he loved him!
And some of them said,
Could not this man which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Iesus therefore groaning again in himself (for he feared that he might be already dead) cometh to the grave.
It was a cave and a stone lay upon it.
15. Iesus said,
Take ye away the stone.
Martha (the sister of him supposed to be dead) saith unto him,
Lord by this time he stinketh, for he hath been dead four days.
Iesus saith unto her,
Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe thou shouldst see the glory of God?
Then they took away the stone from the place where Lazarus was laid.
16. And Iesus lifted up his eyes and chanting, invoked the great Name, and said,
My Parent, I thank Thee that thou has heard me. And I know that Thou hearest me always, but because of the people which stand by I call upon Thee that they may believe that Thou hast sent me.
And when he had thus spoken he cried with a loud voice,
Lazarus come forth.
17. And he that was [as] dead came forth bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was: bound about with a napkin.
18. Iesus said unto them,
Loose him and let him go. When the thread of life is cut indeed, it cometh not again, but when it is whole there is hope.
Then many of the Jews which came to Mary and had seen the things which Iesus did, believed on him.
LECTlON 56. -This touching account of the raising of Lazarus is here given as it took place. The verses 13-16 in the Authorized Version are an evident interpolation to magnify the occasion, for, being omitted, the narrative is unbroken and complete without them. As with the daughter of Lazarus, so with Lazarus, he was carried to his burial in a state of trance, indistinguishable from death, and by his friends believed to be dead. At the present time in countries where there are mortuaries or waiting rooms for the dead, it is found that five per thousand recover on their way to burial who otherwise would have been buried alive.