Six days before the Passover on which Jesus is crucified, Jesus returns to Bethany and Lazarus attends a supper that Martha, his sister, serves. The Gospel of John mentions Lazarus again in chapter 12. The narrative ends with the statement that many of the witnesses to this event 'believed in him.' Others are said to report the events to the religious authorities in Jerusalem. Jesus then calls for someone to remove the grave-cloths. He then calls Lazarus to come out and Lazarus does so, still wrapped in his grave-cloths. Over the objections of Martha, Jesus has them roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb and says a prayer. In the presence of a crowd of Jewish mourners, Jesus comes to the tomb. The narrator here gives the famous simple phrase, ' Jesus wept'. Next encountering Mary, Jesus is moved by her sorrow. And everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die in eternity'. He who believes in Me shall live, even if he dies. Martha laments that Jesus did not arrive soon enough to heal her brother and Jesus replies with the well-known statement, 'I am the Resurrection and the Life. He meets first with Martha and Mary in turn. When Jesus arrives in Bethany, he finds that Lazarus is dead and has already been in his tomb for four days. Instead of immediately traveling to Bethany, according to the narrator, Jesus intentionally remains where he is for two more days before beginning the journey. The sisters send word to Jesus that Lazarus, 'he whom you love,' is ill. He is identified as the brother of the sisters Mary and Martha. Lazarus is introduced as a follower of Jesus, who lives in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. The biblical narrative of the Raising of Lazarus is found in chapter 11 of the Gospel of John.

The Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions offer varying accounts of the later events of his life. Lazarus of Bethany, also known as Saint Lazarus or Lazarus of the Four Days, is the subject of a prominent miracle attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John, in which Jesus restores him to life four days after his death. The Resurrection of Lazarus by Vincent van Gogh (after Rembrandt), 1889-90 ( Auvers-sur-Oise, Paris). In the section In paradisum, which often appears embedded in the Catholic Requiem, the deceased is wished to Paradise- In paradisum deducant te Angeli- with Lazarus, who once was poor ( cum Lazaro quondam paupere). Lazarus was rewarded, not because he was poor, but for his virtuous acceptance of poverty the rich man was punished, not because he was rich, but for vicious neglect of the opportunities given him by his wealth.' The purpose of the parable is to teach the evil result of the neglect of others. Lazarus is the only person in a New Testament parable given a name the rich man of the parable has been named Dives by tradition, although the name does not appear in Luke.įor the last century, 'Catholic exegetes now commonly accept the story as a parable. Both men died, and the beggar received his reward in the Hereafter, in Abraham's bosom at the everlasting banquet, while the rich man craved a drop of water from Lazarus' finger to cool his tongue, as he was tormented with fire.

In the Gospel of Luke 16:19–31, Jesus tells of one Lazarus, a beggar who lay outside the gate of a rich man, whom later tradition has given the name Dives- from the Latin for 'rich'- who dressed in fine clothing and dined sumptuously every day, but gave nothing to Lazarus.

Lazarus bible story old testament