Miracles of Jesus: Bringing Lazarus back to life

(John 11:1-44)

In John 11:1-44, Jesus miraculously brings a dead man back to life. The man was named Lazarus and he was the brother to two women who were involved with Jesus' ministry. The women were named Martha and Mary. There are many people named Mary in the Bible; this Mary is not the same person as Jesus' mother.

Lazarus had been dead in a tomb for four days before Jesus arrived in the town of Bethany, which was about two miles or three kilometers from Jerusalem. When Jesus arrived, some of the people who were mourning with the sisters questioned whether Jesus, who was able to heal a blind man, could have done something to have prevented Lazarus from dying (John 11:37).

Jesus then went to the tomb that held Lazarus' body:

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said.

"But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."

Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

-John 11:38-44, NIV translation.

Read more in the book Jesus the Miracle Worker: The 46 miracles of Jesus explained in chronological order (The Jesus Books) -- now available at amazon.

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