The Friend Who Came Out of the Grave

The leaders in Jerusalem were angrier than ever. When Jesus told them, "I and the Father are one," they tried to seize him, but he got away and went back across the Jordan River, to the wild place where John used to baptize. A messenger found him there.

"Lord," he panted, "Mary and Martha sent me. The one you love is sick."

The one he loved was Lazarus, who lived with his sisters in Bethany, near Jerusalem. Jesus loved all three. He said, "This sickness will not end in death. It is for God's glory." So he stayed where he was for two more days.

Then he said, "Let's go back to Judea."

"Teacher!" said his disciples. "They just tried to stone you there!"

"Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep," said Jesus, "and I am going to wake him up."

"If he's asleep, he'll get better," they said.

So Jesus told them plainly. "Lazarus is dead."

Thomas sighed. "Then let's all go and die with Jesus." (Thomas was not a cheerful man, but he was a brave one.)

When they reached Bethany, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Martha hurried out to meet Jesus on the road.

"Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

"Your brother will rise again," said Jesus.

"I know," said Martha. "He'll rise on the last day, when everyone does."

"I am the resurrection and the life," Jesus said. "Whoever believes in me will live, even though they die. Do you believe this?"

"Yes, Lord. I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God."

Then Mary came running and fell at his feet. "Lord, if you had been here..." She was crying, and so was everyone with her. Deep inside, Jesus was troubled.

"Where have you put him?"

"Come and see, Lord."

And Jesus wept.

"See how he loved him," people whispered.

The tomb was a cave cut into the rock, with a big stone across the door.

"Take away the stone," said Jesus.

Martha's eyebrows shot up. "Lord, it's been four days. He'll smell!" (Martha always thought of the practical thing.)

"Didn't I tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"

They rolled the stone away, and Jesus looked up. "Father, thank you for hearing me." Then he shouted into the dark: "Lazarus, come out!"

Out shuffled Lazarus, his hands and feet wrapped in strips of cloth, a cloth over his face.

"Unwrap him," said Jesus, "and let him go."

Many who saw it believed. Others ran to tell the leaders, and the high priest, Caiaphas, said, "Better for one man to die for the people than for the whole nation to be lost." From that day on, they made plans to kill Jesus.

Lazarus went home to supper with his sisters. But he had come back to the same life, and one day he would grow old and die, and someone would wrap him in strips of cloth again.

What the sisters saw at that cave was who Jesus is. He cried at a grave because he hates death as much as they did. Then he spoke to it, and death had to let go.

Caiaphas was more right than he knew. Soon Jesus died for the people, and on the third day his tomb was empty, with the grave cloths left lying inside. The last day Martha was waiting for is still coming. When it does, the voice that called into Lazarus's cave will call into every grave, and everyone who belongs to Jesus will come out.