Lazarus

Biblical Account

Lazarus appears in the Gospel of John, chapters 11–12. His name is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Eleazar and is understood to mean "God has helped." He lived in Bethany, a village near Jerusalem, and was the brother of Martha and Mary.

• Illness and death: His sisters sent word to Jesus, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick" (John 11:3). Jesus remained where he was for two more days before going to Bethany, and by then Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
• Jesus' words and tears: Jesus told Martha, "I am the resurrection, and the life" (John 11:25), and he wept before the tomb (John 11:35).
• Raised to life: When Jesus called out, "Lazarus, come forth" (John 11:43), Lazarus came out of the tomb, bound hand and foot with graveclothes.
• Aftermath: This event prompted the chief priests and the Pharisees to plot Jesus' death (John 11:47–53). Lazarus was present at a supper held in Bethany six days before the Passover (John 12:1–2), and the chief priests sought to put Lazarus to death as well (John 12:10–11).

Significance Within Scripture

In the Gospel of John, the raising of Lazarus stands as the last and greatest of the signs of Jesus' public ministry. Because the account of Jesus' passion follows immediately, the episode is read as foreshadowing Jesus' death and resurrection. Lazarus, however, returned to a body that would one day die again. For this reason, many interpreters distinguish this event from the resurrection of Jesus, who rose never to die again.

Interpretations and Debates

• Distinction from the other Lazarus: The beggar Lazarus in the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19–31 is a figure in a parable and is regarded as a different person from Lazarus of Bethany. This story is a rare instance among Jesus' parables in which a character is given a name. Scholars are divided over whether there is a literary connection between the two accounts. The story in Luke is frequently cited in discussions of the state after death and of heaven and hell. Some, however, regard it as a parable and do not read it as a literal description of the afterlife, while others hold that it depicts an actual situation.
• "He whom thou lovest": John 11:3 and 11:5 record that Jesus loved Lazarus. On this basis, some scholars identify the "disciple whom Jesus loved" in the Gospel of John with Lazarus, but this is a minority view.
• Extrabiblical traditions: Eastern Orthodox tradition relates that Lazarus later went to Cyprus and became a bishop. In the West there is also a legend that he traveled to southern France. These accounts are not recorded in Scripture. The Orthodox Church commemorates the day before Palm Sunday as Lazarus Saturday.

In the Korean Church

John 11:25–26, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live," is frequently read at funeral services. The words "Lazarus, come forth" are widely used as a sermon text on passing from despair to life. In Sunday schools, the story is taught with a focus on Jesus weeping for his friend and on the miracle of raising a dead man to life.