Those who witnessed the events worried that the decay process of death, over the now 4 days, would have resulted in a “bad odor” when the stone was rolled away from his grave (v39). It is clearly offered to us as the summation of Jesus' divinity, representing his ability to conquer death itself, through bringing the dead back to life. Evidence includes the fact that he was placed in a tomb, wrapped in grave clothes, and the opening closed off with a stone (v 44) an act only performed on the absolutely dead. The raising of Lazarus is the last of the miracles or 'signs' of Jesus' divinity which John relates. This included the most educated of the day, Jewish Pharisees (v46). In addition, not only Mary and Martha reported that he was dead, but many others said the same to Christ after his arrival in Bethany (v 37). We know that Lazarus was dead, as determined by many at the scene. Jesus waited to come to Bethany for over two days (v 6) and eventually 4 days (v 39), allowing this deathly state to progress to what was reported to Jesus as Lazarus’ death (v 21). This supports the severity and deathly nature of his illness. Roughly an equal number exist of Roman sarcophagi, the marble caskets in which nobility were buried, depicting this life-affirming story relayed only in John’s Gospel. In the Roman catacombs alone there are over 55 paintings of Lazarus’s resurrection. ![]() When Jesus arrives in Bethany, he learns that Lazarus is dead and has been in his tomb for four days. You start to notice this focus on Lazarus in the earliest centuries of Christianity through the art. As we move towards Easter and Jesus’ own resurrection, I want to study the raising of. We know the disciples saw Jesus perform many unrecorded miracles, so there may have been many more. After Lazarus falls ill, the sisters send word to Jesus, asking for his help. The raising of Lazarus is one of three stories of individuals that Jesus resurrected from the dead (besides Himself). The miracles selected by John out of the great number wrought by the Redeemer, are chosen according to their bearing on this manifestation and reach their climax in the resurrection of Lazarus. Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha, were close friends of Jesus. The ministry of Christ was a manifestation of God in him of the Father in the Son of the Son by his own works and words. ![]() His illness was such that the sisters sent word to Jesus, considered “Lord” by Mary and Martha (V3). The story of Lazarus takes place in the town of Bethany during the lifetime of Jesus Christ.
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