Story Twenty-Six

 •  6 min. read  •  grade level: 4
 
LAZARUS RAISED TO LIFE
John 11:1 to 55
WHILE Jesus was at Bĕth-ab́ a-rȧ beyond Jordan, and ready to begin preaching in the land of Pe-rḗ ȧ, he was suddenly called back to the village of Bĕth́ a-ny̆, on the Mount of Ŏĺ ĭves̝, near Jē̇-rṳ́ sā̇-lĕm. You remember that Mäŕ thȧ, and Mā́ ry̆, and Lăź a-rŭs, the friends of Jesus, were living in this place.
The word came to Jesus that Lăź a-rŭs was very ill. But Jesus did not hurry away from Bĕth-ab́ a-rȧ to go to Bĕth́ a-ny̆. He stayed two days, and then he said to his disciples, "Let us go again into Jū́ dē-ȧ, near Jē̇-rṳ́ sā̇-lĕm.”
The disciples said to Jesus, "Master, when we were in Jū-dḗ ȧ last the people tried to stone you and to kill you; and now would you go there again?”
Jesus said, "Our friend Lăź a-rŭs has fallen asleep; but I go that I may awake him out of his sleep." The disciples said, "Master, if he has fallen asleep, he may be well." For they thought that Jesus was speaking of taking rest in sleep; but Jesus meant that Lăź a-rŭs was dead. Then Jesus said to them, "Lăź a-rŭs is dead; and I am glad that I was not there to keep him alive; for now you will be led to believe in me all the more fully. But let us now go to him.”
Then one of the disciples, named Thŏḿ as, said to the others, "Let us also go, and die with our Master!" So Jesus left Beth-ab́ a-rȧ with his disciples, and came to Bĕth́-a-ny̆; and then he found Lăź a-rŭs had been buried four days. Many of the Jews̝ had come to comfort Mäŕ thȧ and Mā́ ry̆ in the loss of their brother. They told Mäŕ thȧ that Jesus was coming, and she went to meet him, but Mā́ ry̆ sat still in the house. As soon as Mäŕ thȧ saw Jews̝, she said to him very sadly, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother need not have died. And even now, I know that God will give you whatever you may ask.”
Jesus said to her, "Your brother shall rise again.”
"I know that he shall rise," said Mäŕ thȧ, "when the last day comes, and all the dead are raised.”
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection, the raising from the dead; and I am the life. Whoever believes on me, even though he may die, he shall live; and whoever lives and believes on me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, the one who comes into the world.”
Then Mäŕ thȧ went to her home, and said to her sister Mari, but quietly, so that no other person heard her, "The Master is here, and he asks for you!”
At once Mā́ ry̆ rose up to go to Jesus. Her friends thought that she was going to her brother's tomb, and they went with her. Jesus was still at the place where Mäŕ thȧ had met him, near the village. When Mā́ ry̆ came to him, she fell down at his feet, and said, as her sister had said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother need not have died!”
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews̝ weeping with her, he also was touched, and groaned in his spirit, and was filled with sorrow. He said, "Where have you laid him?”
They showed him the place where Lăź a-rŭs was buried, a cave, with a stone laid upon the door. Jesus wept as he stood near it, and the Jews̝ said, "See how he loved Lăź a-rŭs!”
But some of them said, "If this man could open the eyes of the blind, why is it that he could not keep this man whom he loved from dying?”
Jesus, standing before the cave, and still groaning within, said, "Take away the stone!”
Mäŕ thȧ said, "Lord, by this time his body has begun to decay, for he has been dead four days.”
Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe, you should see the glory of God?”
They took away the stone, as Jesus had commanded. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes toward heaven, and said:
"Father, I thank thee that thou didst hear me. I know that thou Dost hear me always; but because of those who are standing here I spoke, so that they may believe that thou hast sent me.”
Then, with a loud voice, Jesus called out, "Lăź a-rus, come forth!”
And the man who had been four days dead came out of the tomb. His body, and hands, and feet were wrapped round and round with grave bands, and over his face was bound a napkin.
Jesus said to those standing near, "Loose him, and let him go!”
When they saw the wonderful power of Jesus in raising Lăź a-rŭs to life many of the people believed in Jesus. But others went away and told the Phăŕ ĭ-sees̝ and rulers what Jesus had done. They called a meeting of all the rulers, the great council of the Jews̝, and they said, "What shall we do, for this man is doing many works of wonder? If we let him alone everybody will believe on him, and will try to make him the king; and then the Rṓ mans̝ will make war upon us and destroy our nation and our people.”
But the high-priest Cā́ ia-phăs said, "It is better for us that one man should die for the people than that our whole nation should be destroyed. Let us put this man to death.”
And to this they agreed, and from that day all the rulers found plans to have Jesus slain. But Jesus knew their purpose, for he knew all things. His time to die had not yet come, and he went away with his disciples to a city near the wilderness and not far from Bĕth-ab́ a-rȧ, where he had been before. And from this place he went forth to preach in the land of Pe-rḗ ȧ, into which he had sent the seventy disciples, as we read in the last Story.
Lesson 21. Lazarus Raised to Life.
(Tell Story 26 in Part Sixth.)
1. Who sent for Jesus very suddenly, asking him to come to them? Martha and Mary.
2. To what place did they ask Jesus to come? To Bethany near Jerusalem
3. Why did Martha and Mary send for Jesus to come to Bethany? Because their brother was very sick.
4. What was the name of their brother? Lazarus.
5. What took place before Jesus went to Bethany? Lazarus died.
6. How long had Lazarus been buried when Jesus came to Bethany? Four days.
7. What is told of Jesus, as he stood before the tomb of Lazarus? "Jesus wept.”
8. What did Jesus say at the tomb of Lazarus? " Lazarus, come forth!”
9. What took place when Jesus had spoken these words? Lazarus came out of the tomb living.
10. What did many of the people do when they saw this mighty work of Jesus? Many believed on Jesus.
11. What did the rulers of the Jews resolve to do? To kill Jesus.