Lazarus Dies

While Jesus told the parable of workers in the vineyard, a man named Lazarus was sick. Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha and he liced in the village of Bethany where Mary and Martha lived. For reference, Mary was the one who would later anoint Jesus with perfume and wipe His feet with her hair. Because Lazarus was sick, Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.”

When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Now, Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. So, on hearing that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two days, and then He said to the disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

“Rabbi,” they replied, “the Jewish leaders just tried to stone You, and You are going back there?”

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? If anyone walks in the daytime, he will not stumble, because he sees by the light of this world. But if anyone walks at night, he will stumble, because he has no light.”

After Jesus had said this, He told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.”

His disciples replied, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will get better.” They thought that Jesus was talking about actual sleep, but Jesus was speaking about the death of Lazarus.

So, Jesus told His disciples plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake, I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

Then Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”

See John 11:16

Notes: “Didymus” means the twin.