John 11:1–44 gives the account of a man named Lazarus who rose from the dead. Lazarus was a friend of Jesus, along with his sisters, Mary and Martha. He was sick and his sisters sent for Jesus to go to Bethany. Jesus delayed his arrival and Lazarus died. Jesus did not arrive at Bethany until four days after the death of Lazarus.
Martha was confused and hurt that Jesus had allowed her friend Lazarus to die. But He told him, “Your brother will rise again” ( John 11:23 ). Martha assumed that Jesus was referring to the final resurrection of the dead, but He was telling her something that was going to happen momentarily.
When Jesus went to the site of Lazarus’ tomb, he had the men remove the stone from the opening. He then he yelled, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43). The crowd around the grave was shocked when the dead man limped out of the cave, still bound in burial cloths. Verses 45–46 tell us that many who saw this miracle believed in Jesus, but others reported it to the religious leaders. It was this miracle that sealed Jesus’ fate with the Pharisees and rulers. “From that day they plotted to take his life” (verse 53).
The Jewish leaders not only conspired to take the life of Jesus, but also that of Lazarus: “The chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus. . . for because of him many of the Jews turned to Jesus and believed in him” (John 12:10–11). News travels fast and many people wanted to see the man who had risen from the dead. Alarmed, the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin, Israel’s governing body. Most likely, Lazarus was reciting his experience over and over again, resulting in the Pharisees’ desperate decision: Lazarus must die. Again! In the darkened minds of the temple leaders, Lazarus, the last evidence of Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah, had to go.
After Lazarus rose from the dead, he returned to the house he shared with Mary and Martha (John 12:1–2). He was present when Mary poured expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. Knowing the miracle that Jesus had recently performed, we understand why Lazarus’ sister was so full of gratitude that she went to such extravagant lengths. Lázaro could have been the only support for her sisters, and her death could have meant poverty for both of them. Jesus had given them back not only the brother they loved, but also the protector and provider they needed to survive.
The Bible gives us no more information about Lazarus. Any additional details come from church history and may or may not be accurate. One tradition holds that after Jesus’ ascension to heaven, Lazarus and his sisters moved to Cyprus, where Lazarus became Bishop of Kition and died of natural causes in AD 63. C. Another theory states that Lazarus and his sisters moved to Gaul to preach the gospel, and Lazarus became Bishop of Marseilles, where he was beheaded under the tyranny of Emperor Domitian. What happened to Lázaro is unknown. But we can be sure that his physical body died a second time. And we know that according to 1 Corinthians 15:51–53 and 1 Thessalonians 4:14–17, Lazarus will rise from the dead to join all of God’s saints in eternity.