Reference: Lazarus
American
1. A friend and disciple of Christ, brother of Martha and Mary, with whom he resided at Bethany near Jerusalem. Our Savior had a high regard for the family, and often visited them; and when Lazarus was dangerously ill, word was sent to Christ, "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick." The Savior reached Bethany after he had lain four days in his grave, and restored him to life by a word, "Lazarus, come forth." This public and stupendous miracle drew so many to Christ, that his enemies sought to put both him and Lazarus to death, Joh 11; 12:1-11. The narrative displays Christ as a tender and compassionate friend, weeping for and with those he loved, and at the same time as the Prince of life, beginning his triumph over death and the grave. Happy are they who, in view of their own death, or that of friends, can know that they are safe in Him who says, "I am the resurrection and the life;" and, "because I live, ye shall live also."
2. The helpless beggar who lay at the rich man's gate in one of Christ's most solemn and instructive parables. The one, though poor and sorely afflicted, was a child of God. The other described as self-indulgent rather than vicious or criminal was living without God in the enjoyment of every earthly luxury. Their state in this life was greatly in contrast with their real character before God, which was revealed in the amazing changes of their condition at death, Lu 16:19-31. See ABRAHAM'S BOSOM. Our Savior plainly teaches us, in this parable, that both the friends and the foes of God know and begin to experience their doom immediately after death, and that it is in both cases unchangeable and eternal.
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"Once there was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and live in great luxury every day. A beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores, was brought to his gate. read more. He was always trying to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs used to come and lick his sores. "One day, the beggar died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In the afterlife, where he was in constant torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus by his side. So he shouted, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool off my tongue, because I am suffering in this fire.' "But Abraham said, "My child, remember that during your lifetime you received blessings, while Lazarus received hardships. But now he is being comforted here, while you suffer. Besides all this, a wide chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross from this side to you cannot do so, nor can they cross from your side to us.' "The rich man said, "Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house because I have five brothers to warn them, so that they won't end up in this place of torture, too.' "Abraham said, "They have Moses and the Prophets. They should listen to them!' "But the rich man replied, "No, father Abraham! But if someone from the dead went to them, they would repent.' "Then Abraham told him, "If your brothers do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded, even if someone were to rise from the dead.'"
Easton
an abbreviation of Eleazar, whom God helps. (1.) The brother of Mary and Martha of Bethany. He was raised from the dead after he had lain four days in the tomb (Joh 11:1-44). This miracle so excited the wrath of the Jews that they sought to put both Jesus and Lazarus to death.
(2.) A beggar named in the parable recorded Lu 16:19-31.
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"Once there was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and live in great luxury every day. A beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores, was brought to his gate. read more. He was always trying to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs used to come and lick his sores. "One day, the beggar died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In the afterlife, where he was in constant torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus by his side. So he shouted, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool off my tongue, because I am suffering in this fire.' "But Abraham said, "My child, remember that during your lifetime you received blessings, while Lazarus received hardships. But now he is being comforted here, while you suffer. Besides all this, a wide chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross from this side to you cannot do so, nor can they cross from your side to us.' "The rich man said, "Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house because I have five brothers to warn them, so that they won't end up in this place of torture, too.' "Abraham said, "They have Moses and the Prophets. They should listen to them!' "But the rich man replied, "No, father Abraham! But if someone from the dead went to them, they would repent.' "Then Abraham told him, "If your brothers do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded, even if someone were to rise from the dead.'"
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the woman who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair. Her brother Lazarus was the one who was ill. read more. So the sisters sent word to Jesus and told him, "Lord, the one whom you love is ill." But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This illness isn't meant to end in death. It's for God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed where he was for two more days. After this, he told the disciples, "Let's go back to Judea." The disciples told him, "Rabbi, the Jewish leaders were just now trying to stone you to death, and you are going back there again?" Jesus replied, "There are twelve hours in the day, aren't there? If anyone walks during the day he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks at night he stumbles, because the light is not in him." These were the things he said. Then after this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I'm leaving to wake him up." So the disciples told him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well." Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was speaking about resting or sleeping. Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus has died. For your sake I'm glad that I wasn't there, so that you may believe. But let's go to him." Then Thomas, who was called the Twin, told his fellow disciples, "Let's go, too, so that we may die with him!" When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha told Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, he will give it to you." Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha told him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The person who believes in me, even though he dies, will live. Indeed, everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe that?" "Yes, Lord," she told him. "I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who was to come into the world." When she had said this, she went away and called her sister Mary and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you!" As soon as Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet arrived at the village but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with her, consoling her in the house, saw Mary get up quickly and go out, they followed her, thinking that she had gone to the tomb to cry there. As soon as Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at his feet and told him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn't have died." When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, he was greatly troubled in spirit and deeply moved. He asked, "Where have you put him?" They told him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus burst into tears. So the Jews said, "See how much he loved him!" But some of them said, "Surely the one who opened the eyes of the blind man could have kept this man from dying, couldn't he?" Groaning deeply again, Jesus came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying in front of it. Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the dead man's sister, told him, "Lord, there must be a stench by now, because he's been dead for four days." Jesus told her, "I told you that if you believed you would see God's glory, didn't I?" So they removed the stone. Then Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." After saying this, he shouted with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The man who had died came out, his hands and feet tied with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a handkerchief. Jesus told them, "Untie him, and let him go."
Fausets
LAZARUS or ELEAZAR ("God helps".)
1. Of Bethany; brother of Mary and Martha (Joh 11:1). (See BETHANY.) The sisters were the better known, from whence they are put prominently forward here, and in Lu 10:38, etc., are alone named. Lazarus was "of (apo, 'belonging to at that time') Bethany, from (ek, implying his original settlement) the village of Mary and Martha" (still it is likely the same village is meant in both Luke 10 and John 11, namely, Bethany). Curiously, Ganneau found close to Bethany a tomb, probably of the first century, containing the names all together of Simon, Martha, and Lazarus. Lazarus' subordinate position at their feast in Christ's honour (Joh 12:2) makes it likely he was the youngest. Moreover, the house is called that of Simon the leper (Mt 26:6; Mr 14:3); who was probably therefore their father, but either by death or leprosy no longer with them, though possibly he too, as a leper healed by Jesus, was then one of that happy family.
Their friends from Jerusalem (Joh 11:19), according to John's use of "the Jews," were of the ruling elders and Pharisees. The feast; the costly ointment, the family funeral cave (compare Isa 22:16; 2Ki 23:6; Jer 26:23), all bespeak good social position. The sisters' warm attachment to Lazarus was strengthened by their common love to Jesus who loved all three (Joh 11:5). Lazarus had won the disciples' love too, for Jesus calls him "our friend" (Joh 11:11). At the time of Lazarus' sickness and the sisters' call, Jesus was in Peraea beyond Jordan, on His way to Jerusalem, two days' journey from Bethany. He delayed two days to give time for that death which He foresaw, and from which He was about to raise Lazarus. On proposing to go to Judea, His disciples remonstrated on the ground that He would be going into the very danger from which He had just escaped (Joh 10:39-40; 11:8-10).
He replied that while His appointed day yet lasted He was safe, and that He was going to awaken Lazarus out of sleep. He was "glad" that He had not been on the spot before, that Lazarus' death and rising might awaken the disciples out of the deadness of unbelief. The sisters grieved at His seeming neglect. God sees cause for joy where even His people see only cause for grief. Four days had elapsed after the call when He arrived. Martha went and met Him, while Mary sat in the house, in beautiful harmony with the character of each respectively, described in Lu 10:40-42. Martha's faith had now become stronger; so she says, "Lord, I know that even now whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God, God will give it Thee (more buoyant in spirit than Mary, and cherishing even now a vague hope of her brother's restoration) ... Yea, Lord, I believe that Thou art the Christ the Son of God ... the Resurrection and the Life." Upon Martha telling Mary of Jesus' arrival and "call" for her, either expressed or implied ("secretly," through fear of Jewish informers, see Joh 11:28,46), the latter also came "quickly" to Him.
The Jews her friends, not having heard Martha's communication, supposed Mary was gone to the tomb to weep, but found her as of old "at Jesus' feet." Her words were fewer, but her action more impassioned, than those of her sister. So the whole company, Jesus, His disciples, the sisters, and their sympathizers, were met at the grave. At the sight of their weeping, Jesus "groaned in spirit," and troubled Himself, but checked His emotion which would otherwise have choked utterance. "Where have ye laid him?" Sympathy with their sorrow, which He was instantly to relieve, at last found vent in tears: "Jesus wept" (compare Lu 19:41; Heb 4:15). "Behold. how He loved him," the Jews, His adversaries, were constrained to exclaim. Their unbelief, "could not this man which opened the eyes of the blind (John 9, they allude not to the raising of Jairus' daughter and the widow of Nain's son, which took place in Galilee, but to the miracle which made such a stir in Jerusalem; they never thought of His raising the dead) have caused that even this man should not have died?" made Him "groan again."
Take away the stone. Martha, retaining still remainders of unbelief (she believed in Lazarus' future resurrection, but she hardly dared to believe what she herself had hinted at in Joh 11:22, that Christ will raise him now), objected on the ground of the body's presumed decomposition by this time. He tells her to "believe, so she shall see the glory of God." With a preparatory thanksgiving to the Father for the already felt answer to His prayer, He said, "Lazarus, come forth," and he came forth bound hand and foot, the graveclothes and napkin about his face. "Loose him, and let him go"; contrast Jesus' resurrection, the graveclothes and the napkin folded separately, because, unlike Lazarus, He was to die no more (Joh 20:6-7). The same miracle which converted some Jews to belief furnished others only with materials for informing the Pharisees against Him. It brought the plots of the rulers and Caiaphas to a crisis (Joh 11:45-53).
The very sign which the Pharisees desired in the parable of Lazarus (Lu 16:27-30) is now granted in the person of one of the same name, but only stimulates them to their crowning sin, to kill Jesus, nay even to kill Lazarus too (Joh 12:10). The same sun that develops the fragrant violet strengthens the poison of the deadly nightshade. This is the crucial miracle of the truth of the Gospels. Spinosa said if this were true he would tear his system in pieces and embrace Christianity. As the Lord's Judaean ministry was not the subject of the first three evangelists, but the Galilean, they omit the raising of Lazarus. The Jews' consultation to kill Lazarus, and his own probable shrinking from publicity after such a mysterious experience, perhaps further influenced them in their omission of the miracle. By John's time of writing the brother and sisters were dead, and no reason for reserve any longer existed.
Tradition says that Lazarus' first question on coming back was whether he should die again; on learning he must, he never smiled again. Such an impression was made by this miracle that many Jews flocked to Bethany to see both Jesus and Lazarus. The eye witnesses bore record, and the people who heard of it from them met Him on His way to Jerusalem, and formed part of His retinue in His triumphal entry with the palmbearing multitude (Joh 12:12,17-18). E. H. Plumptre (Smith's Dictionary) identifies Simon the leper with Simon the Pharisee (Lu 7:36-40); Martha had the Pharisees' belief in the resurrection (Joh 11:24); Mary's gift of the ointment was after the example of the sinful woman in Simon's house; the leprosy came on subsequently.
Also he identifies Lazarus with the rich young ruler (Matthew 19; Mark 10; Luke 18); Jesus' words to him, "one thing thou lackest," answer to His words to Martha. "one thing is needful"; "Jesus beholding loved him" (Mark) is said also of Lazarus (Joh 11:5); Jesus' love at last wrought out his conversion, possible to God though not to man; a sharp Palestine fever is sent to discipline him; his death and rising through Jesus' power is accompanied by his spiritual resurrection (Joh 5:24-25). Judas and the eleven expected, that the feast in Joh 12:2 was the farewell feast of Lazarus, renouncing his former life and obeying Christ's command, "sell that thou hast, and give to the poor"; hence, Judas' bitter objection, "why was not this ointment sold for 300 pence and given to the poor?"
On the night of Christ's betrayal Lazarus, whose Bethany home was near and was Christ's lodging on the previous night, in the hasty night alarm rushed eagerly with "the linen cloth (the term applied to graveclothes always, the same which he had on when the Lord raised him from the grave (Joh 11:44), sindon) cast about his naked body" (Mr 14:51-52; 15:46), and was seized by the high priest's servants as a second victim (Joh 12:10), whereas they let the other disciples escape.
2. Lazarus in the parable, Lu 16:19-31. The one unknown on earth has a name with God; the rich man, well known as a great man among men, has no name with God (Re 3:1). The historic Lazarus (John 11-12) belonged to the richer classes. Yet it is not a rich Lazarus, but Lazar
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"Come, go to this steward, to Shebna who is in charge of the household, and ask him: "What are you doing here, and who are your relatives here that you could carve out a grave for yourself here cutting out a tomb at the choicest location, chiseling out a resting place for yourself out of solid rock?
They brought Uriah out of Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, who killed him with a sword. Then they threw his body into a common grave."
"Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But keep on storing up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal, read more. because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
I tell all of you, many will come from east and west and will feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom from heaven. But the unfaithful heirs of that kingdom will be thrown into the darkness outside. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
She said, "Yes, Lord. But even the puppies eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' tables."
While Jesus was in Bethany sitting at the table in the home of Simon the leper, a woman arrived with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made from pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
A certain young man, who was wearing nothing but a linen sheet, was following Jesus. When the men grabbed him, he left the linen sheet behind and ran away naked.
Joseph bought some linen cloth, took the body down, wrapped it in the cloth, laid it in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.
Produce fruit that is consistent with repentance! Don't begin to say to yourselves, "We have father Abraham!' because I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones!
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him. So he went to the Pharisee's home and took his place at the table. There was a woman who was a notorious sinner in that city. When she learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's home, she took an alabaster jar of perfume read more. and knelt at his feet behind him. She was crying and began to wash his feet with her tears and dry them with her hair. Then she kissed his feet over and over again, anointing them constantly with the perfume. Now the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this and told himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who is touching him and what kind of woman she is. She's a sinner!" Jesus told him, "Simon, I have something to ask you." "Teacher," he replied, "ask it."
Now as they were traveling along, Jesus went into a village. A woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.
But Martha was worrying about all the things she had to do, so she came to him and asked, "Lord, you do care that my sister has left me to do the work all by myself, don't you? Then tell her to help me." The Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha! You worry and fuss about a lot of things. read more. But there's only one thing you need. Mary has chosen what is better, and it is not to be taken away from her."
So he told them, "You try to justify yourselves in front of people, but God knows your hearts, because what is highly valued by people is detestable to God.
"Once there was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and live in great luxury every day. A beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores, was brought to his gate. read more. He was always trying to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs used to come and lick his sores. "One day, the beggar died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In the afterlife, where he was in constant torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus by his side. So he shouted, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool off my tongue, because I am suffering in this fire.' "But Abraham said, "My child, remember that during your lifetime you received blessings, while Lazarus received hardships. But now he is being comforted here, while you suffer. Besides all this, a wide chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross from this side to you cannot do so, nor can they cross from your side to us.' "The rich man said, "Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house
"The rich man said, "Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house
"The rich man said, "Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house because I have five brothers to warn them, so that they won't end up in this place of torture, too.'
because I have five brothers to warn them, so that they won't end up in this place of torture, too.'
because I have five brothers to warn them, so that they won't end up in this place of torture, too.' "Abraham said, "They have Moses and the Prophets. They should listen to them!'
"Abraham said, "They have Moses and the Prophets. They should listen to them!' "But the rich man replied, "No, father Abraham! But if someone from the dead went to them, they would repent.'
"But the rich man replied, "No, father Abraham! But if someone from the dead went to them, they would repent.'
"But the rich man replied, "No, father Abraham! But if someone from the dead went to them, they would repent.'
"But the rich man replied, "No, father Abraham! But if someone from the dead went to them, they would repent.' "Then Abraham told him, "If your brothers do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded, even if someone were to rise from the dead.'"
"Then Abraham told him, "If your brothers do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded, even if someone were to rise from the dead.'"
When he came closer and saw the city, he began to grieve over it:
"Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, whoever hears what I say and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged, but has passed from death to life. Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, the time approaches, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear it will live.
Again they tried to seize him, but he slipped away from them. Then he went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and he remained there.
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
The disciples told him, "Rabbi, the Jewish leaders were just now trying to stone you to death, and you are going back there again?" Jesus replied, "There are twelve hours in the day, aren't there? If anyone walks during the day he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. read more. But if anyone walks at night he stumbles, because the light is not in him." These were the things he said. Then after this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I'm leaving to wake him up."
and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother.
Martha told him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."
When she had said this, she went away and called her sister Mary and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you!"
The man who had died came out, his hands and feet tied with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a handkerchief. Jesus told them, "Untie him, and let him go." Many of the Jews who had come with Mary and who had observed what Jesus did believed in him. read more. Some of them, however, went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
Some of them, however, went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the high priests and the Pharisees assembled the Council and said, "What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. read more. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation." But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, told them, "You don't know anything! You don't realize that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed." Now he did not say this on his own initiative. As high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but that he would also gather into one the children of God who were scattered abroad. So from that day on they resolved to put him to death.
There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him.
There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him.
So the high priests planned to kill Lazarus, too,
So the high priests planned to kill Lazarus, too,
So the high priests planned to kill Lazarus, too, since he was the reason why so many of the Jews were leaving to believe in Jesus. read more. The next day, the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming into Jerusalem.
So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify to what they had seen. The crowd was going out to meet Jesus because they had heard that he had performed this sign.
Jesus' disciples said, "Well, now you're speaking plainly and not using figurative language.
At this point Simon Peter arrived, following him, and went straight into the tomb. He observed that the linen cloths were lying there, and that the handkerchief that had been on Jesus' head was not lying with the linen cloths but was rolled up in a separate place.
God gave him no property here, not even a foot of land, yet he promised to give it to him and to his descendants after him as a permanent possession, even though he had no child.
Why is it thought incredible by all of you that God should raise the dead?
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. Instead, we have one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet he never sinned.
All these people died having faith. They did not receive the things that were promised, yet they saw them in the distant future and welcomed them, acknowledging that they were strangers and foreigners on earth.
"To the messenger of the church in Sardis, write: "The one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says this:
Hastings
A common Jewish name, a colloquial abbreviation of Eleazar.
1. The brother of Martha and Mary, the friend of Jesus (Joh 11:3,11,36, where 'love' and 'friend' represent the same root in Greek). The family lived at Bethany, a village within two miles of Jerusalem just over the brow of Olivet. Lazarus was the subject of the greatest miracle of the Gospel story (Joh 11:1-44). In the last year of His ministry Jesus sojourned at Jerusalem from the Feast of Tabernacles in October to that of the Dedication in December; and, on being driven out by the violence of the rulers (Joh 10:31,39), He retired to 'Bethany beyond Jordan' (Joh 10:40; cf. Joh 1:28 RV). A crowd followed Him thither, and in the midst of His beneficent activities of teaching and healing tidings reached Him that His friend had fallen sick. He might have responded immediately to the sisters' appeal either by hastening to their home and laying His hand on the sick man, or by sending forth His word of power and healing him across the intervening distance of some twenty miles (cf. Joh 4:46-54; Mt 15:21-28 = Mr 7:24-30). But He did neither; He remained where He was for two days, until Lazarus was dead. He desired not only to manifest His power to His friends, but to make a signal appeal to impenitent Jerusalem, by working a miracle which would attest His Messiahship beyond all question.
At length He set forth. If the messenger started in the morning, he would reach Jesus the same evening. Jesus stayed two days, and setting out early would arrive on the evening of the fourth day. Thus on His arrival Lazarus had been dead four days (Joh 11:39). In that sultry climate burial followed immediately on death, and it sometimes happened that a swoon was mistaken for death, and the buried man came to life again. The Jewish belief was that the soul hovered about the sepulchre for three days, fain to re-animate its clay. On the fourth day decomposition set in, and hope was then abandoned. Jesus arrived on the fourth day, and there was no doubt of the reality of Lazarus' death and of the ensuing miracle. It was not a recovery from a trance, but a veritable resurrection. He went to the rock-hewn sepulchre, and in presence of the sisters and a large company of mourners, including many of the rulers who had come from the adjacent capital to testify their esteem for the good Lazarus and their sympathy with Martha and Mary (Joh 11:19), summoned the dead man forth and restored him, alive and well, to his home. It was a startling miracle. It made a profound impression on the multitude, but it only exasperated the rulers. They convened a meeting of the Sanhedrin and determined to put Jesus to death (Joh 11:47-53).
He retired to Ephraim near the frontier of Samaria, and stayed there until the Passover drew near; then He set out for Jerusalem to keep the Feast and to die. Six days before it began (Joh 12:1), He reached Bethany, and despite the Sanhedrin's decree He received a great ovation. He was honoured with a banquet in the house of one of the leading men of the village, Simon, who had been a leper and had probably been healed by Jesus (Joh 12:2-11 = Mt 26:6-13 = Mr 14:3-9). Lazarus was one of the company. The news of His arrival at Bethany reached Jerusalem, and next day the multitude thronged out and escorted Him in triumph into the city. It was the raising of Lazarus that excited their enthusiasm (Joh 12:3,17-18).
After this Lazarus appears no more in the Gospel story. Surely he of all men should have stood by Jesus at His trial and crucifixion; and the explanation of his absence is probably that he had been forced to flee. Observing the popular enthusiasm, the infuriated rulers had determined to put him also to death (Joh 12:10-11). He would withdraw more for Jesus' sake than for his own. His presence only increased the Master's danger.
2. The beggar in our Lord's parable (Lu 16:19-31).
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I tell all of you, many will come from east and west and will feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom from heaven.
Then Jesus left that place and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Suddenly, a Canaanite woman from that territory came near and began to shout, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed!" read more. But he didn't answer her at all. Then his disciples came up and kept urging him, "Send her away, because she keeps on screaming as she follows us." But he replied, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel." Then she came and fell down before him, saying, "Lord, help me!" He replied, "It's not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the puppies." She said, "Yes, Lord. But even the puppies eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' tables." Then Jesus answered her, "Lady, your faith is great! What you want is granted." That very hour her daughter was healed.
While Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume and poured it on his head while he sat at the table. read more. But when the disciples saw this, they became irritated and said, "Why this waste? Surely this perfume could've been sold for a high price and the money given to the destitute." But knowing this, Jesus asked them, "Why are you bothering the woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. You'll always have the destitute with you, but you'll not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she was preparing me for burial. I tell all of you with certainty, wherever this gospel is proclaimed throughout the whole world, what she has done will also be told as a memorial to her."
Jesus left that place and went to the territory of Tyre and Sidon. He went into a house, not wanting anyone to know he was there. However, it couldn't be kept a secret. In fact, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him and came and fell down at his feet. read more. Now the woman happened to be a Greek, born in Phoenicia in Syria. She kept asking him to drive the demon out of her daughter. But he kept telling her, "First let the children be filled. It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the puppies." But she answered him, "Yes, Lord. Yet even the puppies under the table eat some of the children's crumbs." Then he told her, "Because you have said this, go! The demon has left your daughter." So she went home and found her child lying in bed, and the demon was gone.
While Jesus was in Bethany sitting at the table in the home of Simon the leper, a woman arrived with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made from pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Irritated, some who were there asked one another, "Why was the perfume wasted like this? read more. This perfume could have been sold for more than 300 denarii and the money given to the destitute." So they got extremely angry with her. But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me, because you'll always have the destitute with you and can help them whenever you want, but you won't always have me. She has done what she could. She poured perfume on my body in preparation for my burial. I tell all of you with certainty, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told as a memorial to her."
"I'm telling you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails, they will welcome you into eternal homes.
"Once there was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and live in great luxury every day. A beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores, was brought to his gate. read more. He was always trying to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs used to come and lick his sores. "One day, the beggar died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In the afterlife, where he was in constant torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus by his side. So he shouted, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool off my tongue, because I am suffering in this fire.' "But Abraham said, "My child, remember that during your lifetime you received blessings, while Lazarus received hardships. But now he is being comforted here, while you suffer. Besides all this, a wide chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross from this side to you cannot do so, nor can they cross from your side to us.' "The rich man said, "Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house because I have five brothers to warn them, so that they won't end up in this place of torture, too.' "Abraham said, "They have Moses and the Prophets. They should listen to them!' "But the rich man replied, "No, father Abraham! But if someone from the dead went to them, they would repent.' "Then Abraham told him, "If your brothers do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded, even if someone were to rise from the dead.'"
This happened in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
So Jesus returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. Meanwhile, in Capernaum there was a government official whose son was ill. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him repeatedly to come down and heal his son, because he was about to die. read more. Jesus told him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe." The official told him, "Sir, please come down before my little boy dies." Jesus told him, "Go home. Your son will live." The man believed what Jesus told him and started back home. While he was on his way, his servants met him and told him that his child was alive. So he asked them at what hour he had begun to recover, and they told him, "The fever left him yesterday at one o'clock in the afternoon." Then the father realized that this was the very hour when Jesus had told him, "Your son will live." So he himself believed, along with his whole family. Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.
Again they tried to seize him, but he slipped away from them. Then he went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and he remained there.
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the woman who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair. Her brother Lazarus was the one who was ill. read more. So the sisters sent word to Jesus and told him, "Lord, the one whom you love is ill."
So the sisters sent word to Jesus and told him, "Lord, the one whom you love is ill." But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This illness isn't meant to end in death. It's for God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." read more. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed where he was for two more days. After this, he told the disciples, "Let's go back to Judea." The disciples told him, "Rabbi, the Jewish leaders were just now trying to stone you to death, and you are going back there again?" Jesus replied, "There are twelve hours in the day, aren't there? If anyone walks during the day he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks at night he stumbles, because the light is not in him." These were the things he said. Then after this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I'm leaving to wake him up."
These were the things he said. Then after this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I'm leaving to wake him up." So the disciples told him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well." read more. Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was speaking about resting or sleeping. Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus has died. For your sake I'm glad that I wasn't there, so that you may believe. But let's go to him." Then Thomas, who was called the Twin, told his fellow disciples, "Let's go, too, so that we may die with him!" When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother.
and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. read more. Martha told Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, he will give it to you." Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha told him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The person who believes in me, even though he dies, will live. Indeed, everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe that?" "Yes, Lord," she told him. "I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who was to come into the world." When she had said this, she went away and called her sister Mary and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you!" As soon as Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet arrived at the village but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with her, consoling her in the house, saw Mary get up quickly and go out, they followed her, thinking that she had gone to the tomb to cry there. As soon as Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at his feet and told him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn't have died." When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, he was greatly troubled in spirit and deeply moved. He asked, "Where have you put him?" They told him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus burst into tears. So the Jews said, "See how much he loved him!"
So the Jews said, "See how much he loved him!" But some of them said, "Surely the one who opened the eyes of the blind man could have kept this man from dying, couldn't he?" read more. Groaning deeply again, Jesus came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying in front of it. Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the dead man's sister, told him, "Lord, there must be a stench by now, because he's been dead for four days."
Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the dead man's sister, told him, "Lord, there must be a stench by now, because he's been dead for four days." Jesus told her, "I told you that if you believed you would see God's glory, didn't I?" read more. So they removed the stone. Then Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." After saying this, he shouted with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The man who had died came out, his hands and feet tied with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a handkerchief. Jesus told them, "Untie him, and let him go."
So the high priests and the Pharisees assembled the Council and said, "What are we going to do? This man is performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation." read more. But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, told them, "You don't know anything! You don't realize that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed." Now he did not say this on his own initiative. As high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but that he would also gather into one the children of God who were scattered abroad. So from that day on they resolved to put him to death.
Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived in Bethany, where Lazarus lived, the man whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. read more. Mary took a litron of very expensive perfume made of pure nard and anointed Jesus' feet. She wiped his feet with her hair, and the house became filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
Mary took a litron of very expensive perfume made of pure nard and anointed Jesus' feet. She wiped his feet with her hair, and the house became filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, who was going to betray him, asked, read more. "Why wasn't this perfume sold for 300 denarii and the money given to the destitute?" He said this, not because he cared about the destitute, but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the moneybag and would steal what was put into it. Then Jesus said, "Leave her alone so she can observe the day of my burial, because you will always have the destitute with you, but you won't always have me." When the large crowd of Jews realized that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the high priests planned to kill Lazarus, too,
So the high priests planned to kill Lazarus, too, since he was the reason why so many of the Jews were leaving to believe in Jesus.
since he was the reason why so many of the Jews were leaving to believe in Jesus.
So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify to what they had seen. The crowd was going out to meet Jesus because they had heard that he had performed this sign.
One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus kept loving, had been sitting very close to him.
One of his disciples, the one whom Jesus kept loving, had been sitting very close to him.
will drink the wine of God's wrath, which has been poured undiluted into the cup of his anger. He will be tortured with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the lamb.
Morish
Laz'arus
1. Brother of Martha and Mary, and a resident at Bethany. Jesus loved them all, and He spoke of Lazarus as 'our friend.' Very little is recorded of him except the striking fact that he was raised from the dead by the Lord Jesus, which manifested the glory of God and glorified the Son of God. When his sisters made the Lord a supper at Bethany, Lazarus was one of those who sat with Him. He was a living witness of the power of the Son of God over death, and as such he was in danger of being killed by the Jews, on account of many believing on the Lord because of him. Joh 11:1-43; 12:1-17.
2. The poor man in the parable of Luke 16. His circumstances are related
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"Once there was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and live in great luxury every day. A beggar named Lazarus, who was covered with sores, was brought to his gate. read more. He was always trying to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs used to come and lick his sores. "One day, the beggar died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In the afterlife, where he was in constant torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus by his side. So he shouted, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool off my tongue, because I am suffering in this fire.' "But Abraham said, "My child, remember that during your lifetime you received blessings, while Lazarus received hardships. But now he is being comforted here, while you suffer. Besides all this, a wide chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross from this side to you cannot do so, nor can they cross from your side to us.' "The rich man said, "Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house because I have five brothers to warn them, so that they won't end up in this place of torture, too.' "Abraham said, "They have Moses and the Prophets. They should listen to them!' "But the rich man replied, "No, father Abraham! But if someone from the dead went to them, they would repent.' "Then Abraham told him, "If your brothers do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded, even if someone were to rise from the dead.'"
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the woman who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair. Her brother Lazarus was the one who was ill. read more. So the sisters sent word to Jesus and told him, "Lord, the one whom you love is ill." But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This illness isn't meant to end in death. It's for God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed where he was for two more days. After this, he told the disciples, "Let's go back to Judea." The disciples told him, "Rabbi, the Jewish leaders were just now trying to stone you to death, and you are going back there again?" Jesus replied, "There are twelve hours in the day, aren't there? If anyone walks during the day he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks at night he stumbles, because the light is not in him." These were the things he said. Then after this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I'm leaving to wake him up." So the disciples told him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well." Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was speaking about resting or sleeping. Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus has died. For your sake I'm glad that I wasn't there, so that you may believe. But let's go to him." Then Thomas, who was called the Twin, told his fellow disciples, "Let's go, too, so that we may die with him!" When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha told Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, he will give it to you." Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha told him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The person who believes in me, even though he dies, will live. Indeed, everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe that?" "Yes, Lord," she told him. "I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who was to come into the world." When she had said this, she went away and called her sister Mary and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you!" As soon as Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet arrived at the village but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with her, consoling her in the house, saw Mary get up quickly and go out, they followed her, thinking that she had gone to the tomb to cry there. As soon as Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at his feet and told him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn't have died." When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, he was greatly troubled in spirit and deeply moved. He asked, "Where have you put him?" They told him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus burst into tears. So the Jews said, "See how much he loved him!" But some of them said, "Surely the one who opened the eyes of the blind man could have kept this man from dying, couldn't he?" Groaning deeply again, Jesus came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying in front of it. Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the dead man's sister, told him, "Lord, there must be a stench by now, because he's been dead for four days." Jesus told her, "I told you that if you believed you would see God's glory, didn't I?" So they removed the stone. Then Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." After saying this, he shouted with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"
Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived in Bethany, where Lazarus lived, the man whom Jesus had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. read more. Mary took a litron of very expensive perfume made of pure nard and anointed Jesus' feet. She wiped his feet with her hair, and the house became filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, who was going to betray him, asked, "Why wasn't this perfume sold for 300 denarii and the money given to the destitute?" He said this, not because he cared about the destitute, but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the moneybag and would steal what was put into it. Then Jesus said, "Leave her alone so she can observe the day of my burial, because you will always have the destitute with you, but you won't always have me." When the large crowd of Jews realized that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the high priests planned to kill Lazarus, too, since he was the reason why so many of the Jews were leaving to believe in Jesus. The next day, the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming into Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! How blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!" Then Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written: "Stop being afraid, people of Zion. Look, your king is coming, sitting upon a donkey's colt!" At first, his disciples didn't understand these things. However, when Jesus had been glorified, they remembered that these things had been written about him and that people had done these things to him. So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify to what they had seen.
Smith
Laz'arus
(whom God helps), another form of the Hebrew name Eleazar.
1. Lazarus of Bethany, the brother of Martha and Mary.
Joh 11:1
All that we know of him is derived from the Gospel of St. John, and that records little more than the facts of his death and resurrection. The language of
Joh 11:1
implies that the sisters were the better known. Lazarus is "of Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister Martha." From this and from the order of the three names in
Joh 11:5
we may reasonably infer that Lazarus was the youngest of the family. All the circumstances of John 11 and 12 point to wealth and social position above the average.
2. The name of a poor man in the well-known parable of
Lu 16:19-31
The name of Lazarus has been perpetuated in an institution of the Christian Church. The leper of the Middle Ages appears as a lazzaro. The use of lazaretto and lazarhouse for the leper hospitals then founded in all parts of western Christendom, no less than that of lazaroni for the mendicants of Italian towns, is an indication of the effect of the parable upon the mind of Europe in the Middle Ages, and thence upon its later speech.
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Watsons
LAZARUS, brother to Martha and Mary. He dwelt at Bethany with his sisters, near Jerusalem; and the Lord Jesus did him the honour sometimes of lodging at his house when he visited the city. See the account of his resurrection related at large in Joh 11:5, &c.
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Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.