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Lazarus in the Bible
Last updated: May 31, 2026
Written by Blake Boege
Lazarus of Bethany is a figure in the New Testament, famous for being raised from the dead by Jesus of Nazareth. Recorded exclusively in the Gospel of John, Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha and a beloved friend of Jesus. When Lazarus died of an illness, Jesus arrived in Bethany four days after his burial and performed the miracle of raising him from the tomb. This event serves as the climactic miracle in John's Gospel, directly precipitating the decision of the religious authorities to execute Jesus. Readers and scholars search for this topic to study Johannine signs, analyze early Christian views on resurrection, and explore narratives of grief.
Lazarus of Bethany was a friend of Jesus, brother of Mary and Martha. He fell ill, died, and was buried; Jesus called him out of the tomb four days later (John 11). The raising of Lazarus is the climactic sign in John's Gospel and contains one of Jesus's most famous 'I am' statements: 'I am the resurrection, and the life.'
Quick Answer
Lazarus of Bethany was a close friend of Jesus and brother of Mary and Martha who fell ill and died, but was miraculously raised back to life by Jesus after four days in a tomb.
Direct answer
Lazarus of Bethany was a friend of Jesus, brother of Mary and Martha. He fell ill, died, and was buried; Jesus called him out of the tomb four days later (John 11). This is the climactic sign in John's Gospel before the crucifixion.
The Lazarus of John 11 is not the same as the named beggar in Jesus's parable of Luke 16:19-31; they are two different figures in two different settings.
Examples
Bethany family
John 11:1-2 — Mary, Martha, Lazarus
Sickness and message
John 11:3-6
I am the resurrection
John 11:25-26
Jesus wept
John 11:35
Raised from the tomb
John 11:43-44 — Lazarus, come forth
Later supper
John 12:1-2
How it works
The page surveys the story of Lazarus of Bethany in John 11 and 12 and distinguishes him from the named beggar in Jesus's parable of Luke 16. References are KJV.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?John 11:25-26, KJV
The family at Bethany
Lazarus is the brother of Mary and Martha and lives in Bethany, a village about two miles from Jerusalem. The family appears earlier in the Gospels: Luke 10:38-42 records Martha serving while Mary sits at Jesus's feet to listen. John 12:1-8 records Mary anointing Jesus's feet with costly ointment. The three siblings are friends of Jesus, the kind of friends he stayed with when he was near Jerusalem.
Sickness and delay (John 11:1-16)
Lazarus fell sick, and the sisters sent word to Jesus: 'Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.' Strangely, Jesus 'abode two days still in the same place where he was' (John 11:6). When he finally announced that he was going to Bethany, the disciples worried about the danger of returning so near Jerusalem. Jesus said directly: 'Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.' When they did not understand, he said plainly: 'Lazarus is dead.'
The conversation with Martha (John 11:17-27)
When Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been in the tomb four days. Martha met him on the road, saying, 'Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.' Jesus told her her brother would rise again. Martha understood this as a reference to the final resurrection. Then Jesus said: 'I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?' She answered: 'Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.'
Jesus wept (John 11:28-37)
Mary came out to meet Jesus and fell at his feet, weeping. The Jews with her wept. The text says Jesus 'groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,' and at the tomb 'Jesus wept' (John 11:35), the shortest verse in the English Bible. The Lord of life entered fully into the grief of his friends. The watching Jews said, 'Behold how he loved him.'
Lazarus, come forth (John 11:38-44)
Jesus came to the tomb, a cave with a stone over it. He commanded them to take away the stone. Martha objected: 'by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.' Jesus reminded her of his promise. After praying aloud, Jesus cried with a loud voice: 'Lazarus, come forth.' Lazarus came out, still bound in graveclothes, and Jesus said: 'Loose him, and let him go.'
The aftermath
Many of the Jews who had come to comfort Mary believed in Jesus. The chief priests and Pharisees, alarmed by the size of the response, met in council and decided that Jesus must be put to death (John 11:45-53). Lazarus appears once more in John 12:1-2 at a supper at Bethany; John 12:9-11 records that the chief priests plotted to kill him also, because his very presence drew people to faith in Jesus. After that, the New Testament does not return to him by name.
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Frequently asked questions
Lazarus of Bethany was a friend of Jesus, the brother of Mary and Martha (John 11:1-2). The three appear together in earlier Gospel scenes: Martha serves while Mary sits at Jesus's feet (Luke 10:38-42); Mary anoints Jesus's feet with costly ointment (John 12:1-8). When Lazarus fell ill, the sisters sent for Jesus. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead and buried four days. Jesus called him out of the tomb (John 11:43-44).
No. They are two different figures. The Lazarus in John 11 is a real historical friend of Jesus, the brother of Mary and Martha, raised from the dead in Bethany. The Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31 is the named beggar in a parable Jesus tells about the rich man and Lazarus; he is the only character with a personal name in any of Jesus's parables. Luke 16 is teaching about wealth, poverty, and the world to come, not narrating a literal event in the same way as John 11.
Two verses stand out. John 11:25-26 contains one of Jesus's 'I am' statements: 'I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?' John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the English Bible: 'Jesus wept.'
It is the climactic 'sign' in John's Gospel before the crucifixion (John ordering events around seven major signs of Jesus). It shows that Jesus has authority even over death, which prepares the reader for the resurrection of Christ himself in John 20. It also triggers the final decision of the chief priests and Pharisees to put Jesus to death (John 11:45-53). And it is a deeply human story: Jesus weeps at the tomb of his friend.
The Bible records two further mentions. In John 12:1-2, Lazarus is at the table with Jesus at a supper in Bethany shortly before the Passion. In John 12:9-11, the chief priests plot to put Lazarus also to death, because many of the Jews were believing in Jesus on account of him. After that, the New Testament does not name Lazarus again. Later church traditions in different regions place him in various ministry roles, but those are not in the Bible.
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