Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, was raised from the dead by Jesus (Jhn.11.1-44; 12.1-2,9-11).
Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha, who lived in the village of Bethany (Jhn.11.1). Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters (Jhn.11.5). When Lazarus fell ill, his sisters sent word to Jesus, but by the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days (Jhn.11.6,17). Jesus went to the tomb and called for Lazarus to come out, and Lazarus emerged, still wrapped in burial cloths (Jhn.11.43-44). This miraculous sign led many to believe in Jesus (Jhn.11.45). Later, Jesus visited Lazarus' home, where Martha served a meal and Mary anointed Jesus' feet with perfume (Jhn.12.1-3). The chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus because his resurrection caused many to believe in Jesus (Jhn.12.9-11). Lazarus' story demonstrates Jesus' power over death and foreshadows His own resurrection.
Mary, Martha, and Lazarus
FamilyStated in the textThe three siblings lived in Bethany, near Jerusalem, and were loved by Jesus. Martha hosted him, Mary sat at his feet, and Lazarus was raised after four days in the tomb.
Sources: Scripture
Simon the leper's house and the anointing
FriendsHypothesisMark and Matthew place the anointing at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, and John places it at a supper with Martha serving and Lazarus reclining. Simon may have been related to the family, but the texts do not say.
Where the text shows it: Mark 14:3 — In Bethany at the house of Simon the leperJohn 12:1-3 — Martha serving, Lazarus at table, Mary anoints Ways people read this (3)
- Simon was a healed leper who hosted a supper for which Martha served (a neighbor).
- Simon was a relative, possibly the father or husband of Martha.
- The two suppers are different events (less common).
Sources: Scripture
Lazarus as the Beloved Disciple?
FriendsHypothesisJohn 11 says Jesus loved Lazarus and calls him "he whom you love". Later the Beloved Disciple appears only after John 13. Some see Lazarus there. Early tradition (Irenaeus) names John the apostle.
Ways people read this (4)
- John son of Zebedee (Irenaeus and most traditions).
- Lazarus (Filson and others), since he is the only man said to be loved.
- John Mark, or an otherwise unnamed Judean disciple.
- A literary ideal figure.
Sources: Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.1.1 · Floyd Filson, Journal of Biblical Literature (1949)
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
11 verses in 1 book · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s G2976