Have you ever felt hopeless?
Maybe your career doesn’t look the way you thought it would. Or marriage isn’t as easy as pop culture made it seem.
Maybe parenthood is weighing on you, and you wonder if you were ever cut out for it in the first place.
Or maybe you locked yourself out of your house, climbed up on your very steep roof, hoping your bedroom window was unlocked (it wasn’t), it started raining while you were up there, and you don’t have a safe way down. That last one is probably just me. (Spoiler alert: I fell.)
Hopelessness is universal to the human condition, and it has been since Adam and Eve ate from the one tree God told them to avoid. In John 11, we find the story of a few friends of Jesus: Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Lazarus has fallen ill, and Mary and Martha’s only hope for their brother is Jesus. Then hope seems extinguished, along with Lazarus’ life.
In their hopelessness, we are presented with a significant truth about God: when all hope seems lost, we can find it in Jesus.
Where Is the Story of Lazarus in the Bible?
The story of Lazarus can be found in John 11:1-44
Summary of the Story of Lazarus
- Lazarus is sick in the village of Bethany.
- Mary and Martha send a messenger to Jesus, telling Him about Lazarus.
- Jesus remains where He is for two days.
- Jesus and His disciples travel to Bethany.
- Jesus weeps over the death of His friend.
- Jesus asks for the stone to be rolled away from the tomb entrance and commands Lazarus to come out.
- Lazarus emerges from the tomb alive.
The Main Point of the Story of Lazarus
Lazarus’ story gives us a glimpse of a God who understands our pain when it seems as if all hope is lost—and who can do something about it.
3 Lessons the Story of Lazarus Teaches Us
1. Jesus Understands Our Pain
In many English translations of the Bible, John 11:35 is the shortest verse: “Jesus wept.” But this verse carries so much impact.
Earlier in the story, we are told that Jesus loves Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, and in their message to Jesus, Mary and Martha refer to Lazarus as “The one you (Jesus) love.” This tells us that these three siblings are close to Jesus. Even though Jesus already knows what He is going to do, the death of Lazarus, His friend, hurts Him, and He hurts with Mary and Martha, who grieve the loss of their brother.
When we hurt, when we feel hopeless, Jesus understands.
Jesus loves us in the same way He loves Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. When we hurt, when we feel hopeless, Jesus understands. Not only does He understand, but He’s with us in the middle of our pain, waiting for us to turn to Him so He can do what only He can: bring us peace amidst that pain.
2. Jesus Brings Hope to the Hopeless
Jesus’ conversation with Martha is fascinating. Martha starts by telling Jesus that if He had been there, Lazarus wouldn’t have died.
She follows that up with a pretty profound statement: “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask” (John 11:22). Jesus responds that Lazarus will rise again, but Martha doesn’t understand what He is saying. She agrees that Lazarus will rise again in the “resurrection at the last day”.
When Jesus shows up, hope arrives. Martha is looking toward future hope, but Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” He is her hope. Whatever situation you might be facing, Jesus is your hope, too.
During hard moments and circumstances, it’s easy to connect our hope to a specific outcome. Our hope shouldn’t be tied to an outcome, but to Jesus. Martha is hoping for a future resurrection, and Jesus says, “Find your hope in me.” In the middle of Mary and Martha’s hopeless situation, Jesus didn’t bring hope through an outcome—He brought it by virtue of who He is.
3. God Can Bring Joy Out of Our Darkest Moments.
Imagine being at the tomb in this moment. You see Jesus weeping over His friend's death. Then, He arrives at the tomb and calls for the stone in front of it to be moved. Martha protests because it’s been four days, and the body has started to smell. Jesus persists, telling Martha that if she believes, she will see God’s glory. The stone is rolled away, Jesus calls Lazarus out, and then Lazarus walks out.
In an instant, tears of grief become tears of joy. Pain becomes a testimony of the power and goodness of God. This is something only Jesus can do.
No one else has the power to light up our darkest despair. God may not always move the way we expect or want Him to, but we can trust that whatever we face, Jesus is with us, leading us and working all things for good.
Common Questions About the Story of Lazarus
Why did Jesus stay where He was after getting Mary and Martha’s message?
The reality is that, even if Jesus had left right away, Lazarus would have been dead by the time He reached Bethany. Scholars note that Jesus was about a day's walk from Bethany when He got the message. Jesus stayed where He was for two days, but when He showed up, Lazarus was dead for four.
Why did Jesus raise Lazarus on the fourth day?
This brings us to an interesting cultural belief. In ancient Jewish tradition, it was believed that after death, the spirit of the dead lingered around the body for three days, hoping to reenter the body and come back to life. Decomposition really started to set in on the fourth day, and seeing this, the spirit would depart. Jesus showing up on the fourth day meant showing up when hope was well and truly dead. The two days wouldn’t have mattered because Lazarus was already dead, and by showing up on the fourth day, the resurrection of Lazarus couldn’t be seen as anything but a miraculous display of God’s power.
Why were the Jews trying to stone Jesus?
In John 10, Jesus is asked by a Jewish crowd if He is the Messiah. Jesus tells them that He and the Father are one. Essentially, Jesus is saying that He is equal to God the Father. This would have been seen as major blasphemy, and in the Old Testament book of Leviticus, Israelite law says the blasphemers are to be stoned.
Why did Jesus cry over Lazarus’ death if He was planning to resurrect him?
Scripture doesn’t directly state why Jesus wept, but there are a couple of things we do know. First, Jesus loved Lazarus. This is stated outright. Second, Jesus was human. Yes, Jesus is the Son of God and is Himself God, but He was also fully human, and this emotion is an expression of that humanity. We know Jesus had a plan when He went to Bethany, but that plan didn’t diminish the love He had for the people walking through this dark time.
The Book of Romans tells us to mourn with those who mourn. Jesus demonstrates that in this story. He enters into the pain of Mary and Martha. This is something followers of Jesus are called to do as well.
Reflect or Discuss
- What part of this story stands out the most and why?
- What can make it difficult to trust in Jesus when something seems hopeless?
- How can you remind yourself of God’s goodness when you are walking through a difficult season?
Want to keep exploring? This article is part of The Life of Jesus, Story by Story—a full library of Jesus story articles organized by chapter of His life.