John 11:1-27

1 Now a certain man, named Lazarus, of Bethany, was lying ill-- Bethany being the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

2 (It was the Mary who poured the perfume over the Lord and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.)

3 So the sisters sent to Him to say, "Master, he whom you hold dear is ill."

4 Jesus received the message and said, "This illness is not to end in death, but is to promote the glory of God, in order that the Son of God may be glorified by it."

5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

6 When, however, He heard that Lazarus was ill, He still remained two days in that same place.

7 Then, after that, He said to the disciples, "Let us return to Judaea."

8 "Rabbi," exclaimed the disciples, "the Jews have just been trying to stone you, and do you think of going back there again?"

9 "Are there not twelve hours in the day?" replied Jesus. "If any one walks in the daytime, he does not stumble--because he sees the light of this world.

10 But if a man walks by night, he does stumble, because the light is not in him."

11 He said this, and afterwards He added, "Our friend Lazarus is sleeping, but I will go and wake him."

12 "Master," said the disciples, "if he is asleep he will recover."

13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought He referred to the rest taken in ordinary sleep.

14 So then He told them plainly,

15 "Lazarus is dead; and for your sakes I am glad I was not there, in order that you may believe. But let us go to him."

16 "Let us go also," Thomas, the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "that we may die with him."

17 On His arrival Jesus found that Lazarus had already been three days in the tomb.

18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, the distance being a little less than two miles;

19 and a considerable number of the Jews were with Martha and Mary, having come to express sympathy with them on the death of their brother.

20 Martha, however, as soon as she heard the tidings, "Jesus is coming," went to meet Him; but Mary remained sitting in the house.

21 So Martha came and spoke to Jesus. "Master, if you had been here," she said, "my brother would not have died.

22 And even now I know that whatever you ask God for, God will give you."

23 "Your brother shall rise again," replied Jesus.

24 "I know," said Martha, "that he will rise again at the resurrection, on the last day."

25 "I am the Resurrection and the Life," said Jesus; "he who believes in me, even if he has died, he shall live;

26 and every one who is living and is a believer in me shall never, never die. Do you believe this?"

27 "Yes, Master," she replied; "I thoroughly believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."