The Death of Lazarus
1-2 A man by the name of Lazarus was sick in the village of Bethany. He had two sisters, Mary and Martha. This was the same Mary who later poured perfume on the Lord's head and wiped his feet with her hair. 3 The sisters sent a message to the Lord and told him that his good friend Lazarus was sick.
4 When Jesus heard this, he said, “His sickness won't end in death. It will bring glory to God and his Son.”
5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and brother. 6 But he stayed where he was for two more days. 7 Then he said to his disciples, “Now we will go back to Judea.”
8 “Teacher,” they said, “the people there want to stone you to death! Why do you want to go back?”
9 Jesus answered, “Aren't there twelve hours in each day? If you walk during the day, you will have light from the sun, and you won't stumble. 10 But if you walk during the night, you will stumble, because you don't have any light.” 11 Then he told them, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, and I am going there to wake him up.”
12 They replied, “Lord, if he is asleep, he will get better.” 13 Jesus really meant that Lazarus was dead, but they thought he was talking only about sleep.
14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead! 15 I am glad I wasn't there, because now you will have a chance to put your faith in me. Let's go to him.”
16 Thomas, whose nickname was “Twin,” said to the other disciples, “Come on. Let's go, so we can die with him.”
Jesus Brings Lazarus to Life
17 When Jesus got to Bethany, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was less than three kilometers from Jerusalem, 19 and many people had come from the city to comfort Martha and Mary because their brother had died.
20 When Martha heard that Jesus had arrived, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 Yet even now I know that God will do anything you ask.”
23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will live again!”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will be raised to life on the last day, when all the dead are raised.”
25 Jesus then said, “I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die. 26 And everyone who lives because of faith in me will never really die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord!” she replied. “I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God. You are the one we hoped would come into the world.”
28 After Martha said this, she went and privately said to her sister Mary, “The Teacher is here, and he wants to see you.” 29 As soon as Mary heard this, she got up and went out to Jesus. 30 He was still outside the village where Martha had gone to meet him. 31 Many people had come to comfort Mary, and when they saw her quickly leave the house, they thought she was going out to the tomb to cry. So they followed her.
32 Mary went to where Jesus was. Then as soon as she saw him, she knelt at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw that Mary and the people with her were crying, he was terribly upset 34 and asked, “Where have you put his body?”
They replied, “Lord, come and you will see.”
35 Jesus started crying, 36 and the people said, “See how much he loved Lazarus.”
37 Some of them said, “He gives sight to the blind. Why couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying?”
38 Jesus was still terribly upset. So he went to the tomb, which was a cave with a stone rolled against the entrance. 39 Then he told the people to roll the stone away. But Martha said, “Lord, you know that Lazarus has been dead four days, and there will be a bad smell.”
40 Jesus replied, “Didn't I tell you that if you had faith, you would see the glory of God?”
41 After the stone had been rolled aside, Jesus looked up toward heaven and prayed, “Father, I thank you for answering my prayer. 42 I know that you always answer my prayers. But I said this, so the people here would believe you sent me.”
43 When Jesus had finished praying, he shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The man who had been dead came out. His hands and feet were wrapped with strips of burial cloth, and a cloth covered his face.
Jesus then told the people, “Untie him and let him go.”
The Plot To Kill Jesus
(Matthew 26.1-5Mark 14.1Mark 2Luke 22.1Luke 2)45 Many of the people who had come to visit Mary saw the things Jesus did, and they put their faith in him. 46 Others went to the Pharisees and told what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called the council together and said, “What should we do? This man is working a lot of miracles. 48 If we don't stop him now, everyone will put their faith in him. Then the Romans will come and destroy our temple and our nation.”
49 One of the council members was Caiaphas, who was also high priest that year. He spoke up and said, “You people don't have any sense at all! 50 Don't you know it is better for one person to die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed?” 51 Caiaphas did not say this on his own. As high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the nation. 52 Yet Jesus would not die just for the Jewish nation. He would die to bring together all of God's scattered people. 53 From that day on, the council started making plans to put Jesus to death.
54 Because of this plot against him, Jesus stopped going around in public. He went to the town of Ephraim, which was near the desert, and he stayed there with his disciples.
55 It was almost time for Passover. Many of the Jewish people who lived out in the country had come to Jerusalem to get themselves ready for the festival. 56 They looked around for Jesus. Then when they were in the temple, they asked each other, “You don't think he will come here for Passover, do you?”
57 The chief priests and the Pharisees told the people to let them know if any of them saw Jesus. This is how they hoped to arrest him.
Lācara nāve
1 Bija kāds nevesels – Lācars no Bētanijas, no ciema, kur dzīvoja Marija un viņas māsa Marta. 2 Marija bija tā, kas Kungu bija svaidījusi ar smaržīgām eļļām un viņa kājas ar saviem matiem žāvējusi. Tās brālis Lācars bija saslimis. 3 Tad māsas lika nodot Jēzum ziņu, sacīdamas: “Kungs, redzi, tas, ko tu mīli, ir slims.” 4 Jēzus, to dzirdējis, teica: “Šī slimība nav uz nāvi, bet Dievam par godu, lai Dieva Dēls caur to tiktu pagodināts.” 5 Jēzus mīlēja Martu, tās māsu un Lācaru. 6 Kad nu viņš dzirdēja, ka Lācars ir sasirdzis, tad viņš vēl divas dienas uzkavējās tajā vietā, kur bija. 7 Pēc tam viņš sacīja mācekļiem: “Iesim atkal uz Jūdeju!” 8 Mācekļi viņam sacīja: “Rabi, jūdi nupat vēl gribēja tevi nomētāt akmeņiem, un tu atkal ej turp!” 9 Jēzus atbildēja: “Vai tad nav divpadsmit stundu dienai? Ja kāds staigā dienā, tas neklūp, jo tas redz šīs pasaules gaismu. 10 Bet, ja kāds staigā naktī, tas klūp, jo viņā nav gaismas.” 11 To pateicis, viņš tiem sacīja tālāk: “Lācars, mūsu draugs, ir iemidzis, un es dodos, lai viņu pamodinātu.” 12 Viņa mācekļi tam sacīja: “Kungs, ja viņš ir iemidzis, viņš kļūs vesels.” 13 Jēzus gan bija runājis par viņa nāvi, bet tie domāja, ka viņš runā par gulēšanu miegā. 14 Tad Jēzus viņiem sacīja tieši: “Lācars ir nomiris! 15 Es priecājos jūsu dēļ, ka manis tur nebija, lai jūs ticētu. Bet iesim pie viņa!” 16 Tad Toms, saukts Dvīnis, sacīja pārējiem mācekļiem: “Ejam arī mēs, lai mirtu kopā ar viņu!”
Kristus ir augšāmcelšanās un dzīvība
17 Nogājis Jēzus atrod Lācaru jau četras dienas guļam kapā. 18 Bet Bētanija bija tuvu pie Jeruzālemes – apmēram piecpadsmit stadiju . 19 Daudzi jūdi bija nākuši pie Martas un Marijas mierināt tās brāļa dēļ. 20 Kad Marta dzirdēja, ka Jēzus nāk, tā izgāja viņam pretī, bet Marija palika sēžam mājās. 21 Marta sacīja Jēzum: “Kungs, ja tu būtu bijis šeit, mans brālis nebūtu nomiris. 22 Bet arī tagad es zinu: lai ko tu lūgtu no Dieva, Dievs tev dos.” 23 Jēzus viņai sacīja: “Tavs brālis augšāmcelsies!” 24 Marta sacīja: “Zinu, ka viņš augšāmcelsies, kad būs augšāmcelšanās pastarā dienā.” 25 Tad Jēzus viņai sacīja: “ES ESMU augšāmcelšanās un dzīvība. Kas tic uz mani, tas dzīvos, kaut arī viņš mirtu! 26 Un katrs, kas dzīvo un tic man, nemirs nemūžam! Vai tu tici tam?” 27 Viņa sacīja: “Jā, Kungs, es ticu, ka tu esi Kristus, Dieva Dēls, kas nāk pasaulē.”
Jēzus raud pie Lācara kapa
28 To pateikusi, viņa aizgāja, pasauca savu māsu Mariju un tai slepus sacīja: “Skolotājs ir klāt un sauc tevi!” 29 Viņa, to dzirdējusi, tūlīt piecēlās un gāja pie viņa. 30 Jēzus vēl nebija ienācis ciemā, bet kavējās tanī vietā, kur Marta viņu bija satikusi. 31 Tad nu jūdi, kas bija namā un mierināja Mariju, redzēdami, ka viņa ātri pieceļas un iziet, sekoja viņai, domādami, ka viņa iet uz kapu, lai tur raudātu. 32 Kad Marija nonāca tur, kur bija Jēzus, un viņu ieraudzīja, tā krita viņam pie kājām, sacīdama: “Kungs, ja tu būtu bijis šeit, tad mans brālis nebūtu nomiris.” 33 Kad Jēzus redzēja raudam viņu un arī tos jūdus, kas bija atnākuši līdz ar viņu, viņš, garā aizgrābts, satraukti teica: 34 “Kur jūs viņu esat nolikuši?” Tie viņam atbildēja: “Kungs, nāc un skaties!” 35 Jēzus raudāja. 36 Tad jūdi sacīja: “Redzi, kā viņš to mīlēja!” 37 Daži no viņiem teica: “Vai viņš, kurš aklajam atdarīja acis, nevarēja izdarīt tā, lai arī šis nenomirtu?”
Lācara atdzīvināšana
38 Tad Jēzus, vēl aizvien aizgrābts, nāk uz kapu. Tā bija ala, kurai priekšā bija nolikts akmens. 39 Jēzus sacīja: “Noceliet akmeni!” Marta, mirušā māsa, viņam sacīja: “Kungs, viņš jau ož, jo ir jau ceturtā diena.” 40 Jēzus viņai sacīja: “Vai es neteicu tev: ja tu ticēsi, tu redzēsi Dieva godību?” 41 Tad tie nocēla akmeni. Un Jēzus, pacēlis acis augšup, teica: “Tēvs, pateicos tev, ka tu mani uzklausīji! 42 Es zināju, ka tu mani vienmēr uzklausi, bet to es sacīju šī ļaužu pūļa dēļ, kas visapkārt, – lai viņi ticētu, ka tu mani esi sūtījis.” 43 To teicis, viņš varenā balsī sauca: “Lācar, nāc ārā!” 44 Un mirušais iznāca – kājas un rokas tam bija saistītas saitēm un seja aptīta ar sviedrautu. Tad Jēzus ļaudīm sacīja: “Atraisiet viņu un ļaujiet viņam iet!”
Jūdu lēmums nogalināt Jēzu
45 Daudzi jūdi, kas bija atnākuši pie Marijas, ieraudzījuši, ko viņš ir izdarījis, sāka viņam ticēt. 46 Bet daži no viņiem nogāja pie farizejiem un izstāstīja, ko Jēzus bija darījis. 47 Tad virspriesteri un farizeji sasauca sinedriju un sprieda: “Ko lai darām? Šis cilvēks dara daudzas zīmes. 48 Ja mēs viņam tā ļausim, tad visi ticēs viņam, un atnāks romieši un atņems mums gan šo vietu, gan tautu.” 49 Viens no viņiem – Kajafa, tā gada augstais priesteris – tiem sacīja: “Jūs nekā nezināt, 50 un jūs nesaprotat, ka ir labāk, ja viens cilvēks mirst par daudziem, nekā visa tauta iet bojā.” 51 To viņš nesacīja no sevis, bet, būdams tā gada augstais priesteris, pravietoja, ka Jēzum būs jāmirst par tautu. 52 Un ne vien par šo tautu, bet arī tādēļ, lai izklīdinātos Dieva bērnus savāktu vienkop. 53 Tad nu no šīs dienas tie nosprieda viņu nokaut. 54 Jēzus vairs atklāti nestaigāja starp jūdiem, bet aizgāja no turienes uz vietu netālu no tuksneša, uz pilsētu, vārdā Efraima, un palika tur kopā ar mācekļiem. 55 Jūdu Pashas svētki bija tuvu, un daudzi no laukiem ieradās Jeruzālemē pirms svētkiem, lai šķīstītos. 56 Tie meklēja Jēzu un, templī stāvēdami, runāja savā starpā: “Kā jūs domājat? Vai tad viņš tiešām neatnāks uz svētkiem?” 57 Bet virspriesteri un farizeji bija izdevuši pavēli, lai katrs, kas zina, kur viņš ir, viņu uzrāda, lai varētu viņu apcietināt.
