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.
1 Bet kāds gulēja slims, Lācars vārdā, Betānijā, Marijas un viņas māsas Martas ciemā. 2 Bet šī Marija bija tā, kas Kungu bija svaidījusi ar svaidāmo eļļu un Viņa kājas ar saviem matiem nožāvējusi. Tās brālis Lācars gulēja slims. 3 Tad abas māsas sūtīja Viņam ziņu: "Kungs, redzi, tas, ko Tu mīli, guļ slims." 4 Jēzus, to dzirdējis, sacīja: "Šī slimība nav uz nāvi, bet Dievam par godu, lai Dieva Dēls ar to tiktu pagodināts." 5 Bet Jēzus mīlēja Martu, viņas māsu, un Lācaru. 6 Saņēmis ziņu, ka tas ir slims, Viņš vēl divi dienas palika tai vietā, kur Viņš atradās. 7 Un tikai pēc tam Viņš saka mācekļiem: "Iesim atkal uz Jūdeju!" 8 Mācekļi Viņam saka: "Rabi, nupat jūdi gribēja Tevi nomētāt akmeņiem, un Tu atkal jau dodies turp?" 9 Jēzus atbildēja: "Vai dienai nav divpadsmit stundu? Ja kāds staigā dienā, tas nepiedauzās, jo tas redz šīs pasaules gaismu. 10 Bet, ja kāds staigā naktī, tas piedauzās, jo viņam nav gaismas." 11 To Viņš teica un pēc tam saka viņiem: "Mūsu draugs Lācars ir aizmidzis, bet Es eimu viņu modināt." 12 Mācekļi Viņam sacīja: "Kungs, ja viņš aizmidzis, tad viņš izveseļosies." 13 Bet Jēzus to bija sacījis par viņa nāvi; viņi turpretim domāja, ka Viņš runā par miegu. 14 Pēc tam Jēzus viņiem skaidri saka: "Lācars nomiris; 15 un Es priecājos jūsu dēļ, ka Es nebiju tur, lai jūs ticētu; bet iesim pie viņa!" 16 Tad Toms, saukts dvīnis, sacīja pārējiem mācekļiem: "Iesim arī mēs, lai kopā ar Viņu mirtu!" 17 Kad Jēzus tur nonāca, Viņš to atrada jau četras dienas guļam kapā. 18 Bet Betānija bija netālu no Jeruzālemes, apmēram piecpadsmit stadiju. 19 Un daudz jūdu bija atnākuši pie Martas un Marijas, lai mierinātu viņas par viņu brāli. 20 Marta, dzirdējusi, ka Jēzus nāk, izgāja Viņam pretim, bet Marija palika mājās sēžot. 21 Tad Marta sacīja Jēzum: "Kungs, ja Tu būtu bijis šeit, mans brālis nebūtu miris! 22 Bet arī tagad es zinu, ka visu, ko Tu no Dieva lūgsi, Dievs Tev dos." 23 Jēzus viņai saka: "Tavs brālis celsies augšām!" 24 Marta saka Viņam: "Es zinu, ka viņš celsies augšām, kad miroņi celsies augšām, pastarā dienā." 25 Jēzus viņai sacīja: "ES ESMU augšāmcelšanās un dzīvība; kas Man tic, dzīvos, arī ja tas mirs, 26 un ikviens, kas dzīvo un tic Man, nemirs nemūžam! Vai tu to tici?" 27 Viņa saka: "Jā, Kungs, es ticu, ka Tu esi Kristus, Dieva Dēls, kam jānāk pasaulē." 28 Un, to sacījusi, viņa aizgāja un pasauca Mariju, savu māsu, tai paslepus sacīdama: "Mācītājs ir atnācis un tevi sauc." 29 Bet viņa, to dzirdējusi, steigšus ceļas un dodas pie Viņa. 30 Bet Jēzus vēl nebija iegājis ciemā, bet vēl atradās tanī vietā, kur Marta Viņu bija satikusi. 31 Tad jūdi, kas bija pie viņas mājā, lai viņu iepriecinātu, redzēdami, ka Marija steigšus cēlās un izgāja, sekoja tai, būdami tanīs domās, ka viņa iet uz kapu, lai tur raudātu. 32 Kad Marija nonāca tur, kur Jēzus bija, viņa, To ieraudzījusi, metās Tam pie kājām un sacīja Viņam: "Kungs, ja Tu būtu bijis šeit, mans brālis nebūtu miris." 33 Tad Jēzus, redzēdams viņu raudam un arī jūdus raudam, kas viņai bija sekojuši, garā aizgrābts noskuma 34 un sacīja: "Kur jūs viņu esat likuši?" Tie Viņam saka: "Kungs, nāc un redzi!" 35 Jēzus raudāja. 36 Tad jūdi sacīja: "Redziet, cik ļoti Viņš to ir mīlējis!" 37 Bet daži viņu starpā sacīja: "Vai Viņš, kas atvēra aklā acis, nevarēja arī darīt, lai šis nenomirtu?" 38 Jēzus, atkal sirdī aizgrābts, nonāk pie kapa; tas bija alā, un akmens gulēja priekšā. 39 Jēzus saka: "Noņemiet akmeni!" Marta, mirēja māsa, saka Viņam: "Kungs, viņš jau ož, jo ir jau pagājušas četras dienas." 40 Jēzus viņai saka: "Vai Es tev nesacīju: ja tu ticēsi, tu redzēsi Dieva varenību?" 41 Tad viņi noņēma akmeni. Bet Jēzus pacēla acis augšup un sacīja: "Tēvs, Es Tev pateicos, ka Tu Mani esi paklausījis! 42 Es jau zināju, ka Tu katrā laikā Mani paklausi, bet apkārtstāvošo ļaužu dēļ Es to esmu sacījis, lai tie ticētu, ka Tu Mani esi sūtījis." 43 Un, to sacījis, Viņš stiprā balsī sauca: "Lācar, nāc ārā!" 44 Un mirušais iznāca; kājas un rokas tam bija autiem sasietas un seja aizsegta ar sviedrautu. Bet Jēzus sacīja tiem: "Atraisait viņu un ļaujiet viņam iet." 45 Tad daudzi to jūdu starpā, kas bija nākuši pie Marijas un redzējuši, ko Viņš bija darījis, sāka Viņam ticēt. 46 Bet daži no tiem aizgāja pie farizejiem un izstāstīja viņiem, ko Jēzus bija darījis. 47 Tad augstie priesteri un farizeji sasauca augstās tiesas sēdi un sacīja: "Ko mēs darīsim? Jo šis cilvēks dara daudz zīmju. 48 Ja mēs Viņu tā palaidīsim, visi sāks ticēt Viņam, un romieši nāks un atņems mums zemi un tautu." 49 Un viens starp viņiem, Kajafa, būdams tā gada augstais priesteris, sacīja viņiem: "Jūs neko nesaprotat 50 un neapsverat, ka mums ir labāk, ka viens cilvēks mirst, ja to prasa tautas labums, nekā kad visa tauta iet bojā." 51 Bet to viņš nesacīja pats no sevis, bet pravietoja, būdams tā gada augstais priesteris. Jo Jēzum bija mirt tautas labā 52 un ne vien jūdu tautas labā, bet arī lai savāktu vienkopus izklīdinātos Dieva bērnus. 53 No tās dienas tie nosprieda Viņu nokaut. 54 Bet Jēzus nu vairs nestaigāja atklāti starp jūdiem, bet no turienes aizgāja uz apgabalu netālu no tuksneša, uz pilsētu, vārdā Efraima, un tur palika kopā ar mācekļiem. 55 Bet jūdu Pashā bija tuvu, un daudzi no laukiem jau pirms Pashā devās uz Jeruzālemi, lai šķīstītos. 56 Tie meklēja Jēzu un runāja savā starpā, Templī stāvēdami: "Kā jums šķiet? Viņš droši vien nenāks svētkos?" 57 Bet augstie priesteri un farizeji bija devuši rīkojumu, ka katram, kas zina, kur Viņš ir, Viņš jāuzrāda, lai tie Viņu varētu apcietināt.
