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John 11:1-16
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. 3The sisters sent a message to the Lord and told him that his good friend Lazarus was sick.
4When Jesus heard this, he said, “His sickness won't end in death. It will bring glory to God and his Son.”
5Jesus loved Martha and her sister and brother. 6But he stayed where he was for two more days. 7Then 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?”
9Jesus 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. 10But if you walk during the night, you will stumble, because you don't have any light.” 11Then he told them, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, and I am going there to wake him up.”
12They replied, “Lord, if he is asleep, he will get better.” 13Jesus really meant that Lazarus was dead, but they thought he was talking only about sleep.
14Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead! 15I am glad I wasn't there, because now you will have a chance to put your faith in me. Let's go to him.”
16Thomas, whose nickname was “Twin,” said to the other disciples, “Come on. Let's go, so we can die with him.”
John 11:1-16
The death of Lazarus
1Now a man named Lazarus was ill. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2(This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay ill, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3So the sisters sent word to Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is ill.’
4When he heard this, Jesus said, ‘This illness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.’ 5Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6So when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed where he was two more days, 7and then he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go back to Judea.’
8‘But Rabbi,’ they said, ‘a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?’
9Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the day-time will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.’
11After he had said this, he went on to tell them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.’
12His disciples replied, ‘Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.’ 13Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
14So then he told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead, 15and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’
16Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’
