When the Jews who were in the house sympathizing with Mary saw her get up quickly and go out, they followed her thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Jesus had not yet come into the village, he was still at the place where Martha had met him. When she had said this, she went to call her sister, Mary, saying in a low voice, вЂњThe Master is here and wants to see you.вЂќ Hearing this Mary got up quickly and went to him. Do you believe this?' She said to him, 'Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.' But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.' Jesus said to her, 'Your brother will rise.' Martha said to him, 'I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.' Jesus told her, 'I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me even if he dies, will live and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if you had been her, my brother would not have died. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him but Mary sat at home.

And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away. When Jesus arrived in Bethany, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. This gospel story does point to the resurrection of Jesus but it points more to the person and the power of Jesus to bring life out of death. He wanted Lazarus as he does us to have life and life to the fullest. And when Lazarus comes from the tomb, Jesus commands those around to unbind him and set him free. His prayer to his Father precedes the resuscitation of Lazarus. And this grief touch his own heart and he weeps openly. He shows deep compassion for Mary and Martha on the loss of their brother.

The raising of Lazarus shows the fullness of who Jesus in in his humanity and in his divinity.

Raising lazarus from the dead