Whether or not you know the story of Lazarus, it might interest you to know that many of the great painters of history have been fascinated by the tale. Rembrandt, Muller, Van Gogh, Pollock and a score of others have felt compelled to put the raising of Lazarus from the dead on canvas. Other artists have created the story in stained-glass windows in many churches. The story of Lazarus is a compelling one.
Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha. He and his sisters lived together in the village of Bethany, near Jerusalem. Jesus felt very close to Lazarus and his sisters. In fact, he often stayed with them when he visited Jerusalem. They were faithful friends, and Jesus loved them greatly.
Understanding their close-knit relationship, we can imagine how Jesus felt when a messenger from Bethany came to tell him that Lazarus was desperately ill. He made his way to his friends’ home. Mary and Martha saw him coming and ran to him. With tears flowing, Mary said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
That prompted Jesus to weep as well. Then they led him to a small cave covered by a huge stone. Immediately, Jesus asked some men in the group to roll away the stone. After the men pushed away the stone, Jesus said a prayer. When finished, he said with authority in his voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
In our imagination we can almost hear a rustling from within the cave. We can imagine a shuffling sound and observe a body coming out of the tomb. It was wrapped completely in white linen. It was so tightly bound that the body could move only by
