Jesus's Diary

The Resurrection of Lazarus

I have gotten word that Mary's brother, Lazarus, is sick. Mary came up to me and said, "Lord, the one you love is sick."
I frowned. I hated that he was sick. "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory, so that God's Son may be glorified through it. I will stay here for 2 more days, then I will go to Lazarus." And I did so.
Two days later I turned to my disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."
They tilted their heads and one of them spoke up, "But Rabbi, a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?"
I scoffed. "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble for they see by this world's light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.," I told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going to wake him up."
"Wait but if he sleeps, then he will get better. Why do we need to go to Judea if he's just sleeping?"
I shook my head. I was talking about his death, while they thought that I was just talking about him sleeping naturally. I sighed. I decided to be blunt with them. "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe, but let us go to him."
All of the disciples let out an "oh" in unison, but then they frown because they understood what I had meant. Thomas spoke up, "Let us also go, so that we may die with him."

We went on our way to Judea. When we arrived, I found that Lazarus was already in his tomb for 4 days. Martha came up to me. "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
I smiled at her, in a comforting manner. "Your brother will rise again."
She paused for a moment. "I know he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."
"Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die, and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?
She nodded. "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." Martha went back to her sister Mary.
After a while, Mary and her sister Martha came back with some other Jews following them. Mary came up to me and she fell at her feet before me. "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
My expression softened. That was the exact same thing her sister had said. Mary slowly looked up at me, tears flowing down her face. She sat up and buried her face into her hands. Quiet sobs escaped her mouth. I knelt beside her, comforting her. This moved me but it also troubled me. I felt tears running down my face before I knew it. As this was happening, I heard some of the Jews talking, the Jews that had followed Mary.
"See how he loved him?"
But some of them had doubts. "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"
I wiped my tears from my face, before gently wiping the tears off of Mary's face with my thumb. I didn't say anything. We didn't say anything. We sat in silence for a moment.
I suddenly got up and walked to the tomb where Lazarus laid. The tomb was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," I said, my voice quiet and gentle.
Martha turned to me, "But Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."
I stared at her for a moment. I tilted my head. "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"
She looked away for a moment. She nodded. "I do believe."
I nodded. I looked up to heaven. "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."
I stared intently at the tomb for a moment. "Lazarus, come out!" I demanded.
A few moments later, a man wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face staggered out. He slowly unwrapped it from his body. As the sun met his eyes, he immediately shielded his eyes with his hand, his eyes squinting at all of us. His dazed look became one of gratitude.