A Bible Study on Lazarus

Lazarus, Raised from the Dead

“Lazarus, come forth.” With those words Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is, arguably, the preeminent public miracle of Jesus’ earthly ministry. So, note these key facts about that event which are recorded in the 11th and 12th chapter of the fourth gospel:

  • Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead was done in front of witnesses and some of the Jews who saw Jesus raise him from the dead and some went and told this to the Pharisees – “…he [Jesus] cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth… Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done” (11:43-46) 
     
  • The raising of Lazarus brought on the killing of Jesus because after learning of this miracle, the religious leaders joined forces to bring about the death of Jesus – “Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council …Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him [Jesus] to death” (11:47 & 53) 
     
  • The raising of Lazarus caused such a stir that the chief priests even decided to kill Lazarus also – “Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he [Jesus] was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only,but that they might see Lazarus also,whom he had raised from the dead.But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death” (12:9-10) 
     
  • After Lazarus was raised, he was a powerful witness for Jesus – “Because that by reason of him [Lazarus] many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus” (12:11) 
     
  • This miracle was a key reason the crowd met Jesus when he rode into Jerusalem at the event commonly called the triumphal entry – “For this cause the people also met him [Jesus], for that they heard that he had done this miracle” (12:18)  

The raising of Lazarus from the dead was a profound event, so why is this miracle is missing from three of the four gospels? The first three gospels do not even hint that this miracle occurred and they also never mention that Jesus had a friend named Lazarus that he loved. Only the fourth gospel tells us about Lazarus of Bethany.

Given the significance of Jesus’ raising of Lazarus and the aftershocks of that event, the writers of the first three gospels must have had a good reason for leaving any mention Lazarus and that miracle out of their accounts of the life of Jesus. The biblical evidence can help to explain why this miracle is absent from three of the four gospels.

Missing Persons?

It turns out there is another prominent figure in the life of Jesus who is also nowhere to be found in the first three gospels. Is this simply a coincidence? Two of the key people Jesus’ life are found in the fourth gospel and only the fourth gospel.

Like Lazarus, the unique associate of Jesus who is anonymously identified as the one whom “Jesus loved” appears only in the forth gospel – neither Lazarus of Bethany nor this unnamed disciple is explicitly mentioned in the first three gospels. Those gospels even omit the unnamed “other disciple, whom Jesus loved” when they are reporting events where the fourth gospel tells us this “other disciple” was present (examples of this will be presented in the brief Bible study to come).

The omission of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead was not an oversight by the writers of the first three gospels. Nor does this omission suggest this miracle did not occur as some Bible critics claim. The miracle of the raising of Lazarus was known to the other three gospel writers, so their omission of this event was no an accident.

This Bible study presents biblical evidence showing why the one “whom Jesus loved” and Jesus’ “friend” Lazarus are both absent from three of the four gospels, and why these two appear only in the fourth gospel but never at the same time.

Next: Lazarus, raised from the dead…

Printable Bible study on Lazarus – Print copies of this study

The Bible on Lazarus – Bible facts on Lazarus, friend of Jesus

The rich man and Lazarus – Related to Lazarus of Bethany?

Note: In this study, quotation marks are reserved for quotes from scripture that are cited herein.

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Part 2: Who was the beloved disciple?
Part 3: Gospel of John, or not?
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More: A Better Bible Study Method

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