A story for the 5th Sunday of Lent: Jesus raises Lazarus from the grave
(From the Gospel of John, chapter 11, verses 1-45)
Lazarus 
and his sisters, Mary and Martha 
lived in a village called Bethany. They were close friends of Jesus 
. Whenever he traveled through their town, he always stayed at their home.
One day 
got very sick. 
sent a message to 
.
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"Please come to Bethany. Our brother is very sick." Jesus got the message but didn't travel to Bethany right away. It was risky to be in that part of the country. Many people wanted to kill Jesus and his friends. He didn't want to put Mary, Martha and Lazarus in danger. |
Finally, Jesus' disciples 
asked what he planned to do.
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"Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. It's time to go to Bethany to awaken him." |
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"Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right." |
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"What I mean is that Lazarus is dead. For your sake I'm glad I wasn't there when he died. I want you to believe. Let's go to Lazarus now." |
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The disciples were confused. What was Jesus talking about, "I want you to believe"? "We will go with you, Jesus. If you die, we will die with you." |
By the time Jesus got to Bethany, Lazarus had been dead and his body buried for 4 days.
Martha
and Mary 
and their friends 
were very sad.
Martha heard that Jesus was in Bethany and went to find him. Mary stayed at home.
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"Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." |
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"Your brother will rise again." |
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"I know that he will rise again, someday when God puts everything right in the world." |
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"I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" |
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"Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the One coming into the world." |
Then Martha went home and found Mary. "Jesus wants to see you." Mary got up quickly and went to Jesus. Many of the people of Bethany went with her. When Mary found Jesus, she knelt at his feet and began to cry.
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"Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." |
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"Where have you laid your brother's body?" |
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"Lord, come and see." |
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Jesus began to cry as he went to the place where Lazarus' body was buried. "See how much he loved Lazarus! Couldn't he have kept his friend from dying?" |
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"Take away the stone." |
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"Lord, my brother has been dead for 4 days." |
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"Didn't I tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" |
Some of the stronger men in town rolled the stone away.
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"Father, I thank you for always hearing me when I call to you." "Lazarus, come out!" |
The dead man came out, his hands and feet an face bound with strips of cloth.
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"Unbind him, and let him go." |
Many of the people in Bethany that day were not believers before Jesus showed up. But after they saw what happened at the tomb of Lazarus, they believed from that day on that Jesus is the Son of God.
Questions to think about:
Has someone died whom you've loved very much?
How did you feel when that happened?
What do you believe happens to people when they die?