Lazarus – An Obscure Biblical Figure

David Tee - AncientPages.com - As it is with other biblical figures, Lazarus does not get much of a biography when he is mentioned in the Bible. In fact, he has about three claims to fame. First, he is resurrected from the dead; second, he provides the setting for the shortest verse in the Bible,” Jesus wept”, John 11:35; and third he was the target of an assassination plot, John 12:10.

Lazarus - An Obscure Biblical Figure

All that we know of Lazarus is what is written in the Bible. The Gospel of John records the story of Lazarus and he is not the same person as the poor man mentioned in Luke’s Gospel.

Raising Lazarus, Oil on Copper Plate, 1875, Carl Heinrich Bloch (Hope Gallery, Salt Lake City. Image credit: Carl Bloch - Public Domain

None of those three claims to fame count for entry into the secular historical record.

This tells us that Lazarus was just like one of us. He had family, two sisters named Mary and Martha, and he had a home in Bethany. Whether it was his parent’s home inherited by one of the 3 siblings or his own, is not known.

Most likely he worked but his employment is not known. He first appears on the scene when his sisters send word to Jesus that their brother and his friend were sick. Other than the fact that Lazarus ate with Jesus after his resurrection, nothing else is known about the man.

Relationship Between Jesus And Lazarus

The Gospel of John in Chapter 11 indicates a very deep relationship with Jesus. Not only was Jesus moved by the death of his friend, he was also moved by the purity of heart displayed by Lazarus’ sister, Mary, and her Jewish friends (John 11:33).

How their relationship came about and how long it had been going on before Lazarus died is unknown. What matters is that Jesus was deeply troubled, moved, and hurt by the death of his friend. So much so that we get the only real recording of Jesus showing his inner emotions.

Why Did Jesus Raise Lazarus From The Dead?

Jesus had raised others from the dead before (Luke 7:11-14 & 8: 40-56). According to one study bible, Lazarus’ resurrection was not the same as those earlier miracles. Lazarus was dead, had been dead for 4 days and everyone knew he was dead.

The Raising of Lazarus, 1857, Léon Joseph Florentin Bonnat. Image credit: Léon Bonnat - Public Domain

There was no question that Lazarus’ life had come to an end. If you read earlier in chapter 11 of John’s gospel you find the reason why Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. He was not giving his friend a pass from sickness, he was not practicing any nepotism or anything else that was corrupt.

Jesus had a true spiritual reason for bringing Lazarus back to life. We read later in the same chapter, verse 45, that many believed in Jesus after they saw what he did for his friend.

Also, in John 12, we read that many people came to see both Jesus and Lazarus. They wanted to see with their own eyes what Jesus had done.

Resurrection And Priests' Fear Of The Romans

While many people glorified both God and Jesus through his bringing Lazarus back from the grave, not all were happy about this event. The Chief Priests and the Pharisees met together to figure out what they were going to do.

It was not a fear of God that made them come together but a fear of the Romans and the possible loss of their position that motivated their meeting, John 11: 47-53. Throughout the meeting they talked about killing Jesus, then in John 12: 10 they included Lazarus in their plans.

The reason they target Lazarus for the assassination was that his existence led many of the Jews to leave their old faith and embrace the faith that Jesus brought to their nation. We know what took place in Jesus’ life. The Chief Priests and Pharisees were successful in killing him.

But the result of the plot to kill Lazarus is not known. Lazarus is not mentioned again after these two chapters. We could only speculate that he lived longer than Jesus and was not killed by his enemies.

As it stands, Lazarus remains a symbol for those who seek to glorify God through medical miracles.

Written by – David Tee AncientPages.com Staff Writer

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