Jesus healed Lazarus

Title ideas: Jesus healed [raised] Lazarus, a man who was dead four days. Jesus raised Lazarus from death. Jesus is resurrection and Life!

A man named Lazarus with his two sisters called Martha and Mary, were good friends of Jesus. They lived in a village near Jerusalem. One day Lazarus became very sick. At this time, Jesus was staying about two days walk [traveling distance] away from Jerusalem.

Martha and Mary were frightened because Lazarus was very sick. So they sent a messenger to find Jesus. When that young man arrived, he said, “Teacher [Big Boss], your good [close] friend is very sick!”

When Jesus heard that word, he said, “My friend Lazarus’ sickness [weakness] is very strong, but it cannot cause him to rot in his grave! Instead, many people will recognize God’s power when this trouble is finished. Then also they will recognize that God has authorized me as his representative and honored me. They will recognize that I am God’s Son.”

Jesus loved [liked] Lazarus and his sisters very much. Since he loved [liked] them much, he stayed where he was for two more days. Then he said to his disciples, “Now we go to them.”

Then Jesus told his disciples clearly, “Our friend Lazarus has stopped breathing! I perceive it as a very good thing for you that I was not there with Lazarus [at that time] when he died. Because soon you will know me truly (when you see the next thing happening). Come, let us now travel to his funeral place.”

So Jesus and his disciples traveled two days and were close to the mourning house [funeral]. Martha heard that Jesus was coming and went to meet him. She mourned, saying, “Oh! Oh! Teacher! You would have healed my brother so that he not die, if you had been here. But I know even now that God will answer you [do whatever you ask him].”

Jesus said to Martha, “I am the man who can cause my people to get up and live again after their dying. They will live forever by my power. You must believe, then you will see God demonstrating [showing] his power. All people who believe in me even though they might die (in this life/world) will get up alive again. Also, when those people get up alive again, they will never die again but go on living forever. Martha, do you believe this [my word] that it is true?”

[Then] Martha said to him, “Yes, Teacher, I agree [I am certain] that you are the Messiah, God’s Son, the one whom God sent into the world. I know you are that person [one].”

Then Martha called Mary [to come]. Both of them came and Mary knelt at Jesus’ feet. She said, "Oheee! Teacher! You would have healed my brother so that he not die, if you had been here."

Jesus was very troubled by their grief. He wept [cried] tears.

Then they went with some men to the cave where they had put the corpse [Lazarus’s dead body]. There was a large round stone that they had put over the opening to the grave-cave. Jesus told the men, ""Move the stone to the side [away from the grave-cave].""

Then Martha said, "Oh! Oh! Teacher! My brother has been dead four days already! Certainly there will be a strong stink [smell] (if you open the grave)!"

Jesus told [reminded] her, “Think well about my words with which I told you that you will see God demonstrating [showing] his power, if you believe. Then Martha accepted [Jesus’ words]. She signaled that the men should move [to the side] the big stone that covered [closed] the burial cave.

Jesus prayed to God, saying, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me, as you habitually hear me! I am thanking you now so that these people who are watching might observe well and believe that you sent me!”

Then Jesus shouted, "Lazarus, come out from the [your] grave!"

Then Lazarus came out from the grave [burial] cave. He was still wrapped around with strips of burial cloth. [This was how the people there buried their dead.] Even a cloth was still covering his face.

Jesus told the men standing there, “Unwrap the burial cloth strips so that Lazarus can walk normally [freely].”

[no narration; murmurings of astonishment; gasping; clucking] Oh! Oh! Eee! Wow!

Many of the people who saw this miracle believed that Jesus was sent by God.