Lazarus

Lazarus lived in Bethany with his sisters Mary and Martha, and John notes that Jesus loved the three of them. When Lazarus fell ill, the sisters sent word to Jesus, but he delayed two days before traveling to Judea — saying the illness was "for the glory of God." By the time he arrived, Lazarus had been in the tomb four days. Martha went out to meet him and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Mary came and fell at his feet weeping, and he saw the crowd of mourners, Jesus was deeply moved and wept — the shortest verse in scripture, and one of the most significant.

At the tomb Jesus commanded the stone removed, prayed aloud for the sake of the crowd, and called out, "Lazarus, come out." The dead man came out still wrapped in burial cloths. Many who witnessed it believed in Jesus. But the chief priests and Pharisees called an emergency council: "What are we to do? For this man performs many signs." The high priest Caiaphas declared it expedient for one man to die for the people — unwittingly prophesying the crucifixion. Lazarus is last seen at a supper in Bethany where Mary anointed Jesus; the chief priests considered putting Lazarus to death as well, since many Jews were believing because of him.