UJesu wayelabangane abangu-3 ababehlala eBhethani njalo wayebathanda. Amabizo abo kwakunguLazaro, uMatha loMariya. Ngelinye ilanga uJesu engaphetsheya komfula uJodani wathola umlayezo ovela kuMariya loMatha owawusithi: ‘Buya ngoba uLazaro uyagula.’ Kodwa uJesu wahlala izinsuku ezimbili engayanga eBhethani. Ngemva kwalokho wathi kubafundi bakhe: ‘Umngane wethu uLazaro ulele kodwa ngiyakhona ukuyamvusa.’ Abaphostoli bathi: ‘Nxa kuvuma ukuthi alale uzakuba ngcono.’ Wasebatshela ephumela egcekeni wathi: ‘ULazaro usefile.’

Ngesikhathi uJesu efika eBhethani, uLazaro wayeselamalanga amane engcwatshiwe. Kwakulabantu abanengi ababezoduduza uMariya loMatha. UMatha wagijima wayahlangabeza uJesu ngesikhathi esizwa ukuthi usefikile. Wathi kuye: ‘Nkosi ngabe ubukhona lapha umnewethu ubengasoze afe.’ UJesu wathi kuye: ‘Umnewenu uzavuka, uyakukholwa yini lokhu?’ Yena waphendula wathi: ‘Ngiyakwazi ukuthi uzavuka nxa sokuvuswa abafileyo.’ UJesu wathi: ‘Mina ngiyikuvuka lokuphila.’

UMatha waya kuMariya wamtshela wathi: ‘UJesu usefikile.’ UMariya wagijima waya kuJesu njalo abantu bamlandela. Waguqa phambi kwakhe waqhubeka ekhala. Wathi: ‘Nkosi umnewethu ubengasoze afe ngabe ubukhona.’ UJesu wabona ukuthi wayesizwa ubuhlungu laye waqalisa ukukhala. Abantu bathi bekubona lokhu bathi: ‘Liyabona ukuthi uJesu ubemthanda njani uLazaro.’ Kodwa abanye bazibuza bathi: ‘Kanti wehluleke njani ukwenza ukuthi uLazaro angafi?’ Ake sibone ukuthi uJesu wenzani.

UJesu waya engcwabeni likaLazaro elalilubhalu njalo livalwe ngelitshe elikhulu. Wathi: ‘Lisuseni ilitshe.’ UMatha waphendula wathi: ‘Kumele ukuthi usenuka ngoba uselensuku ezine engcwatshiwe!’ Lanxa kunjalo balisusa ilitshe, uJesu wasekhuleka esithi: ‘Baba ngiyakubonga ukuthi ungizwile. Mina bengisazi ukuthi uhlala ungizwa, kodwa ngikutshela lokhu ngisenzela abantu  abemi lapha, ukuze bakholwe ukuthi ungithumile.’ Wasememeza ngelizwi elikhulu wathi: “Lazaro phuma!” Kwenzakala isimanga: ULazaro waphuma engcwabeni ethandelwe ngamalembu. UJesu wasesithi: “Khuphani izivunulo zokungcwaba limyekele ahambe.”

Abanengi ababona lokhu bakholwa kuJesu. Kodwa abanye bahamba bayatshela abaFarisi. Kusukela lapho abaFarisi basebefuna ukubabulala bobabili uJesu loLazaro. Omunye wabaphostoli okuthiwa nguJudasi Isikariyothi waya kubaFarisi wababuza wathi: ‘Nxa ngingalincedisa ukuthi libambe uJesu lizanginika malini?’ AbaFarisi bathi bazamnika izinhlamvu zesiliva ezingu-30. Kusukela khonapho uJudasi wahle waqalisa ukudinga ithuba lokuthengisa uJesu kubaFarisi.