UJesu wayenabangane abathathu ayebathanda kakhulu ababehlala eBhethaniya. Amagama abo kwakunguLazaru nodadewabo ababili, uMariya noMartha. Ngolunye usuku, uJesu engaphesheya kweJordani, wathola umyalezo ophuthumayo ovela kuMariya noMartha othi: ‘ULazaru ugulela ukufa. Sicela uze ngokushesha!’ Kodwa uJesu akazange aphuthume ukuya kubo. Walinda kwadlula izinsuku ezimbili wabe esethi kubafundi bakhe: ‘Masihambe siye eBhethaniya. ULazaru ulele, ngiyomvusa.’ Abaphostoli bathi: ‘Uma uLazaru elele, kusho ukuthi uzoba ngcono.’ UJesu wabe esebacacisela: ‘ULazaru ushonile.’

Lapho uJesu efika eBhethaniya, kwase kuphele izinsuku ezine uLazaru engcwatshiwe. Kwakukhona abantu abaningi ababezoduduza uMarta noMariya. Lapho uMarta ezwa ukuthi uJesu usefikile, wagijima wayomhlangabeza. Wathi: “Nkosi, ukube ubukhona, umfowethu ngabe akafanga.” UJesu wathi kuye: ‘Umfowenu uzovuka ekufeni. Uyakukholelwa yini lokhu, Marta?’ UMarta waphendula wathi: ‘Ngiyakholelwa ukuthi uyovuka ngovuko lwabafile.’ UJesu wathi kuye: “Mina ngingukuvuka nokuphila.”

UMarta wabe eseya kuMariya wathi kuye: ‘Usefikile uJesu.’ UMariya wagijima waya kuJesu, futhi abantu bamlandela. Wafika wawela ezinyaweni zakhe wakhala kakhulu. Wathi: ‘Nkosi, ukube ubulapha, ngabe umfowethu usaphila!’ Lapho uJesu ebona ubuhlungu uMariya ayebuzwa, naye wavele wakhala. Lapho abantu bebona uJesu ekhala, bathi: ‘Bukani nje ukuthi uJesu ubemthanda kanjani uLazaru.’ Kodwa abanye babezibuza: ‘Pho akamsindisanga ngani umngani wakhe?’ Wayezokwenzenjani uJesu?

UJesu wahamba waya ethuneni likaLazaru, elalivalwe ngetshe elikhulu. Wathi: ‘Susani itshe.’ UMarta wathi: ‘Kodwa sekudlule izinsuku ezine! Umzimba wakhe usuyanuka.’ Noma kunjalo, balisusa itshe, uJesu wabe esethandaza: ‘Baba, ngiyabonga ukuthi ungilalelile. Ngiyazi ukuthi uhlale ungilalela kodwa ngikhuluma ngokuzwakalayo ukuze laba bantu bazi ukuthi nguwe ongithumile.’ Ngemva  kwalokho wamemeza wathi: “Lazaru, phuma!” Kwabe sekwenzeka isimanga sento: ULazaru waphuma ethuneni esongwe ngezindwangu zelineni. UJesu wathi: “Mqaqeni, nimyeke ahambe.”

Abantu abaningi ababona lokhu baba nokholo kuJesu. Kodwa abanye bagijima bayotshela abaFarisi. Kusukela lapho, abaFarisi babefuna ukubulala uJesu noLazaru. Omunye wabaphostoli abangu-12, uJuda Iskariyote, wahamba waya kubaFarisi, wathi: ‘Nizongikhokhela malini uma nginisiza nibambe uJesu?’ Bavumelana ngokumkhokhela izinhlamvu ezingu-30 zesiliva, ngemva kwalokho uJuda wayehlale efuna ithuba lokunikela ngoJesu kubaFarisi.