Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary are the only figures in the New Testament described as friends of Jesus. He enters the Gospel of St. John as mysteriously as he exits. After receiving word of Lazarus' illness, Jesus delays his departure, taking time which we imagine could have been cut short to save his friend' s life. In this book on Lazarus' death and resurrection, we delve into the various circumstances of time and place to ponder why. What did the Lord want to tell us about death? Was Lazarus truly dead? Why did Jesus announce his death, only to proclaim that he would awaken him? How does this event point to Jesus' own death and Resurrection? For those who believe in Jesus Christ, no death is final. Jesus shows us that, through him, the kingdom of death is broken in two. He prefigures the glory of his own resurrection, following his tragic death on a cross, taking place only days after the raising of Lazarus.
