Lazarus
At this time a man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. John 11:1 · Berean Standard Bible
A man named Lazarus is sick. He lives in Bethany with his sisters Mary and Martha.
Bethany was a small village near Jerusalem. This family was close to Jesus—He loved them deeply and had stayed in their home.
The narrator introduces us to a family that will be at the center of Jesus' greatest miracle.
The story begins quietly: someone Jesus loves is sick. But what unfolds will be the most stunning miracle in Jesus' ministry—and the event that seals His path to the cross.
John introduces Lazarus of Bethany, carefully identifying the village through its association with Mary and Martha—indicating the sisters were better known to the audience than their brother.
Bethany (Bēthania) was approximately two miles east of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives' eastern slope. The family appears to be well-known in early Christian tradition (cf. Luke 10:38-42).
The narrator introduces the key characters and setting for the Lazarus narrative.
John sets the stage for his most dramatic sign narrative by introducing a sick man named Lazarus in the village of Bethany, establishing the family connections that will drive the emotional and theological power of the account.
1At this time a man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
2(Mary, whose brother Lazarus was sick, was to anoint the Lord with perfume and wipe His feet with her hair.)
3So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.”
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