1. The Story of Lazarus Micaela Smith, AnnaSue Larsen Mrs. Bear Period 2

2.  Jesus has 3 friends in Bethany: the siblings Lazarus, Mary and Martha.  (Mary is NOT the virgin Mary.)  Lazarus falls ill.

3.  Jesus hears that Lazarus is ill, and Lazarus’ sisters urge him to come immediately to heal him.  Jesus is very confident in his miracles, so he takes his time getting to them.

4.  By the time Jesus arrives in Bethany, Lazarus has been dead 4 days and has been buried.  Jesus cries for the loss of his friend and then goes down to the tomb.

5.  Jesus uncovers Lazarus’ burial place and prays to God.  Lazarus comes back to life.

6. Significance  Lazarus is a pivotal story in the Bible.  If you have faith in God, you will have eternal life (go to heaven).  Through Jesus you can be resurrected.  Sometimes God takes a while to answer your prayers.

7. Most Importantly, this story…  Alludes to/parallels Jesus’ own later resurrection.

8. Tip-Offs  Reborn from the dead  Tomb  Saviors  Because of delay, the end product becomes much more impressive.  Christ

9. Lazarus in Romeo and Juliet  “I dreamt my lady came and found me dead—Strange dream, that gives a dead man leave to think!—and breathed such life with kisses in my lips, That I revived…”  Romeo, Act V Scene I.  In this specific passage, Romeo likens Juliet to his own personal Christ, as he dreams that she has resurrected him.  The plot of Romeo and Juliet itself is an allusion to Lazarus with a darker twist.  Juliet lies apparently dead in her tomb, then wakes up, before actually killing herself.

10. Examples in Contemporary Society  Batman: The Lazarus Pit— when a person goes into it, they come out healed or are reborn if they have recently died.  When people are cured, they are temporarily insane and extremely strong.

11. Examples in Contemporary Society  Medical terms:  Lazarus Sign: Large, obvious arm movements after brain dead patients are taken off life support.  These are reflexes, not signs of life.  Lazarus Syndrome: when a person is pronounced dead, then comes back to life.