A few miles east from Jerusalem there was the little village of Bethany, where a man by the name of Lazarus resided with his two sisters, Martha and Mary. They were the warm friends of Jesus, and their dwelling had been one of his favorite resorts. Lazarus was taken sick. His sisters immediately sent word to Jesus, who, in the wilderness, was one or two days’ journey from Bethany. Jesus, instead of hurrying to his afflicted friends, said calmly to the messenger, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” Two days passed by; and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go into Judæa again.” They endeavored to dissuade him, saying, “Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?” He, however, informed his disciples that Lazarus was dead, and intimated to them that he must go to raise him from the grave. Accompanied by his disciples, he reached Bethany. Martha hastened to meet him before he entered the town, and gently reproached him, yet in terms expressive of her unbounded confidence. “Lord, if thou hadst been here,” she said, “my brother had not died; but I know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.” “Thy brother,” said Jesus, “shall rise again.” “I know,” Martha rejoined, “that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus replied, “I am the resurrection and the life.[29] He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” “Yea, Lord,” Martha replied: “I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” Mary soon joined her sister, and, falling at the feet of Jesus, exclaimed, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus, therefore, saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, Where have ye laid him?” Together they went to the tomb, where the body was already mouldering to corruption. When they reached the tomb, Jesus wept. He directed the stone which was the door of the tomb to be moved. Then, lifting his eyes to heaven, he said,―― “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always; but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.” Then in a loud voice, addressing the dead, he exclaimed, “Lazarus, come forth!” Immediately Lazarus, embarrassed by the wrappings of the grave-clothes, rose, and came out from the tomb, and returned to his home with his friends.