The raising of Lazarus

Unerstand the scene

Lazarus comes out of his tomb

around him one can generally see two groups: Jesus and his disciples, and two women, Martha and Mary, who are Lazarus’ sisters.

Jesus holds out his hand while he commands Lazarus to come out; he sometimes holds a thaumaturgic rod like Moses. His disciples are listening to him and remain passive whereas the women are weeping and kneeling or prostrate. It is normally Martha, Lazarus’ sister, who intervenes most with Jesus. But Mary, the other sister, being according to the tradition identified with Mary Magdalene and with the sinning woman of the banquet at Simon’s house, is often in a prominent position.

The scene takes place in the open air, in the countryside or in front of a house. Some spectators put their hands before their faces to indicate, as the text does, that the corpse already stinks.

The evolution of the representation mainly concerns Lazarus’ tomb. One goes from an Oriental vision with a tomb actually dug out in the rock and Lazarus wrapped in bandages but standing, to a sarcophagus whose lid is lifted while Lazarus rises and draws aside his shroud. It is to be noted that he is small sized for he is like a child who has been reborn to a new life. Risen Lazarus is looking at Jesus or he stands as if struck with astonishment.

The complete narrative is rather difficult to represent for there are several places and movements. One finds cycles depicting the different scenes as in a comic strip but the most frequently represented scene is that of the raising itself.

The biblical narrative

The Gospel according to John, chapter 11

Lazarus and his two sisters Martha and Mary live at Bethany; they are Jesus’ friends. Lazarus is ill and Jesus is called and runs up to them but too late. Martha asks Jesus to give life to her brother and proclaims her faith:

" Yea, Lord: I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."

Jesus therefore again groaning in himself came to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
Jesus said : "Take away the stone !" The sister of him that was dead, said to him : "Lord, by this time he stinks: for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her : "Did not I say to you, that, if you would believe, you would see the glory of God?" Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said:

"Father, I thank you that you have heard me. … I said it, that they may believe that you have sent me."
 

And when he had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice : "Lazarus, come forth !" And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a cloth. Jesus said to them : "Loose him, and let him go." (John 11:27 + 11:38-44)

Comment
 

The Raising of Lazarus is a “sign” by which Jesus announces he is the new life. But it is a simple return to life and therefore quite different from the Resurrection of Christ.

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