Part 11
JESUS: Martha sent me an email saying that Lazarus got sick.
You've got that email, right?
She is saying, "Master, the one you love so very much is sick."
Narrator: His students got the same message. Lazarus was a brother of Mary and Martha. This was the same Mary who massaged my feet with aromatic oils and then wiped them with her hair.
Jesus (V.O.) : When my students ask me whether I would go there, I say to them.
Jesus: This sickness will become an occasion to show God's glory by glorifying God's Son.
JESUS (V.O.): My students knew that I loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So they thought that since people were trying to kill me, I was not able to go to them. Two more days went by. After the two days, I said to my students,
Jesus: Let's go back to Lazarus.
THE STUDNTS: Pastor, you can't do that. It is dangerous. The people are out to kill you.
Jesus: There are twelve hours of daylight. As long as we walk in daylight we will be fine. We have a plenty of light from the sun.
Narrator: Jesus is looking around and then looking at his students standing and wondering.
Jesus: Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. I'm going to wake him up.
THE STUDENTS: If he is in sleep, let him have a good rest. He will be just fine.
Jesus: I was talking about death, not a nap. Lazarus died. And I am glad for your sakes that I wasn't there. You're about to be given new grounds for believing. Now let’s go to him.
THOMAS: (looking at his companions) Come along, guys. We might as well die with him.
JESUS (V.O.): When we finally got there, we found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. So many friends of Martha and Mary have come to comfort them over their brother.
Martha heard my coming and went out to meet me. Mary remained in the house.
MARTHA: Pastor, if you'd been here, my brother wouldn't have died. But even now, I know that whatever you ask God he will give you.
Jesus: Your brother will be raised up!
MARTHA: I know, I know, at the end of time, everything will be fine. He will be raised up in the resurrection.
Jesus: You don't have to wait for the End. I am, right now, the Resurrection and the Life. The one, who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does live forever. Do you believe this?
MARTHA: Of course, all along I have believed that you are the Leader, the Son of God who comes into the world.
Narrator: After this, she went to her sister Mary and whispered in her ear,
MARTHA: The Teacher is here and is asking for you.
Narrator: The moment she hears that, she jumps up and runs out. Jesus is still at the place where Martha met Jesus. When her friends see Mary run off, they follow her, thinking she is on her way to the tomb to weep. Mary comes to where Jesus is and falls at my feet.
MARY: Master, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.
Narrator: She is sobbing and the Jews with her sobbing. Jesus couldn’t help but to feel their feeling all over him. Through people he loved, he felt the pain of separation.
Jesus: Where did you put him?
MARY: Pastor, come and see.
Narrator: JESUS wept.
THE PERSON #1: Look how he loved him.
THE PERSON #2: Well, if he loved him so much, why didn't he do something to keep him alive? After all, he opened the eyes of a blind man.
Narrator: Then Jesus got really emotional. Jesus arrived at the tomb. It was a simple cave in the hillside with a slab of stone laid against it.
Jesus: Remove the stone.
MARTHA: (The sister of the dead man) Oh my. There will be a stench. He's been dead four days!
Jesus: (looking at her in the eye.) If you believe, you would see the glory of God.
(Then, to the others) Go ahead, take away the stone.
Narrator: They removed the stone. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and prayed.
Jesus: Father, I'm grateful that you are listening to me. I know you always do. But on account of these people standing here I am speaking aloud so that they might believe that you sent me.
(Then Jesus shouted) Lazarus, come out!
Narrator: And he came out.
JESUS (V.O.) : That was a turnaround for many people who were with Mary. They saw what I did, and believed in me.
But the religious group that had a strong reaction against me gathered after this incident. They were at a very nice looking conference room.
LEADER #1: What do we do now? This man keeps on creating God-signs. If we let him on, pretty soon everyone will believe in him. We will lose our job for good, then.
CAIAPHAS: I see that then it is our advantage that one man dies for the people.
(Everybody surprises by the remark and looking at him)
JESUS (V.O.) : I think he sort of prophesied that I was about to die for the people so that all children of God might be gathered together into one people.
Realizing their decision in my spirit, I no longer went out in public. I withdrew and secluded myself there with my students.
But still people were very curious about me. There was a lot of talk of me:
PERSON #1: What do you think? Do you think he'll ever show up again?
