Midrash

The Resurrection of Lazarus

The story of Lazarus, as recounted in the Gospel of John, is one of the most profound miracles performed by Jesus. But when we look deeper at this story, with hints from the Jewish tradition, more details emerge.

The Hidden Orchard

01 Mar 2025 — 6 min read

The story of Lazarus, as recounted in the Gospel of John, stands out as one of the most profound and most well-known miracles performed by Jesus.

More than a second chance at life, we'll see how the narrative has been encoded with traditions and hints at the observance of Jewish customs, and foreshadows the Resurrection of the dead.

Lazarus' Death

In the Gospel account, Lazarus of Bethany—brother to Mary and Martha—fell gravely ill. Sensing Lazarus was near death, the sisters sought the help of Jesus, hoping he could heal and restore their brother.

However, Jesus seems to have delayed his visit. Not only did he not make it in time to save Lazarus, but he arrived four days after Lazarus was placed in the tomb.

It is worth noting that, unlike many cultures that practice some degree of delayed burial, Jewish tradition encourages burying the deceased as soon as possible, even within the same day when possible.

More than simple storytelling, the narrative emphasizes this detail, telling us in two separate places that Lazarus had been dead for "four days."

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days already.
- John 11:17 (See also 11:39)

Seven Days of Shiva

When Jesus arrived, he encountered a community in mourning. This indicates the community was observing the practice of Shiva (שבעה), a word that means "seven," representing the seven days of mourning¹.

During the seven days, the family of the deceased will observe the common customs for mourning in Jewish tradition. This often includes the avoidance of laughter and joy, greeting people, listening to music, haircuts, shaving, and other forms of abstention.

Traditionally, the immediate family members will observe Shiva by remaining within their house for some portion of this mourning period. This is why these practices are commonly referred to as "Sitting Shiva."

We see a hint at this practice when Jesus arrives in town, and Mary chose to remain seated:

So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house.
- John 11:20

Three Days of Weeping

The first (3) days of Shiva are referred to as days of weeping. During these first (3) days of "Shiva," family and friends of the deceased observe the most intense period of mourning.

It is customary for observant Jews to visit the house of the immediate family to console them, bring them food and support, pay their respects, and take part in some specific prayers for the deceased.

The text tells us that many from Jerusalem had made their way to take part in the customs, paying respects to Lazarus during this period of weeping.

Paralleling this tradition, we see mention of "weeping" multiple times in the narrative. We're even told in John 11:35 that Jesus himself "wept."

The Soul During Shiva

As we learned above, the text referenced that Lazarus had been dead for (4) days.

According to tradition, when a person dies, there are three main stages of the soul's departure. Much of the customs of Shiva are focused on helping the soul feel as comfortable as possible during its transition process to the Olam HaNeshamot (World of Souls).

Upon passing, a person's Ruach² and Neshamah³ ascend. An aspect of the Nefesh⁴ lingers behind for the first three days.

For three days the soul hovers over the body, thinking that it will return to the body…
- Jerusalem Talmud Moed Katan 3:5

Perhaps out of habit, at first, the Nefesh remains in general proximity to the body. Over the course of these first few days, however, the Nefesh slowly begins to realize a change is occurring.

In some cases, a disoriented Nefesh may initially prefer the life on earth that it is accustomed to, seeking to avoid engaging with this unfamiliar emerging reality. In [hopefully] rare cases, some may seek to avoid transitioning at all, living vicariously through others⁵.

Generally, by the fourth day, the body has begun the natural processes of decay and begins to appear deformed. At this point, the person is considered truly dead.

Upon seeing the state of the body, the Nefesh realizes what is happening and moves on to the next stage, severing the ability for the Nefesh—the animating life force—to re-enter.

With this background, it seems apparent that reviving Lazarus after the fourth day would have been more difficult than in the days prior. This would have been a healing that involved the restoration of the body, and also the re-entry of the soul(s), which had since departed.

The Resurrection of the Dead

In Jewish thought, Techiyat HaMetim (תְּחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים) is translated as the 'Resurrection of the dead' and is synonymous with the World to Come⁶.

Various discussions can be found in the Talmud that detail where this tradition comes from and how the Rabbis mined it from the Torah.

John chapter 11 hints at the Resurrection of the dead throughout the narrative. In accord with the Rabbinic tradition, Lazarus's resurrection and healing is not merely a temporary resuscitation but a foreshadowing of this tradition and the revelation of the “Glory of G_D” as noted in John 11:40.

The Hebrew equivalent of the name Lazarus is Elazar, (אֶלְעָזָר), which means "G_d has helped." This also seems to add a dimension of insight into this narrative.

The Resurrection of the dead is the great hope for humanity—a literal expectation of bodily revival and an affirmation of divine justice.

In our renewed state, past wounds are healed, relationships are restored, and life triumphs over death.

As it states in the Talmud;

Rabbi Chiyya bar Yosef said: "In the future, the righteous will rise from their graves and shake the dust from themselves, as it is stated: ‘And you shall wake and sing, you who dwell in the dust’ (Isaiah 26:19).”
- Ketubot 111b