1 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 2 Mary was the woman who put sweet oil on Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair. 3 The sisters sent a note to Jesus to say, “Lazarus is sick.” 4 Jesus said, <jesus>This sickness will not end in death. It will show God’s power.</jesus> ✨ 5 Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. ❤️ 6 But He waited two more days before He went. ⏳ 7 Then Jesus said to His friends, <jesus>Let us go back to Judea.</jesus> ♂️ 8 His friends said, “People there wanted to hurt You. Do You want to go back?” ⚠️ 9 Jesus said, <jesus>There is day to walk in. If you walk in the light, you do not trip.</jesus> ☀️ 10 Jesus said, <jesus>If you walk in the dark, you trip, because there is no light.</jesus> 11 Then Jesus said, <jesus>Our friend Lazarus is sleeping. I will go wake him.</jesus> ⏰ 12 The friends said, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get well.” 13 But Jesus meant Lazarus had died. 14 Then Jesus said plain, <jesus>Lazarus is dead.</jesus> ️ 15 Jesus said, <jesus>I am glad for you that I was not there, so you will trust Me. Let us go to him.</jesus> ♂️ 16 Thomas (the Twin) said to the friends, “Let us go too, so we may die with Him.” 17 Jesus came and saw Lazarus had been in a cave for the dead for four days. 18 Bethany was near the big city Jerusalem, not far. ️ 19 Many people came to Martha and Mary to help them feel better. 20 Martha heard Jesus was coming and went to meet Him. Mary stayed at home. ♀️ 21 Martha said to Jesus, “If You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 22 She said she knew God would give Jesus what He asked. 23 Jesus said, <jesus>Your brother will live again.</jesus> ✨ 24 Martha said, “I know he will live again on the last day.” 25 Jesus said, <jesus>I make dead people live again. I am the life. If a person trusts Me, even if he dies, he will live.</jesus> ✝️ 26 Jesus said, <jesus>Everyone who lives and trusts Me will have life that never ends. Do you believe this?</jesus> ❓ 27 She said, “Yes, Lord. I believe You are God’s Son, the promised One.” 28 She went and told Mary in secret, “The Teacher is here and is calling you.” 29 Mary got up fast and went to Him. ♀️ 30 Jesus had not come into the town yet. He was still where Martha met Him. ♂️ 31 The people in the house saw Mary get up fast and go out. They thought she was going to the cave to cry, so they went with her. ♀️ 32 Mary came to Jesus, fell at His feet, and said, “If You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw Mary cry and the people cry, He felt very sad and upset inside. 34 Jesus asked, <jesus>Where did you put him?</jesus> They said, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus cried. 36 The people said, “See how He loved him.” ❤️ 37 Some said, “He helped a man who could not see. Could He not keep Lazarus from dying?” ❓ 38 Jesus, still very sad, came to the cave. A big rock was on it. 39 Jesus said, <jesus>Move the rock.</jesus> Martha said, “Lord, it has been four days. It will smell bad.” 40 Jesus said, <jesus>Did I not tell you that if you trust, you will see God’s power?</jesus> ✨ 41 They moved the rock. Jesus looked up and said, <jesus>Father, thank You for hearing Me.</jesus> 42 Jesus said, <jesus>I know You always hear Me. I say this for the people here, so they will trust You sent Me.</jesus> 43 Then Jesus called loud, <jesus>Lazarus, come out!</jesus> 44 Lazarus came out, his hands and feet tied with cloth. Jesus said, <jesus>Take off the cloth and let him go.</jesus> ➡️ 45 Many people who came and saw what Jesus did trusted Him. 46 But some went to the leaders and told what Jesus did. ️️ 47 The top leaders met and said, “What should we do? This man does many big things.” ⚖️ 48 They said, “If we let Him keep doing this, all will trust Him, and the big bosses may take our place and our land.” ️ 49 One leader named Caiaphas, the top leader that year, said, “You know nothing.” ⚖️ 50 He said, “It is better that one man die for the people than all the people be lost.” ⚖️ 51 He did not know it, but God used his words: Jesus would die for the people. ✝️ 52 And not only for those people, but to bring together God’s kids who are far away. 53 From that day the leaders planned to kill Jesus. ️⚔️ 54 So Jesus did not walk openly now. He went to a town called Ephraim near the wild place and stayed there with His friends. ️ 55 A big God day was near. Many people went up to the big city to get ready. ️♂️ 56 They looked for Jesus in God’s house and said to each other, “What do you think? Will He come to the big day?” ️❓ 57 The top leaders said, “If anyone knows where He is, tell us, so we can take Him.”