| Craig S. Keener Dying to live. 11:1–12:11 TO RAISE LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD, Jesus would have to go to Judea, the place of hostility, risking (and ultimately encountering) death (11:7–8, 14–16). 7534 Lazarus was the «friend» of Jesus and the disciples (11: ll), 7535 and therefore it was appropriate to die for him (15:13–15). Yet once Lazarus receives life, he must likewise share Jesus» death (12:10–11). Raising Lazarus (11:1–44) This climactic sign of Jesus» ministry joins the opening sign in framing Jesus» public ministry. The opening sign (2:1–11) recounts Jesus» benevolence at a wedding; the last involves it at a funera1. The joy of weddings and mourning of funerals could function as opposites in ancient literature. 7536 While few of Jesus» signs in John " s Gospel specifically parallel Moses» signs, his first and last signs may be exceptions. 7537 In both cases, the signs may suggest contrasts: whereas Moses» first sign was transforming water to blood, Jesus benevolently transforms it into wine. Likewise, whereas the final plague against Egypt was the death of the firstborn sons, the climax of Jesus» signs is raising a dead brother-provider. 1. John " s Account Many are skeptical of pre-Johannine tradition in the narrative about Lazarus " s raising, because the story seems too central to Jesus» ministry to have been unknown to the Synoptic writers and, if known, not mentioned by them. Some have even proposed that John composed the story by weaving together various elements of Lukan tradition. 7538 To be sure, the story has much symbolic significance for the author of the Fourth Gospel; 7539 proposed external corroborations for the story are weak. 7540 Other scholars have responded that Mark tends to omit much of Jesus» Judean ministry anyway, partly due to a theological emphasis on Galilee. 7541 Further, for the Synoptics Jesus» raisings of the dead were simply dramatic healings. Also, whereas John may emphasize Lazarus " s restoration to prefigure Jesus» resurrection, Mark may not wish to risk diminishing the appearance of the uniqueness of Jesus» resurrection as an eschatological event. |
| The story of Lazarus, which occurs before Christ’s suffering and death, specifically addresses the heart of the Church after Christ’s suffering and death. For though we rejoice in Christ’s death and resurrection, it is our dead brother (mother, father, sister, friend) who lies heavy on our hearts. St. John’s Gospel records the story of Christ’s raising Lazarus from the dead as the last action of Christ before His entry into Jerusalem. That setting has given rise to the feast of Lazarus Saturday in the Orthodox Church – a small Pascha before Holy Week. The three synoptic gospels make no mention of these events, to which I draw no historical conclusions. The gospels include and exclude events for many reasons, historical considerations seeming to be of the least importance. Which stories, and in what order, primarily serve deeper theological concerns. For St. John, the story of Lazarus serves as the occasion for commentary and teaching on the resurrection of believers, much like the Feeding of the Five Thousand serves for commentary and teaching on the Eucharist. “If you had been here, my brother would not have died,” (Martha’s words) echoes the universal voice of the Church in the face of Christ’s delayed Second Coming. It is the plaintive heart of believers who wonder why God allows suffering. And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” (Joh 11:37) It is an obvious question, repeated in various forms by believers as well as scoffers through the centuries. The story of Lazarus, which occurs before Christ’s suffering and death, specifically addresses the heart of the Church after Christ’s suffering and death. For though we rejoice in Christ’s death and resurrection, it is our dead brother (mother, father, sister, friend) who lies heavy on our hearts. “Your brother will rise again.” These words of Christ, like a statement of Church doctrine, bring little comfort to someone stuck in their grief. It is Christ’s affirmation, “I am the resurrection and the life,” that sums up the encounter. The people do not understand, not even when Lazarus is raised from the dead. That Christ Himself is the resurrection and the life does not become clear until His own resurrection. |
| Photo: missionrocor.ru During these holy days of Great Lent and Passion Week throughout the world, churches have been closed. By Divine allowance, government officials of many nations have, from fear of the spread of COVID-19, announced general quarantines, including in the Holy Land. Christians have limited access to holy sites, deprived of spiritual support, common prayer and the partaking of the Holy Gifts of Christ in their churches. Still, daily divine services are being celebrated in the churches of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem of the Russian Church Abroad. The clergy, brethren and sisters of the mission pray that the Lord replace His righteous wrath with mercy and would root out this illness and the fear it causes for our true repentance, and that He grant state officials wisdom and discernment. Lazarus Saturday is always a joyous event in the Bethany Community of the Resurrection of Christ (what is known now as the town of Azaria), where Righteous Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Maria lived. From Holy Scripture, we know that Christ often visited His friends, who loved and always happily welcomed Him. On this day, which precedes His salvific sufferings, Crucifixion and Resurrection, the Holy Church praises His raising of Lazarus, who had been dead for four days. This year’s celebration was modest but solemn. Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), Chief of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, arrived for evening services. Though entry into Bethany is blocked, Fr Roman and Monk Avenir, after a brief questioning, were kindly allowed through. The Bethany Community operates a girls’ boarding school, which following the quarantine, still has 13 students living there. Archimandrite Innokenty (Sereda) lives there as well, among the nuns and students. Great compline and matins were performed at the upper Church of Righteous Lazarus, Martha and Maria. According to the custom, after evening services, everyone visits the grave of St Lazarus where he was resurrected by the Lord. This year, it is closed to pilgrims, but in response to a request sent to the municipality, the small community was granted permission to visit. It was the only visit allowed on this holy day. The pilgrims entered with lit candles, and after hearing the reading of the Gospel of the day, they prayed for all Orthodox Christians who were unable to participate in the pilgrimage, and who were unable in general to attend church. Venerating the place of Lazarus’ resurrection, the pilgrims departed at the crack of dawn. |
| Primates of the Church of Jerusalem and the Russian Orthodox Church consecrate the Naval Cathedral of St Nicholas in Kronstadt admin 30 May 2013 May 28, 2013 On May 28, 2013, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem and All Palestine and His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia consecrated the Naval Cathedral of St Nicholas in Kronstadt after its extensive restoration and celebrated the Divine Liturgy in it. In Anchor Square at the Cathedral, the heads of the two Churches were met by a solemn army forces formation including marines of the all four Fleets and the Caspian Flotilla with their battle standards. The two Patriarchs walked among the line of marines. At the cathedral’s western entrance, the two Patriarchs were met by Presidential Envoy for the Central Federal Region A. Beglov, Presidential Representative in the North-Western Federal Region V. Bulavin, St. Petersburg Governor G. Poltavchenko and Navy Commander in Chief Admiral V. Chirkov. His Beatitude Theophilos and His Holiness Kirill celebrated the rite of the Great Consecration of the Naval Cathedral and the Divine Liturgy. They were assisted by a great assembly of clergy of the two Patriarchates. Present at the service were Minister of Culture V. Medinsky, Commanders in Chief of the Pacific, Baltic and Black See Navies and Caspian Fleet, Mrs Svetlana Medvedeva in her capacity as chair of the Patrons’ Board of the program ‘Religious and Moral Culture of the Younger Generation’, as well as the parish activists, restorers, artists and constructors who participated in the revival of the Kronstadt shrine. The service was broadcast by the St. Petersburg TV network and to the monitors installed inside the cathedral and in Anchor Square. In greeting Patriarch Theophilos, Patriarch Kirill thanked him ‘for his selfless service of the Orthodox Church in the Holy City, his care for pilgrims coming to Palestine from Holy Russia, for his love of the Russian Church and the Russian people’. Patriarch Kirill presented the cathedral with an icon of the Raising of the Lazarus and the trowel St. John of Kronstadt held when he laid the foundation stone of the Kronstadt Cathedral on September 1 (14), 1902. The benefactors presented the cathedral with a part of the relics of St Nicholas and chrism from Bari, parts of the relics of the twelve apostles and a part of the Lord’s Life-Giving Cross. |
| Tweet Нравится Synaxarion for Lazarus Saturday On this day, the Saturday before Palm Sunday, we celebrate the fourth-day raising from the dead of Lazarus, the righteous friend of Christ. The resurrection of Lazarus. Lazarus was a Hebrew, of the sect of the Pharisees and, as far as is known, he was the son of Simon the Pharisee, who dwelt in the village of Bethany. He became a friend of our Lord Jesus Christ when He sojourned on earth for the salvation of our race. For when Christ continually conversed with Simon, entering his house and discoursing on the resurrection from the dead, Lazarus was quite pleased with the genuineness of this teaching, and not only he, but also his two sisters, Martha and Mary. As the time of the Savior's Passion drew near, when it was especially necessary to believe in the Mystery of the Resurrection, Jesus was sojourning on the other side of the Jordan. Here, He raised from the dead the daughter of Jairus and the son of the widow. At this time, His friend, Lazarus, contracted a grievous illness and died. Then Jesus, even though He was not present there, said to His disciples, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep (John 11:11), and again a little later, Lazarus is dead. (See John 11:14.) Then Jesus left the Jordan and went to Bethany, which was about fifteen stadia (approximately 2 miles) away from Jerusalem. Martha, the sister of Lazarus, went to meet Him and said, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. (John 11:21-22). Jesus asked the crowd, Where have ye laid him? (John 11:34.) Immediately everyone went to the tomb. As the stone was removed, Martha said, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. (John 11:39). He shed tears for the one lying there, and He cried out with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth (John 11:43). At once, he who was dead came forth, was unbound, and set out for home amidst great rejoicing and thanksgiving. This strange wonder roused the Hebrew people to malice, and they were infuriated with Christ. But Jesus once more fled and escaped. The high priests determined to kill Lazarus, because many who saw him were won over to Christ. Since Lazarus knew what they were thinking, he sailed away to Cyprus. He dwelt there and was later elevated by the Holy Apostles to be Archbishop of Citium (present-day Larnaka). He was beloved by God, conducting himself most nobly as an archpastor, performing many miracles. |
| Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday The week following the Sunday of St Mary of Egypt is called Palm or Branch Week. At the Tuesday services of this week the Church recalls that Jesus’ friend Lazarus has died and that the Lord is going to raise him from the dead ( Jn 11 ). As the days continue toward Saturday, the Church, in its hymns and verses, continues to follow Christ towards Bethany to the tomb of Lazarus. On Friday evening, the eve of the celebration of the Resurrection of Lazarus, the “great and saving forty days” of Great Lent are formally brought to an end: Having accomplished the forty days for the benefit of our souls, we pray to Thee, O Lover of Man, that we may see the holy week of Thy passion, that in it we may glorify Thy greatness and Thine unspeakable plan of salvation for our sake. ...(Vesper Hymn) Lazarus Saturday is a paschal celebration. It is the only time in the entire Church Year that the resurrectional service of Sunday is celebrated on another day. At the liturgy of Lazarus Saturday, the Church glorifies Christ as “the Resurrection and the Life ” who, by raising Lazarus, has confirmed the universal resurrection of mankind even before his own suffering and death. By raising Lazarus from the dead before Thy passion, Thou didst confirm the universal resurrection, O Christ God! Like the children with the branches of victory, we cry out to Thee, O Vanquisher of Death: Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord! (Troparion). Christ —the Joy, the Truth and the Light of All, the Life of the world and its Resurrection—has appeared in his goodness to those on earth. He has become the Image of our Resurrection, granting divine forgiveness to all (Kontakion). At the Divine Liturgy of Lazarus Saturday the baptismal verse from Galatians:As many as have been baptizedl into Christ have put on Christ ( Gal 3:27 ) replaces the Thrice-holy Hymn thus indicating the resurrectional character of the celebration, and the fact that Lazarus Saturday was once among the few great baptismal days in the Orthodox Church Year. Because of the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead, Christ was hailed by the masses as the long-expected Messiah-King of Israel. Thus, in fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament, he entered Jenrsalem, the City of the King, riding on the colt of an ass ( Zech 9:9; Jn 12:12 ). The crowds greeted him with brancfies in their hands and called out to him with shouts of praise: Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! The Son of David! The King of Israel! Because of this glorification by the people, the priests and scribes were finally driven “to destroy him, to put him to death” ( Lk 19:47; Jn 11:53, 12:10 ). |
| Great Lent has been completed and ends with two splendid festal days. These are Lazarus Saturday, on which we commemorate the raising of Christ’s bosom friend, Lazarus; the other is Palm Sunday, when we celebrate Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem six days before he was betrayed and suffered death on the Cross. Today we see the raising of Lazarus, a miracle performed by the Lord before he entered the city of Jerusalem. Lazarus lived in Bethany with his sisters, Martha and Mary. He was a friend of the Lord’s. At some point he fell very ill. His sisters sent a message to the Lord, telling him his beloved friend was sick. When Jesus learned of this, he said: ‘This illness hasn’t happened to bring death but to be the reason for the manifestation of the glory of the Son of God’. When Jesus saw the sisters and their friends sobbing, ‘he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled’. He ordered the stone covering the tomb to be removed. Once this had been done ‘Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”. The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face’. Jesus wept because, on seeing the death of his friend, he also beheld the victory of death over the whole world. He saw how death, which was not created by God, had seized his throne and now reigned over the whole world. Then came the command ‘Lazarus, come out’. At this point what dominates is the miracle of love which triumphs over death, a promise which announces Christ’s war with death, a promise that death itself will be destroyed and made to disappear. Jesus wept at the fact of the death of his friend, Lazarus, demonstrating that the pain of death should be foreign to us. He can’t hide his sorrow and distress. The raising of Lazarus and the gathering of a large assembly of people disturbed the high priests and the Pharisees, who decided to kill Jesus and Lazarus, as well. They didn’t manage to do so to Lazarus, but they did crucify Jesus a few days later. Six days before Easter, Jesus sat at a dinner given for him. Lazarus was with him and a large crowd of people had gone to see not only Jesus but also Lazarus who had been raised. |
| What Happened to Lazarus After His Resurrection? Source: Mystagogy Resource Center John Sanidopoulos 02 April 2018 Lazarus was a close friend of Christ, from Bethany, about three kilometers east of Jerusalem. He lived there with his sisters Mary and Martha, and they often gave hospitality to Jesus (Luke 10:38-40; John 12:1-3). John the Evangelist informs us (John 11) how one day Jesus was notified of the death of Lazarus. Four days later He arrived in Bethany, not only to bring comfort to Lazarus’ grieving sisters, but to show the power of God and perform His greatest miracle by raising him from the dead, in anticipation of His own resurrection. The resurrection of Lazarus brought short-lived great admiration and fame to Jesus, as evidenced by his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, but it also provoked great anger among the teachers of the Law. Now they wanted both Jesus and Lazarus dead. Lazarus escaped, but Jesus did not. But what happened to Lazarus? According to St. Epiphanios of Cyprus (367-403), Lazarus was thirty years old when he rose from the dead, and then went on to live another 30 years following his resurrection. Another tradition says that Lazarus fled the anger of the Jews and took refuge at Kition in Cyprus around 33 A.D. While in Cyprus, Lazarus met the apostles Paul and Barnabas, as they were traveling from Salamis to Paphos, and they ordained him the first Bishop of Kition. He shepherded the Church of Kition with great care and love for eighteen years until the end of his life. There are traditions which say he was sullen and never smiled after his resurrection, and this was due to what he saw while his soul was in Hades for four days. Some say he never once laughed, except one time when he saw a man steal a clay vessel, and he uttered the following saying: “One earth steals another”. Other Traditions About Lazarus Another tradition connects him with Aliki in Larnaca (today’s Kition). In Aliki at that time was a large vineyard. As the Saint was walking by he saw an old woman filling her basket with grapes. Tired and thirsty, the Saint asked the old woman for a few grapes. However, she looked at him with disdain and said: |
| Saturday of the Holy and Righteous Friend of Christ, Lazarus Introduction On the Saturday before Holy Week, the Orthodox Church commemorates a major feast of the year, the miracle of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ when he raised Lazarus from the dead after he had lain in the grave four days. Here, at the end of Great Lent and the forty days of fasting and penitence, the Church combines this celebration with that of Palm Sunday. In triumph and joy the Church bears witness to the power of Christ over death and exalts Him as King before entering the most solemn week of the year, one that leads the faithful in remembrance of His suffering and death and concludes with the great and glorious Feast of Pascha. Biblical Story Icon of the Raising of Lazarus The story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead by Jesus Christ is found in the Gospel of John 11:1-45. Lazarus becomes ill, and his sisters, Mary and Martha send a message to Jesus stating, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” In response to the message, Jesus says, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (vv. 1-4). Jesus did not immediately go to Bethany, the town where Lazarus lived with his sisters. Instead He remained in the place where He was staying for two more days. After this time, He told his disciples that they were returning to Judea. The disciples immediately expressed their concern, stating that the Jews there had recently tried to stone Him (John 10:31). Jesus replied to His disciples, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them” (vv. 5-10). After He said this, Jesus told his disciples that Lazarus had fallen asleep and that He was going there to wake him. The disciples wondered why He would go to wake Lazarus, since it was good for him to sleep if he was ill. Jesus, however, was referring to the death of Lazarus, and thus told the disciples directly that Lazarus was dead (vv. 11-14). |
| Tweet Нравится Lazarus Saturday The Beginning of the Cross: Saturday of Lazarus " Having fulfilled Forty Days... we ask to see the Holy Week of Thy Passion. " With these words sung at Vespers of Friday, Lent comes to its end and we enter into the annual commemoration of Christ's suffering, death and Resurrection. It begins on the Saturday of Lazarus. The double feast of Lazarus' resurrection and the Entrance of the Lord to Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) is described in liturgical texts as the " beginning of the Cross " and is to be understood therefore, within the context of the Holy Week. The common Troparion of these days explicitly affirms that by raising Lazarus from the dead, Christ confirmed the truth of general resurrection. It is highly significant that we are led into the darkness of the Cross by one of the twelve major feasts of the Church. Light and joy shine not only at the end of Holy Week but also at its beginning; they illumine darkness itself, reveal its ultimate meaning. All those familiar with Orthodox worship know the peculiar, almost paradoxical character of Lazarus Saturday services. It is a Sunday, i.e., a Resurrection, service on a Saturday, a day usually devoted to the liturgical commemoration of the dead. And the joy which permeates these services stresses one central theme: the forthcoming victory of Christ over Hades. Hades is the Biblical term for Death in its universal power, for that unescapable darkness and destruction that swallows all life and poisons with its shadow the whole world. But now—with Lazarus' resurrection— " death begins to tremble. " For there the decisive duel between Life and Death begins, and it gives us the key to the entire liturgical mystery of Pascha. In the early church Lazarus Saturday was called " announcement of Pascha " , it announces and anticipates, indeed, the wonderful light and peace of the next Saturday—the Great and Holy Saturday, the day of the Lifegiving Tomb. Lazarus, the Friend of Jesus Let us first of all understand that Lazarus, the friend of Jesus, personifies the whole mankind and also each man, and Bethany, the home of Lazarus the Man, is the symbol of the whole world as a home of man. |
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