There is no known Biblical record of when or where Lazarus died a second time after being resurrected from the grave. The story of his first death, why Jesus seemed unconcerned and uncaring when told he would die, and the miracle of resurrecting him in the face of many who hated him, is a fascinating story of itself (see John 11:1 - 4, 6, 17, 20 - 21, 23 - 27, 32 - 34, 39 - 47). Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha. Given that the bulk of his pastoral work was in Asia Minor, not Palestine, it seems plausible that he took Mary with him as he labored spreading the gospel and that she spent the last years of her life in Ephesus. It is widely held (even among the Catholics) that John, after writing the book of Revelation and his release from being banished to the island of Patmos, lived out the remainder of his days in Ephesus and died in the city. What is known is that John spent a great deal of his time at Ephesus in Asia Minor. How long he and Mary stayed in Jerusalem after this date, however, is unknown. when the Jerusalem conference took place. Instead, His sobbing wails startled even the other mourners who remarked, “See how he loved him!” (John 11:36).The Bible records that John was still in Jerusalem, with the rest of the apostles, in 49 A.D. His lamentation over His friend broke forth in more than just a few tears. For that reason, “Yeshua wept” (John 11:35). His heart broke with Mary, Martha, and the mourners. He considered Lazarus a beloved friend, and the man’s death saddened Him. Our Master felt genuine empathy with the sisters and the mourners. The broader narrative flow makes the meaning clear His actions do not reflect any internal anger. Some other word with a broader semantic range, such as “deeply troubled,” might have existed in a Semitic source document and come into Greek with the wrong connotation. However, we need not take the Greek literally. Our Master may have felt a personal anger toward that great enemy-the last enemy-who had caused such grief and stolen away His beloved friend. This is unlikely mourning is a perfectly normal Jewish response to death, and Yeshua Himself also wept. If we take the Greek literally, we run the risk of mistaking the object of Yeshua’s anger as the bereaved or the mourners, as if Yeshua were enraged at their lack of faith in His ability to resurrect Lazarus. Though not technically literal, these English translations probably provide a better sense of the implied meaning of the text. Most English translations have avoided the angry-Messiah image entirely by translating the passages in reference to the Master’s inner turmoil and sorrow: “Groaning within himself” (KJV), “deeply moved within” (NAU). “When Yeshua therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled.” Most English versions of the Bible say something similar, but the simplest reading of the Greek of John 11:33 translates as, “When Yeshua saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He was moved with anger in spirit.” The same Greek construction occurs a few verses later: “Again being very angry within Himself, He came to the tomb” (John 11:38). The two sisters had exchanged that sentiment several times over the course of the last four days: “If only the rabbi had been here, our brother would not have died.” She wept, “Master, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:32), the same words that Martha had spoken. She came to the place outside the village where the Master waited, and she threw herself down at His feet. Mourners often visit a tomb several times during the week of sitting. They supposed she was going to the tomb to weep there. The bewildered mourners followed her as she hurried down the road and out of the village. When Mary heard that the Master had come, she rose from the floor and ran out of the house. After Lazarus died, Yeshua arrived in Bethany to meet the bereaved sisters, Mary and Martha.
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