Bible story · John 11:1–45

Jesus Raises Lazarus

Jesus weeps with his friends, then calls Lazarus out of the tomb alive. A 2-minute animated story, told simply for children and families, with each verse from the King James Version.

Start the story For parents

1 of 10

Lazarus lived in the village of Bethany with his sisters, Martha and Mary. They were dear friends of Jesus. One day Lazarus became very sick.

Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
John 11:1 KJV

2 of 10

His sisters sent a message to Jesus: “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
John 11:3 KJV

3 of 10

By the time Jesus came, Lazarus had already died, and he had been in the tomb for four days.

Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
John 11:17 KJV

4 of 10

Martha ran to meet Jesus. He told her, “I am the resurrection, and the life. Whoever believes in me, even though he dies, yet shall he live.”

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 11:25 KJV

5 of 10

When Jesus saw Mary and all her friends crying, he was deeply sad. Jesus wept.

Jesus wept.
John 11:35 KJV

6 of 10

The tomb was a cave with a big stone across the entrance. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”

Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
John 11:39 KJV

7 of 10

Jesus looked up and prayed, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.”

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
John 11:41 KJV

8 of 10

Then he called out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
John 11:43 KJV

9 of 10

And Lazarus, who had been dead, walked out of the tomb, still wrapped from head to foot in strips of cloth.

And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
John 11:44 KJV

10 of 10

Jesus said, “Unwrap him, and let him go.” Many people who saw what Jesus did believed in him.

Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
John 11:45 KJV

The end

Next story: The Widow’s Offering

What does this story teach?

Jesus cares about our sadness; he wept with his friends.
Jesus has power even over death.
Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and those who trust him have hope.
We can bring our troubles to Jesus, just as Mary and Martha did.

Questions to talk about

Use these with your children after the story, at bedtime, at the table or in a class.

What message did Mary and Martha send to Jesus?
Why do you think Jesus cried, even though he knew he would raise Lazarus?
What did Jesus say when he stood at the tomb?
How does this story give us hope when someone we love dies?

Read the story in the Bible

This retelling uses simple words for young readers. Read the full account in John 11:1–45, one verse per screen:

Bible Verses About Death and Grief

Bible verses about death and grief for losing a loved one, funerals and sympathy cards. Scroll comforting KJV scriptures on hope and heaven, free.

Scroll bible verses about death and grief

Frequently asked questions

Where is the story of Lazarus in the Bible?

The raising of Lazarus is in John 11:1–45. It happened in Bethany, a village near Jerusalem, shortly before Jesus’ last week.

Why did Jesus weep if he knew he would raise Lazarus?

John 11:35, “Jesus wept,” shows that Jesus truly shared his friends’ grief. He cared about their sorrow even though he knew what he was about to do.

How long was Lazarus dead?

John 11:17 says Lazarus had been in the tomb four days when Jesus arrived, so no one could doubt that he had really died.

What does “I am the resurrection, and the life” mean?

Jesus said this to Martha in John 11:25. It means that he himself gives life that death cannot end: whoever believes in him will live even though they die.

More Bible stories

See all 36 Bible stories