A man named Lazarus, who lived in Bethany, became sick. Bethany was the town where Mary and her sister Martha lived. (
Some time later Joseph was told that his father was ill. So he took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and went to see Jacob.
Jesus left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
As they approached Jerusalem, near the towns of Bethphage and Bethany, they came to the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of his disciples on ahead
Jesus said this and then added, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I will go and wake him up.”
Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem,
and many Judeans had come to see Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother's death.
The sisters sent Jesus a message: “Lord, your dear friend is sick.”
The people who had been with Jesus when he called Lazarus out of the grave and raised him from death had reported what had happened.
A large number of people heard that Jesus was in Bethany, so they went there, not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from death.
At that time she got sick and died. Her body was washed and laid in a room upstairs.