UJesu ufika eduze leBhethani evela ePhereya. IBhethani ingaba ngamakhilomitha amathathu empumalanga kweJerusalema. UMariya loMatha odadewabo bakaLazaro bayalila ngoba umfowabo ufile. Kubuye abantu abanengi ukuzobaduduza.

Kusenjalo kuba lomuntu otshela uMatha ukuthi uJesu usendleleni. UMatha uhle agijime ayemhlangabeza. UMatha utshela uJesu lokho yena lodadewabo okungenzeka bebekucabanga okwensuku ezine, uthi: “Nkosi, aluba ubukhona ngabe umfowethu kafanga.” Kodwa lokhu akutsho ukuthi uMatha kalathemba. Uqhubeka esithi: “Ngiyakwazi ukuthi loba kuyini okucela kuNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu uzakupha.” (UJohane 11:21, 22) Uyakholwa ukuthi uJesu angamvusa umfowabo.

UJesu umphendula athi: “Umfowenu uzavuka.” UMatha ucabanga ukuthi uJesu ukhuluma ngokuvuswa kwabantu abafileyo okuzakwenzakala emhlabeni esikhathini esizayo, ithemba u-Abrahama labanye ababelalo. Uyakholwa ukuthi lokhu kuzakwenzakala sibili, yikho esithi: “Ngiyakwazi ukuthi uzavuka nxa sekuvuswa abafileyo ngelanga lokucina.”​—UJohane 11:23, 24.

Kodwa uJesu engamvusa mhlalokho yini uLazaro? Ukhumbuza uMatha ukuthi uNkulunkulu umnike amandla okunqoba ukufa, uthi: “Lowo otshengisa ukuthi ulokholo kimi, lanxa engafa, uzaphila. Wonke umuntu ophilayo otshengisa ukuthi ulokholo kimi kasoze afe loba sekutheni.”​—UJohane 11:25, 26.

Lapha uJesu katsho ukuthi abafundi bakhe kabasoze bafe. Phela utshele abaphostoli bakhe ukuthi laye kumele afe. (UMathewu 16:21; 17:22, 23) Utsho ukuthi umuntu otshengisa ukuthi ulokholo kuye uzaphila phakade. Abanengi bazathola ukuphila lokhu sebevusiwe, kodwa abanye abathembekileyo abazabe bephila ekupheleni komumo lo wezinto kabasoze bafe ngitsho.

UJesu usanda kuthi, “Ngiyikuvuka kwabafileyo lokuphila.” Kodwa engamvusa yini uLazaro oselensuku efile? Ubuza uMatha athi: “Wena uyakukholwa yini lokhu?” UMatha uphendula athi: “Yebo Nkosi, ngiyakholwa ukuthi unguKhristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu okwakutshiwo ukuthi izabuya emhlabeni.” UMatha uyakholwa ukuthi kukhona uJesu angakwenza mhlalokho, yikho uyaphanga aye ngekhaya afike anyenyezele udadewabo esithi: “UMfundisi ukhona, uyakubiza.” (UJohane 11:25-28) Esizwa lelo uMariya uyasuka elandelwa ngabanye abacabanga ukuthi uya lapho uLazaro abekwe khona.

Kodwa uMariya uya kuJesu, afike azilahle enyaweni zakhe ekhala, abesephinda okukhulunywe ngudadewabo, uthi: “Nkosi, aluba ubulapha ngabe umfowethu kafanga.” UJesu uthi  ebona uMariya lamaxuku ekhala, adabuke kakhulu njalo akhathazeke, abesekhala. Abantu bayabona ukuthi ubemthanda sibili uLazaro. Kodwa abanye bayabuza bathi: ‘Nxa uJesu evule amehlo endoda eyazalwa iyisiphofu, ubengehluleka yini ukwenza ukuthi umuntu lo angafi?’​—UJohane 11:32, 37.