"Master, had you been here my brother Lazarus would not have died. I know that he will live again in the resurrection. I believe that you offer life in the hereafter, but now I need my brother. Death is so final in this life. It has taken away the one on whom I had depended. Do you realize how much it hurts?

"Lord, if you had hurried you could have gotten here in time. You could have been here before he expired and you could have healed him. Why did you tarry? Did you not sense the urgency of the situation? You've been in our house many times, and my brother was one you loved. You should have hurried. You should have come when we called. We thought surely when you found out who it was, you would have come immediately. You could have kept him from dying. But now he is gone. We are without our precious brother."

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

"Yes, Lord, I believe, but my brother has been dead four days. Even if you thought about healing him, now he is beyond hope. Death has the advantage and the grave clings to its prey. Would even God dare to reverse a process with so many shocking implications?"

"Yes, Lord, we will take you to our brother's tomb. We have many friends there now. Everyone loved him, and they are finding it difficult to believe he is gone. Lord, are you crying too? I know you loved him and he loved you as well.

"No, Lord, we must not remove the stone. I'm not sure I could take the sight of it. I would rather remember my brother as he was. I know you loved him and would like to see him, but it will not be a pretty sight. Let's just leave and go back home for a meal. Yes, Master, for you we will remove the stone, but please do not expect us to go in."

When the stone was moved, Jesus called out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!!!" and he did. "Take off the grave clothes and let him go. Life cannot wear the garments of death."