About the resurrected lazarus and its further destiny. Church of Saint Lazarus: history and photos

Travelers from all over the world consider the island of Cyprus to be one of the best beach destinations on earth. Magnificent nature, gentle sea, bright sun, well-equipped beaches - what could be better for lovers of such a pastime?

Nevertheless, for many tourists, such a vacation very soon becomes tiresome, and they are interested in what can be seen in Cyprus. First of all, we recommend that you visit the Church of St. Lazarus in Larnaca - a unique attraction of the island, perfectly preserved to this day since the Byzantine era.

This magnificent structure is considered by the Cypriots to be one of the most beautiful on the island. In ancient times, Christians who made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land always visited the Church of St. Lazarus. It should be noted that the temple is conveniently located - in the very center of Larnaca, so you can easily get here on your own, even if you stay in another city. V last years bus service is actively developing in Cyprus, and you can also use the taxi service, which can be called from any hotel.

Church of Saint Lazarus in Larnaca, Cyprus: history

The construction of the famous temple began in 890. The work was carried out on the site of the church that existed at that time, where a friend of Jesus Christ himself, Lazarus, was buried. For the construction of the temple, the emperor Leo VI the Wise allocated funds to the city of Kition (this is what Larnaca was called at that time).

Initially, during the Venetian occupation of the island, the temple was named. It was part of the empire. After the capture of Cyprus by the Turks, the church was bought (1589) by the Orthodox Church. The Turks were satisfied with the presence of Orthodoxy on this land, since they in every possible way tried to reduce the influence of Catholicism in this region. At the same time, Catholics received permission to hold services twice a year in the temple (in a small chapel). It adjoined the altar from the north and survived until 1794.

Features of the temple during the reign of the Ottomans

During the Ottoman Empire, the Church of St. Lazarus (Larnaca) lost its bell ringing, and the belfries themselves were banned. The bells in the temple were on wooden structures, but since in Larnaca the Turkish influence was not as harsh as in others they were not removed.

At the request of Russia in 1856, this ban was lifted. A few years later, a stone bell tower was built, which was subsequently repeatedly destroyed and restored.

Saint Lazarus

All ancient Christian churches keep many legends and traditions. The Church of Saint Lazarus (Cyprus) is no exception. Saint Lazarus was a close friend of Jesus Christ. On the fourth day after death, he was resurrected by Jesus. Therefore, Lazarus is often called the Four-Day.

Upon learning of the great miracle, the Jews decided to kill Lazarus, and he was forced to flee Jerusalem. Together with a group of other disciples of Jesus, he went to Cyprus. Arriving on the island, Lazarus was proclaimed the holy apostles to the bishops of the city of Kition, where he lived for 30 years.

After his death, Lazarus was buried in a marble tomb. Five hundred years later, Emperor Leo IV ordered to build a stone church on the site of the saint's burial. Saint Lazarus is the patron saint of the city of Larnaca, and the temple built in his honor has long been the educational, cultural, religious and social center of the city. For 250 years, the Church of St. Lazarus has opened hospitals and schools, kept order in cemeteries. She also supported the needy, paid for the education of students, defended the interests of the townspeople. According to historians, such an active public position was not at all typical for most of the churches of Cyprus at that time.

Cypriots are very proud that Saint Lazarus lived on their land. Since ancient times, they have been making up legends about him. One of them tells about how Lake Aliki (Salt) appeared. Once upon a time in its place was a beautiful vineyard that belonged elderly woman... When Lazarus, who was passing by him, exhausted with thirst and tired, asked her for a small bunch of grapes, the old woman buying up refused him. Saint Lazarus asked, pointing to a full basket of fragrant berries: "What is this?" and in response I heard: "Salt." Saddened by this outright lie, Lazarus said: "From now on, let everything here turn to salt." Since then, Lake Aliki has appeared here.

Church of Saint Lazarus (Republic of Cyprus): description

The most famous and most visited temple on the island is distinguished by its magnificent Byzantine architecture. Outwardly, it looks rather harsh and even slightly resembles a medieval fortress. Made of stone. The building is over thirty meters long.

The Church of Saint Lazarus (Republic of Cyprus) consisted of three naves and three domes. It belongs to a rare architectural type and differs significantly from most multi-domed temples. The arcade appeared here during the restoration work much later.

Near the northern entrance to the temple is the ancient emblem of the Latins. In the western part of the building is the Museum of Saint Lazarus, which contains unique religious items - icons and old books, church dishes and clothing. There is a church shop next to the museum, which sells icons depicting Lazarus, books, copies of Byzantine letters and much more. Archaeologists managed to establish that in antiquity, even the outer walls of the temple were decorated with numerous frescoes, which, unfortunately, have not survived to this day.

Interior decoration

The interior design of the temple fascinates with its mystery - twilight, a lot of gilding and silver. The Church of Saint Lazarus is famous for its unique treasure - the iconostasis made of carved wood. It was made by the talented carver Haji Taliadoros. This subtle work was completed in nine years. The iconostasis was covered with gold, it was adorned with one hundred and twenty icons. Each of them is a unique piece of art.

Under the iconostasis there is a small church carved into the rock with steps on the right leading to it. Next to the central altar there is a chapel with a preserved Latin altar.

The relics of St. Lazarus

Believers who want to worship Saint Lazarus go down to the room located under the altar. A cancer with his relics is installed here. In front of the entrance (at the eastern wall) a holy spring beats.

The relics of Lazarus were first discovered in 890 in a small church located here. Learning about the find, Leo VI ordered to transport the Holy relics to Constantinople. In 1972, scientists discovered part of the saint's remains in the sarcophagus under the altar of the church. This indicates that the inhabitants of Kition did not give up all the relics.

The sarcophagus is still in the same place today. On one of its sides an inscription is inscribed, which translates as "friend". It was made to replace the first sarcophagus, which was brought to Constantinople with part of the relics of St. Lazarus. From Kition, the relics were sent to Chrysopolis, then to the Cathedral of St. Sofia.

Later, Emperor Leo VI built another temple, consecrated in honor of Saint Lazarus (in Constantinople). The brought part of the relics was there until they were captured by the crusaders who conquered the city. They transported the remains to Marseille. Their further fate is not yet known.

Temple visit rules

If you want to visit the Church of Saint Lazarus, you should be aware of the rules that must be followed strictly.

1. Women should be dressed strictly. It is forbidden to enter the temple in shorts, mini-skirts, in open and too tight clothes.
2. During the service, men and women are seated separately. Men occupy the right side of the temple, women - the left.
3. In the church, it is forbidden to talk, take pictures and take pictures of the service, interfere with the believers.

Wedding

One very beautiful custom made the Church of St. Lazarus famous throughout the world. It's about a wedding. Travel agencies from different countries offer loving couples to consecrate their union in this ancient Christian shrine. Newlyweds from all over the world come here to receive divine support and swear eternal love.

Educational activities

Today, a cultural and educational center continues to operate at the temple, which began its activities in 1875. Then it was a parish school, and today the Church of St. Lazarus makes an invaluable contribution to the education and upbringing of children.

Now the center is located in a renovated room, which can accommodate about one hundred and fifty people at the same time. It hosts conferences, fascinating lectures, film screenings, concerts of organ and classical music, small theatrical performances.

Opening hours

Probably, many tourists are interested in when to visit the Church of St. Lazarus. Temple opening hours vary with the seasons. In summer, you can visit the temple from 8:30 to 13:00, and then from 16:00 to 18:30. On Saturday, the temple is open from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. In winter (September-March) - from 8:00 to 17:00

The Orthodox Church all over the world honors the memory of Saint Lazarus a week before the Easter celebrations. This day is especially loved and celebrated in Larnaca.

The resurrection of Lazarus is the greatest sign, a type of the Universal Resurrection, promised by the Lord. The figure of the resurrected Lazarus himself remains, as it were, in the shadow of this event, and in fact he was one of the first Christian bishops. How did his life develop after returning from the captivity of death? Where is his grave and are the relics preserved? Why does Christ call him a friend, and how did it happen that the crowds of witnesses to the resurrection of this man not only did not believe, but denounced Christ to the Pharisees? Consider these and other points related to the amazing gospel miracle.
Resurrection of Lazarus. Giotto. 1304-1306

Did you know that many people attended the funeral of Lazarus?
Unlike the hero of the same name from the parable "The Rich Man and Lazarus," the righteous Lazarus from Bethany was a real person and besides, not poor. Judging by the fact that he had servants, his sister anointed the Savior's feet with expensive oil, after the death of Lazarus, they put him in a separate tomb, and many Jews mourned him, Lazarus was probably a wealthy and famous person.
Due to their nobility, the Lazarus family apparently enjoyed special love and respect among the people, since many of the Jews who lived in Jerusalem came to mourn their grief to the sisters who were orphaned after the death of their brother. The holy city was about fifteen stadia from Bethany, about three kilometers.
“The wondrous Catcher of Men chose the rebellious Jews as eyewitnesses of the miracle, and they themselves showed the coffin of the deceased, rolled away the stone from the entrance to the cave, breathed in the stench of the decaying body. With our own ears we heard the call to the dead to rise again, with our own eyes we saw his first steps after the resurrection, with our own hands they untied the burial shroud, making sure that this was not a ghost. Well, did all the Jews believe in Christ? Not at all. But they went to the leaders, and "from that day on they decided to kill Jesus." This confirmed the righteousness of the Lord, who spoke through the lips of Abraham in the parable of the rich and poor Lazarus: "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, then if someone has risen from the dead, they will not believe"
Saint Amphilochius of Iconium

Did you know that Lazarus became bishop?
Being exposed to mortal danger, after the murder of the holy First Martyr Stephen, Saint Lazarus was taken to the seashore, put in a boat without oars, and removed from the borders of Judea. By divine will Lazarus, together with the disciple of the Lord Maximinus and Saint Kelidonius (the blind, healed by the Lord) sailed to the shores of Cyprus. Thirty years old before his resurrection, he lived on the island for more than thirty years. Here Lazarus met the apostles Paul and Barnabas. They elevated him to the bishopric of the city of Kitia (Kition, the Jews called Khetim). Ruin ancient city Kition were discovered during archaeological excavations and are available for inspection (from the life of Lazarus the Four-Day).
Tradition says that after the resurrection, Lazarus maintained strict abstinence, and that the Bishop's omophorion was presented to him by the Most Pure Mother of God, making him with Her own hands (Sinaxar).
“Indeed, the disbelief of the leaders of the Jewish and more influential teachers of Jerusalem, which did not yield to such a striking, obvious miracle, performed in front of a whole crowd of people, is an amazing phenomenon in the history of mankind; from that time on, it ceased to be unbelief, but became a conscious opposition to the obvious truth (“now I have seen and hated Me and My Father”

Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky)

Church of Saint Lazarus in Larnaca, built on his grave. Cyprus

Did you know that the Lord Jesus Christ called Lazarus a friend?
The Gospel of John tells about this, in which our Lord Jesus Christ, wishing to go to Bethany, says to the disciples: "Our friend Lazarus fell asleep." In the name of the friendship between Christ and Lazarus, Mary and Martha call on the Lord to help their brother, saying: "Behold, the one you love is sick." In the interpretation of the blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, Christ deliberately focuses on why He wants to go to Bethany: “Since the disciples were afraid to go to Judea, He tells them: the side of the Jews, but I am going to wake up a friend. "
The relics of Saint Lazarus the Four-day in Larnaca

Do you know where the relics of Saint Lazarus of the Four are located?
The holy relics of Bishop Lazarus were found in Kitia. They lay in a marble ark, on which was written: "Lazarus the Four days, friend of Christ."
The Byzantine emperor Leo the Wise (886-911) ordered in 898 to transfer the relics of Lazarus to Constantinople and put them in the temple in the name of Righteous Lazarus.
Today, his relics rest on the island of Cyprus in the city of Larnaca in a temple consecrated in honor of the saint. In the underground crypt of this temple there is a tomb in which the righteous Lazarus was once buried.

Crypt of the Church of Lazarus in Larnaca. There is an empty tomb with the signature "Friend of Christ" in which the righteous Lazarus was buried.

Did you know that the only described case when the Lord Jesus Christ wept is connected precisely with the death of Lazarus?
“The Lord weeps because he sees a man created in His own image undergoing decay, in order to take away our tears, because for this he died, in order to free us from death” (Saint Cyril of Jerusalem).

Did you know that the Gospel, which speaks of the weeping Christ, contains the basic Christological dogma?
“As a man, Jesus Christ both asks, and weeps, and does everything else, which would testify that He is a man; but as God He resurrects a four-day old and already emitting the smell of the corpse of a dead man and generally does what would testify that He is God. Jesus Christ wants people to make sure that He has both the one and the other nature, and therefore reveals Himself first as a man, then as God ”(Euthymius Zigaben).

Do you know why the Lord calls the death of Lazarus a dream?
The Lord calls the death of Lazarus the dormition (in the Church Slavonic text), and the resurrection, which He intends to accomplish, is awakening. By this He wanted to say that death for Lazarus is a transitory state.
Lazarus fell ill, and Christ's disciples said to Him: “Lord! behold, the one you love is sick. " And after that, He and his disciples went to Judea. And then Lazarus dies. Already there, in Judea, Christ says to his disciples: “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I'm going to wake him up. " But the apostles did not understand Him and said: "If he fell asleep, he will recover", meaning, according to the words of the blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, that the coming of Christ to Lazarus is not only unnecessary, but also harmful for a friend: because "if sleep, as we are I think it serves to his recovery, and you go and wake him up, then you will prevent his recovery. " In addition, the Gospel itself explains to us why death is called sleep: "Jesus spoke about his death, and they thought that He was talking about ordinary sleep." And then He directly announced that "Lazarus is dead."
Saint Theophylact of Bulgaria speaks of three reasons why the Lord called death a dream:
1) “in humility of mind, for he did not want to appear boastful, but in secret called the resurrection a wake-up from sleep ... For, having said that Lazarus was“ dead, ”the Lord did not add: I will go and raise him up”;
2) “to show us that all death is sleep and tranquility”;
3) “although the death of Lazarus was death for others, but for Jesus Himself, since He intended to resurrect him, it was nothing more than a dream. Just as it is easy for us to wake up the sleeping one, so, and even a thousand times more, it is convenient for Him to resurrect the deceased, ”“ may the Son of God be glorified through ”this miracle.

Do you know where the grave is where Lazarus came out, returned by the Lord to earthly life?


The tomb of Lazarus is located in Bethany, three kilometers from Jerusalem. Now, however, Bethany is identified with the village in Arabic called Al-Aizaria, which grew up already in Christian times, in the IV century, around the tomb of Lazarus himself. Ancient Bethany, where the family of the righteous Lazarus lived, was located at a distance from Al-Isariya - higher up the slope. Many events of Jesus Christ's earthly ministry are closely connected with ancient Bethany. Every time the Lord walked with the disciples along the Jericho road to Jerusalem, their path passed through this village.

Did you know that the tomb of Lazarus is also revered by Muslims?
Modern Bethany (Al-Aizariya or Eizariya) is the territory of the partially recognized state of Palestine, where the overwhelming majority of the population are Muslim Arabs who settled in these parts already in the 7th century. Back in the 13th century, the Dominican monk Burkhardt of Zion wrote about the worship of Muslims at the grave of righteous Lazarus.

Did you know that the resurrection of Lazarus is the key to understanding the entire fourth Gospel?
The resurrection of Lazarus is the greatest sign that prepares the reader for the Resurrection of Christ and is a type of the promised to all believers eternal life: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life”; “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in Me, even if he dies, will come to life "
Sretenskaya Theological Seminary

The resurrection of Lazarus is the greatest sign, a type of the Universal Resurrection, promised by the Lord. The figure of the resurrected Lazarus himself remains, as it were, in the shadow of this event, and in fact he was one of the first Christian bishops. How did his life develop after returning from the captivity of death? Where is his grave and are the relics preserved? Why does Christ call him a friend, and how did it happen that the crowds of witnesses to the resurrection of this man not only did not believe, but denounced Christ to the Pharisees? Consider these and other points related to the amazing gospel miracle.

Resurrection of Lazarus. Giotto. 1304-1306

Did you know that many people attended the funeral of Lazarus?

Unlike the hero of the same name from the parable "The Rich Man and Lazarus," the righteous Lazarus from Bethany was a real person and, moreover, not poor. Judging by the fact that he had servants (), his sister anointed the Savior's feet with expensive oil (), after the death of Lazarus, they put him in a separate tomb, and many Jews mourned him (), Lazarus was probably a wealthy and famous person.

Due to their nobility, the family of Lazarus apparently enjoyed special love and respect among the people, since many of the Jews who lived in Jerusalem came to mourn the sisters who were orphaned after the death of their brother. The holy city was fifteen stadia from Bethany (), it is about three kilometers.

“The wondrous Catcher of Men chose the rebellious Jews as eyewitnesses of the miracle, and they themselves showed the coffin of the deceased, rolled away the stone from the entrance to the cave, breathed in the stench of the decaying body. With our own ears we heard the call to the dead to rise again, with our own eyes we saw his first steps after the resurrection, with our own hands they untied the burial shroud, making sure that this was not a ghost. Well, did all the Jews believe in Christ? Not at all. But they went to the leaders, and "from that day on they decided to kill Jesus." (). This confirmed the righteousness of the Lord, who spoke through the lips of Abraham in the parable of the rich and poor Lazarus: "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, then if someone has risen from the dead, they will not believe" ()».

Saint Amphilochius of Iconium

Did you know that Lazarus became bishop?

Being exposed to mortal danger, after the murder of the holy First Martyr Stephen, Saint Lazarus was taken to the seashore, put in a boat without oars, and removed from the borders of Judea. By divine will Lazarus, together with the disciple of the Lord Maximinus and Saint Kelidonius (the blind, healed by the Lord) sailed to the shores of Cyprus. Thirty years old before his resurrection, he lived on the island for more than thirty years. Here Lazarus met the apostles Paul and Barnabas. They elevated him to the bishopric of the city of Kitia (Kition, the Jews called Khetim). The ruins of the ancient city of Kition were discovered during archaeological excavations and are available for inspection (from the life of Lazarus the Four-Day).

Tradition says that after the resurrection, Lazarus maintained strict abstinence, and that the Bishop's omophorion was presented to him by the Most Pure Mother of God, making him with Her own hands (Sinaxar).

“Indeed, the disbelief of the leaders of the Jewish and more influential teachers of Jerusalem, which did not yield to such a striking, obvious miracle, performed in front of a whole crowd of people, is an amazing phenomenon in the history of mankind; from that time on, it ceased to be unbelief, but became a conscious opposition to the obvious truth (“now you have seen and hated me and my Father” () ”.

Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky)

Church of Saint Lazarus in Larnaca, built on his grave. Cyprus

Did you know that the Lord Jesus Christ called Lazarus a friend?

The Gospel of John tells about this, in which our Lord Jesus Christ, wishing to go to Bethany, says to the disciples: "Our friend Lazarus fell asleep." In the name of the friendship between Christ and Lazarus, Mary and Martha call on the Lord to help their brother, saying: "The one you love is sick"(). In the interpretation of the blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, Christ deliberately focuses on why He wants to go to Bethany: "Since the disciples were afraid to go to Judea, He tells them:" I am not going after what I went for before, in order to expect danger from the Jews, but I am going to wake up a friend. "

The relics of Saint Lazarus the Four-day in Larnaca

Do you know where the relics of Saint Lazarus of the Four are located?

The holy relics of Bishop Lazarus were found in Kitia. They lay in a marble ark, on which was written: "Lazarus the Four days, friend of Christ."

The Byzantine emperor Leo the Wise (886-911) ordered in 898 to transfer the relics of Lazarus to Constantinople and put them in the temple in the name of Righteous Lazarus.

Today, his relics rest on the island of Cyprus in the city of Larnaca in a temple consecrated in honor of the saint. In the underground crypt of this temple there is a tomb in which the righteous Lazarus was once buried.

Crypt of the Church of Lazarus. There is an empty tomb with the signature "Friend of Christ", in which the righteous Lazarus was once buried.

Did you know that the only described case when the Lord Jesus Christ wept is connected precisely with the death of Lazarus?

“The Lord weeps because he sees a man created in His own image undergoing corruption in order to take away our tears, for for this he died, to free us from death as well”(Saint Cyril of Jerusalem).

Did you know that the Gospel, which speaks of the weeping Christ, contains the basic Christological dogma?

“As a man, Jesus Christ both asks, and weeps, and does everything else, which would testify that He is a man; but as God He resurrects a four-day old and already emitting the smell of the corpse of a dead man and generally does what would testify that He is God. Jesus Christ wants people to make sure that He has both natures, and therefore reveals Himself first as a man, then as God. "(Euthymius Zigaben).

Do you know why the Lord calls the death of Lazarus a dream?

The Lord calls the death of Lazarus the dormition (in the Church Slavonic text), and the resurrection, which He intends to accomplish, is awakening. By this He wanted to say that death for Lazarus is a transitory state.

Lazarus fell ill, and Christ's disciples said to him: "God! that's who you love is sick "(). And after that, He and his disciples went to Judea. And then Lazarus dies. Already there, in Judea, Christ says to the disciples: “Our friend Lazarus fell asleep; but I'm going to wake him up "(). But the apostles did not understand Him and said: "If you fall asleep, you will recover"(), bearing in mind, according to the words of the blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, that the coming of Christ to Lazarus is not only unnecessary, but also harmful for a friend: because “if a dream, as we think, serves to his recovery, and you go and wake him , then you will hinder recovery. " In addition, the Gospel itself explains to us why death is called sleep: "Jesus spoke about his death, but they thought that He was talking about ordinary sleep"(). And then He bluntly announced that "Lazarus is dead" ().

Saint Theophylact of Bulgaria speaks of three reasons why the Lord called death a dream:

1) “in humility of mind, for he did not want to appear boastful, but in secret called the resurrection a wake-up from sleep ... For, having said that Lazarus was“ dead, ”the Lord did not add: I will go and raise him up”;

2) “to show us that all death is sleep and tranquility”;

3) “although the death of Lazarus was death for others, but for Jesus Himself, since He intended to resurrect him, it was nothing more than a dream. As it is easy for us to wake up the sleeping one, so, and even a thousand times more, it is convenient for Him to resurrect the deceased "," may it be glorified through "this miracle" Son of God "().

Do you know where the grave is, whence came Lazarus, returned by the Lord to earthly life?

The tomb of Lazarus is located in Bethany, three kilometers from Jerusalem. Now, however, Bethany is identified with the village in Arabic called Al-Aizaria, which grew up already in Christian times, in the IV century, around the tomb of Lazarus himself. Ancient Bethany, where the family of the righteous Lazarus lived, was located at a distance from Al-Isariya - higher up the slope. Many events of Jesus Christ's earthly ministry are closely connected with ancient Bethany. Every time the Lord walked with the disciples along the Jericho road to Jerusalem, their path passed through this village.

The grave of St. Lazarus in Bethany

Did you know that the tomb of Lazarus is also revered by Muslims?

Modern Bethany (Al-Aizariya or Eizariya) is the territory of the partially recognized state of Palestine, where the overwhelming majority of the population are Muslim Arabs who settled in these parts already in the 7th century. Back in the 13th century, the Dominican monk Burkhardt of Zion wrote about the worship of Muslims at the grave of righteous Lazarus.

Did you know that the resurrection of Lazarus is the key to understanding the entire fourth Gospel?

The resurrection of Lazarus is the greatest sign that prepares the reader for the Resurrection of Christ and is a prototype of the eternal life promised to all believers: "Whoever Believes in the Son Has Eternal Life" (); “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in Me, even if he dies, will come to life " ().

Sretenskaya Theological Seminary

The resurrection of Lazarus is the greatest sign, a type of the Universal Resurrection, promised by the Lord. The figure of the resurrected Lazarus himself remains, as it were, in the shadow of this event, and in fact he was one of the first Christian bishops. How did his life develop after returning from the captivity of death? Where is his grave and are the relics preserved? Why does Christ call him a friend, and how did it happen that the crowds of witnesses to the resurrection of this man not only did not believe, but denounced Christ to the Pharisees? Consider these and other points related to the amazing gospel miracle.

Did you know that many people attended the funeral of Lazarus?

Unlike the hero of the same name from the parable "The Rich Man and Lazarus," the righteous Lazarus from Bethany was a real person and, moreover, not poor. Judging by the fact that he had servants (John 11: 3), his sister anointed the Savior's feet with expensive oil (John 12: 3), after the death of Lazarus they put him in a separate tomb, and many Jews mourned him (John 11: 31, 33), Lazarus was probably a wealthy and famous person.

Due to their nobility, the family of Lazarus apparently enjoyed special love and respect among the people, since many of the Jews who lived in Jerusalem came to mourn the sisters who were orphaned after the death of their brother. The holy city was fifteen stadia from Bethany (John 11:18), it is about three kilometers.

« The wondrous Catcher of Men chose the rebellious Jews as eyewitnesses of the miracle, and they themselves showed the coffin of the deceased, rolled away the stone from the entrance to the cave, breathed in the stench of the decaying body. With our own ears we heard the call to the dead to rise again, with our own eyes we saw his first steps after the resurrection, with our own hands they untied the burial shroud, making sure that this was not a ghost. Well, did all the Jews believe in Christ? Not at all. But they went to the leaders, and “from that day on they decided to kill Jesus"(John 11:53). Thus, the righteousness of the Lord was confirmed, speaking through the mouth of Abraham in the parable of the rich and poor Lazarus: “ If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, then if someone has risen from the dead, they will not believe"(Luke 16:31)."

Saint Amphilochius of Iconium

Did you know that Lazarus became bishop?

Being exposed to mortal danger, after the murder of the holy First Martyr Stephen, Saint Lazarus was taken to the seashore, put in a boat without oars, and removed from the borders of Judea. By divine will Lazarus, together with the disciple of the Lord Maximinus and Saint Kelidonius (the blind, healed by the Lord) sailed to the shores of Cyprus. Thirty years old before his resurrection, he lived on the island for more than thirty years. Here Lazarus met the apostles Paul and Barnabas. They elevated him to the bishopric of the city of Kitia (Kition, the Jews called Khetim). The ruins of the ancient city of Kition were discovered during archaeological excavations and are available for inspection (from the life of Lazarus the Four-Day).

Tradition says that after the resurrection, Lazarus maintained strict abstinence, and that the Bishop's omophorion was presented to him by the Most Pure Mother of God, making him with Her own hands (Sinaxar).

« Indeed, the disbelief of the leaders of the Jewish and more influential teachers of Jerusalem, which did not yield to such a striking, obvious miracle, performed in front of a whole crowd of people, is an amazing phenomenon in the history of mankind; from that time on, it ceased to be unbelief, but became a conscious opposition to the obvious truth (“now you have seen and hated Me and My Father"(John 15:24)."

Metropolitan Anthony (Khrapovitsky)

Church of Saint Lazarus in Larnaca, built on his grave. Cyprus

Did you know that the Lord Jesus Christ called Lazarus a friend?

The Gospel of John tells about this, in which our Lord Jesus Christ, wishing to go to Bethany, says to the disciples: “ Our friend Lazarus fell asleep". In the name of friendship between Christ and Lazarus, Mary and Martha call on the Lord to help their brother, saying: “ That's who you love is sick"(John 12: 3). In the interpretation of the blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, Christ deliberately focuses on why He wants to go to Bethany: “Since the disciples were afraid to go to Judea, He says to them:“ I’m not going after what I’ve gone before, in order to expect danger from the Jews, but I am going to wake up a friend”».

The relics of Saint Lazarus the Four-day in Larnaca

Do you know where the relics of Saint Lazarus of the Four are located?

The holy relics of Bishop Lazarus were found in Kitia. They lay in a marble ark, on which was written: "Lazarus the Four days, friend of Christ."

The Byzantine emperor Leo the Wise (886-911) ordered in 898 to transfer the relics of Lazarus to Constantinople and put them in the temple in the name of Righteous Lazarus.

Today, his relics rest on the island of Cyprus in the city of Larnaca in a temple consecrated in honor of the saint. In the underground crypt of this temple there is a tomb in which the righteous Lazarus was once buried.

Crypt of the Church of Lazarus. There is an empty tomb with the signature "Friend of Christ", in which the righteous Lazarus was once buried.

Did you know that the only described case when the Lord Jesus Christ wept is connected precisely with the death of Lazarus?

“The Lord weeps because he sees a man created in His own image undergoing decay, in order to take away our tears, because for this he died, in order to free us from death” (Saint Cyril of Jerusalem).

Did you know that the Gospel, which speaks of the weeping Christ, contains the basic Christological dogma?

“As a man, Jesus Christ both asks, and weeps, and does everything else, which would testify that He is a man; but as God He resurrects a four-day old and already emitting the smell of the corpse of a dead man and generally does what would testify that He is God. Jesus Christ wants people to make sure that He has both the one and the other nature, and therefore reveals Himself first as a man, then as God ”(Euthymius Zigaben).

Do you know why the Lord calls the death of Lazarus a dream?

The Lord calls the death of Lazarus the dormition (in the Church Slavonic text), and the resurrection, which He intends to accomplish, is awakening. By this He wanted to say that death for Lazarus is a transitory state.

Lazarus fell ill, and Christ's disciples said to Him: “ God! that's who you love is sick"(John 11: 3). And after that, He and his disciples went to Judea. And then Lazarus dies. Already there, in Judea, Christ says to his disciples: “ Our friend Lazarus fell asleep; but I'm going to wake him up”(John 11:11). But the apostles did not understand Him and said: “ If you fall asleep, you will recover"(John 11:12), meaning, according to the word of the blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria, that the coming of Christ to Lazarus is not only unnecessary, but also harmful for a friend: because" if sleep, as we think, serves to his recovery, and you will go and wake him up, then you will prevent his recovery. " In addition, the Gospel itself explains to us why death is called sleep: “ Jesus talked about his death, but they thought that He was talking about ordinary sleep”(John 11:13). And then He directly announced that “ Lazarus died”(John 11:14).

Saint Theophylact of Bulgaria speaks of three reasons why the Lord called death a dream:

1) “in humility of mind, for he did not want to appear boastful, but in secret called the resurrection a wake-up from sleep ... For, having said that Lazarus was“ dead, ”the Lord did not add: I will go and raise him up”;

2) “to show us that all death is sleep and tranquility”;

3) “although the death of Lazarus was death for others, but for Jesus Himself, since He intended to resurrect him, it was nothing more than a dream. As it is easy for us to wake up the sleeping one, so, and even a thousand times more, it is convenient for Him to resurrect the deceased "," may it be glorified through "this miracle" Son of God "(John 11: 4).

Do you know where the grave is, whence came Lazarus, returned by the Lord to earthly life?

The tomb of Lazarus is located in Bethany, three kilometers from Jerusalem. Now, however, Bethany is identified with the village in Arabic called Al-Aizaria, which grew up already in Christian times, in the IV century, around the tomb of Lazarus himself. Ancient Bethany, where the family of the righteous Lazarus lived, was located at a distance from Al-Isariya - higher up the slope. Many events of Jesus Christ's earthly ministry are closely connected with ancient Bethany. Every time the Lord walked with the disciples along the Jericho road to Jerusalem, their path passed through this village.

The grave of St. Lazarus in Bethany

Did you know that the tomb of Lazarus is also revered by Muslims?

Modern Bethany (Al-Aizariya or Eizariya) is the territory of the partially recognized state of Palestine, where the overwhelming majority of the population are Muslim Arabs who settled in these parts already in the 7th century. Back in the 13th century, the Dominican monk Burkhardt of Zion wrote about the worship of Muslims at the grave of righteous Lazarus.

Did you know that the resurrection of Lazarus is the key to understanding the entire fourth Gospel?

The resurrection of Lazarus is the greatest sign that prepares the reader for the Resurrection of Christ and is a prototype of the eternal life promised to all believers: “ Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life"(John 3:36); " I am the resurrection and the life; believing in Me, even if he dies, he will come to life”(John 11:25).

Sretenskaya Theological Seminary

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(John 5:25)

I. Faith to Moses and the prophets, healing of the man born blind,
the parable of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus

“If Moses and the prophets do not listen,
then if someone rose from the dead, they will not believe»
(Luke 16:31)

An unimaginable number of miracles were performed by the Lord over the people of Israel. But most of all is the resurrection of Lazarus. Marvelous Catcher of men chose the rebellious Jews as eyewitnesses of the miracle, and they themselves showed the coffin of the deceased, rolled away the stone from the entrance to the cave, breathed in the stench of the decaying body. With our own ears we heard the call to the dead to rise again, with our own eyes we saw his first steps after the resurrection, with our own hands they untied the burial shroud, making sure that this was not a ghost.

Well, did all the Jews believe in Christ? - Not at all. But they went to the bosses and “ from that day they decided to kill Jesus"(John 11: 53). Thus, the righteousness of the Lord was confirmed, speaking through the mouth of Abraham in the parable of the rich and poor Lazarus: “If Moses and the prophets are not listened to, then if someone is raised from the dead, they will not believe"(Luke 16:31). But Israel was waiting for the Messiah at this very time. The Jews knew that the seventy-seven years, prophesied by Daniel, end from the decree on the restoration of the Jerusalem Temple to the anointing of the Saint (Dan. 9: 24), that the royal scepter left the descendants of Judah (Gen. 49: 10), and the Teacher appeared in Nazareth, according to whose word the dead rise and the lepers are cleansed. " Explore the Scriptures ... they testify of Me”(John 5: 39) - Christ turned to the experts of the Scriptures. But they did not believe clear prophecies and demanded miracles and signs from heaven... When the Lord worked miracles, they did not believe them either.

The resurrection of Lazarus is inseparable from another miracle that stirred Israel - the healing of the man born blind (see John 9: 1-41). If the healing of a diseased eye can still be attributed to the human medical art, then the establishment of vision is only one Divine action. The Jews rejected this miracle, for “ They did not believe that he (born blind) was blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of this one who had received his sight and asked them: Is this your son, of whom you say that he was born blind? how does he see now?"(John 9: 18-19).

- How does he see? “Obviously,” we will answer, “by the power of the One who raised the dead, commanded the elements, multiplied bread, cast out demons, walked on water. By the power of the One who was free to create another unheard-of miracle - to resurrect the decaying dead man and thereby reveal His Deity, to make the Jews unrequited, to preach the destruction of Hell to the dead, and to the living - a general resurrection.

II. Raising Lazarus
like a great and unprecedented miracle

The Lord, having learned from the messengers of Martha and Mary about the illness of Lazarus, came to Bethany only on the third day after his death, having stayed “Two days in that place"(John 11: 6). The Lord's Delay The Holy Fathers agree to come to the aid of a friend by the desire to resurrect a real dead man, four days old and stinking - a miracle hitherto unknown to Israel: “Why ‘Stayed’? In order to die and be buried, so that later no one could say that He resurrected him then, as he had not yet died, that it was only a deep sleep, or relaxation, or deprivation of feelings, but not death. For this reason, He stayed for so long that even decay occurred, so they said: ‘Already stinks’(John 11:39) ".

Saint Amphilochius of Iconium describes this miracle quite figuratively: “Only the Lord cried out: ‘Lazarus, get out!’(John 11:43), and immediately the body was filled with life, the hair grew again, the proportions of the body were in the proper ratio, the veins were again filled with pure blood. Hell, struck down to its depths, released Lazarus. The soul of Lazarus, once again returned and summoned by the holy angels, united with its own body. "

It has happened before that the greatest prophets of Israel raised the dead, but they never raised those whose bodies were touched by corruption. "Who is the sight, who is hearing, like vosta man dead stinking? Elijah ubo erect and Elisha, but not from the tomb, but below the four days, ”- proclaims the Holy Church through the lips of St. Andrew of Crete at Compline, the heel of the week.

Another miracle was added to the miracle of the resurrection - Lazarus, « entwined hand and foot with burial shroud "(John 11:44), moved freely: "Bound the feet of Lazarus, who walked, a miracle in miracles: for the boliy appearing forbidding strengthens also Christ: His word is servilely served, as if working for God and the Master."

III. The resurrection of Lazarus as a manifestation
true Incarnation of Jesus Christ

By teaching Orthodox Church expressed in the hymns of the Lazarus Sabbath, Christ revealed his true Deity and humanity in the resurrection of Lazarus: "Assuring the Word, Thy Resurrection, Thou art called Lazarus from the grave, and Thou hast raised up like God, and by showing God and Man together truly exists", " Thou two proposing Thy actions, showed Thou creatures to the Savior the aggravation: God is God and Man "," Thou hast showed the Divine knowledge of the Divine to all, raising the four-day Vladyka Lazarus from the dead "," This true God, assuring the Master of His Divinity with an indefinite action. "

« Then Jesus told them directly: Lazarus is dead"(John 11:14).
Omniscience of God

In these words of Jesus Christ, who was physically far from the place of illness and the death of a friend, the Omniscience of God manifested itself: “By the same apostle, like a guiding God, you prophesied death to Lazarev. In Bethany, be present as a people, you are not an ignorant friend of Your grave, and you asked as if you were a Man. But by Thee is resurrected four days, Thy Divine power is revealed. "

« Jesus shed tears"(John 11:35).
Opaque incarnation of God

The Savior's tears testified to His true, and not a ghostly Incarnation, as St. John Chrysostom writes about this: “Why does the Evangelist carefully and more than once notice that He wept and that He held back sorrow? In order for you to know that He was truly clothed with our nature. " The creators of the canons of the week of Vai and Lazarus Saturday, the Monks Andrew of Crete, John Damascene, Kosma Mayumsky and Theophanes Inscribed with great emotion and heartfelt feeling, describe the tears of the God-man: we were a Man "," Having shed tears over a friend for the sake of sake, showed Thou flesh taken from us, being not by the opinion of the Savior, united to Thee, and like a Human-lover God, having proclaimed this Abie, Thou didst raise ", you shed tears over Lazar, by the law of nature, assuring Your flesh, Jesus my God, you have perceived this Undescribed flesh, "He came to Bethany, as if the Man the Lord tear down over Lazarus, as though God resurrects a four-day one", "Walk, and tear down, prophesy to my Savior, showing your human action: manifesting the Divine, raise up Lazarus. "

However, some circumstances of the miracle could give rise to doubts about the Divinity of the Savior. Indeed, why should the Omniscient God ask the Jews about Lazarus: “ where did you put it"(John 11:34)? Why would the Almighty pray to anyone to perform a miracle (John 11: 41-42)? In the 4th century, the anomes justified their heresy with similar arguments, denying not only the consubstantiality of the Father and the Son, but also the very likeness of the Son to the Father. Up to our time, Jews and Gnostics ask this question slyly.

« Where did you put it?"(John 11:34).
Jews are prime witnesses

Indeed, why should the Omniscient God ask where they put Lazarus: “A strange and glorious miracle, how the Creator of all is not ignorant, as if unaware of the question: where does he lie, weep for him? where was Lazarus buried, and I will raise him from the dead little by little?

It's clear that the alleged ignorance of Christ has nothing to do with it, as Chrysostom writes about this: “You say, Jew, that Christ did not know this, if he said:‘ where did you put it?“So the Father did not know in paradise where Adam hid himself, if He walked, as it were, looking for him in paradise, and said:‘ Adam where are you(Gen. 3: 9)? ’… What do you say when you hear God say to Cain:‘ where is your brother Abel(Gen. 4: 9)? "... If that means ignorance, then this also means ignorance."

Why then Does the Lord ask about this? According to the thought of Saints John Chrysostom and Basil the Great, the Monks Andrew of Crete and Ephraim the Syrian, the question “ Where did you put it?", Was asked with only one purpose: to bring the questioning Jews to the place of the planned miracle as witnesses of the resurrection:" Of course, he gives this reason to impudent co-questioners, but it is clearer than the sun that He had no need to ask. And by saying ‘ Where did you put it?'I wanted to confirm that Lazar was indeed buried. He asked not about ‘where is the coffin?’ But ‘where did they put the dead man?’. He knew the stubbornness of the Jews with which they denied His glorious deeds and tied them up with His question ‘ Where was the deceased put?`` I didn't ask about where Lazarus was buried or buried, but ' where did you put it?’ Show Me it yourself you unbelievers» .

A strange prayer.
The Unity of the Will of the Father and the Son

« Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said: Father! thank you that you heard me. I knew that you would always hear me; but he said [these things] for the people standing here, that they might believe that you sent me"(John 11: 41-42).

Before we understand for whom this prayer was created and whether it was needed for the resurrection of Lazarus, let us ask ourselves a question, Did His prayer appeal to the Father humiliate the Son? The anomee heretics believed that yes, it was humiliating: “How can the one who prays be like the one who receives the prayer? One prays and the other accepts prayer, "just as the servant is less than the one to whom he serves. However, Christ who came “ not to be served, but to serve and give his soul for the redemption of many"(Mark 10:45), personally washed the feet of the twelve apostles, including Judas:" and you are clean, but not all. For He knew His betrayer"(John 13: 10-11). But, obviously, Christ is higher than the Apostles and, moreover, the traitor Judas, which means that His prayer to the Father in no way diminished His Divine dignity.

The Anomees saw in Jesus' prayer the source of the miracles performed by Him: "If He had not prayed, then he would not have raised Lazarus." But, Christ performed many miracles without praying to anyone... St. John Chrysostom lists: “How else did He perform without prayer, saying, for example: I'm telling you, demon, ‘get out of it’(Mark 9:25), and again: ' I want cleanse'(Mark 1:41), also:' take your bed and walk'(John 5: 8), and:' your sins are forgiven you'(Matthew 9: 2), and saying to the sea:' shut up, stop'(Mark 4:39)'?

We will ask more, Did Lazarus rise after this prayer?- Obviously not: “When the prayer was completed, the dead did not rise; and when He said: ' Lazarus, get out!'Then the dead are resurrected. Oh hell! The prayer has been completed, and you are not freeing the dead? “No, says hell. Why? - Because I have not been given a command. I am the guard who keeps the guilty here; if I do not receive a command, then I do not let go; the prayer was not for me, but for the unbelievers present; without receiving a command, I do not release the guilty one; waiting for a voice to free the soul. "

Let us carefully read the words of Christ's prayer: “ Father! thank you that you heard me. I knew that you would always hear me; but he said [these things] for the people standing here, that they might believe that you sent me"(John 11: 41-42).

There is no petition here to the Father to resurrect the deceased Lazarus, to loosen the shackles of death, to restore the decayed body and return the soul to it. There is no petition at all in this prayer, which means that it did not become the source of the miracle. This means that this prayer did not testify to the alleged inequality of the Son to the Father, but to the unity of the will and nature of the Father and the Son, as St. Andrew writes about this: “This is how He speaks for the Jews, showing that He came from heaven and that He is the Son of God. and God, and that he does everything according to the Father's intention, as having with Him the same will and nature. And since there was a man, he speaks humanly, so that incarnation does not seem insignificant. "

— Why then did Christ pray?

- For Martha, who asked: "God! if you were here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that what you ask God, God will give you "(John 11: 21-22). Martha asked Christ to pray - the Lord prayed.

- For the sake of the Jews, who with lips slyly honored the Father, but did not recognize the Son: "Honoring Thy Father, and showing that you are not disgusting, you are not disgusting for Christ, and autocraticly raised up a four-day one."

IV. The resurrection of Lazarus as the beginning of the destruction of hell
and the image of the future resurrection of the dead

"The time is coming when the dead will hear
the voice of the Son of God and, having heard, they will live "
(John 5:25)

Death entered the world through the fall of Adam and Eve. All people, including the Old Testament righteous and prophets, went to hell after their death. His power seemed so unshakable and eternal that even among God's chosen people there appeared a considerable number of those who “ said that there is no resurrection, no angel, no spirit”(Acts 23: 8). And the Sadducees, and Martha, and all of us who read the Gospel lines, should have been taught the resurrection, assured of its reality: "The general resurrection, before assuring Your passion, from the dead you raised Lazarus Christ God." On Lazarus, the prophetic words of the Lord, spoken by Him earlier, were fulfilled: "The time is coming when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and, having heard, will come to life."(John 5:25).

By the resurrection of the decaying corpse, the foundations of hell were shaken, and hope arose for those languishing in it. In the canon for Compline, the heel of the week Vai Church paints hell as a jealous creature who, for the first time in millennia of dominion over the dead, was afraid of the ruin of his own possessions and therefore is ready to sacrifice one prisoner, just not to lose many: “I pray thee Lazare, hell, get up, get out of the rivets my soon, go away: good for me to weep the mountaineer is detached, rather than all those who have devoured them before the greed "," Why do not raise up Lazarus soon, crying out of hell crying from the valley? that not abie rose again from here? May Christ not captivate others by resurrecting thee. " The Holy Fathers unanimously note that if the Lord had not called on a specific name, all hell would have been prematurely empty, for then all the dead would have been resurrected: “So that, by turning speech in general to the dead, not to call everyone out of the graves, He therefore says:‘ Lazarus, get out!’, You alone I call in the presence of this people » .

In the resurrection of Lazarus, the Lord clearly showed the features of the general resurrection - a great and terrible sacrament that has to happen on the last day. So, reasoning about universality of resurrection, the Monk Ephraim the Syrian notes that it was no coincidence that the Lord resurrected 3 people: a girl who had just died, a young man carried to the cemetery, and decaying Lazarus: “In the house, on the way and from the grave, He brought the dead back to life, by way of faith, along the entire path of the dead, to dispel the hope of life, and at the beginning, and in the middle, and at the end of it to manifest the resurrection. " Like the resurrection of Lazarus, the universal resurrection will happen in an instant... For the stench of a decaying body did not disappear from the cave, as Lazarus, obeying the imperious word of the Lord, went out to meet the shocked Jews, came out alive, healthy, filled with vital juices. The loud voice of the Savior, who called out: « Lazarus, get out!"Symbolized the great trumpet that one day will proclaim the general resurrection. It is also surprising how much the Bethany miracle coincides in detail with the revelation of the Apostle Paul about last day the world: " I tell you a secret: not all of us will die, but all change all of a sudden, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet; for it will sound the trumpet, and the dead will rise incorruptible, and we will be changed"(1 Cor. 15: 52).

Finally, having manifested his power over death, Christ showed that He himself can be resurrected if He has to taste death and go down to hell. For us, the words of the Lord addressed to Martha and spoken by Him before performing the miracle are especially important: “ He who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die"(John 11: 25-26). Euthymius Zigaben, a Byzantine monk-collector of patristic interpretations of the Four Gospels, writes that “it speaks of believers in Christ who, although they die death on earth, will live the blissful life of the century to come. And those who live here and the believers will not die the eternal death of the century to come. Saying this, Jesus Christ showed that only in the next century there is true life and death, because they cannot change and replace one another, and that it is them that must be taken care of most of all. "

What kind of life did the Jews choose?

V. The Resurrection of Lazarus as the Rejection of the Jews

« If I had not done deeds between them,
what no one else did, they would have no sin;
but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father»
(John 15:24)

Jews are the main witnesses of the miracle

The Lord who called the Apostles to become fishers of people, set magnificent traps for obstinate Jews, so that those who, with Talmudic stubbornness and resourcefulness, found refutation of the prophecies of Moses, Isaiah, Daniel and all the prophets in general about the Born of the Virgin, who found flaws in His miracles, themselves witnessed such a miracle that cannot be refuted, it would be impossible to misinterpret.

All five of the feelings of the Jews who came to the grave testified to the resurrection of Lazarus, as Chrysostom writes about this: “That's why he asks:‘ where did you put it'(John 11:34)? - so that those who said: ' go and see', And who brought Him, could not say that He raised another; so that both the voice and the hands testify: - a voice that said: - ‘ go and see', - hands that have rolled away the stone and allowed the bandages; also - sight and hearing, - hearing, since he heard a voice, - sight, since he saw the one who went out (from the grave); likewise, the sense of smell, as it felt the stench, - ' already stinks; for four days as he is in the grave’» .

For this, Christ delayed two days, so that those who swaddled the dead were convinced of his death and decay. For this, the omniscient Lord asked, where did they put Lazarus, so that those who buried Lazarus would bring Christ to the place of burial and become witnesses of the miracle themselves. For this, the almighty Christ, who promised believers the power to rearrange mountains (Matthew 17:20), did not want to move the tombstone away so that those who moved it away would feel the stench of the dead. For this, Christ asked to untie the risen, so that, having felt Lazarus, the Jews would be convinced that this was not a ghost and that it was the one whom they themselves swaddled with.

The choice of the Jews - the choice of death

Where is the Jewish madness? where is the unbelief? As long as strangers, until the stairs, behold the deceased with a voice outgoing, and do not believe in Christ, verily, sons of darkness, you are all .

By the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus undeniably revealed about Himself that He is the Messiah, the Son of God and God. The Vineyard Keepers realized that his rightful Heir had arrived. And, as it was predicted in the bitter parable of the evil winegrowers, they decided to kill “ Keeping Israel"(Psalm 120: 4), to commit an act as monstrous as it is insane:" Instead of being amazed and amazed, they consult to kill Him, - Him, who raised the dead. What madness! They thought to put to death the One who conquered death in the bodies of others. "

The terrible sentence was preceded by slander: “ If we leave Him this way, then all will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take possession of both our place and our people."(John 11:48). The Jews presented Christ as a rebel, encroaching on the royal power, an impostor, Who will lead the people along with Him to punish the Romans. But, as Euthymius Zigaben writes, “Jesus Christ not only did not teach to rebel against the government, but on the contrary, He commanded to pay tribute to Caesar and turned away from the people who wanted to make Him king; during His travels, He always observed modesty in everything and commanded everyone to spend better life, which could serve rather to the loss of all power. " And what kind of people said these words? - Those who later called for the release of the rebel and murderer Varrava, those who shouted that have no king but Caesar.

« This Man does many miracles. What should we do? ”(John 11:47) - the Jews asked. The obvious answer is given by Chrysostom: "One should have believed, served and worshiped, and no longer honored Him as a man." But the Jews " put to kill Jesus”(John 11:53) and thus doomed themselves to eternal death and rejection. Themselves and pronounced their own sentence: “ So when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do with these vineyards? They say to Him: He will put these evildoers to an evil death, and give the vineyard to other winegrowers, who will give him the fruits in their days.”(Matt. 21: 40-41).

In vain did the Jews memorize the words of Moses about the Prophet, Whom must be obeyed, in vain did they read about the punishments that would follow the violation of this command. Ahead of them awaited the destruction of the temple, the devastation of Jerusalem, the murder of more than a million tribesmen, illness and a terrible famine, during which mothers devoured their own children, a shameful scattering.

It was for them that the Lord shed tears, and not for Lazarus, for, as the Monk Andrew writes, Christ “came to resurrect Lazarus, and therefore it would be useless to weep over who should be resurrected. And we really ought to weep for the Jews, because He foresaw that even after a miracle they would remain in their unbelief. ”

Those who wanted to preserve earthly power, lost this power: “ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those sent to you! How many times have I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you did not want to! Behold, your house is left empty"(Matthew 23:38). After the Crucifixion of the God-Man, the Vineyard passed into other hands: "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people bearing its fruits"(Matt. 21: 43).

What can we, the very people to whom the Kingdom of God have been handed over, learn from the holy Gospel lines describing the resurrection of Lazarus?

Vi. The Resurrection of Lazarus as a Edification for Christians

« God! that's who you love is sick"(John 11: 3).
Attitude towards the misfortunes of the righteous

How not to falter in faith, seeing the misfortunes of the righteous? How not to count those who are visited by sickness and sorrow, rejected by God Himself? Such questions have always been asked and will be asked to the end of the century. You just need to accept as a fact (including the gospel story) that those who please God often suffer and not go into more subtle reasoning. Here is what St. John Chrysostom writes in connection with the illness of Lazarus: “Many are tempted when they see some people who are pleasing to God in some kind of calamity, when they see, for example, that they have undergone illness, or poverty, or something like that; but they do not know that such sufferings are characteristic of those who are especially dear to God. So Lazarus was one of the friends of Christ, but he was sick, as it was said by those who sent: ‘ that's who you love is sick'(John 11: 3)'.

Several centuries after the fatal illness of Lazarus, he was tormented by similar questions. Venerable Anthony Great: “Lord! Why do some of people reach old age and a state of weakness, while others die in childhood and live a little? Why are some poor and others rich? Why tyrants and villains prosper and abound with all earthly blessings, while the righteous are oppressed by misfortunes and poverty? "

And he received an answer that can be addressed to all of us, those of little faith and doubting God's care for us: “Anthony! pay attention to yourself and do not subject your research to the fate of God, because it is soul-damaging "

« Jesus shed tears"(John 11:35).
The measure of Christian lamentation

We often see how inconsolable are Christians who have lost a loved one, as if they are not Christians who are burying them, as if there is no Kingdom of Heaven and there will be no general resurrection. It happens, on the contrary, that the death of loved ones does not touch the hardened human hearts.

Both of these behaviors are unnatural to human nature, as shown by the God-man, having wept over his friend, "offering us images of heartfelt love." The Monk Andrew of Crete, the creator of the quoted canon song, reveals its meaning in the "Conversation on the Four-Day Lazarus": "‘ Jesus burst into tears’. And thus he showed an example, an image and a measure of how we should weep for the dead. I shed tears, seeing the damage to our nature and the ugly appearance that death gives a person. " The same is true of St. Basil the Great: Christ "to some extent and limits concluded the necessary passionate movements, preventing non-compassion, because it is bestial, and not allowing one to indulge in sorrow and shed many tears, because it is cowardly."

« When he heard that [Lazarus] was sick,
I spent two days at the place where I was"(John 11: 6).
Humble behavior

The Almighty Lord postponed his coming to Bethany, not only so that Lazarus would die, be buried and begin to decay, but also so that “someone would not consider it indecent that He, according to the first rumor, was in a hurry to show a miracle”. Christ teaches us how carefully and dishonorably one should dispose of God's gifts: "Christ, Thy Divinity, giving Thy disciple an image, among the people you humbled yourself, though you must hide."

How unsafe it is to be proud of the gifts of grace received from God can be seen from the story described in the "Ancient Patericon" about a monk of high life, who publicly performed a certain miracle:

Abba Anthony heard about a young monk that he had performed such a miracle on the way: when he saw some elders who had traveled and were tired on the way, he ordered the wild donkeys to approach them and carry the elders on them until they reached Anthony. When the elders told Abba Anthony about this, he told them: "It seems to me that this monk is a ship full of blessings, but I do not know if he will enter the pier." After some time, Abba Anthony suddenly began to cry, pulling his hair and sobbing. The disciples asked him: "What are you crying about, Abba?" The elder answered them: "Now the great pillar of the Church has fallen!" He was talking about a young monk. "But go to him yourself," he continued, "and see what happened!" The disciples walk and find the monk sitting on a mat and mourning the sin he has committed. Seeing Anthony's disciples, the monk says to them: "Tell the elder to beg God to give me only ten days of life, and I hope to cleanse my sin and repent." But after five days he passed away.

Caiaphas, " being high priest that year,
predicted that Jesus would die for the people"(John 11: 51).
Respect for the priesthood

Caiaphas, who received the position of high priest for money and condemned the Lord to death, uttered a prophecy that signifies the very essence of the redemptive feat of Jesus Christ: “ it is better for us that one person should die for the people than that the whole nation should perish"(John 11:50). Why then did the Spirit speak through the mouth of the wicked? - Because, Chrysostom replies, Caiaphas, despite all his crimes and evil disposition, was legal bishop: “Having fully received the bishopric, although he was unworthy, he prophesied without understanding what he was saying. Grace used only his lips, but did not touch the unclean heart ... However, even at the same time, the Spirit was still inherent in them. Only when they raised their hands on Christ, He left them and passed on to the apostles. "

So the clergyman, no matter how badly he lived, is an instrument of the Spirit of God and the executor of His Sacraments until the priesthood was removed from him. That is why it is so terrible to fall into condemnation of priests, even if they lead an impious life, although this is often only an appearance, for, as St. Ignatius writes, "the dishonor inflicted on the ministers of the altar refers to the altar, to the God Who is present in it and worshiped."

Vii. The resurrection of Lazarus as an allegory for the healing of the soul

Lazarus, a four-day inhabitant of the gloomy land of the dead, is the image of our soul, dead by virtues and exuding the stench of sinful skills. Few of the Christians who read the holy lines about the resurrection of the four-day dead did not then sigh along with the monk hymnographer about their own rebellion and forgiveness of sins: “Thou didst raise Lazarus to the Divine Christ with the verb: Christ is four days old, raise me up, now dead, my sins, and was laid in a ditch, and darker than the shadow of the mortal, and as blessedly deliver and save me "," get me out of my passions, as before the four days of Thy friend Lazarus "," The dead man stinks, tied up , Master, you raised up, and I am not bound by the captives of sins, raise up singing "

The Monk Andrew of Crete sees in the resurrection of Lazarus the triumph of grace over the mortifying letter of the Law: “ But Jesus, again grieving inwardly, comes to the tomb. It was a cave - dark heart of the Jews and a stone lay on it - gross and cruel disbelief ... Jesus said, take away the stone. Severe - disobedience - roll off the stone to extract the dead from the letter of Scripture. Take away the stone- unbearable by the yoke of the Law, so that they could receive the life-giving Word of grace. Take away the stone- the covering and burdening mind. "

But all the Fathers generally attribute the allegorical meaning of the resurrection of Lazarus to the resurrection of our inner man... Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria writes about this most figuratively, vividly and fully: “Our mind is a friend of Christ, but is often conquered by the weakness of human nature, falls into sin and dies a spiritual death and most pitiful, but from Christ's side honored with pity, for the deceased is His friend ... Let the sisters and relatives of the dead mind - the flesh, like Martha (for Martha is more physical and material), and the soul, like Mary (for Mary is more devout and more reverent), come to Christ and fall before Him, leading after them the thoughts of confession, as those are the Jews. For Judas means confession. And the Lord, no doubt, will appear at the grave, the blindness lying in memory will command to take away, as it were, a stone of some kind, and will bring to memory future blessings and torments. And he will call with the great voice of the gospel trumpet: get out of the world, do not be buried in worldly amusements and passions; - like His disciples, He said: ' you are not from the world'(John 15:19), and the apostle Paul:' and we will go out to Him for mill'(Hebrews 13:13), that is, the world - and thus resurrect from sin the deceased, whose wounds smelled of malice. The deceased smelled because he was four days old, that is, he died for the four meek and bright virtues and was idle and immovable to them. However, although he was motionless and tied hand and foot, gripped by the bonds of his own sins and seemed completely inactive, although he was covered with a handkerchief over his face, so that when the flesh was applied he could not see anything divine, in short, he was in the worst position and “by activity”, which is indicated by hands and feet, and “by contemplation,” which is indicated by a covered face - so, although he is in such a distressful situation, he will hear: untie him good and salvation angels or priests and give him forgiveness sins, let him go and start doing good. "

What may the merciful Lord grant us!

Literature

• Bible. M .: Russian Bible Society. 2004.
• Lenten triode. In 2 hours. Moscow: Edition of the Moscow Patriarchate. 1992.
• John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople. Creations. SPb .: Publishing house. SPbDA, 1898. Vol. 1, part 2. Reprint.
• John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople. Creations. SPb .: Publishing house. SPbDA, 1902. T. 8, part 1. Reprint.
• Amphilochius of Iconium, saint. Word on the resurrection of Lazarus // http://www.portal-slovo.ru/theology/37620.php
• Basil the Great, saint. About the grief and tears of Jesus Christ before the resurrection of Lazarus. Cit. on: M. Interpretation // Sat. Art. on the interpretive and edifying reading of the Four Gospels, with a bibliographic index. SPb .: Synodal Printing House. 1893.Vol. 2.P. 300. Reprint.
• Ephraim Sirin, reverend. On the resurrection of Lazarus. Cit. on: M. Interpretation. S. 292-295.
• Andrew of Crete, reverend. Conversation on the Four-Day Lazarus // Christian Reading. 1826. XXII.
• Ignatiy Bryanchaninov, saint. Sermons // Sobr. op. in 7 volumes.M .: Blagovest, 2001.Vol. 4.
• Ignatiy Bryanchaninov, saint. Oteater // Collected. op. in 7 volumes.Vol. 6.
• Ancient patericon, set out in chapters. Moscow: Publishing house of the Athos Russian Panteleimon Monastery. 1891. Reprint.
• Euthymius Zigaben, monk. Interpretation of the Gospel of John, compiled according to the ancient Byzantine patristic interpretations of the 12th century. Kiev, 1887. T. 2. Reprint.
• Theophylact Bulgarian, blessed. Interpretation of the Gospel of John // Theophylact Bulgarian, blessed. Interpretation of the Four Gospels. M .: Sretensky monastery, 2000.Vol. 2.

In the same place. Song 7.

Andrew of Crete, reverend. Conversation on the Fourth Day of Lazarus. P. 5.

Theophylact Bulgarian, blissful. Interpretation of the Gospel of John. T. 2. Ch. 11, p. 197.