On Lazarus Saturday, we commemorate the event that took place shortly before the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ — the resurrection of the righteous Lazarus, the friend of Christ. This day is one of the most radiant foreshadowings of Pascha, a revelation of life’s triumph over death, a sign of God’s love for mankind.

The Lord Who Is Moved by Compassion for Man

The Gospel tells us that Christ loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus (John 11:5). He comes to them not merely as a Teacher, but as a Friend who shares in their grief. The Lord does not remain unmoved by human sorrow; He Himself weeps at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35). Saint Theophylact of Bulgaria observes:

“He wept not out of weakness, but out of love, showing that even God can be compassionate.”

We too weep when we lose those dear to us. But in these tears of Jesus, there is comfort: God has not turned away from our sorrow, but has entered into it in its fullness. He does not merely bestow life — He Himself is Life (John 11:25).

Christ raises Lazarus, who had lain four days in the tomb and whose body had already begun to decay. It is this that renders the miracle undeniable even for the sceptics. Saint John Chrysostom says:

    “Christ performed the miracle when Lazarus was already stinking, so that no one could claim it was merely a healing.”

This resurrection is not simply a return to life, but a sign of Christ’s dominion over death and corruption, a prophetic image of the resurrection of all the dead.

An Image of Spiritual Resurrection

Saint Gregory Palamas teaches:

    “Lazarus is a prototype of the soul dead to God. Yet even such a soul can be raised by Christ if it hears His voice.”

Many of the Holy Fathers saw in Lazarus an image of the soul dead in sin and immersed in the decay of passions. Christ calls out, “Lazarus, come forth!” — and the dead man rises. Likewise, every soul that turns to God, through the word of repentance, may arise from spiritual death.

Lazarus Saturday is a day of hope: there is no depth of fall from which Christ cannot raise a person. The four-day deathly state signifies unbelief, despair, and bondage to sin — yet the power of Christ surpasses every death.

A Foretaste of Pascha and the Passion

The resurrection of Lazarus is not the only miracle the Lord performed. We also remember the daughter of Jairus and the son of the widow of Nain. But only Lazarus had been dead for four days. This underscores that there is no limit to God’s power, no darkness into which Christ will not descend for love of mankind.

Saint Theophan the Recluse writes:

“Christ raised Lazarus to strengthen the disciples and us in faith, that in His own death He would conquer death. Yet the fullness of resurrection shall come at the Second Coming.”

This miracle became a turning point: after it, the Jewish leaders resolved to kill Jesus — and, as the Gospel says, also Lazarus, “because of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus” (John 12:10). Light provokes the fury of darkness. Yet through the wrath of His enemies, the Lord proceeds to His Sacrifice, to His crucified triumph over death.

A Call to Each of Us

The meaning of Lazarus Saturday for each of us is that Christ calls us by name, as He called Lazarus, and summons us to come forth from the tombs of our sins, passions, despondency, and indifference. Yet like Lazarus, we may be bound with “grave clothes” — that is, attachments to the earthly and the vain. Christ says, “Unbind him” — and so we are in need of the Church’s help: Her Sacraments, Her spiritual guidance.

The resurrection of Lazarus is not only a testimony to the power of Christ but a lesson for every Christian. It reminds us that no death, whether of body or soul, can hold fast the one whom the Lord calls. Death is not the end, but a passage.

In these holy days, the Church calls us to repentance and to reflection on eternal life. It is vital not to waste time in vanity, but to fill it with prayer, contemplation of God, works of mercy, and participation in the divine services.

    “Glory be to Thee, O Christ God, Who didst raise Lazarus, granting to all the assurance of the universal resurrection!”