Lazarus

In the Christian tradition

Lazarus is the brother of Martha and Mary of Bethany whose raising from the dead in John 11 is the climactic sign in the Fourth Gospel, immediately preceding the Passion. Orthodox tradition commemorates Lazarus Saturday before Palm Sunday with particular weight; Catholic and Anglican tradition commemorates him on July 29 with Martha and Mary.

The raising of Lazarus in John 11 is the seventh and culminating sign in the Fourth Gospel, the act that prompts the Jewish leaders' decision to put Jesus to death (John 11:53). Christian tradition holds Lazarus as a figure of resurrection hope; Orthodox tradition observes Lazarus Saturday on the day before Palm Sunday as a major feast, with the troparion of the day proclaiming the raising as a confirmation of the universal resurrection. The name has been in use in Christian families, though less commonly than in the Jewish tradition where Eleazar (the fuller form) has been continuous.