Why Don't the Synoptic Gospels Mention the Raising of Lazarus?

[RedFan]

John 11 recounts the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. As Jesus's miracles go, this one was a BIggie! John tells us that it was the real impetus for Jewish defections to the Jesus camp, for according to John 12:11 “it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.” Easy to see why!

But it is hard to see why Matthew, Mark and Luke never mention this miracle. Particularly Luke, who claims to have "carefully investigated everything" (Luke 1:3), and claims in Acts 1:1 that his gospel “wrote about all (Gk. pantōn) that Jesus did and taught from the beginning, until the day he was taken up to heaven.” How could Luke have missed this one? I don't mean to pick on Luke. How could ANY of the Synoptics have left this miracle out of their gospels? They picked up bringing Jairus’ daughter back to life (Matthew 9:23-26, Mark 5:35-43, Luke 8:40-56), but not Lazarus. Does it make sense that all three didn't deem the Lazarus raising important enough to mention (if they knew of it)?

 

[PGS11]

Because you reading 4 different accounts of the Gospel it actually makes it more authentic because they are different people if all 4 were the same I would suspect copying.As a example John is missing many thing the other Gospels have he wrote his Gospel on the divinity of Christ which is the theme of his Gospel.Mark and Luke were not there and Marks Gospel is considered incomplete so it leaves Matthew and John as the true eye witnesses.

 

[Deborah_]

If you have more material then will comfortably fit onto a scroll... how do you decide what to put in and what to leave out?

in the end, whatever choices you make, some people are bound to disagree with them.

Consider also: Luke was a very careful historian - he may, for example, have decided to exclude many of Jesus' miracles if he had been able to interview only one witness.

 

[Taken]

John 11 recounts the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. As Jesus's miracles go, this one was a BIggie! John tells us that it was the real impetus for Jewish defections to the Jesus camp, for according to John 12:11 “it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.” Easy to see why!

But it is hard to see why Matthew, Mark and Luke never mention this miracle. Particularly Luke, who claims to have "carefully investigated everything" (Luke 1:3), and claims in Acts 1:1 that his gospel “wrote about all (Gk. pantōn) that Jesus did and taught from the beginning, until the day he was taken up to heaven.” How could Luke have missed this one? I don't mean to pick on Luke. How could ANY of the Synoptics have left this miracle out of their gospels? They picked up bringing Jairus’ daughter back to life (Matthew 9:23-26, Mark 5:35-43, Luke 8:40-56), but not Lazarus. Does it make sense that all three didn't deem the Lazarus raising important enough to mention (if they knew of it)?

Wrote of “all” is subjective…

Actually Scripture reveals…”all inclusive” what Jesus said and did was NOT written.

John 21:
And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.


Glory to God,
Taken

 

[Lambano]

@RedFan, is this a back-door way of introducing the so-called Secret Gospel of Mark?

For those who've never heard of it, back in the 1860s, an archaeologist found in Mar Saba what was purported to be a letter from the Early Church Father Clement of Alexandria stating that he had seen a version of Mark's gospel that contained the story of Jesus raising some dude at Bethany from the dead, presumably Lazarus.

"And they came into Bethany and a certain woman whose brother had died was there. And, coming, she knelt down before Jesus and said to him, 'Son of David, have mercy on me'. But the disciples rebuked her. And Jesus got angry with them and went off with her into the garden where the tomb was. Right away there was a loud cry from inside the tomb. Then Jesus rolled away the stone from in front of the tomb. He went in where the youth was and stretched forth his hand and raised him up. The youth, looking upon him, loved him and began to beg him to be with him. Then they left the tomb and went to the young man's house, for he was rich."

The Mar Saba letter has since been lost, but there is a photograph of it.

If you read the rest of the letter (assuming it is authentic), you can see why the youth (who we find shared the same weird dressing habits as the "certain young man" in Mark 14:51-52 and may well be the same person) would have been an embarrassment to the early church. This would explain why the account was redacted from canonical Mark. The manuscript evidence indicates that Mark has gone through other editing. Multiple versions exist with different endings describing what happened after Mark 16:8. Since Matthew and Luke make extensive use of Mark, the authors may not have even had the version containing the story.

 

[Behold]

But it is hard to see why Matthew, Mark and Luke never mention this miracle.

Have you ever read the 4 Gospels?
Then you would know, right?? that each account has it own situations, and not everything that is contained in one Gospel account, is always found in the other 3.

Why is that?

Its because when 4 people see the same event, and are asked to describe it,.. each has THEIR account, and that is what make EACH Story, unique to the individual EYEwitness.
And so it is with the 4 Gospels.

 

[RedFan]

Have you ever read the 4 Gospels?

Almost daily.

 

[Behold]

Almost daily.

Ok, great............ now, read these daily., and watch what happens to you.

Romand 3:21-28

Hebrews 13:9

2 Corinthians 5:19

Romans 4:8

2 Corinthians 5:21

 

[RedFan]

Ok, great............ now, read these daily., and watch what happens to you.

Romand 3:21-28

Hebrews 13:9

2 Corinthians 5:19

Romans 4:8

2 Corinthians 5:21

Done. No change . . .

 

[RedFan]

Its because when 4 people see the same event, and are asked to describe it,.. each has THEIR account, and that is what make EACH Story, unique to the individual EYEwitness.
And so it is with the 4 Gospels.

But for all that appears, only John saw THIS event. So your analysis, while astute, doesn't apply to the raising of Lazarus.

 

[LoveYeshua]

Ok, great............ now, read these daily., and watch what happens to you.

Romand 3:21-28

Hebrews 13:9

2 Corinthians 5:19

Romans 4:8

2 Corinthians 5:21

and what would that be?

 

[Behold]

Done. No change . . .

Read them every day, as you said you "read the Gospel's every day".

You'll see the change, after some time.

Why, ? Its because those verses will lead you to do what Hebrew's 13:9 told you to do.

 

[LoveYeshua]

Behold ,why use a verse to accuse me of following false doctrine when I follow the master and the only way to eternal life, Jesus the son of GOD one with GOD. Did you forger his words?

John 14:6;
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

if only you would remember Hebrew 13:8
"Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."

and;

John 1:1 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

The Lord never changes, please remember this.

Peace

 

[GodsGrace]

John 11 recounts the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. As Jesus's miracles go, this one was a BIggie! John tells us that it was the real impetus for Jewish defections to the Jesus camp, for according to John 12:11 “it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.” Easy to see why!

But it is hard to see why Matthew, Mark and Luke never mention this miracle. Particularly Luke, who claims to have "carefully investigated everything" (Luke 1:3), and claims in Acts 1:1 that his gospel “wrote about all (Gk. pantōn) that Jesus did and taught from the beginning, until the day he was taken up to heaven.” How could Luke have missed this one? I don't mean to pick on Luke. How could ANY of the Synoptics have left this miracle out of their gospels? They picked up bringing Jairus’ daughter back to life (Matthew 9:23-26, Mark 5:35-43, Luke 8:40-56), but not Lazarus. Does it make sense that all three didn't deem the Lazarus raising important enough to mention (if they knew of it)?

This is interesting.
I'll tell you what I remember learning from many years ago.
It has something to do with Jesus being the Resurrection...which is what He stated
John 11:25-26
25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
26and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.

Jesus apparently wanted to show how HE was the Resurrection by dramatically resurrecting someone that had been dead for days.
Jesus is the Life....

In John 11:4 Jesus says that "the illness is not unto death" but it's "for the glory of God" so that "the Son of Man may be glorified".

This seems obvious so apparently you might have something in mind already.

Also, the question arose as to WHY Jesus waited till Lazarus was dead. It reads as though He did this with intent...only for the above reason?

PS
It's in John's gospel because He's the writer that wrote to show how Jesus is God.
The other writers had different reasons....but this also is too obvious.

 

[Rockerduck]

John was meticulous in writing his gospel to show the deity of Christ. John's gospel is on the level of the book of Daniel and John wrote Revelation about the same time. It is simple for the new Christian and very deep in meaning for scholars. I spent a year and 6 months with a bible study group on the book of John. There are no parables in John's gospel. Every allegory has at least 5 levels of meaning. He was very close to Jesus to single out 7 miracles, 7 "I am"s, 7 signs.

 

[RedFan]

Read them every day, as you said you "read the Gospel's every day".

You'll see the change, after some time.

Why, ? Its because those verses will lead you to do what Hebrew's 13:9 told you to do.

It's been a few weeks of daily reading now. Still no change . . .