About a month before His own death and resurrection, Jesus visited Bethany and performed His third miracle of resurrection, raising Lazarus from the dead. This resurrection, the most extraordinary of all His great works while in the flesh, foreshadowed His own resurrection, made a profound impression in Jerusalem, and stirred the wrath of the Sanhedrin to decide to murder Him. After this miracle, He withdrew to the wilderness of Ephraim for private time with His disciples before the Passover and His final hours. Jesus often visited the friendly, peaceful, and loving home of Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus. With Lazarus' death imminent, the family experienced illness and grief, learning that the wisdom of godly love does not always shield its recipients from suffering, sorrow, and death. The sisters sent a simple message to Jesus, showing their faith in His ability to heal: Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick. Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in a personal way, appreciating their different personalities—Martha's resilience and energy, Mary's contemplative grace, and Lazarus' quiet, unassuming nature. When news of Lazarus' sickness reached Him, Jesus already knew healing was needed, yet He delayed His arrival, allowing the sickness to end in death. He assured His disciples that the sickness would not have death as its final result, as God permitted it for the furtherance of the Father's purpose and His glorification, as well as the glorification of Jesus Himself. The delay puzzled His friends, but the distressed sisters learned that God's delays are not denials, and unrelieved suffering can be necessary to perfect character. As Jesus left for Bethany, He described death softly to those around Him, saying, Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up, indicating its temporary nature. When His disciples misunderstood, thinking He meant natural sleep, Jesus clarified plainly, Lazarus is dead. Through this miracle, He demonstrated power over life and death, using Lazarus' death to glorify God and identify Himself as the Messiah.