First Glance

A mummy rises from the dead and walks out of his tomb. The miracle worker who brought him back to life stands by, wand in hand, while a gathered crowd looks on in disbelief. No, this isn’t a scene from a recent horror film. Rather, it’s one of the most popular early Christian images: Jesus bringing Lazarus back to life appears on more than a hundred ancient sarcophagi and catacomb walls. What fueled the story’s popularity? In “The Raising of Lazarus,” Robin M. Jensen suggests that this eerie tale from John’s Gospel provides a link between Jesus’ miracles and his resurrection. For early Christians, Jensen notes, the Lazarus story contained a powerful promise of eternal life.

Jensen is assistant professor of church history at Andover Newton Theological School, in Newton Centre, Massachusetts. Her article “The Binding or Sacrifice of Isaac—How Jews and Christians See Differently,” BR 09:05 appeared in the October 1993 BR, and her “What Are Pagan River Gods Doing in Scenes of Jesus’ Baptism?” BR 09:01 appeared in our February 1993 issue.