Journey to Pascha Series - Lesson #22: Lazarus Saturday: The Theological and Eschatological Significance

 

Lazarus Saturday, celebrated on the day before Palm Sunday, holds a unique and profound place in the Eastern Orthodox liturgical tradition. It serves as the bridge between Great Lent and Holy Week, marking the transition from the ascetic struggle of repentance to the beginning of Christ’s Passion and ultimate victory over death. The resurrection of Lazarus of Bethany, after four days in the tomb, is more than just a miracle—it is a prefiguration of Christ’s own Resurrection and a revelation of His divine power over death.

Theologically, Lazarus Saturday affirms Christ’s dual nature as both fully God and fully man, demonstrating His human compassion in weeping for His friend while also revealing His divine authority in raising him from the dead. Eschatologically, it points to the universal resurrection of the dead, confirming the promise that all who believe in Christ will one day rise to eternal life.

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I. The Theological Significance of Lazarus Saturday

1. Christ as the Lord of Life and Death

The raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-44) is the most dramatic of Christ’s miracles in the Gospels, explicitly revealing Him as the Conqueror of Death.

• Before performing the miracle, Christ declares:
  "I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live" (John 11:25).

• This statement is a direct revelation of His divine identity—He is not only able to raise the dead but He Himself is the source of life.

• This miracle foreshadows His own Resurrection, showing that His death will not be the end, but rather the defeat of death itself.

2. The Confirmation of Christ’s Two Natures

• In His humanity, Christ weeps for His friend, demonstrating that He shares in human suffering.

• In His divinity, Christ commands Lazarus to rise, showing that He has absolute power over life and death.

• This event solidifies the Christological teaching of the Church—Jesus is both fully God and fully man.

3. The Culmination of Christ’s Public Miracles

• The raising of Lazarus is the seventh and final sign in the Gospel of John before Christ’s Passion.

• It serves as the decisive event that leads the Jewish authorities to seek Christ’s death (John 11:47-53).

• In this way, the miracle directly sets into motion the events of Holy Week, leading to the Cross and Resurrection.

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II. The Eschatological Significance of Lazarus Saturday

1. A Prefiguration of the General Resurrection

• The raising of Lazarus is not just a historical event but a prophetic sign pointing to the future:

• Just as Christ called Lazarus from the tomb, so too will He call all the dead to rise at the Last Judgment.

• "The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth" (John 5:28-29).

• Lazarus, however, was raised back to mortal life and would eventually die again.

• Christ’s Resurrection, by contrast, is a new kind of life—immortal, glorified, and eternal, which He promises to all believers.

2. The Defeat of Death and the Harrowing of Hades

• The resurrection of Lazarus foreshadows Christ’s descent into Hades after His Crucifixion.

• Just as Christ called Lazarus from the tomb, so too will He call forth Adam, Eve, and all the righteous from the realm of the dead on Holy Saturday.

• This is why in Orthodox iconography, Christ’s Harrowing of Hades is often depicted in the same way as the raising of Lazarus, emphasizing that Christ rescues humanity from death.

3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God

• The raising of Lazarus is a manifestation of Christ’s divine power, proclaiming that the Kingdom of God has broken into the world.

• It assures believers that physical death is not the end, but that eternal life with Christ awaits.

• As St. John Chrysostom writes:
  "The miracle of Lazarus is a pledge of the resurrection to come, assuring us that He who raised Lazarus will also raise us in glory."

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III. The Liturgical Themes of Lazarus Saturday

1. The Gospel Reading: John 11:1-45

• The entire chapter of John 11 is read at the Divine Liturgy, recounting the resurrection of Lazarus.

• This Gospel reading is unique in Orthodox tradition because it is the only Saturday outside of Holy Saturday where a resurrection account is read at Liturgy.

• This signals that Holy Week is beginning, as Christ moves toward Jerusalem for His Passion.

2. Hymns of the Day

• The Troparion of the Feast proclaims the victory over death:
  "By raising Lazarus from the dead before Thy Passion, Thou didst confirm the universal resurrection, O Christ God!"

• The hymns emphasize that Lazarus’ resurrection is a foretaste of our own resurrection at the end of time.

3. The Use of Joyful Resurrectional Tones

• Unlike the somber tones of Great Lent, the hymns of Lazarus Saturday change to a tone of joy.

This reflects the transition from penitence to the coming triumph of Christ over death.