Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were siblings who lived in a village named Bethany, not far from Jerusalem. It appears, from the fact that Jesus was invited into Martha’s home that Mary and Lazarus lived with her. Had she never been married? Was she married? Was she a widow? We do not really know. The feast in which Mary anointed the Lord’s feet was said to be in the home of Simon the Leper (Mark 13:2), and from this some conclude that Simon was the husband of Martha. Again, we do not know. What we do know is that although all three of these siblings were at that feast (Martha served, Mary anointed Jesus’ feet, and Lazarus was a guest at the feast), there is no specific reference that the feast was held in the house of Martha.

The trio were close friends of Jesus. After Jesus had spoken about the good shepherd, the rulers again wanted to stone Him but He eluded their efforts. With His disciples, He retired “beyond Jordan” where John had first baptized and found a more receptive audience than He had found among the rulers in Jerusalem. John 10:42 says, “Many believed on him there.”

Lazarus fell gravely ill and his sisters sent Jesus word of his illness saying, “Lord, he who thou lovest is sick” (John 11:3). Jesus waited two more days and then told His disciples, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified” (v. 4). But Lazarus did die and Jesus told His disciples they were returning to Judaea. The disciples were fearful: “Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?” (v. 8). Then Jesus said, “Our friend Lazarus is fallen asleep; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep” (v. 11). To this the disciples responded, “If he is asleep, he will recover.” Jesus then plainly said, “Lazarus is dead” (v. 14). The disciples misunderstood Jesus’ word. They did not understand that Lazarus was dead when Jesus said of him, “Lazarus has fallen asleep.”

The word “sleep” as a reference to death was rarely used prior to this incident. There is no record in the Old Testament of the death of a saint being so described. Jesus had used it before in His raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead. When He entered Jarius’ house and heard the wailing and crying there, He said, “She is not dead but sleepeth” (Matthew 9:24). Again, Matthew recorded that after the resurrection of Jesus, many saints that were asleep were raised (Matthew 27:53). There is no record that the expression had been used before Jesus used it, whether He was the first to so use the expression we do not know. But it is a beautiful expression and a comforting one to a Christian.

After Jesus returned to heaven the expression was used (although seldom) by disciples of Jesus. When Luke recorded that when Stephen was martyred, he said, “And when he had said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:60). Both Paul and Peter used the expression: Peter once (2 Peter 3:4) and Paul used it in four passages. The most familiar verse from Paul is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14: “We would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” He concluded his exhortation to these brethren by writing, “Then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18).

The use of the word “sleep” to describe the death of a Christian is comforting. We know that although a person may sleep, he will rouse and communicate with us again. The Lord tells us that even so Christians who die will awaken and will communicate again; albeit with an immortal body.

It has been said that the expression “fall asleep” is always used of a Christian. I do not think that can be said with certainty. Peter spoke of some scoffers who said that “from the day that the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they did from the creation” (2 Peter 3:4). The “fathers” might refer to Christians but it is often used to describe our ancestors, whether they be Christians or not. So while we know that sometimes the expression “fall asleep” is a reference to a Christian, we know that Stephen was a Christian (Acts 7:60) and some Thessalonian Christians had “fallen asleep.” Of course, we know certainly that when it records that one “fell asleep in Christ,” that person was a Christian. John wrote, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth. Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; for their works follow with them” (Revelation 14:13).

An uninspired poet, Margaret MacKay, wrote, “Asleep in Jesus! Blessed sleep. From which none ever wakes to weep! A calm and undisturbed repose, unbroken by the last of foes. Asleep in Jesus! O how sweet to be for such a slumber meet! With holy confidence to sing, that death hath lost its venomed sting. Asleep in Jesus! Peaceful rest. Whose waking is supremely blest! No fear, no woe, shall dim that hour, that manifests the Savior’s pow’r.”

Jim McDonald