Replies

First of all, talking to Lazarus and praying for him are two different things. And the Bible does address the issue of Lazarus' salvation. It seems to me it's pretty clear that he already believed in Jesus. Martha said that she KNEW he would rise again at the last day - she seems pretty sure of her brother's salvation to me, and Jesus does not contradict her. In fact, in response, Jesus says to Martha - "he who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live," and that "he who believes in Me shall never die." Jesus is explaining to Martha that her brother has not died and will never die, therefore, it stands to reason that Lazarus is already a believer.

Martha said that she KNEW he would rise again at the last day

This was a widespread (and biblical) Jewish belief. According to the book of Daniel (Dan 12:2), "many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth" would "awake" to either "everlasting life" or else "shame and everlasting contempt." Martha also seemed to be rather slow on the uptake (such as when she bustled around with "much serving" while her sister sat and listened to Jesus) and crediting her with great insight into Christian theology is questionable. So whether Lazarus' resuscitation was a pre-believing or post-believing one (or whether Lazarus believed at all), I don't think we can make an ironclad case. It is apparently the exception to the rule as Hebrews states that it is appointed once for man to die, and then the judgment.