The story of the raising of Lazarus is told in the gospel of John 11:1–44. Lazarus was the brother of Martha and Mary Magdalene who was miraculously raised from the dead by Jesus. In this painting, the scene shows the moment the stone is rolled away from the tomb and Lazarus is commanded by Jesus to "come forth". In John's gospel, Lazarus walks out of the tomb by himself, but in this representation he is lifted, still in a deathlike swoon, by three men. The figure of Christ in a red robe leans towards the naked Lazarus and gestures with both hands for him to rise up. Martha, her hands clasped together in prayer, kneels at Jesus' left. Mary Magdalene, cloaked in red, kneels beside the tomb in the foreground on the right.