John 11: 25, 32-44
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who has come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord, they replied.”
Jesus wept.
Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
When Jesus had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out! The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
A Thought
When Jesus received the message that his friend Lazarus was sick, Jesus intentionality waited until he was dead. He and his disciples arrived to find Lazarus had been dead in the tomb for four days. Jesus told his sister Martha that Lazarus would rise again. Jesus stated that he is the resurrection and the life and if we believe and live in him we will never die, even if we do die. Then Jesus asks does she believe? Martha replies, “Yes, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God.” What this is speaking to me is that Jesus gave his life for all who will believe so we will gain eternal life in him, and we will be resurrected to live with Him forever and ever. In today’s scripture John continues by telling what love and compassion Jesus had for Lazarus and his family. Jesus prays before everyone and calls Lazarus to come forth. This was done for the benefit of those present then and also for us today, that we all might believe that Jesus was the Son of God and that God sent him. Lazarus came out just as Jesus commanded. Thanks be to God. Do you believe?
Our Prayer
Father thank you that even if our bodies die, we who believe in Jesus Christ, will be resurrected with a new body to live forever with you. Thank you for your word that builds our faith to trust and obey you with our lives. Thank you that you are at work to bring about our dependance on you. Yes, Lord I believe; help my unbelief in Jesus name, amen.
