John 11:1-44
"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.'"
(John 11:25)
This year marks the tenth anniversary of my mother's passing. In the final years of her life, Mom became a committed follower of Jesus. Through all the ups and downs of cancer, her trust in Him only grew. In the Lord's good providence and timing, He took her home.
At another time of great loss centuries earlier, Jesus' words to Martha here in John 11 come as she and Mary mourn the death of their beloved brother Lazarus. He was Jesus' personal friend, too. What the Lord said to Martha was both fact and promise, cause and effect even. Because He is "the resurrection and the life" death has become irrelevant. These are words of hope to those who've seen a loved one die.
In Christ, death is defeated. It holds sway over this world, but it no longer has power over anyone who has repented of their sins, believed the Gospel, and received life from Jesus. I remember saying at the time that Mom did not lose her battle with cancer. Actually, she won. Such is the hope, the comfort, and joy we have through Jesus.
INSIGHT
"PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD IS THE DEATH OF HIS SAINTS."
(PSALM 116:15)
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Isaiah 23-24
Psalm 82
Acts 2
John 11:1-44
New Living Translation (NLT)
The Raising of Lazarus
11 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 2 This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair.[a] Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. 3 So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”
4 But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” 5 So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, 6 he stayed where he was for the next two days. 7 Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”
8 But his disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people[b] in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?”
9 Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. 10 But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.” 11 Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”
12 The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” 13 They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.
14 So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.”
16 Thomas, nicknamed the Twin,[c] said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.”
17 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 18 Bethany was only a few miles[d] down the road from Jerusalem, 19 and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”
25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[e] Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” 28 Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.” 29 So Mary immediately went to him.
30 Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. 31 When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there. 32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him,[f] and he was deeply troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them.
They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Then Jesus wept. 36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” 37 But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”
38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. 39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.
But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”
40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”
Footnotes:
a. John 11:2 This incident is recorded in chapter 12.
b. John 11:8 Greek Jewish people; also in 11:19, 31, 33, 36, 45, 54.
c. John 11:16 Greek Thomas, who was called Didymus.
d. John 11:18 Greek was about 15 stadia [about 2.8 kilometers].
e. John 11:25 Some manuscripts do not include and the life.
f. John 11:33 Or he was angry in his spirit.
CAN A MORMON BE A CHRISTIAN [PART 5]
Who is the real Jesus? What is the difference between the Jesus of the LDS Church and the Jesus of historic Christianity? To know the answer you must first discover the true Jesus of the Bible.
No comments:
Post a Comment