John 11:1-16 and 38-44 ESV
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead for four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
HEAR:
Use this time to listen to the Holy Spirit and pray. Specifically think about:
In what ways are you like Mary, failing to believe that Jesus will redeem and ressurect (v.40)? Repent that you have failed to believe that God will show up.
Jesus wept (v.35). It hurts Jesus to see us in pain and suffering. Invite Him into your sufferings and ask the Spirit to show what you need to release control of.
Jesus performed this miracle and raised Lazarus from the dead (v.43). We too were also dead in our sins but because of Jesus’s death, we have been raised to the newness of life (Rom. 6:11). Reflect on life before you knew Jesus and after you accepted Him.
RESPOND:
Use this time to respond to God:
Jesus lifted His eyes up and thanked God before He raised Lazarus (v.41). Take a moment before asking anything of God and praise Him. Thank Him that He hears us (vv.41-42).
Ask Jesus to not let us be blinded by the pain and suffering of those around us (v.33). Ask the Spirit for guidance and wisdom as we walk through suffering with one another.
Pray for those in your life who need to be unbound. Pray that they would be redeemed and resurrected by Christ (v.44).
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