John 11
In John 11, much of the chapter is dealing with the death of Lazarus. Many, including Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, wondered why the Lord Jesus could not have come sooner and prevented his death. However, Jesus had a much more important lesson to teach to them!
3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
John 11:3-4, King James Version
Being the creatures we are, it is not uncommon for us to question God's working in our lives. Why does He do the things He does, when He does? Sometimes it just does not make sense. If God can prevent bad things from happening, then why does He not do so?
That is exactly the question that Mary and Martha asked Jesus, when their brother, Lazarus, died. However, Jesus said, "This sickness i not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby."
In other words, God glorifies His Son through the experiences of life. When we see Him working on our behalf as we travel through the difficult times, our faith in Him increases--maybe not right away, but certainly in time!
The following ten devotions walk us through John 11, as we follow the story of the death and resurrection of Lazarus.
John 11:
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Lazarus, a close friend of the Lord Jesus Christ was sick. This is probably one of the more familiar passages from the Gospel of John. It is one of the key passages in which the Lord Jesus, though grieved by the unbelief of the people, admitted that the whole reason for the death of this dear friend was to affirm to the world that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. |
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Lazarus is dead. Jesus simple words stunned the disciples. If Jesus was able to heal people, why was He not able to keep His friend Lazarus from dying? |
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Mary said to Jesus, "I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee." Do we have this same assurance? |
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Martha said to Jesus, "Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." So many disbelieved, but Mary and Martha knew who Jesus really was! |
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The Master is Come! Lazarus was dead, and Jesus was late. Upon His arrival, Mary ran to her sister, Martha, and said, "Jesus, the Master, is here and is calling for you." How did Martha respond? Martha's response was immediate. Even though Jesus had not arrived before the death of her brother, she had faith and confidence in His ability to go to God on Lazarus' behalf! What a woman of faith! |
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Jesus wept. Could not this man who could heal the sick have prevented the death of Lazarus? That was the question being asked by many of the people, including Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus. Little did they realize that Jesus had a far greater purpose that just saving the life of their brother. Through this great miracle, He showed them that He was not just a mere man, but was truly God! |
Resurrection of Lazarus - Verses 39-44
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Resurrection of Lazarus! Can you imagine the amazement of the people when Jesus cried, "Lazarus, come forth!" |
All Will Believe - Verses 45-48
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All will believe. Can you imagine? That was what the Pharisees feared the most. Jesus did so many miracles, including the resurrection of Lazarus, that soon there would be no unbelievers left! |
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One should die! As the Jewish leaders met to discuss what should be done about this problem with Jesus, Caiaphas prophesied: "It is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people." Do you think he truly understood what he was saying? |
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Ephraim! Was Jesus avoiding the crowds because He was afraid? No! Jesus understood that His death would take place, but not until the proper time! Are we disturbed by sudden changes in our lives? We must remember that these changes come by the hands of our loving God, who is always watching over us! |
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