JESUS RAISES LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD

 John 11:28-44 / Keywords 11:36

 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

 

11:28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

32 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.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

35 Jesus wept.

36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “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.”

40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 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.”

43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 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.”

1. Jesus arrived 4 days too late. Lazarus was already dead and buried. When Jesus saw Mary and the others weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and wept. Jesus not only empathized with those around him, but he was also sad for the death of someone he loved. He was also sad that the power of death existed in this fallen world. But Jesus came and went to the tomb where Lazarus lay and raised him from the dead.

 

2. As Christians, we believe that death is not the end. Still, we cannot but feel sad, a sense of loss, and maybe even guilt. We pray hard that God will heal and strengthen our weak and failing bodies. When a loved one dies, we wonder why God wasn’t there or didn’t hear our pleas for help. Did we not have enough faith, or was God punishing us for that thing we did a while back?

 

3. Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you will see the glory of God?” While Jesus doesn’t ignore the reality of death, he demonstrates that there is resurrection and life after death. God’s love still reigns over us. If we believe, we can experience the power of resurrection and victory over the power of death. Love overcomes death.

 

Prayer Lord, we experience death, regret, and guilt. Pour out your love and mercy and give us new life.

One Word See how he loves you!