Tag: Lazarus

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, She, Volume 1

Martha, Part 2

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Adapted from the study ‘She, volume 1, p 31-32

Read: John 11:1-24

5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again

2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.

John 11:5, 20-23, and 12:2

As both Scripture and our study guide point out, Martha “had a history of being moved to action by her love for Jesus.” We see this truth in action after Lazarus dies, and Martha hears that Jesus is coming – she immediately goes to meet Him. It is unclear if she even told Mary that He was coming or that she was going out to meet Him. The fact that Mary remained sitting in the house leads one to believe that she may not have known.

 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

John 11:21

While Martha’s statement to Jesus can be seen as an accusation, it is also possible and even probable that it was simply a statement of sorrow, coupled with Martha’s strong faith that, had Jesus been there, the outcome could have been different. One commentary explains it like this: In full context, her meaning is something like, “this is not how I hoped things would be.” Which was followed by her next statement: “But I know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.“1 Can you imagine her delight when, after seeing/hearing her faith, Jesus responded: “Your brother shall rise again.”

So then, dear brothers and sisters, be firm. Do not be moved! Always be outstanding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:58
Reflection/Application
  • What example(s) does Martha set for us in today’s passage?
  • What could you be doing while you wait for His return?
The More We Know

It is worth noting this piece of trivia from the study guide: “The last time Martha is mentioned she served supper.” – “There they made Him a supper, and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with Him.” John 12:2

  1. Bibleref.com ↩︎

Posted in Bible study, Devotion, From the Beginning to Forever, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study

Faith Is The Victory

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based on the Love God Greatly Study, From the Beginning to Forever/w5d3

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies, and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11:25-26 NET or NKJV

Today’s journey is best understood with a little bit of backstory for the context of Jesus’ statement. He didn’t just walk up to her and declare that He was the resurrection and the life; rather, He replied to her statement in the conversation they were having.

17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days already. 18 (Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 so many of the Jewish people of the region had come to Martha and Mary to console them over the loss of their brother.) 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will grant you.”

23 Jesus replied, “Your brother will come back to life again.” 24 Martha said, “I know that he will come back to life again in the resurrection at the last day.”

John 11:17-24

Friends, even though Lazarus was physically dead and buried for four days, Jesus was able to call Him out of the grave. When I read this, I can not help but remember, similarly, we were spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins, but God sent His Son to seek and save the lost, proclaiming the message: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” … and inviting the lost to believe in Him and be saved. Consider the sweetness of these truths. Whether our need is a physical one or a spiritual one, Jesus alone is ready and able to meet the need. As we see with Martha and Mary, faith is the key to victory. He calls us out of our sentence of death to a new life – not by works, or looks, or position in life – but by faith alone in Christ alone.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” 

– Galatians 2:20

As I read the words of Jesus to Martha and heard Him call Lazarus out of the grave, I couldn’t help but think of Paul’s words in Galatians 2:20. They are some of my favorite in all of Scripture, and through the years they have become my own declaration: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” There is powerful beauty in these words, and they bring me peace and strength. That same power and beauty echo in the words Jesus spoke to Martha, when He declared,” I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies” (Jn 11:25-26), and to Lazarus when He called him to come out of that grave. Friends, may we never forget that we were condemned sinners, we needed to be rescued, and God sent us a Savior, who not only rescued us from our deserved fate, but gave us new life and a relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

As today’s journal entry reminds us, whether it was a miracle of healing the sick, bringing sight to the blind, feeding thousands with food meant for one, or raising the dead to life – it is through these miracles that we are able to see that Jesus truly is the Son of God.1

You may be walking through a season where you feel forgotten or that God is not able to do the impossible. Whether it’s an illness, healing broken relationships, or providing means, never forget that God is more than able to help. Nothing is impossible for Him.2 ~Do you believe this?

  1. From the Beginning to Forever, p155 ↩︎
  2. From the Beginning to Forever, p155 ↩︎
Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study
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Lazarus Come Out

Today’s Reading: John 11:1-44

25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. 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.” 

John 11:25-27
I AM

Our passage today introduces the fifth of Jesus’ “I Am” Statements when He tells Martha: I Am the resurrection and the life. He went on to explain that “The one who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and the one who lives and believes in Me will never die.” I love that when asked, Martha affirms her belief by addressing Jesus as “Lord” and making a clear statement of exactly who Jesus is and where He has come from.

Jesus Wept

They were having this conversation because Martha’s brother, Lazarus, had been sick and died. Lazarus was Jesus’ friend and it is clear as the story unfolds just how special Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, were to Jesus. Not only do we read how He was greatly distressed at their grief and even wept. Yet, even in His weeping there was division, for while some saw it as a testimony of His deep love for Lazarus others viewed it as a lack of action on Jesus’ part and once again His power and character were brought into question. When He heard them raise the question, “Couldn’t He have done something to keep Lazarus from dying?” the Scripture says He was intensely moved again.

At the Tomb

Being intensely moved – Jesus went to the tomb and said, “Take away the stone.” – Then looking upward, He thanked the Father for listening to Him and expressed His desire for the people that were watching to believe that God had sent Him – and then – “Jesus shouted in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” – and Lazarus came out and at Jesus’ command he was unwrapped from the burial clothes and let go. Ah, the power of our God and of our Savior.

God’s Glory

Just as Jesus had said, in the beginning of this story (John 11: 1-15), Lazarus’ sickness led not to His death but to God’s glory. Surely the Son of God was glorified through it as the people watched in wonder, not only the incredible evidence of Mary and Martha’s real and present pain in their loss but also the faith that they exhibited, and of course the resurrection and the life of Lazarus by the One who had declared Himself to be – “The Resurrection and the Life.”

So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, look, the one you love is sick.” When Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness will not lead to death but to God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

John 11:3-4
Some Helpful Behind the Scene Commentary
Chapter Summary
Jesus has left the vicinity of Jerusalem to avoid hostile religious leaders. While gone, He receives word that a good friend, Lazarus, is sick. In fact, Lazarus has died by the time this message reaches Jesus. He purposefully waits a few days before returning to Bethany, arriving four days after Lazarus' burial. In front of Lazarus' mourning sisters—who Jesus weeps with—and an assembled crowd, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead in a stirring and spectacular miracle. This is the seventh of John's seven ''signs'' of Jesus' divine power. In response, religious leaders coordinate in their effort to have Jesus murdered.   BibleRef.com @ John chapter 11