John

Check out all the previous John readings here.

John Reading Plan | Week 7, Day 4

Prayer

Pause for a moment of quiet and calm. To be fully present in both body and mind, inhale deeply and exhale slowly. Repeat this three times. Ask God to grant you His wisdom today.

Bible Reading: John 11:17-37

Read these verses three times slowly.

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

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.” When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 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.

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.”

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

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

Jesus wept.

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

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

Reflection & Questions

Yesterday, we read how Lazarus had got sick and died, but Jesus told his disciples this story would “not end in death.” Today, we read of the scene in front of the tomb, and the way each character responds is fascinating. Martha has great faith and runs out to meet Jesus. Mary stays behind in her mourning, eventually gathering herself to talk to Him in her grief. Jesus, in a profound demonstration of God’s love and compassion, weeps before the tomb. And the Jews are full of doubt and questions.

But at the center of the story is Jesus’ conversation with Martha. What is amazing about it, is her faith in Jesus. She knows if Jesus had been there Lazarus would not have died. But she also knows this doesn’t have to be the end, “even now God will give you [Jesus] whatever you ask.” When Jesus tells her that Lazarus will rise, she agrees with a faith-filled recognition that it will happen “at the last day.”

It is in response to this that Jesus uses his fifth “I am” statement. “I am the resurrection and the life,” he says. This is a bold claim. Jesus is saying that the only hope for life beyond death is in Him. Martha, with her brother dead in the tomb, and Jesus, a man of flesh and blood standing before her, had plenty of reasons to reject Jesus’ claim. But instead she says, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” Martha’s faith is such a great example to all of us!

1. How does the fact that Jesus wept outside the tomb of Lazarus impact you?
2. if you are facing a tough situation right now, are you faith-filled like Martha or doubtful like the Jews? Why?

Prayer

Talk to God in response to today’s reading.

Worship Song

You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:

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Questions?