Scripture
The Raising of Lazarus
1A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 2This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair.[1] Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. 3So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”
4But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” 5So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, 6he stayed where he was for the next two days. 7Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.”
8But his disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people[2] in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?”
9Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. 10But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.” 11Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”
12The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” 13They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.
14So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.”
16Thomas, nicknamed the Twin,[3] said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.”
Translation notes (3)
- 11:2 This incident is recorded in chapter 12.
- 11:8 Greek Jewish people; also in 11:19, 31, 33, 36, 45, 54.
- 11:16 Greek Thomas, who was called Didymus.
So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling Him, "Lord, your dear friend is very sick." But when Jesus heard about it He said, "Lazarus's sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this."
With the difficulties you are currently facing, where have you have been turning to? Have you turned to other people, like friends or family members? Have you turned to social media? Have you turned to your own power, trying to solve whatever difficulty you are facing yourself? We all have different things we turn to in our pain, but the reality is, these things will never satisfy us or truly help us face the hardships in life. Today, in our Bible study, we are going to see that the only One we can turn to during our monsoons that will truly satisfy is Christ.
At the beginning of John 11, Jesus receives a message sent by His dear friends, Mary and Martha, that their brother, also a dear friend of Jesus, was very sick. After receiving this message, Jesus responded by saying, in verse 4, "Lazarus's sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this." Then, Jesus did something strange and confusing; He stayed where He was for two more days. Now, I don't know about you, but if you were to receive a message that someone you love was ill and you had the power to make them better, would you wait two more days before going to them? No! You would certainly do everything you could to see your loved-one, if at all possible. Yet Jesus waited for two more days. When the two days had passed, Jesus announced that Lazarus had died. Now, to the (not so) keen observer, it appears that Jesus was late getting to Lazarus, but throughout our study this week, we are going to see that He was right on time. He had something bigger in store for Lazarus than healing; His plans for Lazarus included resurrection. Mary and Martha turned to Him because they knew He was a healer. They knew He was much more than a man. They turned to the only person in this time with the power to heal and bring the dead to life.
In the monsoon you are currently facing, do you find yourself confused, wondering why you are having to face the hardships you are currently facing? Where are you turning? Are you turning to a person or thing to help ease your pain? My friend, look to God. Come to Him with your burdens and concerns. He is the only One capable of bringing about a resurrection.
Moving Toward Action
In your monsoon or trial that you are facing, you may be tempted to turn to another person or thing to help you face your pain. Let me encourage you to turn first to God. Take time to read your Bible, journal, and pray before turning anywhere else during the trial that you are currently facing. And remember, He is the One who controls the very waves that may feel like they are crashing over you today. You can trust Him.
Going Deeper
Read John 11:1-16 (NLT)
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