Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and
her sister Martha. So the sisters sent
word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
Jesus said to his disciples, “Lazarus is dead. But
let us go to him.”
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?”
Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It
was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.
“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.”
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory
of God?”
So they took away the stone.
Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you
have heard me. 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.”
When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
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.”
Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit
Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. (John 11:1-45)
Friends, Jesus is alive even
today and forever. He still raised the dead and heals sicks and will do forever.
Call on Him now, He will
answer you.
Write ‘Amen’ if you call on
Him. May Jesus help you in every way.
