In The Word
Read: John 11:1-27
The Death and Resurrection of Lazarus
11 Now a certain man was sick: Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 And it was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”4 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not meant for death, but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” 5 (Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister, and Lazarus.) 6 So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.7 Then after this He *said to the disciples, “Let’s go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples *said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and yet You are going there again?” 9 Jesus replied, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks during the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”11 This He said, and after this He *said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going so that I may awaken him from sleep.” 12 The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will come out of it.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about actual sleep. 14 So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus died, 15 and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let’s go to him.”16 Therefore Thomas, who was called Didymus, said to hisfellow disciples, “Let’s also go, so that we may die with Him!”
17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away; 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them about their brother.20 So then Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” 23 Jesus *said to her, “Your brother will rise from the dead.” 24 Martha *said to Him, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.”25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have come to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, and He who comes into the world.”
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Lazarus, Mary, and Martha were more than just part of the crowd that listened to Yahshua; they were His friends. Mary anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her tears. She did so because of what God had done in her life through forgiveness. This may have been when the relationship with the family began. Scripture does not say, but it would make sense if it were. This family also understood Yahshua to be the Christ, the Son of God. Notice that even though they were good friends (Yahshua would stay at their home when He was in town), Lazarus was not an apostle, and his sisters did not follow Christ around on His journeys.
Yahshua, was not welcome by many in that region. The people had sought to stone Him not long before this encounter. The disciples did not want Him to go. Yahshua was willing to walk into danger for His friends knowing that the Father would protect Him because it was not yet His time to die. He was under divine protection because He waited for divine timing (He waited two days before going to Lazarus).
Not everyone God has touched and forgiven is called to leave their homes. God has a purpose for them right where they live. Your life may not be like your pastor’s life or like the lives of missionaries you have read about, but it is just as important. Be in the will of God for your life. Walk in divine timing and you will live under divine protection.