Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John record many miracles that were performed by Jesus. These gospels have just a small fraction of what and who Jesus healed and touched before his earthly death. Still today, we can hear, see, and feel Jesus’s hand in our miracles and the miracles of others. Today, we get to read about life after death for Lazarus in John 11:1-45. One of his last earthly miracles that really sent the religious leaders into a panic demanding Jesus’s death.
But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” John 11:4
Reading through this miracle of bringing someone back to life after four days is unbelievable. It is only God possible. He had brought a couple of others back to life, but not after four days! This story also leaves me with some gut-check questions as I read through the scriptures. Think about these questions with me.
- Who do you go to when you need extraordinary help? Do you rely on your personal strength or strength of man or? Do you rely upon Jesus? (Further Reading Psalm 3)
- How do we respond to adversity? Is it a grumble, complain, or blame? Or do we glorify His name in everything? ( But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
( 2 Corinthians 1:4 ) 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too
3. Are you walking in the dark or light? What do your choices look like? Are we trusting in His timing?
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
4. Lazarus was dead to the physical world. The first word Lazarus heard was Jesus telling him to, “come forth”. When we physically die, will the first person we hear be Jesus? Will you “come forth?”
Dear Heavenly Father thank you for the stories of your love, grace, and truth. Help us to walk in the light, trust you in the face of adversity, This heart-breaking story was all part of your plan. We love you and just ask for you to keep us in your light. In your name, we pray. Amen
Deuteronomy 13–14; Psalms 99–101; Isaiah 41; Revelation 11