Scripture: John 11:1-16
11 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”
11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” (NIV)
Observation:
When Jesus receives word that Lazarus was sick, he intentionally waits two days until he tells his disciples that their friend Lazarus had fallen asleep and that he was going to wake him up. But his disciples said if he sleeps, he will get better. But Jesus was talking about his death and not natural sleep. “So then he told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’” (John 11:14-15) Jesus would use the death of Lazarus so that his followers would believe that Jesus had the power and authority to restore a person back to life.
Application:
Jesus has the authority and the power to restore and transform our lives, giving us true life. “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5) Since Jesus is Messiah and since Jesus is our true life, let us believe in him and follow his commands.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer, in you is life and light. Shine your light upon us, O Lord, and help us to follow you in every circumstance of life. We acknowledge your power and authority to grant us eternal life and enable us to become children of God as we believe in you and adhere to your ways and teachings. Amen.