fbpx

John 11

 

The Death of Lazarus

1 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.”

Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus

17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
28 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.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 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.
32 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.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “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.”
40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.42 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.”
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”44 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.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.
“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”
49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.
54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.
55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Verse of the Day


And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

2 Corinthians 1:7

Bible Verses for Anxiety

The symptoms of anxiety are pretty clear: sweaty palms, a racing heart, spinning thoughts, and a pit in your stomach. When anxiety strikes, it can make you feel helpless and alone. Thankfully, there are many Bible verses for anxiety that can help you in those stressful moments.
Read More

Spiritual Warfare Prayers

Some Christians are scared of spiritual warfare. But there is no need to be afraid because God has promised to protect and provide for us. So, we can say spiritual warfare prayers with the full assurance that God will help us no matter what we’re up against.
Read More

Prayer of Forgiveness

One of my favorite board games growing up was “Sorry!” For some reason, I really enjoyed knocking someone’s piece off the board and saying, “Sorry!” with a big smile on my face. Unfortunately, in real life, saying sorry and extending forgiveness isn’t as easy (or fun).
Read More

Glory Be Prayer

Many Christians have memorized the Glory Be Prayer. It is a beautiful prayer with an ancient history that packs a powerful message. If you memorized it as a child, it’s time to rediscover it as an adult. 
Read More

Biblically Accurate God

Did you know that the word “God” appears over 4,000 times in the Bible? Clearly, there is a lot to learn about Him! But don’t get overwhelmed by the details and debates because understanding a biblically accurate God doesn’t need to be difficult.
Read More

Prayer for My Son

When parenting is really hard, sometimes the only prayer I can muster is, “Help!” I’m thankful God hears those desperate pleas. Then there are other times that I want to pray for my son more intentionally but am not sure what to say.
Read More

Psalm 35 – A Prayer of Vindication, Justice, and Love

It can be difficult to pray when you’re angry, sad, or worried. Sometimes the deepest, strongest emotions are the hardest to express. Thankfully, Psalm 35 shows us how to work through our pain with God.
Read More

Why Does God Allow Suffering

Faith seems pretty simple when we’re singing, “Jesus loves me, this I know.” But, it can be hard to stay faithful during the more challenging moments of life. We’re left wondering: Why does God allow suffering?
Read More

Battle Ready Prayer

My thoughts swam restless laps in my brain, crashing into my emotions and running into rocks of fear and doubt. I was lost and scared– even my vision was blurry. Where are you, God?
Read More

God Gives His Toughest Battles to his Strongest Soldiers

There’s a popular saying that God gives His toughest battles to His strongest soldiers. This is like a rallying cry that encourages us to keep fighting through difficult times. But, is this statement true?
Read More