John 11:1

Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.

Bible Reading

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 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.” Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed there two more days. 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.” His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking about his death, but his disciples thought He meant 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. Let us go to him.” On His arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 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. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She told Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” 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 believed, you would 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 out 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, put their faith in Him.

– John 11:1, 4-6, 11-15, 17, 20-27, 38-45

Devotion

This final miracle that Jesus would perform, raising Lazarus from the dead, would be a precursor to His greatest miracle! Jesus would emerge from His own tomb showing that He had power over sin and death. The debate is over! Jesus is the divine Son of God who came to reconcile mankind to God.

The Big Question

Why did Jesus wait for Lazarus to be in the tomb four days before His arrival? What was His stated purpose for performing this greatest miracle? Who did Jesus declare that He was? Who did Martha declare Jesus to be? Who do you declare Jesus to be?

Conclude your time in prayer and silence, reflecting on what God revealed to you today.