Victory Over Death (Saturday)
Week 3 - Saturday
John 11:1-44
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 his fellow 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.”
28 When she had said this, she left and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard this, she *got up quickly and came to Him.
30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still at the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house and were consoling her, when they saw that Mary had gotten up quickly and left, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 So when Mary came to the place where Jesus was, she saw Him and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 Therefore when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, 34 and He said, “Where have you laid him?” They *said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could this Man, who opened the eyes of the man who was blind, not have also kept this man from dying?”
38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, *came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus *said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, *said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus *said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they removed the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 But I knew that You always hear Me; nevertheless, because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 And when He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 Out came the man who had died, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
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 his fellow 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.”
28 When she had said this, she left and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard this, she *got up quickly and came to Him.
30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still at the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house and were consoling her, when they saw that Mary had gotten up quickly and left, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 So when Mary came to the place where Jesus was, she saw Him and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 Therefore when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, 34 and He said, “Where have you laid him?” They *said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could this Man, who opened the eyes of the man who was blind, not have also kept this man from dying?”
38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, *came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus *said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, *said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus *said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they removed the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 But I knew that You always hear Me; nevertheless, because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 And when He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 Out came the man who had died, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
John chapter 11 marks a transition point from Jesus’ teaching ministry to His journey to the cross. Therefore, in this story, we get intense emotional and theological foreshadowing of Jesus’ death and resurrection. First, we get a picture of Lazarus as Jesus’ close friend. Having a close friend and family member fall deathly ill can be an immensely trying time, full of confusion, pain, and grief. Instead of responding immediately by travelling to Bethany, Jesus responds with a stout promise. “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” (v. 4). What the others in this story don’t understand yet is that Jesus is not simply promising another healing miracle at this moment but preparing to make a world-altering declaration of His power over death.
It must have seemed odd to the disciples that Jesus would not rush to help His friend in need. This confusion is compounded into pure grief when Jesus reveals en route that “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” (v. 14-15). Jesus is starting to reveal to us that, to God, there are things even more important than healing or keeping someone alive. Instead, He is more concerned with our heart and where we are placing our belief.
When Jesus arrives in Bethany, He is met with Lazarus’s grieving sisters, who both confront Jesus with a heart wrenching statement, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (v.21). No doubt Mary and Martha are wrestling with grief, confusion, pain, and a whirlwind of emotions over the loss of their brother. However, both sisters bring their grief, albeit in different ways, to Jesus. They did not run away or dismiss Jesus, but instead, take a first step of faith to bring their grief to Him.
In response to this initial step of faith, Jesus makes His powerful proclamation, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” (v. 25–26). In this moment, Jesus is openly claiming His authority over death. This seemingly outlandish, impossible power to overcome death is declared in no uncertain terms, and it’s followed by a deceptively simple question—“Do you believe?” (v. 26). God is not blind to our suffering in sickness and death. We see Jesus weep and grieve with the others even as He proceeds to resurrect Lazarus. However, God is more concerned with our hearts and whether we truly believe in Him.
This belief becomes especially significant when we face the reality of death. Death is one of the most challenging and frightening things humans can face. When confronted with the prospect of death—whether our own or that of someone we love — we are left vulnerable, and what we truly believe deep down can no longer remain hidden. It’s in these moments, where our innermost being is laid bare, that we can begin to grasp the profound meaning of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. His suffering was not distant or detached; it was an expression of His identity as the resurrection and the life. The story of Lazarus calls us, especially during the Easter season, to lift our eyes from the immediate and often painful realities of life and turn to the God who weeps with us, whose ultimate concern is for the condition of our hearts. Therefore, examine your heart with the same question Jesus asked as we look ahead to His death and resurrection — “Do you believe in Jesus as the resurrection and the life?”
It must have seemed odd to the disciples that Jesus would not rush to help His friend in need. This confusion is compounded into pure grief when Jesus reveals en route that “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” (v. 14-15). Jesus is starting to reveal to us that, to God, there are things even more important than healing or keeping someone alive. Instead, He is more concerned with our heart and where we are placing our belief.
When Jesus arrives in Bethany, He is met with Lazarus’s grieving sisters, who both confront Jesus with a heart wrenching statement, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (v.21). No doubt Mary and Martha are wrestling with grief, confusion, pain, and a whirlwind of emotions over the loss of their brother. However, both sisters bring their grief, albeit in different ways, to Jesus. They did not run away or dismiss Jesus, but instead, take a first step of faith to bring their grief to Him.
In response to this initial step of faith, Jesus makes His powerful proclamation, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” (v. 25–26). In this moment, Jesus is openly claiming His authority over death. This seemingly outlandish, impossible power to overcome death is declared in no uncertain terms, and it’s followed by a deceptively simple question—“Do you believe?” (v. 26). God is not blind to our suffering in sickness and death. We see Jesus weep and grieve with the others even as He proceeds to resurrect Lazarus. However, God is more concerned with our hearts and whether we truly believe in Him.
This belief becomes especially significant when we face the reality of death. Death is one of the most challenging and frightening things humans can face. When confronted with the prospect of death—whether our own or that of someone we love — we are left vulnerable, and what we truly believe deep down can no longer remain hidden. It’s in these moments, where our innermost being is laid bare, that we can begin to grasp the profound meaning of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. His suffering was not distant or detached; it was an expression of His identity as the resurrection and the life. The story of Lazarus calls us, especially during the Easter season, to lift our eyes from the immediate and often painful realities of life and turn to the God who weeps with us, whose ultimate concern is for the condition of our hearts. Therefore, examine your heart with the same question Jesus asked as we look ahead to His death and resurrection — “Do you believe in Jesus as the resurrection and the life?”
Reflection and Prayer
How does believing in Jesus as the resurrection and life change your perspective on life and death this Easter season?
How can Jesus’ definitive proclamation of power over death give you and your loved ones hope?
Heavenly Father, I praise you in your all-powerful mercy. Thank you for sending your Son to not only die for my sons but deliver your promise of resurrection and life. I know I am not worthy of this gift, but I believe in Jesus as the resurrection and the life with my whole heart. Allow me to live out this hope and faith by pointing others to your saving grace. It’s in Jesus holy name I pray.
How can Jesus’ definitive proclamation of power over death give you and your loved ones hope?
Heavenly Father, I praise you in your all-powerful mercy. Thank you for sending your Son to not only die for my sons but deliver your promise of resurrection and life. I know I am not worthy of this gift, but I believe in Jesus as the resurrection and the life with my whole heart. Allow me to live out this hope and faith by pointing others to your saving grace. It’s in Jesus holy name I pray.
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