John 11:30-44
30Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." 35Jesus began to weep. 36So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" 37But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"
38Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." 40Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." 43When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
1 comment:
So much to glean from this passage!
First, in keeping with Jill's point from yesterday's posting, in v. 31 the Jews who were with Mary consoling her got up and followed her demonstrating their very real sense of community.
Second, Jesus is "greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved" (v.33) when he sees those who love him and those whom he loves suffering. This is still true for us. God is moved with compassion towards us!
Third, even though Martha tries to stop Jesus because of her unbelief, he is still willing to show her the glory of God. (v. 39-40)
Fourth, Jesus thanks God for hearing him before he asks knowing that God hears and will answer before he even asks! (v. 41-42) How often have I forgotten this!
Fifth, it's never too late! Even the areas of my life that seem dead and beyond hope because they are "bound with strips of cloth", (v.44) Jesus can still unbind them and set me free.
Or, pertaining to those we love, even if they seem outwardly to be dead to God, our belief and prayers can set them free!
I'm sure this just scratches the surface and that there is so much more! Thanks be to God for the richness of His Word!
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