July 24, 2022
Read John 11:28-37
28 After she said this, she went and spoke privately to her sister Mary, “The teacher is here and he’s calling for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to Jesus. 30 He hadn’t entered the village but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were comforting Mary in the house saw her get up quickly and leave, they followed her. They assumed she was going to mourn at the tomb. 32 When Mary arrived where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her crying and the Jews who had come with her crying also, he was deeply disturbed and troubled. 34 He asked, “Where have you laid him?” They replied, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus began to cry. 36 The Jews said, “See how much he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “He healed the eyes of the man born blind. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”
Good morning! Through Jesus, we can conquer death!
It is a beautiful day that the Lord has made. May all who have breath, praise the name of Jesus. Today’s passage connects to many of us. Through the seasons of life, our loved ones, and one day us, reach the end of our earthly existence. Despite our belief in our gift of salvation and eternal life, we grieve when we lose a loved one. Notice that Jesus’ first response is to grieve with Mary and those who were with her.
Jesus did this because he too had suffered a loss. Perhaps in crying, he was showing his humanness. In the verses that follow this passage, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead and joy returns to those who loved Lazarus. This miracle of resurrection was part of God’s plan so that the followers could understand that God’s power can even conquer death.
Both Martha and Mary believed that Jesus was the Messiah and that their brother would rise in the resurrection on the last day. It was not time for Lazarus to leave the earth for there was more to be done.
When we sit with our loved ones through their last days, we believe in the resurrection, but we grieve like Mary, Martha, and Jesus did in this passage. We cry tears of sadness because we can no longer see our loved ones face to face. At the same time, we rejoice because we know that our loved ones have gone to be with their Lord where there is no more pain or suffering. Throughout our days, Jesus is with us. When we hurt, he hurts. When we are joyful, he is joyful. Through faith, we believe that we will one day rejoin our loved ones as we celebrate together at the heavenly banquet table.
Loving and Caring God, Thank You for loving us. We know that You have a plan for our lives. We give ourselves to You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: Jesus sits with us in our grief.
God is With Us! Pastor Liz