Day 22 - Saturday, March 28 You Are The Christ DAILY READING - Jn 11:1-44 At the end of chapter 10, Jesus escaped being seized and stoned. He fled and retreated to Batanea where John the Baptist preached and baptized. His friends, Mary and Martha, send for Jesus because their brother, Lazarus, is dying. Lazarus is obviously someone special to Jesus. His sisters say he is the one that Jesus loves. Mary of Bethany is the same Mary that will soak Jesus in fragranced oils to anoint him before he enters Jerusalem prior to being hung. Jesus obviously has a very special relationship with this family. So special, he leaves the safety of his hiding place and risks being caught by the Pharisees. What does this tell us about the kind of friend that Jesus is? Mary and Martha call to Jesus, not just because he is their friend. They call Jesus because they believe he can do something for Lazarus. Are they hoping for the same miraculous healing that Jesus has performed for others previously? I think they are. Not only do they think that Jesus is able to do something for Lazarus. They know that he will do something for Lazarus. They’ve seen and they believe. They address Jesus as Lord, or Master. They know Jesus is God. He is not only their special friend, He is Holy. When Jesus hears the news of his friend’s sickness, he responds by saying that it will not end in death. He adds that the purpose of it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it. How is God glorified through Lazarus’ illness? How is Jesus glorified through it? It is often hard to see anything good in our personal times of trial. When we are sick, financially struggling, in relational turmoil, or facing other hardships, our sight is quickly limited. Our trust is tested. We are in pain. Pain has a way of intruding our thoughts. Pain has a way of limiting logic. Pain prevents us from seeing anything beyond what we feel. However, pain is where a lot of growing happens. While it is hard to see beyond pain, seeing beyond pain is usually what happens in the process of walking through trials. In times of your personal pain, how has Jesus been glorified in them? What good has come of your pain? Jesus, upon hearing the news, waits two days before embarking on the journey to Lazarus. He is not scared of being caught by the Jews. He says so in verses 9-10. If Lazarus is such a dear friend, why would Jesus wait two days before going to see him? Lazarus has been dead for four days when Jesus reaches Bethany. Martha runs to meet Jesus. A good friend might be frustrated at the delayed arrival. They might question the friendship. Martha might, indeed, wonder what took Jesus so long. But, she expresses her belief in Jesus’ ability. What does she say that affirms her belief? Jesus proclaimed to Martha that Lazarus would rise from the dead. Martha had no idea what was coming. What human could? Verses 25-26 are crucial words from Jesus the Christ. Write the verses below: Now, answer the question that Jesus is asking you: Jesus repeats a promise again and again in the Gospel of John. Read the following verses and write for yourself what the promise is: John 3:15: John 3:16: John 5:24: John 8:51: In verses 25-26, Jesus is not merely asking if Martha believed her brother would be raised from the dead. Jesus is asking Martha if her faith has the ability to stretch beyond the resurrection of Lazarus into Jesus being the Messiah. Martha responds with belief. She pronounces Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. Her faith is married in a deep, abiding personal trust in Jesus as a friend and a rich confidence in Jesus as the long awaited Christ, Son of God Incarnate. In 10:40, what does Jesus say will happen if we believe? How is this true for Martha? Martha declares that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. She proclaims her belief in Jesus the Christ. She placed full faith in Him as Lord. What does Romans 10:9 say about declaring and believing? Lazarus is resurrected to a mortal life. Jesus performs the miracle to the glory of God. How is this a climactic sign for who Jesus is and what is to come?