8th May 2022 – John 1:1-17
"11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days."
John 11:1-17
We should note one or two further points before passing from these verses. John seems deliberately to have inserted the observation in 5 about Jesus' love for Lazarus and his sisters, to offset, as it were the 'therefore' in 6. It must have seemed quite inexplicable of Jesus to have delayed going to the help of His friends, but John here emphasises that in spite of the seeming indifference, in spite of the big question mark, that Mary and Martha could certainly not understand, Jesus loved them - in spite of every evidence to the contrary. It is salutary for us to remember this, when circumstances make us prone to doubt His love. He has His reasons now, as He had then, for delay.
Another point to note is that this miracle was performed in the context of an intimate circle of love and fellowship. One lesson we can learn here is that where love and fellowship deepen, Jesus seems to have more freedom in which to work. One recalls how it is recorded in Mark's gospel (6:5) that in his own country He could do no mighty work because of their unbelief. How striking that the mighty Son of God should be limited and restricted by the unbelief of man! But this works both ways. Christ is, as it were, liberated where love is, and where there is an intimacy of fellowship. That is why we should never be surprised, in a close and intimate communion with the Lord where He has knit the hearts of His people together, with one another and with Himself, that wonderful things should happen; for it is precisely in this context that Jesus loves to work.
7th May 2022 – John 11:1-17
“11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the…
6th May 2022 – John 11:1-17
“11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the…
5th May 2022 – John 10:31-42
“31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for…
4th May 2022 – John 10:31-42
“31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for…
3rd May 2022 – John 10:22-30
“22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter,23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep…
2nd May 2022 – John 10:22-30
“22 At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter,23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep…
1st May 2022 – John 10:19-21
“19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words.20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?”21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon.…
30th April 2022 – John 10:11-18
“11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and…
29th April 2022 – John 10:11-18
“11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and…