Verse of the Day 3/29
John 11:3-4 So his sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, our brother Lazarus, the one you love, is very sick. Please come!"
4 When he heard this, he said, "This sickness will not end in death for Lazarus, but will bring glory and praise to God. This will reveal the greatness of the Son of God by what takes place." The Passion Translation (TPT)
There is a lot of fear in the world around us, most of it recently brought on by COVID19. It is an invisible enemy and we feel helpless in defending against it. The fear of death in our society is much more prevalent than it was just a few months ago.
I read today's verses in my devotions yesterday and Jesus' statement is "this will not end in death" was said to Mary and Martha about their brother Lazarus. Lazarus then died, this must have left them bewildered, confused and perhaps disillusioned. But for us, knowing the end of the story, Jesus' statement was true. Yes, Lazarus died but it was not the end.
The same power that brought Lazarus from the grave after 4 days is the same power that will bring us to eternal life. Jesus' statement "this will not end in death" can bring great comfort and hope to us today. Read the conversation between Martha and Jesus before Lazarus was raised.
John 11:21-27 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world. English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus' statement and question of Martha is the same that He poses to us today " Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
May our response be the same that Jesus is the Messiah; Savior; and Lord over all, including life after death. If we are believers in Jesus, whatever happens to us, it won't end in death, but in everlasting life. Jesus said these things to Martha because He loved her. He allowed Lazarus to die and then raised him from the dead because He loved Him. He showed us all of this because He loves us and will raise us up when our time comes.
-- In Christ, Mike Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. NIV
John 11:32-45 English Standard Version (ESV)
32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved[a] in his spirit and greatly 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 said, "See how he loved him!" 37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?"
Jesus Raises Lazarus
38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days." 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?" 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me." 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
The Plot to Kill Jesus
45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him,
No comments:
Post a Comment