Lesson 4534

 (Lesson 4534)(07-02-24) John 11:28-46 

“And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.” 

 

In today’s quote, Martha told her sister Mary that Jesus had finally arrived. Mary quickly ran to meet Him, followed by the Jewish mourners. Upon seeing Jesus, Mary fell to His feet, upset because He had not come earlier to save Lazarus. Deeply moved by their grief, Jesus cried. He then asked where Lazarus had been laid, and they took Him to the tomb. Jesus told those around Him to remove the stone. He prayed to God the Father, expressing confidence that He is always heard. Then, with a loud voice, Jesus called Lazarus to come out and Lazarus walked out of the tomb, still wrapped in burial clothes. Jesus instructed the people to unwrap him and let him go. This miraculous act led many of the Jews who witnessed it to believe in Jesus, though some, still in disbelief, went to the Pharisees to report what had happened. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead just as He can raise us all from death by sin if we only believe. What a wonderful Savior we serve. ~