“Your brother will rise again."
John 11
Jesus was very close friends with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, who were siblings. They lived in Bethany. Lazarus was very sick, so Mary and Martha sent a message to Jesus, asking Him to come and help.
“Lazarus, whom you love, is sick,” they said.
When Jesus heard the message, He said, “This sickness is not a victory for death, but for God, so that the Son of God can show miracles.”
Jesus loved this family, but He stayed where He was for another two days after He heard of Lazarus’ illness.
“Let’s go to Judea,” said Jesus on the third day.
“But Master, the Jews tried to stone you last time we were there. You want to go back?” asked a
disciple.
“My time is not yet come,” said Jesus. “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I am going to wake him.”
“It’s good if he sleeps!” said a disciple. “It will help him to heal from his sickness.”
“I mean that Lazarus is dead,” said Jesus plainly. The disciples were surprised and somber. They set off for Bethany, which was less than two miles from Jerusalem.
Martha heard that Jesus was on His way and ran out to meet Him. When she found Him she fell at His feet.
“Lord, if you had been here Lazarus wouldn’t have died,” she wept. “But I know that even now,
whatever you ask God He will give it to you.”
Jesus was filled with compassion and gently raised her from the ground in an embrace.
“Your brother will rise again,” He said tenderly.
“I know he will be resurrected at the last day,” Martha said through her tears.
“I am the resurrection, whoever believes in me, even though dead, he will live,” He softly said.
“Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes Lord, I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God,” she declared. Martha left and found her sister Mary.
“Mary,” she said to her weeping sister. “The Master has come, and He is asking for you.”
As soon as Mary heard that, she quickly got up and ran to find Jesus.
“Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died,” she said with tears streaming down her
face.
When Jesus saw her crying, and her friends that had come with her also crying, His heart ached and He was saddened.
“Where have you laid his body?” He asked in a low voice.
“Lord, come and see,” said a few friends. And Jesus cried with them.
“Look how much the Master loved Lazarus!” said one of the friends.