September 5 Daily Devotional

John 11

Lazarus lived with his sisters Mary and Martha at Bethany near Jerusalem. Jesus often visited the quiet home of the three, and they loved him dearly. At one time, while Jesus was far away in another part of the country, Lazarus became very sick. His sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God.” He remained yet two days in the place where he was. After that he said to his disciples, “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep … Let us go unto him.”

“Then when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days already. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went out to meet him … Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died … Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life! he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live … Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”

When Mary saw Jesus, “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 … he 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 … Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus … cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha … 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 … And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I know 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 had thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews … believed on him.” But Jesus “went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.”