Tag: Lazarus

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John Devotionals

But what does God really think about me?

Mary and Martha

Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was. (John 11:5-6)

Many people, including Christians, often have this nagging doubt in the back of our minds in which we ask, “But what does God really think about me?”

When Jesus delayed in coming and Lazarus died, I’m sure that Mary and Martha were thinking the same thing about Jesus.

“Does Jesus really love us? Why didn’t he come? Why didn’t he heal Lazarus.”

But what was the truth? What did Jesus really think about them?

He loved them.

When we’re going through struggles and God seems to be silent, it’s easy to start questioning what he really thinks of us.

But let us always remember: He is for us. And he deeply, deeply loves us. (Romans 8:31-32)

And nothing, not even the sting of death can separate us from his love. (Romans 8:38-39, John 11:25)

The only question is, “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26)

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John Devotionals

Too late?

tomb

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. (John 11:21)

As soon as Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and told him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died!” (32)

I’d always seen Mary’s and Martha’s words as a kind of rebuke of Jesus. “Why didn’t you come earlier? If you had come earlier, Lazarus wouldn’t have died.”

Now I’m not so sure.

Lazarus had been in the grave four days when Jesus arrived. Which means even if Jesus had left right away, Lazarus would have still been in the tomb two days when Jesus arrived.

And so it seems more likely to me that they were saying, “I wish you hadn’t been so far away when Lazarus got sick. If you had been here, he wouldn’t have died.”

But one thing that’s clear to me is that when Jesus arrived, Mary and Martha had no thought that Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead. It never entered their heads to ask him.

Even when Martha told Jesus, “I believe God will give you anything you ask,” looking at her words in verses 24 and 39, it’s very clear she wasn’t thinking Jesus would raise Lazarus right then and there.

It just made me think. Do I ever think, “It’s too late; it’s no use praying anymore”?

Is my Jesus so small, that I don’t think he can raise the things I consider dead and beyond hope to life again?

Do I truly believe he is able to do far more than I can ask or imagine? Or is my thinking as to what Jesus can do still too small?

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John Devotionals

Questioning Jesus’ love

Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was. (John 11:5-6)

So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Couldn’t he who opened the blind man’s eyes also have kept this man from dying?” (36-37)

One of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! You’re not considering that it is to your advantage that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish.”

He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to unite the scattered children of God. (49-52)

Jesus loves us. But there are times he doesn’t act as we had hoped, and we struggle to understand why. During those times, it’s easy to start asking, “Does Jesus really love me?”

But the truth is, often times we know nothing at all. There are things that God knows that we are not considering.

That was most clearly seen at the cross. No one understood what God was doing. Not the priests. Not the Pharisees. Not Jesus’ disciples. Not Jesus’ mother. No one.

But the cross was the greatest expression of God’s love.

Are there questions you’re struggling with? “Why”s you can’t understand?

Let us be like Mary and Martha, who though hurting, didn’t stay away from Jesus, but ran to him. Who kept believing in him. Who kept obeying him.

And like them, the day will come when we will see the glory of God.

On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined before the ages for our glory.

None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, because if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written,

What no eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no human heart has conceived—
God has prepared these things for those who love him. (1 Corinthians 2:7-9)

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John Devotionals

Running to Jesus

John

We don’t always understand why God does the things he does.

Martha and Mary certainly didn’t. Several days before, they had sent word to Jesus that their brother Lazarus was sick. But Jesus deliberately delayed in coming.

What would you do?

Many people would turn their backs on Jesus, bitter and angry.

But Martha and Mary went to him. In Mary’s case, she “rose quickly” and went to him.

They were upset. They were confused. But they still went to Jesus. And in doing so, they found out that he truly is faithful.

How about you? When you are angry and confused by what God does, do you turn from him? Or do you run to him?

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Luke Luke 16

When we fail to prepare

Luke

This is one of the most graphic depictions of the afterlife, probably because it’s the most personal. In particular, it is a graphic picture of what hell will be like.

Many people think that this was an actual incident, the reason being that this is the only story Jesus tells which names a person.

Whether it is a true story or not, I don’t know, but it is a clear warning to those who fail to prepare for eternity.

It is, in fact, the bookend to this chapter, which starts with a story of a person who did prepare for his future albeit through shady means.

Jesus starts the story by talking about a rich man who lived in luxury. He had no needs or wants unfulfilled, and therefore never gave a thought to his future. Nor did he give a thought to the people around him.

There was a man named Lazarus that he passed by day by day. Lazarus was a beggar, and my guess is that it was through no fault of his own.

But through illness or perhaps some other problem beyond his control, he was reduced to begging for a living.

Lazarus longed just for the crumbs from this rich man’s table, but the rich man never gave him a moment’s notice.

And so they lived.

When their time came, Lazarus was escorted to Abraham’s side where he was comforted, but the rich man descended to hell where he was in torment.

And when he cried out for relief, Abraham responded,

Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. (Luke 16:25)

What was Abraham saying? This man had spent his whole life enjoying his life on earth. He accumulated wealth, he enjoyed pleasure, and generally did whatever he pleased. But he did not prepare for eternity.

Lazarus, on the other hand, though he had nothing on this earth, indeed, though he suffered greatly while on earth, nevertheless prepared himself for eternity.

And so when the time came, Lazarus received comfort, while the rich man suffered in agony.

The problem with the rich man was not his riches. The problem was that he had not prepared for eternity.

He had not, as Jesus put it, used the wealth he had been given in such a way that he would be welcomed into eternal dwellings with God. (Luke 16:9)

Let us not be foolish as this man was. Let us remember that this life is but a breath, and that we need to prepare for eternity. For if we don’t, we will suffer his fate.

How about you. Are you prepared for eternity?