October 29 - Lazarus, Come Forth

SCRIPTURE READING:

John 11

SCRIPTURE:

John 11

¹ Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

² (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

³ Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

⁴ When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

⁶ When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

⁷ Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.

⁸ His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?

⁹ Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

¹⁰ But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

¹¹ These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

¹² Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

¹³ Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

¹⁴ Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

¹⁵ And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

¹⁶ Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

¹⁷ Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

¹⁸ Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:

¹⁹ And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

²⁰ Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

²¹ Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

²² But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

²³ Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

²⁴ Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

²⁵ Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

²⁶ And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

²⁷ She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

²⁸ 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.

²⁹ As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.

³⁰ Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.

³¹ 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.

³² 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.

³³ When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.

³⁴ And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

³⁵ Jesus wept.

³⁶ Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

³⁷ 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?

³⁸ Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

³⁹ 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.

⁴⁰ Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

⁴¹ 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.

⁴² 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.

⁴³ And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

⁴⁴ 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.

⁴⁵ Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

⁴⁶ But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

⁴⁷ Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.

⁴⁸ If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

⁴⁹ And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,

⁵⁰ Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

⁵¹ And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

⁵² And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

⁵³ Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

⁵⁴ Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.

⁵⁵ And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.

⁵⁶ Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?

⁵⁷ Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.

DEVOTIONAL:

John 11 opens with a message from Bethany: 'Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.' John immediately emphasizes that Jesus loves Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, yet Jesus remains where He is for two more days. The delay is therefore not evidence of indifference. This is one of the Gospel's clearest corrections to the assumption that love must always produce the timetable we would choose. By the time Jesus arrives, Lazarus has been in the tomb four days. The sisters' grief is real, and their repeated words, 'Lord, if thou hadst been here,' bring disappointment directly to Jesus rather than concealing it behind pious speech.

Martha confesses belief in the resurrection at the last day, a hope present within Jewish expectation. Jesus does not deny that future hope; He centers it in Himself: 'I am the resurrection, and the life.' Resurrection is not merely an event on God's calendar. Its certainty rests in the person of the Son. Martha then confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the One coming into the world. Her theology is strong while her grief remains active. Christian faith does not require bereaved people to choose between sound confession and tears.

Jesus' own tears make that even clearer. He knows He is about to raise Lazarus, yet He groans and weeps at the tomb. Divine sovereignty does not make Him emotionally distant from human sorrow. The shortest verse carries deep pastoral weight: the Lord of life enters grief rather than mocking it. His tears also stand inside a larger confrontation with death, an enemy that will not be merely explained but overcome. Christian comfort is therefore more than saying death is natural. Scripture calls death an enemy, and Jesus meets it with compassion and authority.

At the tomb Jesus commands the stone removed, prays publicly to the Father, and calls Lazarus by name. The dead man comes forth, still wrapped in grave clothes. This is a sign, not the final resurrection; Lazarus will eventually die again. Yet the sign reveals the identity of Jesus and points toward His own approaching death and resurrection. The One who summons Lazarus will soon enter a tomb Himself and emerge never to die again. John makes the irony sharp: the raising of one man becomes a catalyst for leaders to intensify plans to kill the giver of life.

Caiaphas then speaks more truly than he understands: it is expedient that one man die for the people rather than the whole nation perish. John interprets the words prophetically, saying Jesus would die for the nation and also gather together the scattered children of God. The Gospel does not erase Israel from the saving story; it affirms Jesus' death for the nation and then widens the gathering. The cross will accomplish what political calculation cannot comprehend: substitutionary death becomes the means of creating one redeemed people around the Messiah.

In daily life, In daily life, bring delayed answers honestly to Jesus without concluding that delay means absence of love. When someone grieves, resist quick explanations; if Jesus could weep knowing resurrection was minutes away, Christians can sit beside sorrow without rushing it. In family life, teach resurrection as a concrete Christian hope centered in Jesus, not as a vague statement that people 'live on.' In church, make space for lament alongside confident doctrine. When God calls for the stone to be moved, obey even when the situation seems beyond usefulness. Our work cannot raise the dead, but obedience can place us where Christ's power is displayed.

In U.S. civic life, In U.S. civic life, the virtue arising from John 11 is compassionate presence in the face of death and grief. Pray for bereaved families, funeral workers, pastors, healthcare professionals, chaplains, and public servants who meet people at moments of loss. Christians should show up in public life neither trivializing death nor despairing before it, offering practical compassion while bearing witness to resurrection hope in Jesus Christ.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

How does John's explicit statement that Jesus loved the family shape the way you interpret His two-day delay?

What does Jesus add to Martha's belief in a future resurrection when He says, 'I am the resurrection, and the life'?

Why are Jesus' tears important even though He knows Lazarus is about to be raised?

How does John's interpretation of Caiaphas's statement connect Jesus' death with both Israel and the wider gathering of God's children?

PRAYER:

ADORATION:

Jesus, Resurrection and Life, we worship You as the Son who shares our grief, commands the grave, and gives life that death cannot finally conquer.

CONFESSION:

Forgive us for interpreting delay as lack of love, for offering shallow explanations to grieving people, and for living as though death had the final word.

THANKSGIVING:

Thank You for weeping with mourners, for calling Lazarus from the tomb, and above all for the cross and resurrection through which eternal hope is secured.

SUPPLICATION – GENERAL:

Comfort the bereaved, strengthen those caring for the dying, deepen our confidence in resurrection, and teach our churches to hold lament and hope together without denying either one.

SUPPLICATION – U.S. / CIVIC:

Sustain families and communities facing death and loss. Give compassion to healthcare workers, chaplains, pastors, funeral workers, and public servants, and make Christians steady bearers of practical care and resurrection hope.

SCRIPTURE:

I am the resurrection, and the life. — John 11:25