Image from lightofchristwi.org
Hear the devotional: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eradio-valverde/episodes/Jesus-is-Life-e20ohev
View the devotional: https://www.tiktok.com/@eradiovalverde/video/7212479993140628779?lang=en
1 Now a certain man was ill, Laz'arus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Laz'arus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, "This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it." 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Laz'arus. 6 So when he heard that he was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go into Judea again." 8 The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?" 9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any one walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if any one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." 11 Thus he spoke, and then he said to them, "Our friend Laz'arus has fallen asleep, but I go to awake him out of sleep." 12 The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover." 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, "Laz'arus is dead; 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." 16 Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." 17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Laz'arus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary sat in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world." 28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying quietly, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Then Mary, when she came where Jesus was and saw him, fell at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled; 34 and he said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" 37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" 38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb; it was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days." 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 I knew that thou hearest me always, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, that they may believe that thou didst send me." 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Laz'arus, come out." 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." 45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him; (John 11:1-45 Revised Standard Version Bible)
Happy Monday dear ConCafe Family! And may God's blessings be rich in your life, dear Friend. May the Lord watch over you this day and all days. I ask prayers for this old man as I prepare to preach next Sunday at our home church in Gonzales, Texas at both services at 8:30 and 10:45. Pray for one another, pray for those on your prayer lists and pray the blessings of God on the world and its needs. Pray for peace in the world, starting at home.
Another very powerful passage for our faith to ponder. This passage contains the shortest verse in the Bible in verse 35, a favorite of many a Sunday school student when asked to memorize Bible verses, "Jesus wept." Yet, there are some awesome declarations by Jesus in this passage as well as we will discover. The passage begins by reminding us that Jesus had three friends who find themselves in need. The man was named Lazarus and his sisters were Mary and Martha. Jesus had been to their home and even invited by Martha to intervene in a squabble they were having about who should sit at Jesus' feet and who should be serving food. It had been Mary who poured out expensive perfume on Jesus' feet. But this time Lazarus is sick and so word is sent to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." We can read into it that this was a call for Jesus to come and heal his beloved friend. Jesus' response was not what they expected. Jesus delays His return to Bethany by two days. When He decides to return Jesus announces that the trip would be through Judea, where the Jews had sought to stone Jesus, but that does not deter Him. He also surprises the disciples by announcing that Lazarus was asleep. "Oh well, then he'll be find!" Jesus has to say it plainly, "Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." Thomas, ever the doubter and pessimist says, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him." I give him credit for bravery. They arrived safely to Bethany without incident only to find that Lazarus was already buried and for four days at that. The household of Martha and Mary was filled with mourners and friends wishing them well. Martha hears that Jesus was approaching and so she goes out to meet him.
"Lord, if You had been here, my brother would have have died." Such faith. First, to scold our Lord. Second, to fully believe that Jesus could have prevented her brother's death. Okay, like text messages from friends, we tend to add the tone and voice to them, never fully knowing what the other person is actually saying or implying. All I know is that she was disappointed. But, she had not lost faith, for she said, "And even now I now that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." And boy, does God give! Jesus said, "Your brother will rise again." Quite a statement to which she gives the "Sunday school response" of "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Okay, she paid attention in class, but Jesus drops another mind-blowing thing when He says, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Pop Quiz, Marty! But she passes by saying, "Yes, Lord; I believe You are the Christ, the Son of God, He Who is coming into the world." She then goes to call Mary. And guess what she starts her conversation with? "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." And she wept. And the others wept, and so Jesus is "moved in His spirit and troubled." Jesus asks where Lazarus was laid to rest. They showed him and the shortest verse, "Jesus wept." Those two words are powerful and say a lot. Jesus was so moved, so connected to His love not only Lazarus, but the whole family, that He showed His human side and wept. It moved the crowd to speculation; "Could not He Who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" Always a cynic or critic in the crowd, no? Jesus heard the comments and this made Him cry again. At the entrance to the tomb, Jesus sees that it is sealed with a stone. This makes me wonder, did Jesus get moved to sadness knowing He was soon destined to be buried in the same way? But it does not deter His exclaiming, "Take away the stone." Martha warns Jesus the odor her brother's body would probably be overwhelming, but Jesus replied, "Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" The stone is removed and Jesus thanks God for always hearing His pleas and prayers. Then Jesus yells out, "Lazarus, come out." Much to the fright and delight of those near this, the dead man came out, his body, arms, feet still wrapped mummy-style, and Jesus orders him unbound. This was enough for many of the Jews who witnessed this to become believers in Jesus.
What will it take for those who do not yet know or believe in Jesus to come to faith?
PRAYER: Awesome Father, for life and for life beyond this life, we are thankful. Bless our lives with faith and help us help others come to faith; in Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Show your faith in life beyond the dead with those who doubt.
Receive my blessings of joy and faith,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
