What Jesus Did

Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, "You don't know what you're talking about! You don't realize that it's better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed."

—John 11:49-50 NLT

Key Thought


Jesus came to live as God among us and to die for our sins to bring us to God. We are saved from destruction because of grace, not because of some religious leader's decision. God's plan was for a perfect sacrifice to be...

 

The people who were standing nearby said, "See how much [Jesus] loved [Lazarus]!" But some said, "This man healed a blind man. Couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying?"

—John 11:36-37 NLT

Key Thought


Satan has a way of trying to distort any good thing and corrupt it. We shouldn't be surprised that he would try to distort Jesus' genuine love for Lazarus by casting doubt on why he was so late in coming to help Lazarus: "He could heal folks, so why didn't he heal...

 

Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. "What are we going to do?" they asked each other. "This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation."

—John 11:47-48 NLT

Key Thought


What do you value most in your life? What do you have the greatest trouble relinquishing to the lordship of Christ? These...

 

Then Jesus shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him go!"

—John 11:43-44 NLT

Key Thought


I love Jesus' words, "Unwrap him and let him go!" Death cannot bind Lazarus anymore, so don't let his graveclothes bind him either! Think of the power of Jesus' directions on those standing by watching! One day, Jesus will speak our names, call us...

 

Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw [Lazarus brought back to life]. But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

—John 11:45-46 NLT

Key Thought


Some folks just won't believe. It doesn't matter what they see or what others say; they are determined not to believe in Jesus. How do we explain this kind of thing? People have to will to do God's will if they are going to believe! If they play with sin, they open...

 

So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me."

—John 11:41-42 NLT

Key Thought


While Jesus hasn't taught his disciples the key principle yet, he is proving it beforehand: The Father hears the Son. There can be no clearer example of this truth than his command in the next verse for...

 

Jesus was still angry as he arrived at [Lazarus'] tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. "Roll the stone aside," Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man's sister, protested, "Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible." Jesus responded, "Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe?"

—John 11:38-40 NLT

Key Thought


Gritty. The reality of Lazarus' death — the sorrow, disappointment, friendship, finality...

 

When Jesus saw [Mary] weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. "Where have you put [Lazarus]?" he asked them. They told him, "Lord, come and see." Then Jesus wept.

—John 11:33-35 NLT

Key Thought


I don't know about you, but I am truly blessed by the displays of the Lord's emotions in the Gospels. To know he was tired, hungry, and thirsty is reassuring, but then those are bodily needs. To know...

 

When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask."

—John 11:20-22 NLT

Key Thought


Wow! Martha spoke words that actually were greater than her understanding and her faith. Jesus would and could give her whatever he asked from the Father. Sometimes we let the evil one deceive us...

 

Then [Martha] returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, "The Teacher is here and wants to see you." So Mary immediately went to him. Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him.

—John 11:28-30 NLT

Key Thought


I love the faith of this Mary and Mary Magdalene. Jesus will still be Mary Magdalene's Lord even after he is placed in the tomb and all appears to be lost (later in the Gospel of John). Jesus is still...