Prepare
Opening Prayer
Thank God for his Word and ask him to work faith into our hearts so that we believe, anticipate the resurrection, and love him forever.
Read
Scripture Passage
Christ Raises Lazarus
11 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love 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 may be glorified through it.”
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
8 The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”
12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.
14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”
16 Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”
17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20 Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of 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 may die, he shall 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, who is to come into the world.”
28 And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”
32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?”
They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”
35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”
37 And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”
38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”
The Pharisees Plan to Kill Christ
45 Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. 46 But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. 48 If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”
49 And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.
53 Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.
55 And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves. 56 Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that He will not come to the feast?” 57 Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.
The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Jn 11:1–57.
A — About
What Is This Passage About?
Jesus loves Lazarus and his sisters, meets Martha and Mary in grief, declares himself the resurrection and the life, weeps, raises Lazarus after four days, and advances toward dying for his people despite the leaders' hostility.
B — Best Verse
A Verse That Summarizes the Passage
John 11:25–26
Distilled from the devotional exposition; the speaker did not explicitly name a best verse.
i am the resurrection and the life though he may die he shall live and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die do you believe this
No formal Best Verse selection is announced during the child-led chapter reading. Verses 25 and 26 are distilled because the discussion and closing prayer center on Christ as resurrection and life and on believing his promise.
C — Called or Christ
C — Christ Connection
Believe that Jesus is the Christ and Son of God, trust him as resurrection and life in the face of death, and receive the joy and peace that come through faith in him.
Devotional Study
Transcript of the devotion. Minor transcription errors may remain.
hey hey welcome to coffee and devotions this wednesday morning this is where every weekday morning at 9am and on the weekends when i get a spare moment from these guys you and i we get together we get into god's word and we grow in our love for the lord together and this year 2020 we'll make it through all the gospels well this morning we're at john chapter 11 why don't we go ahead and have some coffee pray and get into god's word you guys want some tea [Music] okay good job should we rename this uh coffee and tea kids edition cnt coffee or oh okay all right well why don't we go ahead and get into god's word john chapter 11. deborah are you ready okay john chapter 11. oh i can't see past your arms all right now a certain man was sick ever you see where we're at now a certain man was sick lazarus of bethany the town of mary and her sister martha it was that mary who anointed the lord with fragrant oil and wiped his feet with her hair whose brother lazarus was sick therefore the sisters went to him saying lord behold he whom you love is sick deborah can you read verse 4 what does jesus say [Music] when um heard that he said this sickness is not unto death death be but for the glory of god that the son may be glorified through it now jesus loved martha and her sister and lazarus so when he heard that he was sick he stayed two more days in the place where he was then after this he said to the disciples let us go to judea again the disciples said to him rabbi lately the jews have sought to stone you and you are going there again nathan can you read verse 9 10 and 11. jesus answer all they are not 12 hours of the day everyone walks in the day he does not stumble because he sees the light of this world but if one walks in the night he stumbles because the light is not in him these things he said and after that he said to them our friend lazarus sleeps but i know that i may wake him up then his disciples said lord if he sleeps he will get well however jesus spoke of his death but they thought that he was speaking about taking a sleep then jesus said to them plainly lazarus is dead and i am glad for your sakes that i was not there that you may believe nevertheless let us go to him then thomas who was called the twin said to his fellow disciples let us also go that we may die with him well let's go ahead and stop there we have a lot to look over but we're going to stop and just say what was what is this part about um yeah lazarus is sick and dies right okay good um why don't we go ahead and read that next part uh deborah can you read 17 through 19. so when jesus came he found that he had already been in the tomb for four days four days but bethlehem was near jerusalem about two miles away and many of the jews that joined the women are marrying martha to comfort them concerning their brothers [Music] but mary was sitting in the house now mother said to jesus lord if now mother said to jesus lord if you had not been if you had been here my brother would not have died but even now i know that whatever you ask of god god will give you jesus said to her your brother [Music] martha said to him i know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day jesus said to her i am the resurrection and the life though he may die he shall live and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die do you believe this she said to him yes lord i believe that you are the christ the son of god who has come into the world okay so what's this part talking about this is talking about says um am the resurrection and the life that's right and who what does martha believe that he is the christ and the son of god that's right she believes it right she believes that god that jesus can raise him from the dead good let's go ahead and keep going and when she had said these things she went her way and secretly called mary her sister saying the teacher has come and is calling you as soon as she heard that she arose quickly and came to him now jesus had not yet come into the town but was in the place where martha met him then the jews who were with her in the house and comforting her when they saw that mary rose up quickly and went out followed her saying she is going to the tomb to weep there nathan can you read 32-33 then mary came then mary came where jesus feet saying to him lord if you had been your my brother would not have died and the jews who came with her wet he groaned in this view and was troubled you want to keep reading nathan and he said well have you laid him they said that you look see jesus went jesus wept then the jew said see how he loved him and some of them said could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind have keep this man from dying what's going on in this section who does he see now mary right he goes to marion and what does it say jesus does jesus oh we're all done what did jesus say what did jesus do when when he went there um this is the shortest verse in the bible verse 35 what does it say jesus wept jesus wept you guys think he loved lazarus yeah he did okay verse 38 then jesus again groaning and himself came to the tomb it was a cave and a stone lay against it jesus said take away the stone martha the sister of him who is dead said to him lord by this time there is a stench for he has been dead for four days oh his body probably stinks after being dead for four days that's right deborah can you read 40 through 4. jesus said to her jesus said to her did i not say that if you would if you would you would see the glory of god god then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying and jesus lifted up his eyes saying father here nope father i thank you i thank you that you have always heard me and i know that you always hear me but because of the people who are still standing by i said this that they would believe when he had said these things he cried out in our loud voice lazarus come out and he who had died came out found out bound hand and foot with grave clothes and his face was wrapped with claw off jesus said to them lose him and let him go whoa what does jesus do raises he raises lazarus from the dead wow isn't that amazing what it says did i not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of god have you ever seen anybody raised from the dead no but did jesus have the power to raise him oh yeah let's go ahead and finish out this chapter i know it's a long one stick with us here then many of the jews who had come to mary and had seen the things jesus did believed in him but some of them went away to the pharisees and told them the things jesus did then the chief priests and the pharisees gathered at council and said what shall we do for this man works many great signs if we let him alone like this everyone will believe in him and the romans will come and take away both our palace our both our place and nation and one of them caiaphas being high priests that year said to them you know nothing at all nor do you consider that it is that it is expedient for us that one should die for the people and not that the whole nation should perish now this is he now this he said sorry now this he did not say on his own authority but being priests that year he prophesied that jesus would die for the nation and not for that nation only but also that he would gather together in one the children of god who are scattered abroad anthony can you do 33 and 30 are 53 and 54. therefore jesus no longer walked openly among the jews but he went from their country to near the other wilderness to a city called efron and their main with his disciples deborah can you finish the chapter 55-57 and the passover and the passover of the jews was near and many my friends come from the country up to jerusalem before the passover purify purify themselves when they saw jesus and smoke and spoke among themselves in the temple what do you think what do you think that you will not come to the feast now both the chief fees and the fear she has had given commands and that if anyone knew where he was he he should report it and they might seize him okay what's that part about 50 45-57 um they want to kill j jesus they want to kill jesus but didn't he just raise lazarus from the dead isn't that amazing so why would they want to kill him [Music] and destroy them yeah because jesus when they keep calling him the christ do you know what that means it means that he's good he's the king but who's the king at that time caesar right so they think that the romans will take him away and so they don't believe that he's the christ even though he's doing all these amazing miracles but jesus would die for the nation well why don't we go ahead and pray this morning father we thank you so much for this day we thank you for what a rich blessing it is to come to your word even when we have big chunks of it lord we pray that we might believe that we would see that great day of the resurrection father please work faith into our hearts that we might know you and love you for all eternity in jesus name amen i hope that you have a great day today and that god blesses you with joy and peace that comes through faith in jesus christ bye anyone say bye my