The Gospel of John: John 11.17-37

Read and meditate on John 11.36, 37.
We can see here that, by waiting until Lazarus had died, and taking His time arriving in Bethany, Jesus was allowing space for some people to think more deeply about Him. Not a bad idea.

                                                  ³⁶The Jews then said,
“See how He loved him!” ³⁷So then others said,
“Could not this Man, Who made a blind man see,
have kept this man from dying?”

- John 11.16

Reflect
1.  How did the Jews, who were mourning with Mary and Martha, interpret Jesus’ weeping? Do you suppose this might have affected their attitude toward Him somewhat? Was that a good thing? Explain. Complete this prayer: Lord, thank You that You love me. I love You, too, and today…

2.  These people knew Who Jesus was, and they remembered what He’d done in healing the man born blind (Jn. 9). The blind man was a beggar – a nobody in Jewish society of that day – and not someone Jesus even knew. But He healed him. Surely, they reasoned among themselves, if He did that much for a nobody, He could have healed someone He loved? As they saw it, the best thing that could have happened to Lazarus was that he not die. Jesus should have been able to manage that, but He did not, even though He loved Lazarus. They were trying to make sense out of this situation, based on what they knew about Jesus. Why is it a good thing that they were turning all this over in their minds, and talking about with one another? I want people to think about You more, Lord, to ponder Your works and words, so…

3.  In our day, it’s safe to say that most unbelievers never give Jesus a serious thought. They have too many other important matters to occupy their minds. Is that a good thing? Following the example of Jesus, what might you do to help the unbelievers in your Personal Mission Field begin to think a little more seriously about Jesus? How can I do this, Lord? Let me begin in prayer, as I pray for…

4.  By remarking on Jesus’ love, and concluding that He had the power to keep Lazarus from dying – even though He did not exercise that power – these people were showing that their view of Jesus was becoming clearer. Explain. Does it sometimes take a long time for people to change their minds about Jesus? What are the implications of this for our witness for the Lord? Thank You for being patient with me, Lord, when I first…

5.  Jesus walked into hostile territory and gave people space to think about Him. There is wise counsel in this for our witness for the Lord. Explain. Bring together into one your prayers from questions 1-4.

Summary
“The Jews thought that Jesus wept on account of the death of Lazarus, but in fact he wept out of compassion for all humanity, not mourning Lazarus alone but all of humanity, which is subject to death, having justly fallen under so great a penalty.” Cyril of Alexandria (375-444 AD)

Remember: All Scripture is given to equip us for good works (2 Tim. 3.15-17). Only as we linger over the Word, considering the theological and practical implications of every verse, can we discern what God wants us to learn about doing good. Jesus shows us that doing good for others doesn’t always entail satisfying their expectations or wants. We must always keep in mind the greater good of God’s glory, Christ’s glory, nurturing faith in those who believe, and provoking the thoughts of those who do not believe. Can you see how Jesus was working toward all these ends in this story? Explain.

Closing Prayer
I will extol You, my God, O King;
And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You,
And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
And His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty acts.
I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
And on Your wondrous works.
Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness.
They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness,
And shall sing of Your righteousness.
The LORD is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
The LORD is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works.
All Your works shall praise You, O LORD,
And Your saints shall bless You.
They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom,
And talk of Your power,
To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts,
And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.

Psalm 145.1-12

Psalm 145.1-12 (Brother James’ Air: The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want)
I will extol You, God, my King, and ever praise Your Name!
I bless You, Lord, for everything each day, and e’er the same!
Great are You, Lord, my praise I bring; unsearchable Your fame!

To ev’ry generation we Your wondrous works shall tell.
The splendor of Your majesty we contemplate full well.
We speak of all Your mighty deeds and all Your greatness tell!

Then shall we all the glorious fame of Your great goodness sing –
Your righteousness, Your gracious Name, Your mercy: Praise we bring!
Your steadfast love remains the same, mercy our covering.

Your works shall thank You; all Your saints shall bless and praise You, Lord!
Your works You do so faithfully, according to Your Word.
The falling You uphold and the oppressed You rescue, Lord!
           
T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.