March 2

JOHN 11
38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, 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 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 believed 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 you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” – John 11:38-44

JOHN 11 RAISING THE DEAD
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
Before the Son of God came and became human
We were all dead in our sins and we were in bondage
If you believe in Christ, you will be raised from the dead
He will resurrect your spirit and you’ll be cleansed from sin
Jesus Christ is the light that leads mankind from darkness
Without him, we will not be free from God’s wrath and anger.

This is the greatest miracle Jesus performed while he was on earth. It is a foreshadowing of his coming victory over death. Notice how he wept before he raised Lazarus in verse 35 when he was deeply moved by Mary’s weeping and also the other Jews. The death of a loved one is one of the most painful events one can ever experience. He loved Lazarus so much and our Lord also experienced the pain of losing a loved one. There were a lot of people in Bethany who witnessed this miracle. They were all mourning for Lazarus’ death. This was the best time to raise Lazarus from the dead. He was already dead for four days and it would make people experience the power of God. This miracle was done so that many would believe and it would also predict Jesus’ coming death. This miracle will also anger the Jewish leaders and instigate their plot to kill him. This was the prelude to his arrest and death on the cross which will lead to his victory over death.

REFLECTION
• What has Jesus raised you from when you became a believer?

March 1

JOHN 11
32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she 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 had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly 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 also have kept this man from dying?”– John 11:32-37

JOHN 11 COMPASSION FOR THE TROUBLED
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When you are in trouble and suffering, do not despair
The Lord Jesus knows every tear and pain you encounter
He has compassion for the troubled and the oppressed
He died so that they can be free and have life abundantly
Just as he loved, we also must show love for others
He wants us to share in each other’s agony and burdens.

When Jesus saw Mary and the other Jews weeping over Lazarus’ death, he was greatly moved, stirred and troubled. We witness Jesus’ compassion and humanity in this account. Lazarus, Mary and Martha were one of his closest friends. He was filled with sorrow for their loss and also wept with them. Jesus did not just weep because he is human, but because he manifests love and compassion and godly sorrow when his people undergo sorrow, pain and suffering. Psalm 56:8 tells us that God is aware and keeps count of every tear that falls from our eyes. He has a record of it. That is how compassionate and full of love the God we serve is.
1 John 4:8 says that whoever does not love does not know God because God is love. Since God loves us tremendously, shouldn’t we all love each other too? Shouldn’t we show compassion to those who are hurting, oppressed and troubled? Jesus gave us a great example of loving concern and deep empathy for those who are undergoing such adversities, losses and miseries. Let us all emulate him.

REFLECTION
• What do you think is the source of apathy in our world today?