Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Father, thank you for a hope that cannot be destroyed by death. Stir the urgency and passion in my heart to live victoriously because of that hope. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

There was a man named Lazarus who was sick. He lived in the town of Bethany. This is the town where Mary and her sister Martha lived. (Mary is the same woman that later put perfume on the Lord (Jesus) and wiped his feet with her hair.) Mary's brother was Lazarus, the man that was now sick. So Mary and Martha sent a person to tell Jesus, "Lord, your dear friend Lazarus is sick." When Jesus heard this he said, "The end of this sickness will not be death. But this sickness is for the glory of God. This has happened to bring glory to the Son of God." (Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.) When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days. Then Jesus said to his followers, "We should go back to Judea." The followers answered, "But teacher, those Jews in Judea tried to kill you with stones. That was only a short time ago. Now you want to go back there?" Jesus answered, "There are twelve hours of light in the day. Right? If a person walks in the day, then he will not stumble and fall. Why? Because he can see with the light of this world. But when a person walks at night he stumbles. Why? Because there is no light to help him see." After Jesus said these things, he said, "Our friend Lazarus is now sleeping. But I am going there to wake him." The followers answered, "But Lord, if he can sleep, he will be well." Jesus meant that Lazarus was dead. But Jesus' followers thought Jesus meant that Lazarus was really sleeping. So then Jesus said clearly, "Lazarus is dead. And I am glad that I was not there. I am happy for you, because now you will believe {in me}. We will go to him now." Then Thomas (the one called Didymus) said to the other followers, "We will go too. We will die with Jesus {in Judea}."

Related Scripture Readings

I tell you the truth. An {important} time is coming. That time is already here. People that are dead {in sin} will hear the voice of the Son of God. And the people that {accept the things they} hear {from the Son} will have life {forever}. Life comes from the Father (God) himself. So the Father has also allowed the Son (Jesus) to give life. And the Father has given the Son the power to judge all people. Why? Because that Son is the Son of Man. Don't be surprised at this. A time is coming when all people that are dead and in their graves will hear his voice. Then they will come out of their graves. The people that did good in this life will rise and have life forever. But the people that did evil will rise to be judged guilty.

Every person must die once. After a person dies, he is judged. So Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to take away the sins of many people. And Christ will come a second time, but not for people's sin. Christ will come the second time to bring salvation to those people who are waiting for him.

Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about those people who have died. We don't want you to be sad like other people—people who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died. But we believe that Jesus rose again. So, because of Jesus, God will raise to be with Jesus those people who have died.