Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Give me hope, O Lord, for I rely on you and trust in your gracious power to carry me through. I cannot win the battle I now face without your power, presence, and mercy. Please be near with power. In Jesus' mighty name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Jesus arrived in Bethany. Jesus found that Lazarus had already been dead and in the tomb for four days. Bethany was about two miles from Jerusalem. Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary. They came to comfort them about their brother {Lazarus}. Martha heard that Jesus was coming. She went out to greet Jesus. But Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you anything you ask." Jesus said, "Your brother will rise and be alive again." Martha answered, "I know that he will rise to live again when people are resurrected (raised from death) on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection. I am life. The person that believes in me will have life {again} after he dies. And the person that lives and believes in me will never really die. Martha, do you believe this?" Martha answered, "Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God. You are the One that was coming to the world." After Martha said these things, she went back to her sister Mary. Martha talked to Mary alone. Martha said, "The Teacher (Jesus) is here. He is asking for you." When Mary heard this, she stood up and went quickly to Jesus. Jesus had not yet come into the village. He was still at the place where Martha met him. The Jews who had come were with Mary in the house. They were comforting her. They saw Mary stand and leave quickly. They thought that she was going to the tomb {of Lazarus}. They thought she was going there to cry. So they followed her. Mary went to the place where Jesus was. When she saw Jesus, she bowed at his feet. Mary said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Jesus saw that Mary was crying. Jesus saw the Jews that came with her. They were crying too. Jesus felt very upset. He was deeply troubled. Jesus asked, "Where did you put him (Lazarus)?" They said, "Lord, come and see." Jesus cried. And the Jews said, "Look! Jesus loved Lazarus verymuch!" But some of these Jews said, "Jesus healed the eyes of the blind man. Why didn't Jesus help Lazarus and stop him from dying?"

Related Scripture Readings

Later, Jesus went across Lake Galilee (Lake Tiberias). Many people followed Jesus. They followed him because they saw the ways Jesus showed his power by healing the sick people. Jesus went up on the side of the hill. He sat there with his followers. It was almost the time for the Jewish Passover festival. Jesus looked up and saw many people coming toward him. Jesus said to Philip, "Where can we buy enough bread for all these people to eat?" (Jesus asked Philip this question to test him. Jesus already knew what he planned to do.) Philip answered, "We would all have to work a month to buy enough bread for each person here to have only a little piece!" Another follower there was Andrew. Andrew was Simon Peter's brother. Andrew said,

They asked his parents, "Is this your son? You say that he was born blind. So why can he see now?" The parents answered, "We know that this man is our son. And we know that he was born blind. But we don't know why he can see now. We don't know who healed his eyes. Ask him. He is old enough to answer for himself." His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. The Jewish leaders had already decided that they would punish any person that said Jesus was the Christ. They would put those people out of the synagogue. That is why his parents said, "He is old enough. Ask him." So the Jewish leaders called the man that had been blind. They told the man to come in again. They said, "You should give God the glory {by telling the truth}. We know that this man (Jesus) is a sinner."

All these people are known for their faith. But none of these people got God's great promise. God planned to give us something better. Then those people could be made perfect, but only together with us.