THINK TOGETHER
What do you think is the greatest promise that Jesus makes to us?
READ TOGETHER
The Gospel of John tells us one of the greatest stories ever told from Jesus’ life. One of Jesus’ best friends, a man named Lazarus, was very sick. Lazarus’ sisters, Martha and Mary, sent a message to Jesus asking him to come and heal their brother.
But Jesus didn’t go.
He waited.
And Lazarus died.
Finally, after a few days Jesus went to the home of Martha and Mary. They were very sad, and mad, and upset at Jesus for not coming sooner. “If you had been here our brother would not have died,” they said.
But listen to what Jesus said to Martha when she yelled at him for coming too late:
John 11:21-27. 21 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 from 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 on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who 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 coming into the world.”
Now I know you’re wondering what happened to Lazarus. Do you know what happened to him? That’s right, Jesus raised him from the dead and brought him back to life!
John 11:43-44. 43 Jesus 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.”
Wow, what an incredible miracle. What a great day for Martha and Mary and all of Lazarus’ friends. A once dead man breathed air again. Walked again. Talked again. Loved again.
But as we celebrate this great miracle of Jesus don’t miss the great promise of Jesus to all of us – everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.
Jesus promises eternal life to everyone who would believe in him. If we choose to trust Jesus as our Savior, he will one day do to us something even greater than what he did for Lazarus that day. You see, Lazarus came back to life, but not eternally. He would die again later on when he got old.
But when we trust in Jesus he promises to raise us from the dead and make it so that we never die again – Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.
How can Jesus do this? Because he IS the resurrection and the life. He has the power to defeat death and bring us back to life. And he has the power to change our lives forever. One day Jesus will make it so that we not only live forever, but we will live forever in a body that never gets hurt, never gets sick, never gets tired, and we will live with a heart that always loves Jesus perfectly. And that is the greatest promise ever made!
Do you believe this?
Because of Jesus we will live with him forever.
With Jesus we can trust God no matter what because we know we will live forever with him.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Here’s the Lazarus Story word for word from John’s gospel.
And here’s a great song to sing together.
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus,
You are the resurrection and the life. I believe this!
Amen.
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