Monday, March 16, 2026

Opening Scripture

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Opening Prayer

Gracious Heavenly Father, help me to live fully today as your child and a citizen of your kingdom. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight. In the name of Jesus, my Lord and your Son, I pray. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

John 11:1-44

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

“But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

Reflection  

Just like that, Jesus’ ministry jumped to a whole new level! All the talk about “life” and “death” suddenly got very real. As miracles go, we’ve entered a new dimension. It’s one thing to cure the living. It’s another thing to “cure” the dead! Jesus claimed to be “the resurrection and the life.” Now, he proved it.

We’re introduced to a family that Jesus was closely connected to. We aren’t given much information about Martha, Mary, and Lazarus of Bethany. They may have been relatively young, since no other family members are mentioned. That would have made Lazarus’ death even more lamentable.

Luke shares some additional insights about this family, who lived about two miles east of Jerusalem. Martha appears to have been the head of the house, opening her home and providing hospitality to Jesus and His disciples. Martha and Lazarus certainly loved Jesus, but Mary had a special devotion to Him. While Martha was busy with the demands of providing for a house full of guests, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet (a place usually reserved for men), listening to what He said. All of this is confirmed by John in the next chapter.

The sisters sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was ill, assuming that He would come quickly to heal him. Instead, Jesus deliberately waited for Lazarus to die, not from a lack of concern or fear of the religious leaders, but in submission to the Father’s will and a desire for God to be glorified.

After two days, Jesus explained that Lazarus had died and it was time to travel to Bethany. They all knew that the religious leaders wanted to kill Jesus, so it seemed like a dangerous plan to head back toward Jerusalem. Thomas the Twin declared somewhat prophetically, “Come on guys, let’s go die with Jesus!”

When they arrived in Bethany, they discovered that Lazarus had already been in the grave for four days, meaning he must have died shortly after the messengers were sent to Jesus. Martha went out to meet Jesus. Her statement is full of faith with no condemnation. Her brother Lazarus had died quickly and was gone, but Jesus was still Lord, Messiah, the Son of God.

Martha called for Mary, who came and fell at Jesus’ feet (her preferred place). She offered the same greeting as her sister, a combination of sadness and devotion.

In the presence of the sisters’ genuine suffering – against the loud wailing of the “professional mourners” from Jerusalem – Jesus was deeply moved, literally groaning within. The Greek word denotes visceral agitation, perhaps over the painful effects of sin and death, which He had come to remedy. So, He cried.

They went to the small cave cut into limestone where Lazarus’ body had been placed four days earlier. Jesus commanded that the large stone covering the entrance be taken away. When Martha objected, Jesus reminded her of His earlier promise, when He made His fifth “I AM!” saying, “I am the resurrection and the life.” As the crowd watched in great anticipation, the stone was removed.

After a brief prayer, Jesus called, “Lazarus, come out!” And he did.

Flourishing Habit

Happiness and Life Satisfaction

In John 5:28, after healing the man at the Pool of Bethesda, Jesus declared, “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out.” Sure enough.

Of course, Lazarus was only resuscitated and would eventually die again physically. One day, though, all who “die in Christ” will be raised to live with the Lord forever.

As requested at the end of our Opening Scripture, are you encouraged by that promise? What difference does it make in your daily life?

Kenny Chesney sings a song that says, “Everybody wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants to go now.” We know that eventually, all of us will die. And it could happen at any time. Are you ready?

How we choose to live each day has implications both for now and for eternity. We do well to set our hearts and minds on things above, living with the end in mind.

Tim McGraw recorded a song titled: “Live like you were dying,” which sounds a lot like Psalm 90:12, “Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

Ask God to give you His divine perspective today, so you can experience the joy and satisfaction that come from living fully in the Father’s will.

Remember: Nothing changes until something changes!