Day 62 | Thy Brother Shall Rise
April 28, 2015 - WEEK NINE
James Tissot, The Resurrection of Lazarus, Brooklyn Museum, Purchased by public subscription.
DAILY READING
John 11
Luke 16:19-31
For Younger Disciples
CONSIDER AS YOU READ
- Like Thomas the apostle, are you willing to die for the Kingdom of God (John 11:16)? Are you willing to live for it, too?
- Why do you think Jesus waited four days to go to Bethany to raise Lazarus from the dead?
- How did the Jews seek to purify themselves at the temple? How do you seek purification at the temple today?
SUPPLEMENTAL READING
While Jesus was teaching in Perea with his disciples, word came to Him that his dear friend Lazarus was gravely ill. Yet rather than leaving immediately to cover the 25 miles to Bethany, Jesus waited two days in which he performed a Sabbath healing, taught of sacrifice and faith, and taught several parables, including that of Lazarus and the Rich Man. There is much to be learned from his delay, the reasons for it, and the parables He taught in those few days.
One lesson of this parable is given in its final statement: “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:31). The parable foreshadowed what would come next. Jesus went to Bethany and in a public display of power, called Lazarus forth from the grave, well after his body would have began to decompose. Despite the very public and undeniable nature of the miracle, the scribes and Pharisees—they who were keepers of the Law of Moses—did not believe in Christ or that His power came from God. Their response to the miracle was to plot to kill both Lazarus and Jesus, with no evident awareness of the irony or impossibility of that attempt in light of what they had just seen.
There is an important lesson to be learned herein about the heart of man. We must learn to live by faith; if we will not obey God’s will and His commandments as delivered by God’s servants, inevitably we will not remain faithful, though Jesus Christ Himself deliver His message. We must live by faith—not ask for proof—if we would endure to the end (Toni Thomas, Come unto Christ, 2013).
ADDITIONAL MEDIA
FOR YOUNGER DISCIPLES
Jesus Brings Lazarus
Back to Life
QUESTIONS FOR YOUNGER DISCIPLES
- Why do you think Jesus asked Martha if she believed he could raise Lazarus? Why did he ask where Lazarus was buried? Why did he ask the people to move the stone? Could Jesus have performed this miracle without Martha’s faith or without the help of others?
- I wonder what Lazarus did after being raised from the dead after four days in the tomb. Do you think he was a good missionary?