Today’s Reading: John 11:1 – 12:8; Acts 2:14-41; Colossians 3:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”
Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”
“Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”
Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
“Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.” So Mary immediately went to him. – John 11:21-29
Mary walked away from the mourners and made her way towards Jesus. Instead of sitting in her grief, she approached the One who had the ability to raise the dead. Although she was disappointed in Jesus’ timing and grieving the death of her brother, Mary responded immediately when she heard that Jesus wanted to see her.
JESUS HAD THE AUTHORITY TO RAISE THE DEAD.
Jesus displayed his power over death when he raised Lazarus from the dead. It had been four days, but Lazarus walked out of the cave when they rolled the stone away and Jesus called to him. Those who were there came to believe in Jesus, which caused the Jewish leaders to begin plotting his death (11:53).
Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.
But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.
Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” – John 12:1-8
Once more, Jesus visited his friends — Lazarus, Martha and Mary. Imagine the silence that fell over the room as Mary began to anoint Jesus with expensive perfume. The gesture was extravagant and yet worshipful as she wiped his feet with her hair. Jesus spoke of his coming burial, words that would have been hard for his friends and followers to recall after his crucifixion.
Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching. – Matthew 27:59-61
Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” – John 20:1-2
JESUS WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD.
Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.
“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”
“Mary!” Jesus said.
She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).
“Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them his message. – John 20:11-18
JESUS CONTINUES TO RAISE US TO NEW LIFE.
Lord, we are grateful this morning for your willingness to die for our sins. We give you the praise for you conquered death and walked out of the tomb on the third day. We surrender our hearts to you and thank you for rescuing us from death, raising us to new life in you. Lord, we walk away from our grief and respond to your invitation to spend time in your presence. You are Lord of all and we give you all the praise. Christ is risen; He is risen indeed!
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. – Colossians 3:1-4