Do you have good friends?

All photos courtesy of Unsplash

Isn’t it great to have a good group of friends around you? Do you have school, college or Uni friends that you keep in touch with? What about work colleagues or even friendly neighbours? 

Jesus had a number of good friends too. There were the 12 disciples, as an obvious example. Jesus also had a good relationship with a group of three siblings: Lazarus and his two sisters Mary and Martha. 

In John’s Gospel, we learn of Lazarus’ death. The sisters sent Jesus a message: “Lord, your dear friend is sick.” 

When Jesus heard it, He said, “The final result of this sickness will not be the death of Lazarus; this has happened in order to bring glory to God.” 

Jesus added, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I will go and wake him up.” The disciples replied, “If he is asleep, Lord, he will get well.”Jesus meant that Lazarus had died, but they thought he meant natural sleep. So Jesus said, “Lazarus is dead, but for your sake I am glad that I was not with him, so that you will believe. Let us go to him.” 

When Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had been buried four days before. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him, but Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “If you had been here, Lord, my brother would not have died! But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask him for.” 

"Your brother will rise to life,” Jesus told her. “I know that he will rise to life on the last day” she replied. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; and those who live and believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 

“Yes, Lord!” she answered. “I do believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” 

Jesus asked “Where have you buried him?” “Come and see, Lord,” they answered. Jesus wept. This is the shortest verse in the Bible and proves that Jesus had emotions just like us.  

Some said, “He gave sight to the blind man, didn't He? Could He not have kept Lazarus from dying?” Jesus went to the tomb, which was a cave with a stone placed at the entrance. “Take the stone away!” He ordered. 

Martha answered, “There will be a bad smell, Lord. He’s been buried four days!” Jesus said to her, “Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believed?” They took the stone away. Jesus looked up and said, “I thank you, Father, that you listen to me. I know that you always listen to me, but I say this for the sake of the people here, so that they will believe that you sent me.” 

He then called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” He came out, his hands and feet wrapped in grave cloths, and with a cloth around his face. “Untie him and let him go” said Jesus. 

On hearing Jesus saying “I am the resurrection and the life”, Martha replied with “I do believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” Are you able to use the same words and affirm a personal faith in Jesus? Remember His words: “Those who believe in me will live, even though they die; and those who live and believe in me will never die.”

DAILY MESSAGES WITH MEANING (25/01/24)

Written by NIGEL BINDING