John 11:1-16
11: Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Reflection
Jesus enjoyed a special relationship with Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. This family provided friendship in a world of conflict and growing hostility (cf. Luke 10:38–42). Perhaps it was precisely because of Jesus’ great love for this family that he entrusted to them, in the sickness and death of Lazarus, a very difficult lesson concerning God’s providence.
The gospel is a story of our God doing all things well, not all things easily. He is our Father, but this does not mean that he leads his children in a life of ease and comfort. Indeed, when he heard about Lazarus’s sickness, Jesus waited two days longer before responding —apparently so that his compassion could be revealed by a more glorious display of divine power and love (John 11:5– 6). God’s ways are not our ways (Isa. 55:8). They are much better.
Hebrews 9:23-28
23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Reflection
Hebrews 9:23 is one of the most startling verses in all Scripture. It teaches that Christ’s sacrifice cleansed heaven itself! Does this mean that God is in need of purification? Of course not! It is because of the sins of God’s people that heaven must be cleansed (cf. Lev. 16:16, 18–19). Christ entered “heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf” (Heb. 9:24). The last three words are crucial —Christ cleansed heaven itself “on our behalf.” Nothing was wrong with God and his heavenly dwelling place in themselves. But our sins stink to high heaven and they contaminate the very presence of God in whose presence all things exist (4:13; Col. 1:17).
Christ made this cleansing by “the sacrifice of himself” (Heb. 9:25–26). The marvelous result of Jesus’ unique self-sacrifice is that his death “put away sin” (v. 26). Human beings desperately need Christ’s saving accomplishment because “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (v. 27). Ever since Adam’s fall, death awaits human beings, and beyond that, there is “eternal judgment” (6:2). But for his people, Christ cancels the judgment following death. Although he too died, at his return he will bring final salvation, not judgment, for believers. The reason? Christ’s death, unlike that of all others, brought ultimate salvation; he died to “bear . . . sins” (9:28). “So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (v. 28). What else can believing hearts do except love him in return and gladly obey him?
Psalm 24:3-6
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. 5 He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
Our ability to enter into the presence of God is a result of the gift of Christ’s perfect life of righteousness credited to our account (Rom. 5:18–19). All we bring to the table is our belief in his accomplishment —and even that is a gift from God (Eph. 2:8). Pray for faith today so that your focus and confidence will rest entirely upon the finished work of your Savior.