December 27

1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

2 It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with clutment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.

3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

7 Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judea again.

8 His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?

9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he serth the light of this world.

10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

11 These things said he, and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymas, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen failings off.

19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he

(681)

shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.

29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.

30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.

31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.

32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadn been here, my brother had not died.

33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

35 Jesus wept.

36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?

38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

My soul! ponder well one thought running through this lesson. The sorrowful sisters, in their message to Jesus, did not tell Him that one whom they loved was sick, but one whom Jesus loved. There could be no doubt of their love to their brother; but their application to Jesus was on account of His love. We must not overlook this. It is the most blessed and the most powerful of all arguments in prayer, when we come to a throne of grace for those that are dear and near to us, when we can and do tell the Lord, that they for whom we seek His mercy are the objects of His love.

"My soul! what saith thine own experience to all this? Doth the Redeemer lay crosses in thy way? Art thou visited with sickness, and doth Jesus perform the part of the tenderest nurse, and sit up with thee? Dost thou hear His well-known voice, saying, 'As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you?' Surely, then, thou wilt fully subscribe to the sweet words of Jesus, in His answer to the sorrowful sisters. Every exercise and every trial of the Lord's people, which He sweetens and sanctifies, 'is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.'"—Hawker.

"Jesus wept." Will not Jesus, who wept at the grave of Lazarus, feel for me? Shall I look up to Him, and look up in vain? Oh, no! the sight that bursts in secret from my heart, is not secret to Him; the tear that on my night couch drops, unperceived and unknown to the world, is known and numbered by Him. Oh! that blessed Scripture: "In all their affliction, He was afflicted; and the angel of His presence saved them; in His love, and in His pity, He redeemed them, and He bare them, and carried them all the days of old" (Isa. lxiii. 9).

Closet Promise.—I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.—John xi. 25, 26.

Death is here and death is there, Death is busy everywhere; All around, within, beneath, Above is death—and we are death.

First our pleasures die, and then Our hopes, and then our fears; and when

These are dead, the debt is due. Dust claims dust, and we die too.

All things that we love and cherish Like ourselves must fade and perish; Such is our rude mortal lot, Love itself would, did they not,

—Percy Bysshe Shelley.

The Resurrection of Christ is the guarantee of our own. The clouds which hung around the gate of death in earlier ages have rolled away since the day of our Saviour's triumph over death; the presumptive speculations which were previously rife as to the future state have been exchanged for strong certainties.—Canon Liddon.