Live to Love Scripture Encouragement

John 11:54 Therefore Jesus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews, but went away from there to the country near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there He stayed with the disciples. Apparently Jesus knew of their plans and it wasn’t the Father’s timing so He avoided the conflict and spent time with His disciples. We can learn from this that there are times when we should...

John 11:53 So from that day on they planned together to kill Him. The Pharisees made their evil plans as God established their steps. John wants his readers to understand that God accomplished His purposes through evil men who thought they were in control. God was working toward His greatest display of love and glory in the death and resurrection of His son. In the affairs of men it looked like da...

John 11:52 and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. As the Pharisees are meeting to plot Jesus’ death, God is working to make all of His children throughout all of history into one nation for eternity. We are so limited in our view and judgment of the affairs of men. We know so little. “For now we see in a m...

John 11:51 Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, God is in control of Caiaphas’ prophetic statement. God’s will is being done on earth as it is in heaven. He is working all things according to the counsel of His own will. This was true in this account as well as today in our lives. This gives us gre...

John 11:49-50 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish." Caiaphas got it but didn’t. He rightly recognized that Jesus’ death could be the means of salvation for the nation, but was totally blind to the salvation God...

John 11:48 "If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." People who react to love feel threatened by it. In this case, their concern is their significance and position of authority. Implied perhaps is a jealousy of His success. Contrast that with what we want. We want all men to believe in Him. We want all the gl...

John 11:47 Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, "What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil (Prov. 16:4). Our salvation would not have happened without the chief priests and the Pharisees plotting Jesus’ death. We already know from John 8 that they are...

John 11:46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done. Stunning darkness! They see God testify with such power and authority and still do not believe. Before we judge them, let’s consider that if God had not given us ears to hear and hearts to believe, we would have done the same thing. How easy it is to give a bad or twisted report of someone we don’t lik...

John 11:45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. Many of those who came to comfort Mary saw God’s testimony of glory regarding Jesus and believed. Believers are testimonies of God’s grace and power for His glory. He is still testifying of His son through us as we love people and share the gospel. Be alert. Be ready for those God puts in your path.

John 11:44(2) The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." Before moving on to vs 45, another thought came to mind. A day is coming, and not too far away, when Jesus will say, “My bride, come forth!” In that moment, all who are His will come forth with Him as one and there will b...

John 11:44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." Jesus is the resurrection and the life. He has all authority over heaven and earth. He commanded Lazarus to come out of the tomb in his body, so Lazarus returned to his body and obeyed. The greater event however was the Fath...

John 11:43 When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." So those standing around might believe, Jesus cried out with a loud voice to Lazarus. He wanted everyone there to witness God’s testimony about Him when He speaks and God raises Lazarus. The miracle of a dead man coming back to life is sensational, but that’s not the highlight of this event. The spotli...

John 11:42 Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me." Here we have explicitly stated, the aim of the miracle God was about to do. It is to glorify the Son! It wasn’t primarily for Lazarus or Martha or Mary that this miracle occurre...

John 11:41b-42 Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me." What a blessing to have this expression of Jesus’ heart for His Father in print! First, let’s notice Jesus’ heart of gratitude and confidence in His prayer. Second, this is...

John 11:41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. Upon considering the promise of seeing the glory of God, they believed and removed the stone. They gave Jesus access because they believed they would see the glory of God revealed in Jesus. And as soon as the stone was removed, Jesus continued His intercession for them. My heart...

John 11:40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" Do we believe that all things occur so God may glorify Himself through His Son, Jesus? Jesus had told Mary that she would see the glory of God if she believed. We have been told in God’s word that for all of those who are His, He is at work for good and for His glory in this fallen world (Roman...

John 11:39 Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days." Are we ever afraid to go to a place where we’ve been hurt or disappointed with Jesus? Have you sealed that event or problem up like this cave was sealed with a stone? We’re afraid to roll back the stone. It protects us from somethi...

John 11:38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. The “so Jesus” indicates that Jesus responded to the accusation that He could have prevented Lazarus’ death. His delay was misunderstood. The work of God was to glorify His Son through Lazarus’ death. They couldn’t see that. Perhaps when we have the same misunderstanding and...

John 11:37 But some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?" Hm. Maybe Martha and Mary got the notion that if Jesus had been there, Lazarus would not have died from the Jews who came to mourn with them. However, that doesn’t seem very consoling, does it? The tone of this seems accusative. John shows us again the division that exi...

John 11:36 So the Jews were saying, "See how He loved him!" The Jews interpreted Jesus’ tears as an expression of love for Lazarus. I’m sure Jesus did love Lazarus. But I wonder if His tears were out of love for Mary. She was the one in His path. She was the one crying. She was the one in anguish. I’ve experienced Jesus’ empathetic tears before for someone who is suffering. When it has happened, i...

John 11:33-35 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus wept. “Weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15). We see a loving expression of empathy in Jesus. Although He knew Lazarus was only “sleeping” and that God was going to raise...

John 11:32 Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." We observe Mary’s great love and reverence for Jesus as she fell at His feet. It’s interesting to me that Martha didn’t fall at Jesus’ feet when she came to Him. At least, it’s not reported. There’s an attitude of surrender and humili...

John 11:30-31 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. God gathered the crowd to display His glory in His Son by having Mary not follow Martha in the begi...

John 11:29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him. When Jesus calls us, how quick do we respond? Mary was probably surrounded by people. We read two verses later that she was being consoled by the Jews who came from Jerusalem. I think John wants his readers to see another example of Mary’s love for and devotion to Jesus. We are disciples of Jesus as was Mary. Today, He may...

John 11:26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" Never dies! Faith in Jesus is the difference between eternal life and eternal death. Martha was asked if she believed in Him. Jesus might as well be asking the question of everyone who reads these words. Is He asking if we believe Jesus existed? Is He asking if we believe He was the best man that ever walked...