Sunday: Lazarus — John 11:1-16
Mary and Martha sent a message to Jesus that their brother was sick. It is interesting to note that they didn’t demand anything of Jesus; they laid the situation totally in Jesus’s hands to do as He willed. The journey from Bethany, where the siblings lived, to where Jesus was took about a day to travel. Therefore, when the message arrived, Lazarus had already died. Jesus waited two more days before travelling to Bethany. Jesus could have healed Lazarus from a distance, or even prevented the illness, but He chose not to. He saw the situation as an opportunity to glorify God.
Monday: The Resurrection & the Life — John 11:17-27
Although Martha didn’t fully comprehend Jesus’s purpose, she had genuine faith that He could have healed Lazarus. Jesus told her that her brother would rise again, but she still doesn’t understand. She interprets Jesus’s comment to be for some future time. Jesus responds by challenging her to a deeper level of faith by stating that He is the Resurrection and the Life. He is pointing out that He isn’t just the life-giver, He is life itself. Martha rises to the challenge and states unequivocally that Jesus is Lord, the Christ, and the Son of God.
Tuesday: Jesus & Death, the Last Enemy — John 11:28-37
When Jesus is faced with Mary’s weeping and similar questioning, He has a different reaction than to Martha. He is actually angry and agitated. The word “groaned” comes from the Greek word “embrimaomai, meaning snorting, as in what an animal does. And the Greek word for “troubled,” “tarasso,” literally means to be angry in spirit. Jesus’s anger was kindled by the lament of Mary and her friends over the death experience. Death is an enemy and Satan uses our fear of death as a weapon. This knowledge incensed Jesus.
Wednesday: Raised from Death — John 11:38-44
Earlier in the passage Martha declared her utmost faith in Jesus. But at the last minute, her faith waned. She commented that Lazarus had been dead for four days and surely his body would stink. Jesus reminded her of the message that He had sent to her three days before. He urged her to believe. Jesus recognized that faith in God’s promises releases God’s power and reveals the glory of God.
Thursday: Death Decision — John 11:45-54
There were many witnesses to the miracle Jesus performed when He raised Lazarus from the dead. Many who witnessed it believed on the Lord. But the people were divided in their response. Some of them immediately left and reported to the Pharisees what they had seen. Based on the accumulating evidence, the Pharisees made a decision: Jesus must die!
Friday: Healing of Ten Lepers — Luke 17:11-19
They cried out for help referring to Jesus as “master,” which revealed that they had knowledge of who He was and the power He had. Jesus instructed them to go show themselves to the priests. At that point they weren’t yet healed, so Jesus’s instruction required an act of faith on their part. When one of them noticed he was healed, he returned, fell at Jesus’s feet, and praised Him.
Saturday: The Son of Man’s Coming — Luke 17:20-37
Jesus begins in this passage by answering the Pharisees’ question regarding when the Kingdom of God will be coming. Then He gave His disciples instructions regarding the coming Kingdom. He urged them not to become wrapped up in watching for His return or with the cares of the world around them. We may not know when the Son of Man will come back, but when He does, there will be no doubt, and we need to be ready.