God’s Mission
John 11:17-44
Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept.
John 11:33-35
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
Pondering Point
The fact that Jesus was about to raise Lazarus from the dead did not keep Him from weeping over the emotional impact experienced by Mary and others in mourning. Such love from Jesus inspires and produces in others a love in return. Not long after this event, Mary herself will express such love-in-return by washing Jesus’ feet -- with her hair no less. Hopefully such love of Jesus inspires love in you as well.
God’s mission is driven by love and compassion; As the mission’s primary developer, Jesus too is driven by love and compassion, acting to release people from sin and sickness, from demonic oppression and ultimately from enslavement to sin and death; He is driven to give life and love: "I am the resurrection and the life", proclaims Jesus, and "He who believes in me will live, even though he dies".
Compassion is what moves him to act this day. Compassion is what moves Jesus to teach and heal day after day as He moved from town to town (See Matthew 9:35-36).
Mathew 9:35-36
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
It is what still moves Him today. That compassion also led him to call for extending this ministry of compassion through others like you and me:
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them,
because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep
without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, The
harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord
of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his
harvest field.
What follows in italics is a harvest prayer used in worship at church:
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I believe that you are still moved by compassion. At your request I pray, Lord of the harvest, bring in and send out workers for the harvest -- at home and abroad, locally and globally, young and old, male and female, lay people and professionals. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.