When sin entered the world, it brought with it a host of consequences; one of the most notable was death. Because of sin, we are all headed on the trajectory toward death. Praise God that this truth is not the end of the story. You see, God did not leave us on a path toward death without hope. Jesus came at just the right time in history to rescue humanity from death and from eternity separated from Him for all who place their faith in Him.
All week, we have been looking at the story of John the Baptist in Matthew 11. John was fully devoted to Christ and made it his mission to prepare everyone for Jesus' ministry. He found himself in prison in Matthew 11 for angering King Agrippa when he spoke out about his marriage to his half-brother’s wife. During his imprisonment, he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah. Jesus did not answer his question, but He pointed out His acts of healing and His authoritative teachings, which showed that He was, indeed, the Messiah. Then, as we saw in our Bible study earlier this week, Jesus praised John the Baptist for His devotion to his ministry of pointing everyone to Jesus. I am sure these words brought much-needed comfort and encouragement to John.
I wonder if John had hoped that Jesus would do something to save him from prison after he heard Jesus’ message confirming that He was the Messiah. John was never released from prison, however. Just a few chapters later in Matthew 14, we learn that John the Baptist was cruelly beheaded. This was not the end of the story for John, however. You see, John was devoted to Jesus and believed that He was the Messiah. That means that, even though he died, he had an eternity with God awaiting him, which is far greater than the greatest day anyone could ever have on earth.
The hope we cling to amidst uncertainties and unknowns is that death is not the end of the story for followers of Christ. That is why Jesus said in John 11, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never die” (verses 25-26). This is the profound good news of the gospel of Jesus: For those who place their faith in Him, even death has lost its power and sting. What is there to fear if we do not even have to fear death?
This world is riddled with sin, sickness, pain, and death. Amidst the suffering around us, we can cling to the truth that Jesus has overcome sin and death, and as a result, everyone who places their faith in Him has every reason to hope, even in death. After all, everyone who has confessed their sins and who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ has an eternity with Him forever awaiting them. There is nothing greater than this.
The fact that even death is not the end of the story for those who, like John the Baptist, have placed their faith in Christ is something to celebrate. Make plans to celebrate this good news with us at one of our weekend services, praising God that even amidst our suffering, Christ has conquered sin and death! We can’t wait to worship and celebrate with you!
Prayer Prompt: Use this prompt to guide you as you pray.
“God, as I look to the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I praise You for…”
1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”
11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
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.”
