Early Expectations

So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death.  As a result, Jesus stopped his public ministry among the people and left Jerusalem. He went to a place near the wilderness, to the village of Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples. It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover…

Jesus Unites

He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation. And not only for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God scattered around the world. (John 11:51-52) Read: Ezekiel 17:1 – 19:14 Relate: Every…

One For Many

Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.” (John 11:49-50) Read: Ezekiel 14:1 – 16:63 Relate: Which is more important, the individual or the group? Would…

No Stopping Him

Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous…

Lazarus, Come Forth

Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” (John 11:43-44) Read: Ezekiel 5:1 – 9:11 Relate: Quick little jaunt down memory lane. I remember listening to this on…

You Always Hear

So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” (John 11:41-42) Read: Jeremiah 27:1 – 28:17, Jeremiah 51:59-64,…

Believing is Seeing

Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” (John 11:40) Read: Jeremiah 37:11 – 38:28, Ezekiel 1:1 – 3:15 Relate: Did you ever have one of those “aha” moments when an earlier conversation all of a sudden makes a bit more sense? Perhaps it was a joke somebody told and…

Roll the Stone

The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?” Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.…

Jesus Wept

Jesus wept. (John 11:35) Read: Jeremiah 31:15-40, 49:34 – 51:14 Relate: I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been teaching a Sunday School class or children’s church or some other kids function and some smart aleck kid tries to convince me that the verse they were supposed to memorize was John 11:35. It seems that…

If Only

Let me ask a question: “What is something you had wished God had done differently in your life” Does something immediately jump into our mind?