John 11:17-44

[17] So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. [18] Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. [19] And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. [20] Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. [21] Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. [22] But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” [23] Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” [24] Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” [25] Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  [26] And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” [27] She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”  [28] And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” [29] As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. [30] Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. [31] Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.” [32] Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” [33] Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. [34] And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” [35] Jesus wept. [36] Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” [37] And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”  [38] Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. [39] Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” [40] Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”  [41] Then they took away the stone from  the  place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  [42] And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.”  [43] Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!”  [44] And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

Witnessing the Glory of God through Faith in Jesus

If you place your faith in the Lord Jesus, you will witness the glory of God. Just as He raised Lazarus from the dead, He will do it again at His return, fulfilling His promise in Scripture.

However, for this to be accomplished, the Son must follow the will of the Father to redeem mankind from sin. The Father sacrificed His only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus, as it is written in John 3:16:

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

The Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross to atone for our sins. He, who never sinned, bore the full weight of the punishment that we, as sinners, rightly deserved.

Yet, as it is written, the Father will raise His Son on the third day.

Acts 13:30 proclaims, "But God raised Him from the dead."

1 Corinthians 6:14 assures us, "And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power."

In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, we find the truth: "For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures."

At the return of the Lord Jesus, He will fulfill His promise to us.

The Scriptures affirm:

John 6:40 states, "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

2 Corinthians 4:14 reminds us, "Knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you."

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 declares, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."