Jesus has been performing increasingly more impactful miracles on His way to Jerusalem. Today, we're discussing the biggest of them all: the resurrection of Lazarus. Lazarus' sisters, Mary and Martha both confess or confront Jesus. Luther House of Study's Sarah Stenson breaks down what we can learn from Jesus' response to them. Finally, when Jesus arrives at Lazarus' tomb, he says, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" Jesus shows these people the glory of God in a stinking dead man. At the end of the day, God's glory isn't preventing suffering and death. It's conquering it once and for all. 

SING TO THE LORD

Listen to Luther House of Study's newest podcast: Sing to the Lord!

Martin Luther said, "Next to the word of God, the art of music is the greatest treasure in the world."

To understand the importance of hymnody in the Lutheran church, Lars Olson and Mason Van Essen sit down with Zachary Brockhoff each week to discuss the lectionary's hymns, their meaning and history, and how the music preaches the Gospel. We hope you enjoy this new venture! 

🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3IjGmMa

🎧 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3VHikh3

GOSPEL

John 11:1-45

1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." 4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." 5 Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6 after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

7 Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." 8 The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?" 9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. 10 But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them." 11 After saying this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him." 12 The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right." 13 Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. 15 For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." 16 Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." 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 on the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live...

Support the show

Interested in sponsoring an episode of Scripture First?
Email Sarah at [email protected] or visit our donation page: lutherhouseofstudy.org/donate