Podcasts about unbind

Click here to WATCH LIVE STREAM Worship Service on our Youtube Channel. That You May Believe, Part 22 John 11:1-44 John 11:1-3 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” John 11:4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” John 11:5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. John 11:6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. John 11:7-8 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 seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” John 11:9-10 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” John 11:11-13 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. John 11:14-15 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” John 11:16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” John 11:17-19 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. John 11:20-22 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 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 from God, God will give you.” John 11:23-24 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.” John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” John 11:28-30 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. John 11:31-32 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:33-35 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. John 11:36-37 So 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 also have kept this man from dying?” John 11:38-40 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, 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 the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” John 11:41-42 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” John 11:43-44 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” · We face death differently. 1 Corinthians 15:20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 15:53-57 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. · We grieve differently. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. · We live differently. Romans 6:4-11 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Respond | Connect | Next Steps The post John: That You May Believe appeared first on Charleston Baptist Church.

In John 11, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead and reveals one of the most powerful “I Am” statements in the Gospel of John: “I am the resurrection and the life.” This message from The Source series looks at the seventh public sign in John's Gospel and shows how the resurrection of Lazarus points to the authority of Jesus over death, the hope of eternal life, and the freedom He brings to those who believe.Before Jesus raises Lazarus, He delays, He weeps, and He enters the grief of Mary and Martha. This passage reminds us that Jesus is not distant from our pain, but He is also not defeated by it. He is the Source of life, and when He calls our name, dead things come alive.In this sermon, Pastor Josh Brown teaches through John 11 and explores what it means to live the resurrected life. The resurrected life is not only about a future resurrection; it is about hope, freedom, and new life in Christ right now. Jesus does not simply promise resurrection someday. He is resurrection and life today.If you are walking through grief, delay, disappointment, fear, or spiritual bondage, this message will encourage you to believe again. Lazarus walked out of the tomb still wrapped in grave clothes, and Jesus told the people around him, “Unbind him, and let him go.” In Christ, we are raised to life and called into freedom.Join us as we continue The Source series through the Gospel of John and discover how Jesus is the living water, the bread of life, the light of the world, the good shepherd, and the resurrection and the life.Scripture: John 11:1–46Series: The SourceSpeaker: Pastor Josh BrownChurch: Overflow ChurchTopics: John 11, Lazarus, Jesus raises Lazarus, I am the resurrection and the life, resurrection power, living hope, freedom in Christ, Gospel of John, the seventh sign in John, Jesus has authority over death, The Source series, Overflow Church, Pastor Josh BrownSupport the show

Do you feel true freedom to be your true self? If not, what binds you?

The Jayhawk is a witness to freedom, but sometimes we are more like Lazarus! “Come out! Unbind him.”

A sermon preached by Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli with Foundry UMC March 22 2026. “Ignite the Light” series.  Text: John 11:1-45   It is Women's History Month. And right now, there are real reminders that the struggle for women's full dignity—in society and in the church—is not behind us. Legislation like the SAVE Act (being debated this very weekend in the Senate) threatens to create new barriers to voting, not just for women, but most certainly barriers that will disproportionately affect women, especially those whose legal names no longer match their birth certificates. At the same time, there is a growing movement in some corners of Christianity to restrict women from preaching and leadership. And I know this part isn't abstract. In the clips of my sermons regularly getting posted these days on social media, it's common to receive comments discrediting anything I say only because I'm a woman saying it. Arguments against women in church leadership are often justified by appeals to scripture—some reflecting the norms of the time, others drawn from how women show up (or don't) in the Gospel stories. You know the ones: “All the disciples were men!” // Today, our Gospel story has a lot going on in it. Yes, the big reveal is Lazarus coming out of that tomb. But there is so much more: There is a political crisis. A theological crisis. And—if we look closely—a buried story. A buried female story. Because at the heart of this story is a question about who gets to speak the truth about who Jesus is—and what happens when that truth comes from a voice some would rather not hear. John's Gospel is organized around seven astonishing “signs.” The raising of Lazarus is the seventh. And it is the one that gets Jesus killed. Right after Lazarus is raised, the religious authorities decide: “He must die.” Which makes me wonder—Jesus has healed before. Fed thousands. Turned water into wine. Why is this sign the turning point?  To understand that, we look back to the prophet Ezekiel. In chapter 37, he sees a valley of dry bones—an image of a defeated people. God speaks, breath enters them, and they rise. God says, “I will open your graves… and bring you back to your land.” This is not just about individual resurrection. It is about national restoration. Liberation. The defeat of oppression. Now imagine living under brutal Roman occupation. And then hearing about a man who has just… opened a grave. Do you see the connection? This would not just look like a miracle. It would look like Ezekiel's vision coming true. A sign that God is about to overturn the order of things. And hope—especially hope among the oppressed—is always dangerous. So when the authorities say, “If we let him go on like this… the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation,” they are not being irrational. They're being realistic. They're thinking of how to keep the crowds from “poking the bear” of the empire. Because if the crowds start mobilizing around Jesus as the one who will raise Israel from the dead—Rome will respond with violence. Better, they think, for one man to die than for the whole nation to be destroyed. (John 11:50) This is the political crisis. But there is another layer to this story. Another kind of burial.  New Testament scholar Elizabeth Schrader Polczer has spent years studying the earliest manuscripts of John's Gospel—especially this chapter. And what she noticed is that in many of the texts, there are signs of disturbance. In more than one of our oldest copies, there are edits—visible ones. Names changed. Words scratched out. Singular turned into plural. In particular, the name Mary appears to have been altered to Martha. And in some places, what was once a single woman becomes “the sisters.”  Schrader Polczer's careful reconstruction of the text from the most ancient copies suggests that Lazarus had one sister—Mary. One sister, not two. Now, that might sound like a technical detail. A scholarly footnote. But stay with me—because this matters. Schrader Polczer's claim is this: that the Mary in John 11 may actually be Mary Magdalene—and that her role was later divided by introducing Martha into the story. Not invented out of thin air, but imported—brought in, she suggests, from the Gospel of Luke, where a different Mary and her sister Martha (no mention of Lazarus) appear in a completely different story in a completely different place—Galilee in the north, not Bethany near Jerusalem in the south. In Luke 10, this Mary sits at Jesus' feet as a disciple while Martha is busy serving. It's a well-known scene. Early scribes would have known it well. And so, over time, it seems possible that this familiar pair—Mary and Martha—was inserted into John 11. And here's what that does: It takes one central woman, Mary Magdalene, sister of Lazarus, and turns her into two. It diffuses her presence. It redistributes her voice. Because if you read John 11 without Martha—if you imagine the earlier version of the text—Mary becomes the central figure. And not just any Mary. Mary Magdalene—Mary “the Tower”—a name that already suggests strength, presence, witness. And suddenly, connections begin to emerge.  Mary is the one at Lazarus's tomb in chapter 11. And in chapter 20, Mary Magdalene is the one at the tomb again. Mary weeps at the tombs of Lazarus and in the garden. Mary encounters the power of life over death. In both places. Mary anoints Jesus for his burial. (John 12) Mary stands at the cross. (John 19) Mary is the first witness to the resurrection. (John 20) Mary is the first sent to proclaim the good news. And if Mary not Martha is also the one who makes the great confession—then the implications are profound. Because in John 11:27, the one who says, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God,” is making one of the central declarations of the entire Gospel.  And if that confession originally belonged to Mary Magdalene then the first to confess who Jesus is and the first to witness his resurrection are the same person. A woman. A central apostolic voice. And here's where things get tense. Because that kind of authority—in the voice and witness of a woman—has not always been easy for the church to hold. // Polczer's argument is not uncontested. This is real scholarship—debated, tested, ongoing. And it's not about claiming certainty of intent. But it does suggest that the text may have been shaped in ways that had the effect of softening Mary Magdalene's prominence, shaping a story in a world not yet ready to center a woman's authority. Polczer calls it a “wound in the text.” Not something that destroys the Gospel, but something that reveals its vulnerability. And I want to be really clear here: This is not about discrediting scripture. It's about taking it seriously enough to study it closely, to notice what is happening, to ask why it matters. Because what's at stake is not just who was in the room in John 11. What is at stake is the theological issue of who gets to speak, who gets to lead, who gets to bear witness to the truth of who Jesus is. And when you place that alongside the fear we see in the authorities—the fear that Jesus is stirring up too much hope, too much possibility, too much disruption—you begin to see a pattern. Because just as the raising of Lazarus threatens political systems, the elevation of Mary threatens religious ones. But here is the good news. The Gospel of John tells us: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” Not will not. Did not. Which means that even if something was buried in the past, even if something was obscured, the light is still there, still shining, still waiting to be seen. So what does all of this mean for us right now in this Women's History Month. In a time when laws are being debated that could make it harder for women to fully participate in our democracy. In a time when some are still arguing that a woman's voice in the pulpit is somehow less faithful, less authoritative, less true. It means that we have seen this before. When voices that carry truth and possibility begin to disrupt the status quo, those voices are sometimes resisted outright. And sometimes, more subtly, they're… adjusted. Edited. Qualified. Split in two. Not erased completely—but reshaped into something easier to manage. This is not just about Mary. This is about all the ways God's truth has been buried. And the question is not simply, “Did this happen in the text?” The question is: Where is it happening now? Because the call of the Gospel is not just to notice the light, the call is to join it. The same Jesus who stood at Lazarus' tomb and called life out of death is still standing at the places where truth has been buried—and saying: “Come out.” “Unbind them.” “Let them go.” So this Women's History Month, hear this clearly: The work is not finished. But neither is the story. Because the light that shone in Mary Magdalene—a light that could be obscured but not extinguished—is still shining. And the darkness has not overcome it. So when you see something buried—a voice dismissed, a calling denied, a truth diminished—do not look away. Call it forth. Unbind it. Let it go. Because in the end, what God brings to life—a body, a truth, a voice—will not stay in the grave. Amen.   References https://nwlc.org/press-release/house-passes-save-act-2-0-to-suppress-millions-of-eligible-voters/ https://www.christiancentury.org/interviews/signs-mary-magdalene-john-11#:~:text=Polczer%20has%20also%20studied%20John%2011%2C%20where,Martha%20was%20not%20a%20sister%20of%20Lazarus. https://dianabutlerbass.substack.com/p/mary-in-john-11

After six seasons, things are changing - and we want to tell you why before you hear it somewhere else. In this video we're announcing three things: First, we're officially launching The C.U.R.E.™ Method - our trademarked framework for addiction recovery and betrayal trauma. C.U.R.E. stands for Calm, Unbind, Reckon, and Embrace. We walk through what each stage looks like for the addict, the betrayed wife, and the couple. Second, Lori is stepping back from couples content. Not because she's done helping - but because something she's been watching build for over a year has reached a tipping point. The kindest, most patient wives she knows are being met with husbands going off the rails in ways she's never seen before. She's not okay with it. And she's not staying quiet about it anymore. Third, Jay is launching Storm Ready Men™ - a new channel built around helping men navigate the storms of life instead of avoiding them. Whether it's addiction, loneliness, loss, finances, or relationships - Storm Ready Men is about preparing before the storm hits, not just surviving after it does. Jay will continue releasing content here for betrayed wives alongside his new channel. Links will go both directions so nothing gets missed. If you've been with us through any part of these six seasons - thank you. We mean that. Drop a comment below and let us know: what topics do you want Jay to cover on Storm Ready Men? The Basics of Rebuilding Trust - https://jayandloripyatt.gumroad.com/l/LzMJm Timestamps 00:28 What Is the C.U.R.E.™ Method? 01:42 C - Calm: Where Every Recovery Starts 02:15 U - Unbind: Letting Go of What's Keeping You Stuck 03:16 R - Reckoning: Facing What's Actually True 04:49 E - Embrace: What Life Looks Like on the Other Side 06:30 Our Marriage Isn't What You Think It Is 08:47 Why Lori Is Changing Direction 09:54 A Gentle Rage: What Lori Is Seeing Out There 11:15 A New Boundary for Couples 14:12 Introducing Storm Ready Men™ 16:18 What Storm Ready Men Will Cover 17:01 Closing and How to Stay Connected -- To Say Thanks ("Tip Jar") - https://buy.stripe.com/8wM6pe74F9LsdkA8ww -- Who is This Channel For? If your marriage has been impacted by addiction — whether you're the one struggling or the one carrying the pain — this channel is for you. Our marriage was nearly destroyed by Jay's compulsive pornography use. We found a way through it. Now, as Trauma-Trained Certified Mentors, we help couples find the peace, trust, and connection they're looking for. #relationships #marriageadvice

A sermon for Lent 5, March 22, 2026 by the Rev. Cn. Amy Coultas. John 11:1-45 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 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.” Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” 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. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

John 11:17-26 ESV 17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 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 from 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 on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”   • • • 1. God's glory revealed in tragedy   • • • John 11:1-4 ESV 1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”   • • • 2. God's love revealed by compassion   • • • John 11:5 ESV 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.   • • • John 11:32-37 ESV 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So 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 also have kept this man from dying?”   • • • Romans 12:15 ESV 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.   • • • Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV 14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.   • • • 3. God's power revealed through victory   • • • John 11:38-44 ESV 38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, 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 the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”   • • • John 11:25-26 ESV 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”   • • • Revelation 21:4 ESV 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”   • • • Application: Life's tragedies are opportunities to trust in the goodness of God.

Join Father Bill Carroll as he gives his sermon on the Fifth Sunday in Lent at Christ Church Cranbrook.

John 11:17-27, 38-53  (ESV)I Am the Resurrection and the Life17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles[a] off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 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 from 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 on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[b] Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who 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 coming into the world.”Jesus Raises Lazarus38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, 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 the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”The Plot to Kill Jesus45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

John 11:1-45   Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 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.” Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” 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. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

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, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world."    28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." 29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 The Jews who were with her in the house consoling her saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So 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?"    38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?" 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."    45 Many of the Jews, therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did believed in him. 

Fifth Sunday in Lent Old Testament Ezekiel 37:1-14 The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord God, you know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord." So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act," says the Lord. The Psalm Psalm 130 De profundis 1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice; * let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication. 2 If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, * O Lord, who could stand? 3 For there is forgiveness with you; * therefore you shall be feared. 4 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; * in his word is my hope. 5 My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning, * more than watchmen for the morning. 6 O Israel, wait for the Lord, * for with the Lord there is mercy; 7 With him there is plenteous redemption, * and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins. The Epistle Romans 8:6-11 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law-- indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. The Gospel John 11:1-45 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." 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." Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?" 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. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them." After saying this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him." The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right." Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world." When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

John 11:17-44When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house consoling her saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” I hate bagged salad. To this day, I can still remember the: like fermented lettuce soaked in apple cider vinegar and cat pee. It was putrid. Pallets of it were taken to the farm every week. You've probably heard me talk about the farminary before: farm plus seminary equals farminary. It was agriculture and theological education wrapped into one. Before my first class started, I had grand ideas about what the farminary would be like: romanticized thoughts about growing a huge, flourishing garden that would compete with Eden.On the first day of class, Nate Stucky, our professor and director of the farminary, led us to our first hands-on agricultural assignment. It wasn't tilling rows, planting seeds, and certainly not picking any harvest. Instead, he led us to the compost pile and a pallet of bagged salad swarming with flies. Even now, I am convinced you could see green streaks of stench floating above it like in a cartoon.Nate told us, “Today you continue to help bring this farm back to life.” Before the farminary began, the land had been a sod farm and a Christmas tree farm. Both of those stripped the land of the good, rich soil, leaving behind infertile dirt that no one wanted. Nate knew when he began the farminary that the first thing he had to do was bring the soil back to life. Which meant students like me spent much of our time at the compost pile, ripping open thousands of bagged salad kits, dumping the contents onto the pile, and turning it over and over. And it wasn't just rotten lettuce. Food waste from the dining hall. Coffee grounds from a local shop. Leaves from last fall. All of it together—a giant pile of smelly, dying compost—was what brought life to this barren land. When we stirred it all up and revealed the black soil at the bottom, Nate would say, “That's resurrection.”The obvious, yet difficult thing about resurrection is that it requires death first. Most of us approach death like either Martha or Mary. Martha approaches it with hope. She is certainly grieved by her brother's death—“Lord, if you had been here…” but at the same time she remembers the promises she's heard her whole life about resurrection and life everlasting. So she responds with hope for the future: “God will do what you ask, and I know there will be resurrection someday.”But Jesus wants Martha to have hope in this life, not just the next.So he says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Do you believe this?” Jesus takes those promises we know in our heads and puts a face to them. In moments of loss and crisis and death, what matters most is not just what you know, but who you know—who you trust. You know about resurrection, Jesus says, but do you believe I am the one who brings life now, not just someday?Mary, on the other hand, comes with no speeches, no theology, no future hope. She says the same words as her sister, but without the reassurance: “Lord, if you had been here…” I imagine her angry and sad, crying on her knees, repeating that line over and over. Jesus doesn't correct her or explain anything. He just meets her tears with his own.I find it comforting that Jesus seems to meet each sister where she is—strengthening Martha's hope while sitting in Mary's despair. Because whether we come with hope or with anger, with faith or with tears, Jesus still walks us to the tomb.Because it's there at the tomb, in deep grief and pain, that Jesus reveals his glory. With the stench of death in the air, Jesus says to Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” What Jesus is telling Martha, and us, is that the glory of God is revealed in resurrection: not just when hearts start beating again, but whenever something we thought was dead begins to live again.Yes, Lazarus is raised, but God's glory is seen in anything that has been treated like it's dead but brought back to life. In the things we have grieved, mourned, and wept over, but that somehow lives again. In the stuff that is rotting and stinking, yet somehow comes back to life. We can see this glory all around us. If you've ever been out west to Yellowstone National Park, one of the most common trees you'll see is the lodgepole pine. When fires come through the park, they burn the trees and scorch the earth below. But in the heat, the pines release their resin-sealed seeds onto the ground. The flames melt the resin, the underbrush is cleared away, and out of the ashes rise new trees. What looks like destruction is actually preparation for new life. Death and resurrection. The glory of God.Or consider the Martindale–Brightwood neighborhood right here on the near northeast side of Indianapolis. Once a thriving neighborhood for middle-class Black families, it was systematically devastated by redlining and pollution, left to decay. But for decades now, churches, neighbors, and the Martindale–Brightwood Community Development Corporation have been working together to bring affordable housing, access to food, jobs, and mentoring for youth to the area—all signs of new life. It's not a story of a thriving area, yet. But I bet Lazarus wasn't running a marathon the next day. It's slow, but it's still death and resurrection. The glory of God.Think of your own life: a relationship once shattered is revived; a career thoroughly burned is brought back from the ashes; a love of God rekindled after years of church hurt and deconstruction. Each one an example of resurrection.The glory of God is seen in the dead, rotten, smelly, sealed-up places because that's where new life is called forth. If we want resurrection, then we can't be offended by a little stench. We can't be too scared of death, because the two go together.And resurrection isn't something we just witness. We are invited to get involved. Jesus says to those gathered there, “Unbind him and let him go.” Jesus does the raising, but he tells the community to do the unbinding.Resurrection is God's work. But unbinding… that's the church's work. That's our workAnd we are already trying to do this in our own way. Through our Outreach Grants, through our support of Project Rouj, through investing in people and places that are overlooked, we are helping unbind what God is bringing back to life. We are saying this is not over yet. There is still life here.Sometimes unbinding looks like helping a neighborhood come back to life. Sometimes it looks like walking with someone through grief or addiction or failure until they can stand again, like our Stephen Ministers do.Sometimes it's forgiveness, cutting the grave clothes off a relationship that was assumed over.Unbinding is helping people live again. And that is the work Jesus gives to the church: to go to the places of death and look for signs of new life. So let's rip open the bag.Pour out the rot.Stir the pile.Take in the smell,looking for signs of life,for the glory of God.And once we see it,unbind it,let it go,and spread it around.God has brought back to lifethat which was dead.And we have seen God's glory,alive and well,here and now.Amen.

March 22, 2026 John 11:18-44 (ESV) 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 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 from 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 on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who 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 coming into the world.” 28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So 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 also have kept this man from dying?” 38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, 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 the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Jesus calls us out of our sealed places—and invites the community to help unbind us, heal us, and walk with us into new life.

Year A – Fifth Sunday in Lent– March 22, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd John 11:1-45 Grace and peace to you from God and the Holy Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, who liberates us from our bindings, and redeems us through God's love and grace. Amen. *** "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."  …both sisters launch this statement at Jesus… this accusation… this plea. Did you not care… did you not love him enough? Did we not love you enough? Why… why did you let him die? Their words cut into my heart… I feel their grief… and I imagine you do, too.  None of us need reach very far to grasp the pain of a loss that we wished our Lord could have prevented. This past week, I learned that the father of an old high school friend died after suffering for many years with cancer. They are devastated and broken… and yet, clinging now to the promise that Jesus gave us… that her dad is now rejoicing with God, free of his earthly pain. But… four years ago… when he was first diagnosed, they were sure that their faith would deliver him from his illness. …and I was angry at their pastor for having the audacity to proclaim that if they prayed the right way… loved God the right way… that if they could somehow have the most perfect faith… that his cancer would go away. That kind of theology… is cruel and abusive… and I wish it wasn't so prevalent in our American spiritual culture… It adds a layer of shame and guilt on top of the bodily suffering that one is already enduring and creates impossible standards. …yeah, I was angry, and I grieved for them. But this text is tricky… Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and whatever he asks for will be given. So, the temptation is there… to hope that we can somehow compel Jesus to take away our illness… or to prevent the death of our loved one… or to reverse the accident… or to repair that which was lost. We focus on the sign… on the miracle that Jesus performed of bringing Lazarus back to life… something he did so that those who witnessed and testified to it would understand and believe that Jesus was sent from God. But if we are so focused on the miraculous raising of Lazarus… we may miss the beautiful truth that Jesus was there with them… he was with them in their sorrow… very much so… just as Jesus is with us in our pain… and in our grief… Jesus, in his compassion and empathy... weeps with us when we weep. Jesus, who is sent from God… who is God… came to share life with us… all of our life experiences… our joy and our love… as well as our pain and our grief. And we all know… that love and loss are intertwined, and that grief is a natural part of our lives. In the face of grief and loss, it is also tempting to rush into the promised joy of eternal life with Christ… to gloss over the pain of death and skip into rejoicing… but does that honor the source of our grief? At this point in Lent… in our steady march toward Jesus' betrayal and the cross… we, too, might be tempted to skip past the hard parts and move directly into our Easter celebration. …but does skipping the discomfort of Holy Week honor Jesus and the sacrifice he made for us? Does that honor the fullness of life that Jesus spent with us? Can we not dwell for a time with Jesus… in his grief? When Jesus went to Bethany, he knew what he was going to do… he knew that he would raise Lazarus… not so that Lazarus could have more earthly life, but so that we might believe in Jesus. And yet, even knowing what he went there to do… Jesus was still deeply moved… by their grief… and he wept with them. We don't know exactly why Jesus wept… I imagine it was complicated, as our tears so often are. Perhaps he was angry at death itself… and the pain it always brings… or perhaps he was feeling the weight of his own impending death, and how this sign of raising Lazurus would be the act that would set things in motion for his arrest. Just as the crowd speculated on his tears, we do not have a clear understanding of his grief… only that he grieved. But you know… grief does not need a clear explanation to be valid. Jesus, our God with us… grieves with us in the face of death and suffering… Jesus shares our sorrow that we must face this pain as part of the cycle of life. And yet… Jesus is still Lord over all that binds us, including death… but also… so much more. And so, just as Jesus calls to Lazarus to come out… he calls to us… Jesus calls to us not only at the end of our earthly lives, but he calls to us every day… to leave behind the things that bind us and chose life with Christ. Jesus calls to us who are dead and bound in our sin… calls to us when we are crippled with guilt and shame… he calls to us when we feel isolated and alone… he calls to us when we turn a blind eye to the pain of our neighbors… and invites us to actively participate in our own renewal. Hear the words of our Lord calling to you… come out… and… Unbind him… let him go… Unbind her… be free from the power of sin… Unbind them… be liberated to see the Glory of God at work in yourself, for you are deeply loved. Let your bindings go… so that you might be fully present in God's love and light… and feel it's warmth. Let your bindings go… so you are able to fully receive the grace and mercy Christ has freely laid before you. Let your bindings go… and know that you are always and forever, forgiven and redeemed. Christ is calling to you… to come out and join him. And yet, he knows… we all know… this life is a work in progress. Some days are better than others, and my friends… that's why there is grace. Jesus' love is not dependent on you praying the right way, or loving Jesus the right way, or having the perfect faith… Jesus loves you. Full stop. And because of that love, he calls you to come out and live your life with him… This world around us will still have brokenness and failing… we will still have pain and grief… and Christ weeps with us in our grief, and we place our pain in God's loving care and know that on the other side of death… there is life. It can be challenging to let go of that which binds us, for sure… to let the old pass away and trust our God who calls to us into something new. But hold fast to the promise that our journey is not just to the grave, but through it… and there is new life on the other side. Amen.

In this episode we walk into the tomb at Bethany and confront a story people often soften into empathy, when it's really a preview of why Jesus came—to conquer death itself. As Martha and Mary hope Jesus might have prevented death, he instead declares, “I am the resurrection and the life,” revealing that his mission isn't to keep us from dying but to bring new life through it. We see that Christ's Word does what no human effort can: it calls the dead out of the grave and authors a new identity where sin and death no longer get the final word.GOSPEL John 11:1-451 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.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, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world."32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So 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?"38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.Support the showInterested in sponsoring an episode of Scripture First?Email Sarah at sarah@lhos.org or visit our donation page: lutherhouseofstudy.org/donate

Pastor John Ryan Cantu brings this week's message, “Compassionate Shepherd.” John 11:32-44 ESV: “Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”” If you enjoyed the podcast, please subscribe and share it with your friends on social media. For more information about PNEUMA Church, visit our website at mypneumachurch.org.Connect with Us: Instagram: https://instagram.com/mypneumachurch YouTube: https://youtube.com/mypneumachurch Facebook: https://facebook.com/mypneumachurch Time Stamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:30 - Welcome 04:59 - John 11:32-44 ESV 06:38 - Compassionate Shepherd

RCL Texts:Genesis 2:15–17; 3:1–7; Psalm 32; Romans 5:12–19; Matthew 4:1–11(Narrative Lectionary text and comments follow below)Theme: From Hiding to TrustCore ClaimLent begins with hard truth about sin, but moves quickly to mercy: in Christ, we are called out of hiding and formed into a life of trust.1) Scripture SummariesGenesis 2:15–17; 3:1–7Humanity is placed in the garden with freedom and responsibility, but the serpent reframes God's command and plants distrust. The man and woman choose autonomy over trust, and their eyes are opened—not to wisdom as promised (or as they perhaps imagined it), but to shame and vulnerability. Sin appears as broken trust, disordered desire, and rupture of innocence.Psalm 32A testimony of grace: confessed sin becomes forgiven sin. Silence before God becomes burden; honest confession opens mercy, guidance, and joy. Those who trust the Lord are surrounded by steadfast love.Romans 5:12–19Paul contrasts Adam and Christ. Through Adam, sin and death spread; through Christ, grace and life overflow. Christ's obedience is stronger than Adam's disobedience. Where sin condemned, Christ justifies and restores.Matthew 4:1–11Jesus, led by the Spirit, is tempted by appetite, power, and false security. Each temptation invites self-serving control instead of trustful sonship. Jesus answers with Scripture and remains faithful, revealing true obedience where humanity often falls.2) Unifying Thread“From Distrust to Trust: the Lenten journey from hiding to grace.”• Genesis: the root problem—distrust of God's goodness.• Psalm 32: the turning point—stop hiding, confess, receive mercy.• Romans 5: the gospel claim—Christ's faithfulness is greater than Adam's failure.• Matthew 4: faithfulness embodied—Jesus trusts where we are tempted to seize control.A Preaching Arc1. The lie – “God is withholding from you.” (Genesis)2. The burden – unconfessed sin crushes the soul. (Psalm 32)3. The gift – grace surpasses sin. (Romans 5)4. The way – trustful obedience in real temptation. (Matthew 4)One-Sentence TakeawayLent begins by naming our distrust, but does not leave us there: in Christ, we are invited out of hiding, into confession, and into a new life of trust.3) Homily Outline (7–10 minutes)“From Hiding to Trust”1) Opening (1 minute)• Lent is honesty, not spiritual theater.• Sin begins in Genesis not with rule-breaking, but distrust.• Theme: distrust → confession → grace → trustful obedience.2) Genesis: Anatomy of Temptation (2 minutes)• “Did God really say…?” begins with suspicion.• Focus shifts from gift to restriction.• Result: shame and hiding, not freedom.• Modern echoes: “I must control this, or I'm not safe.”• The beginning of sin is trusting the wrong voice.3) Psalm 32: Grace of Confession (1.5–2 minutes)• “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away…”• Confession is not humiliation for its own sake; it is healing.• God's response is forgiveness and guidance.• Pastoral invitation: Where are we exhausted from pretending?4) Romans 5: Adam and Christ (2 minutes)• Adam's distrust spreads sin and death.• Christ's obedience brings justification and life.• Grace is greater than sin's reach.• Good news line: Your failure is real—but not final.5) Matthew 4: Jesus in the Wilderness (2 minutes)Three temptations, one test: trust vs control.• Stones to bread: satisfy need without trust.• Temple leap: demand proof instead of faith.• Kingdoms by compromise: gain power without the cross.Jesus answers with words from God and trustful obedience.6) Application for the Week (1 minute)1. Name the lie you're most tempted to believe.2. Practice specific, daily confession.3. Choose one act of trustful obedience where you usually choose control.7) Closing (30–45 seconds)Lent is not proving ourselves to God; it is being led by Christ from hiding into trust.Closing line: “From Eden's hiding place to the wilderness of testing, God is drawing us toward one truth: we are saved not by grasping, but by grace—and grace teaches us to trust.”An IllustrationA parent in one congregation spoke about a weeknight that felt painfully ordinary.Nothing dramatic happened—just the accumulated pressure of a long day. Work ran late. Dinner was rushed. Homework wasn't done. A younger child was melting down. An older child was answering in that teenage tone that instantly raises your blood pressure.The parent said, “I came into the evening already empty, but I kept telling myself I could power through.” And then one small moment set everything off. A spilled drink, a sarcastic reply, a slammed cabinet door—something tiny.The parent snapped. Words came out sharper than intended. A child yelled back. Another child went quiet. And within ten minutes, the whole house was in that heavy silence families know too well.Later that night, the parent stood at the sink and thought, “How did we get here again?”Not because they didn't love their family. Not because they were a bad person. But because fear and exhaustion had quietly become the loudest voice in the room.The next line the parent said really struck home:“The hardest part wasn't losing my temper. The hardest part was walking down the hallway and knocking on my child's door.”Because confession in family life is vulnerable. It is easier to lecture than to repent. It is easier to defend your tone than to say, “I was wrong.” It is easier to stay silent and hope tomorrow resets things automatically.But that parent knocked on the door, sat down, and said: “I'm sorry for how I spoke to you. You matter more than my frustration. Will you forgive me?”And the child—after a pause—said, “I'm sorry too.”That was not a dramatic miracle. No music. No spotlight. Just two people stepping out of hiding. That is Psalm 32 in a kitchen and hallway.* “When I kept silent…”—the house got heavier.* “I acknowledged my sin…”—grace opened the room again.Lent often looks like this: not grand gestures, but truthful repentance. Not pretending we are fine, but choosing repair. Not winning the argument, but preserving communion.And that is where trust is rebuilt—one confession, one apology, one act of mercy at a time.Narrative Lectionary — Lent 1 (Feb 22, 2026)Text: John 11:1–44Theme: From Grief to Glory1) Scripture SummaryLazarus becomes ill and dies, despite Jesus' love for him and his family. Jesus' delay creates anguish for Martha and Mary, who both cry, “Lord, if you had been here….” At Bethany, Jesus enters their sorrow, weeps at the tomb, and then declares, “I am the resurrection and the life.” He calls Lazarus out of death and commands the community to unbind him. The passage reveals both Christ's compassion in the face of grief and his authority over death.2) Unifying Thread“From Tomb to Trust: Jesus meets us in grief and calls life forth.”• The story begins in honest lament and disrupted expectations.• Jesus does not stand outside suffering; he shares it. (“Jesus wept.”)• The center is Christ's identity: resurrection is not only an event, but a person.• The raising of Lazarus becomes a pattern of discipleship: called to life, then unbound for freedom.A Preaching Arc1. The ache — “Lord, if you had been here…”2. The claim — “I am the resurrection and the life.”3. The sign — “Lazarus, come out.”4. The call — “Unbind him, and let him go.”One-sentence takeawayLent invites us to bring our grief to Jesus, trust him in the delay, and respond to his life-giving voice at the very place we fear is final.3) Homily Outline (7–10 minutes)Opening (1 minute)Name the reality of grief, disappointment, and delayed answers in the spiritual life. Introduce the key lament: “Lord, if you had been here…”I. The Delay and the Crisis of Trust (2 minutes)Jesus loves this family, yet Lazarus dies.Explore the tension: divine love and human pain coexist.Pastoral line: delay is painful, but it is not the same as abandonment.II. Jesus at the Tomb (1.5–2 minutes)“Jesus wept.”Emphasize Christ's solidarity with human sorrow.God is not detached from our grief.III. The Center Confession (1.5–2 minutes)“I am the resurrection and the life.”Resurrection is present in the person of Christ, not only a future hope.Call hearers to trust Christ himself in present sorrow.IV. Called Out, Then Unbound (1.5–2 minutes)“Lazarus, come out.”“Unbind him, and let him go.”Christ gives life; the community participates in unbinding.Application (1 minute)Name one grief before God each day this week.Pray honestly in the place of delay.Take one concrete “unbinding” step (confession, reconciliation, seeking support, surrender).Closing (30–45 seconds)Christ meets us at the tomb and speaks life where we expect finality.End with hope rooted in his voice, not our circumstances. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit lectionarypro.substack.com

John 11:44(2) The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." Before moving on to vs 45, another thought came to mind. A day is coming, and not too far away, when Jesus will say, “My bride, come forth!” In that moment, all who are His will come forth with Him as one and there will be no more death. Glory to God in the highest! The best way to prepare for that moment is to abide in Him and live to love with Him. Let's give ourselves to Him with no reservations.

John 11:44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." Jesus is the resurrection and the life. He has all authority over heaven and earth. He commanded Lazarus to come out of the tomb in his body, so Lazarus returned to his body and obeyed. The greater event however was the Father's testimony glorifying Jesus by raising Lazarus. When Lazarus came forth, the cry heard throughout heaven and earth was, “Jesus is my beloved son sent to give eternal life to all who believe!” He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Yet, He wants to do more as well. He wants to unbind our repressed hopes and restore our passion to fulfill His purposes. He wants to get you back on the horse that you fell off and, "Let's pursue. Let's win this race." When He resurrects His promise, He calls us to engage it, it by faith.

John 11:25-44,Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who 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 coming into the world.” When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved[a] in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So 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 also have kept this man from dying?”38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, 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 the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”The year 1912 gave us two unforgettable things: the sinking of the Titanic and the invention of Oreo cookie — one was a tragedy, one a triumph, and we're still fascinated by both today.But something else important that happened in 1912 that we probably don't think about much was the publication of an essay by the theologian B. B. Warfield. The essay is entitled, “The Emotional Life of our Lord” — and it's about the various emotions we see Jesus express in the Gospels.What makes the essay so amazing is that there had never really been a study like this before, and Warfield wrote it during the heyday of theological liberalism. When a lot of modern scholars were denying the deity of Christ, Warfield affirmed the deity of Christ and wrote this essay to defend the humanity of Christ.And the reason this essay is relevant to our passage today is that Warfield gives a lot of attention to John 11 — because of the emotions we just read about in verses 33–38!Now throughout each of the four Gospels we see the emotional life of Jesus, but there's no other place where we see such strong emotions compounded in one scene. Warfield writes, “What John does [here in Chapter 11] is uncover to us the heart of Jesus as he wins for us our salvation.” And I think that's right. Remember John was there! He saw this happen. And led by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he has written this to uncover the heart of Jesus for us, which means it's worthy of our focus this morning. There are two questions we should ask: What do we learn here about Jesus's heart? What difference does it make in our lives?The goal of the sermon is to answer those two questions: I want to show you something amazing about the heart of Jesus, and then I wanna talk about why it matters.Those are the two parts, and Part One can be titled “Uncovering the Heart of Jesus.”1. Uncovering the Heart of JesusWe're gonna pick up here in verse 28, and my goal is for us to build, in our minds, the right image of Jesus in this scene.Last week we saw the dialogue between Jesus and Martha, and this week it's between Jesus and Mary.After Martha's faith confession of Jesus in verse 27, she goes back to their home in Bethany to get Mary. And I want you to try to imagine this…Remember this is just four days after the death of Lazarus, and so it's a crowded house of friends and family grieving with them. Martha walks into the full house and somehow in private she tells Mary that Jesus wants to see her. She most likely whispered this to Mary, because people are all around her. She said, “Mary, the Teacher is here and he's calling for you.”And Mary, right away, jumps up and goes to meet Jesus, and everybody is there, seeing her do this, and they assume she must be going to the tomb. So they leave the house and follow her.So picture Mary walking to meet Jesus, and there's this entourage of grieving people following behind her. She gets to Jesus in verse 32, and she falls down at Jesus's feet and she says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Where have we heard that before? This is the same thing Martha said in verse 21.And again, I don't think this is a rebuke. Mary is just stating a fact, and she does it here bowed down at Jesus's feet — which is not a posture of disrespect — this is homage. She's broken before her teacher. She's been following him, learning from him, trusting him, and she's honest with him.And it's important we get this scene right in our minds because before John tells us how Jesus responds, he tells us what Jesus sees. We need to see it too.Verse 33 starts by saying that Jesus saw Mary weeping, down at this feet, and he saw this crowd of friends and family around her also weeping. And that word for “weeping” means wailing. This is audible, expressive grief. There's no ‘balled fists mad' at Jesus here. It's heartache. Now look what John says Jesus did …And this is one we need to see. I want to make sure everybody's with me. Find verse 33 — Chapter 11, verse 33.After Jesus sees this heartache around him, Verse 33,“…he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.”Jesus Is AngryNow that word “deeply moved” — that's how the English Standard Version and the New International Version translates it. But if you have the ESV, you might notice there's a little footnote marker, and the footnote says that this word could also be translated “indignant.” Or to be outraged. That's because in nearly every other place this word is used, that's what it means. Outside the New Testament this Greek word is used to refer to the snorting of horses, and when it's applied to humans it means expressing anger. This is where I think cartoons could actually help us.In old-school cartoons — like the Looney Tunes — it was really clear when the characters would get angry. Their faces would turn red and steam would blow out of their nostrils. That's anger.And the point is that the audience not miss the emotion!That's the point here in the use of this word.The New Living Translation actually nails it. They translate it “a deep anger welled up within him.” That's what the word means. Now why does it matter? Well, the word is repeated in verse 38. Look down at verse 38:“Then Jesus, deeply moved again [deeply angry again], [he] came to the tomb.”So that's twice in this scene that John tells us this. Which means he really doesn't want us to miss it. Jesus is angry here. He's indignant. He's furious. Jesus Is SadBut hold on a minute: before we import our own meaning of anger, we need to see more in this story. We know that whatever kind of anger Jesus has here, it's perfectly compatible with his holiness. Jesus never sinned, so this must be a holy anger. And there are three more words John uses here that fill in the picture. We have to see all of this together if we're going to have the right image.Notice back in verse 33, John tells us that Jesus was “deeply moved/angry in his spirit and greatly troubled.”Jesus being angry “in his spirit” means that he's under control — he's not flying off the handle. He's restrained.But at the same time his emotion is visible. Because notice that word in verse 33, “deeply troubled.” That word literally means to shake. B. B. Warfield describes it as “raging in himself … His inwardly restrained fury produced a profound agitation of his whole being …” Can you picture that?I know we all have ideas of what Jesus might have looked like (there's a few windows around here that could help our imaginations) — But whatever your imagination of Jesus is, it should be able to include everything the Bible says about him, and here we read that Jesus is so enraged that he's shaking. It's like he's about to explode, and says “Where have you laid him?” And then, verse 35, “Jesus wept.”Now who would have expected that?! He's raging in himself, and tears spill out.And when you see tears — when there's weeping — what does that mean? Even young children know what this means. This is part of early childhood development — teachers show children pictures of faces and have them match different emotions to each face. And when the teacher asks, “Which one is sad?”, the kids always point to the face with tears. Because tears means sorrow. Weeping means sadness. And in this story, Jesus is sad. That's what overflowed for everyone to see. Jesus is fuming with fury and he grieves with tears. Fury and grief — anger with sadness — that's the right image of Jesus here. That's what John is showing us.But why is Jesus responding this way? It has to do with what he encounters. First, and most obvious, he is surrounded by grief. He loved Mary and Martha, and Mary and Martha are both grieving; their friends and family with them are grieving, and so, at the most basic level, when Jesus weeps here, he's joining his friends in their grief.The people Jesus loves are sad, and he meets them in their sadness. He's with them. This is true sympathy. Jesus is a good friend. But the anger part — what is that about? This is where we have to look at what's behind the grief.In this story, what has caused the grief?Death.Warfield writes,The spectacle of the distress of Mary and her companions enraged Jesus because it brought poignantly home to his consciousness the evil of death, its unnaturalness, its “violent tyranny” … In Mary's grief, he contemplates the misery of the whole human race and burns with rage against the oppressor of men…It is death that is the object of his wrath, and behind death him who has the power of death and whom he has come into the world to destroy. Tears of sympathy may fill his eyes, but his soul is held by rage…Anger and sadness. Sadness and anger. Jesus Is ZealousIt's really important to see what happens next. What does Jesus do with these emotions?He doesn't sit there on his hands. But he's in motion. He's going somewhere with this. And, at some level, this is expected. Check out verses 36–37. This is how the friends and family respond. They see Jesus's emotion and think, “Wow, he really loved Lazarus!” And then some said, verse 37:“Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”That's actually a smart question. It's the logical next question after you realize that Jesus really loved the man who died. It's clear that Jesus loved Lazarus, and we know Jesus can heal, so why didn't Jesus just heal him?I hope you see this is a form of the same question we talked about a month ago in our sermon “An Everyday Theology of Suffering.”The big question we talked about is: How can God be all-powerful and all-good, and suffering still exist?Remember that question? That's the big question. And that's the same thing going on here at a practical level: Jesus is powerful (he can heal), Jesus is good (he loved Lazarus). So … why is Lazarus dead in a tomb and Jesus upset about it?It's a fair question, and look, I think we're all just trying to figure it out. And maybe we think Jesus doesn't really have the kind of power we hoped he has — and if we think that, this next part is for us … Because Jesus, again, is in motion. He's going somewhere. Verse 38:“Then Jesus, deeply angry again, came to the tomb.”Get the image right in your mind. Jesus is walking up to this tomb furious. He's angry. He's sad. And he's zealous.Warfield on this part quotes Calvin. I'll read Calvin to you. He says:Christ does not come to the tomb as an idle spectator, but like a champion who prepares for a battle, and therefore we need not wonder that he again groans, for the violent tyranny of death, which he had to conquer, is placed before his eyes.Do you see it? Jesus approaches the tomb enraged because he is about to face our greatest enemy. And what does he do?He says, “Move the stone.” Martha says, “There's gonna be an odor.”Jesus says, “I'm here to show you the glory of God.”And then he looks up to his Father in heaven and says, verse 41,“Father, I thank you that you have heard me …”See, apparently Jesus has already been praying (and like Martha said in verse 22, whatever Jesus asks from God, God gives it to him). John wants us to know the Father and Son are in this together. Verse 43: “When Jesus had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice …”That word for “cried out” is the same word used later when the crowd will cry out “Crucify him! Crucify him!” The word means to shout. And John also adds “with a loud voice.”You gotta picture this. Jesus is not making a mild suggestion here. This is a loud shout from a heart enraged. He's shouting it loudly in defiance of death.“Lazarus, come out.”Verse 44,“And the man who died came out …”See, they don't even call him ‘Lazarus' anymore — they call him “the man who died” — because he did die, but now he's alive. And Jesus says,“Unbind him, and let him go.” Those words are significant. It means that Jesus, the resurrection and the life, has set the dead man free. Just like Jesus will set us free — not free from the end of our physical lives in this world, but absolutely free from death.Jesus, see, is zealous to save! He's zealous to display the glory of God and accomplish our everlasting good, which are one in the same.In this story, John uncovers the heart of Jesus for us.B. B. Warfield writes,Not in cold unconcern but in flaming wrath against the foe, Jesus smites in our behalf. He has not only saved us from the evils that oppress us; he has felt for and with us in our oppression, and under the impulse of these feelings has wrought out our redemption.Anger against our enemy. Sadness in our grief. Zeal for our salvation.This is the heart of Jesus. What a Savior!2. Why Does It Matter?Now, Part Two: What difference does this make in our lives?I'd like to close with an application. And there's a hundred things we could say! A hundred things we could takeaway. But for now, I'm just gonna focus on one: In discovering Jesus's heart, we discover the kind of hearts we are called to have as his people.We can't be content to only admire him, but we must follow him as our example — especially in our witness. Because Jesus shows us what a holy heart looks like toward a fallen world.We see it in the mingling of his anger and sadness — anger toward the ultimate enemy, and sadness for those who suffer. Indignation for the father of lies, sorrow for those captive to lies.I think the best name for this posture is what we might call brokenhearted boldness. (That's a Piper phrase.) Brokenhearted boldness.And we get the boldness part. That is so vital in our day. It's the courage to call evil evil. To hold our ground on moral clarity. To pray imprecatory psalms against the workers of Satan. And we do it with confidence, in Luther's words:The prince of darkness grim, We tremble not for him;His rage we can endure,For lo! His doom is sure;One little word shall fell him.We mock the devil! We mock death! This is boldness!But it's brokenhearted. Because at the same time that we resolve never to compromise truth, we weep for the world that's lost it. Together with the firmness of our conviction, we have the tenderness of compassion. We're brokenhearted, because Hell is real, and we know people who will go there. And we don't want them to. Brokenhearted boldness.And honestly, it's easier to recognize it than to describe it, so I'll tell you a true story…Just recently I was having lunch with one of our members, a college student. And he was telling me about a class he's in right now, and the professor is off the rails. The professor says there are at least 12 different genders, he openly mocks God in the classroom. And this student is disgusted by it. He told me he's spoken up in class, he's tried to dialogue with other students. He said, “But my classmates are so influenced by this professor. … They're just eating it up. They're all choosing a path of lies.”And as he said this, his eyes filled with tears, his voice began to crack; he had to stop talking and look away … And I thought: “That's it.”That's brokenhearted boldness.That's the heart of Jesus showing up in his people.It's not a witness of swagger. It's not brash or belligerent, not snide or snarky, not cruel or crude, but it's embracing truth with tears — a supreme love for God and a sincere love for people.It's a miracle, church, to have hearts like that! And would that God work this miracle in us! We want to be more like Jesus as we point to him and what he's done. That's what brings us to the Table.The TableBefore we can ever imagine being like Jesus, we have to first be saved by Jesus. And that's what we celebrate here.The heart of Christ is an example we can follow, but the cross of Christ is the unrepeatable accomplishment of our salvation — and we can only receive it.Christian, you know you can only receive it, so would you receive it afresh this morning? If you trust in Jesus, I invite to rest anew in this grace to you, and surrender yourself anew to his transforming work in your life.

If you're an intuitive creator, empath entrepreneur, Anomaly Influencer — here's the quickest/most potent way to liberate your creative urge from the psychic grid of lack. In this episode, we uncover 8 signs your magic is psychically bound and the rituals to unbind each one. This is deep empath wealth work, nervous system sovereignty, and abundance de-programming for those here to anchor the Anomaly Timeline.Inside this recording:

Colossians 3:1-17

In John 11, we have the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Join Pastor Hank and Miss Mona as they discuss all the details of this miracle. 

John 11:1-44English Standard Version11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he 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 seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 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 from 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 on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who 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 coming into the world.”28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So 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 also have kept this man from dying?”38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, 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 the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”John 11:1-44English Standard Version11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he 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 seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 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 from 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 on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who 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 coming into the world.”28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So 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 also have kept this man from dying?”38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, 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 the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

A few months ago, we had been contacted by some friends from the States that were going to be visiting Edinburgh for a day. They asked if we could grab lunch and a catch up. The man, called Jack, is retired from the US military. He served in the Army. He used a term that I had never heard, called a Sapper. Have any of you heard of this job in the army? A sapper, (It comes from the French word sapeur, the verb saper (to undermine, to dig under a wall or building to cause its collapse). It is from the French word for spade. They are also called a combat engineer, a combatant or soldier who performs a variety of military engineering duties, such as breaching fortifications, demolitions, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, preparing field defenses, and road and airfield construction and repair. Sappers are also trained and equipped to serve secondarily as provisional infantry. Sappers facilitate and support the movement, defence, and survival of superordinate and allied forces, and impede those of enemies.

Message by Fred Hartsook, recorded live June 1, 2025 at First Presbyterian Church of Bellingham. Scripture read by Brad Day.Never Too Late Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead - it's not over till it's over - nothing is ever too late for Jesus.Have you ever felt like Jesus was "delaying" in answering your prayer?What does it look like to trust His timing even when it hurts?What does Jesus' weeping say about His heart for us in our pain?Are you willing to trust God's timing, even if it seems late by your standards?How can you respond to Jesus' call to come out of whatever binds you? John 11:1-71 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.”John 11: 32-44 32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So 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?”38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

John 11:1-44 English Standard VersionThe Death of Lazarus11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he 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 seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”I Am the Resurrection and the Life17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 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 from 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 on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who 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 coming into the world.”Jesus Weeps28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So 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 also have kept this man from dying?”Jesus Raises Lazarus38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, 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 the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”English Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. 

John 11:1-44 English Standard Version The Death of Lazarus 11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus[a] 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 seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin,[b] said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” I Am the Resurrection and the Life 17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles[c] off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 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 from 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 on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[d] Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who 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 coming into the world.” Jesus Weeps 28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved[e] in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So 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 also have kept this man from dying?” Jesus Raises Lazarus 38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, 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 the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Is it possible to feel joy in the midst of sorrow? Can we call Holy Week happy even while meditating on the suffering of Jesus? In this short and heartfelt Holy Week reflection, Fred and Kara share a deeply personal and spiritually rich meditation on John 11—the raising of Lazarus. Together, we explore what it means for Jesus to stand before our tombs and call us by name, how we're invited into community to help “unbind” one another from the grave clothes of fear, shame, and sin, and how the resurrection is not just something we believe in—it's something we're called to live. Whether you're walking through grief, wrestling with God's timing, or just longing for renewal, this episode is a companion for your journey toward Easter joy. You'll also hear stories from our own lives, encouragement for your spiritual walk, and a Holy Week challenge to invite God into your deepest burdens. Book Fred and/or Kara to speak by visiting the Draw Near "booking page (https://www.drawnear.me/booking)." Click here (https://www.drawnear.me/donate) to become a patron! Patrons are essentially "sponsors" and co-producers or Draw Near as it could not happen without them. "Like" and follow us on Facebook! (https://www.facebook.com/fredandkara). Follow us on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/drawnear.me/)! Who are "Fred and Kara?" Find out by visiting our home page. (https://www.drawnear.me/) Like our podcast? Hit that “subscribe” button AND the notification button/bell to know when new episodes are posted! Give us a rating! Leave a review! Tell your friends! Even more, pray for us! Draw Near Theme © Fred Shellabarger & Kara Kardell

Pastor Fran shares how we have we have a direct line to God through Jesus who sets us free from the bondage of our hurts and wounds.

'Reflections to Unbind the Mind' - A Dhamma talk given by Kruba Michael on 27 Mar 2025, translated from Thai to English. To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Marp Jan Community online for daily chanting, meditation, and a Dhamma talk, you can email wmjdhamma@gmail.com for the link. Daily live sessions at 7.15pm - 9pm, Indochina Time (Bangkok, GMT+7).

Send us a textThis episode dives deep into the connection between our emotional states and physical health, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness and responsibility in healing. Tracy Stevens shares transformative insights on how understanding and questioning our thoughts and experiences compel us toward growth and alignment with our authentic selves.• Exploring the emotional root causes of physical ailments • The significance of self-responsibility in healing • The interplay between spiritual and physical wellness • Introducing the new "Unbind" program for personal exploration • The role of empathy and personal patterns in healing • Questions as a powerful tool for understanding and healing • Analyzing beliefs surrounding mediumship and its impact on healthI couldn't recommend working with Tracey enough, it's a MUST!Here is her newest program UNBIND. . . NOT Unhinged! HahaJoin HERE!If you want to go deeper that I recommend the ROOT CAUSE PRACTICE PROGRAM.Join HERE! And don't forget to follow Tracey on INSTAGRAM here! 

Blood represents our vitality and essence, circulation problems are often a shrinking back, the warmth or our blood not quite reaching our extremities; the edges of us. Listen as we explore what's happening in the physical body and how this is a representation of the thoughts and emotions that are going on inside.Want to explore and unlock your own patterns?Check out my new course UNBIND starting 17th of February  https://www.rootcausepractice.com/unbindWant to learn more with me?You can find me on Instagram @thehealingpoint._ , YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@Traceystevens-rcpOr my website www.traceystevens.orgTo discover more about how your past experiences and emotions influence your physical body and health take a look at my courses and dive into the Emotional Anatomy Library to hear more unpublished podcasts. https://www.rootcausepractice.com/Would you like to be on my podcast or have a discussion on You Tube please email me info@traceystevens.org I'd be happy to connect with you.Lots of LoveTracey x

All Saints (Observed) Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9 The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them. In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them forever. Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones, and he watches over his elect.   Psalm 24 Domini est terra 1 The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, * the world and all who dwell therein. 2 For it is he who founded it upon the seas * and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep. 3 “Who can ascend the hill of the Lord? * and who can stand in his holy place?” 4 “Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, * who have not pledged themselves to falsehood, nor sworn by what is a fraud. 5 They shall receive a blessing from the Lord * and a just reward from the God of their salvation.” 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, * of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob. 7 Lift up your heads, O gates; lift them high, O everlasting doors; * and the King of glory shall come in. 8 “Who is this King of glory?” * “The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle.” 9 Lift up your heads, O gates; lift them high, O everlasting doors; * and the King of glory shall come in. 10 “Who is he, this King of glory?” * “The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.”   Revelation 21:1-6a I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true." Then he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end."   John 11:32-44 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."  

John 11:32-44   When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

John 11:32-44 When Mary came to Jesus and saw him she said to him, “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and the other Jews with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said to them, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” Then Jesus came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone lying against it. Jesus said to them, “Take away the stone.” But Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I know that you always hear me, but I've said this for the sake of those standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Death and dying have been hanging heavy on my mind lately – and I know that's true for many of you, too. We had Steve Ellenberger's celebration of life last Saturday. I had another funeral last Sunday afternoon, for the father of a college friend, down in Southport. We're getting ready to do the same for Dick Bowen this weekend. On Monday night, our Stephen Ministers did some “continuing education” about what it means to pre-plan your funeral – a session we scheduled months ago. And Wednesday, a group of us wrapped up a seven-week conversation about what it means to die well – to approach, and even embrace, the gravity of getting old … and the nearness and certainty of our own demise.All of these things, each in their own way, were pointing me toward what we're up to on this high, holy, festival we call “All Saints Sunday” in the Church. We've already read our names and tolled our bells toward that end. We've been reminded about the power of baptism and we will receive the power and blessing of Holy Communion, in light of it all, too – as we should.But the catch to all of this, of course… the thing that sometimes gets lost in the mix, or glossed over, or denied by the rose-colored glasses of Sunday morning worship; by the bright lights and the white paraments; by the pretty flowers and the rousing music of it all… is that in order to be the kind of saint we're commemorating and celebrating… in order to become the kind of saints we're remembering and honoring this morning… a person first has to be dead.And Jesus reminds us this morning, with the help of Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus, that death and mortality are sad, scary, messy, and mystifying parts of life in this world. But part of life, nonetheless.Even Jesus weeps in this bit of John's Gospel as he makes his way to his friend's tomb, and when we find him there this morning, he's still “greatly disturbed,” even though, presumably, he knew what he was going to try to do for Lazarus. And Martha and her sister Mary are so distraught over their brother's dying, that they have the nerve to blame Jesus for not coming to the rescue sooner.But Jesus does come. And he's not afraid of what awaits him there: the mourning of the sisters; the sadness of the crowds; his own deep grief; the improbability of the task before him; the grave clothes; the large stone; the stench of a four-day-old corpse in the Judean heat.So, I feel like I'm being invited, again this morning – in the light of recent events and on this All Saints Sunday – to get up close and personal with death and mortality – mine, yours, ours – in another new, holy kind of way. And I think we honor those who've gone before us – whose deaths we commemorate, whose lives we celebrate, and whose love we remember – when we open ourselves to connecting the dots between their living and dying and our own more deliberately. That seven-week class that just ended – the one about the grace and gravity of getting old – was based on a book by Parker Palmer, called On the Brink of Everything. (Some in our group thought that the title was the best thing about the book, so take my recommendation with a grain of salt!)But, “On the Brink of Everything?” I am captivated and encouraged and inspired by that hopeful perspective about dying and by what it means to inch closer and closer to death and to whatever waits for us on the other side of this life – and to do it deliberately, intentionally, and with your heart and mind and life wide open to God's possibilities.And what Jesus does this morning, in a way I thought about differently this time because of it, is he shows us how thin the veil is between this life and the next when he's part of the mix – and I don't just mean the “veil” of that stinky cloth that was wrapped around Lazarus head when we stepped out of his tomb.No, what speaks now to me about all of this is what it means to live with one foot firmly and faithfully planted in life as we know it, on this side of Heaven, and another foot poised and ready to land safely, securely, and fearlessly on the other side of Heaven, whenever that time comes.And Jesus' little stunt with Lazarus gives me hope to remember that there are saints on both sides of it all. And it challenges me to remember that I'm called to be one of them – here and now, whenever and wherever and however I can muster it – just as surely as I hope to join saints like Steve Ellenberger and Dick Bowen and all the rest, on the other side of God's eternity, too.For some reason, I've found myself recounting for a couple of people lately, something my dad's heart surgeon told me, my brother, and my mom, while my dad was still in the ICU following his second open-heart surgery, more than 20 years ago. After recounting all of the ways my dad was going to have to continue changing or maintaining his lifestyle as a heart patient – eating this, not eating that, exercising, monitoring his stress, and so on – the doctor said, “BUT, it's also important to remember that the point of living is not NOT to die.”“The point of living is not NOT to die.”And that's great, practical advice when it comes to having a steak or a drink or a cigar every once in a blue moon. But it's also great, practical, solid spiritual advice, too, if you ask me. “The point of living is not NOT to die.”I believe when we live our lives pretending or denying or keeping our distance from death – as we are so often inclined to do – it is that much harder to face, or digest, or journey through it in healthy, faithful ways when death comes – for us, for someone we love, or when it shows up in the world around us.And I believe keeping our distance from death keeps us from living as fully and as faithfully as we should, could, would, or want to be living, if we truly considered what it means to be “on the brink of everything” – on the verge of God's heavenly, holy ground, more often.So, I wonder, what if we saw ourselves and others – more readily – as saints already, on this side of heaven, not just the next?What if we saw all that we experience in this life – the beautiful and the bland, the joy and the sadness, the hopeful and the despairing – as holy stepping stones on a pathway to the brink of God's great eternity?What if we lived more acutely aware and accepting of the notion that a sacred, holy communion of saints surrounds us – right where we live, as we make our way through life in this world?What if we stopped pretending that death was this untouchable thing to be avoided at all costs – that we could or should live forever and always, even though we know that's not possible and was never the plan?What if we lived like God's Kingdom was closer, nearby, within and around – not only in the communion of saints who've gone on to glory – but close, nearby, within and around those of us who are called to be saints here and now, just the same?I think it would impact how we give, how we serve, how we forgive, how we live, and how we die, too.Because Jesus shows up – if we're paying attention, and reminds us – like he proved to Lazarus, and like he reminded Martha – that if we believe … if we keep our eyes open … if we invite the presence of God's grace to live among us – we will see the glory of God in this life, in ways that fill us with hope – now, and for whatever's yet to come.Amen

32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So 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?”   38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

John 11:1-54   Now a certain man was sick: Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 And it was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” 4 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not meant for death, but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” 5 (Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister, and Lazarus.) 6 So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He *said to the disciples, “Let's go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples *said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and yet You are going there again?” 9 Jesus replied, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.10 But if anyone walks during the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 This He said, and after this He *said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going so that I may awaken him from sleep.” 12 The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will come out of it.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about actual sleep. 14 So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus died, 15 and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let's go to him.”16 Therefore Thomas, who was called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let's also go, so that we may die with Him!” 17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away; 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them about their brother. 20 So then Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.22 Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” 23 Jesus *said to her, “Your brother will rise from the dead.”24 Martha *said to Him, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have come to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, and He who comes into the world.” 28 When she had said this, she left and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”29 And when she heard this, she *got up quickly and came to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still at the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house and were consoling her, when they saw that Mary had gotten up quickly and left, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 So when Mary came to the place where Jesus was, she saw Him and fell 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 also weeping, He was deeply moved in 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 So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could this man, who opened the eyes of the man who was blind, not have also kept this man from dying?” 38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, *came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.39 Jesus *said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, *said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus *said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”41 So they removed the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 But I knew that You always hear Me; nevertheless, because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 And when He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 Out came the man who had died, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” 45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done. Conspiracy to Kill Jesus 47 Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council meeting, and they were saying, “What are we doing in regard to the fact that this man is performing many signs? 48 If we let Him go on like this, all the people will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take over both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, 50 nor are you taking into account that it is in your best interest that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish instead.” 51 Now he did not say this on his own, but as he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation;52 and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they planned together to kill Him. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews, but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there He stayed with the disciples.     BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com     GIVE -  The Listener's Commentary is a listener supported Bible teaching ministry made possible by the generosity of people like you. Thank you! Give here:  https://www.listenerscommentary.com/give     STUDY HUB - Want more than the audio? Join the study hub to access articles, maps, charts, pictures, and links to other resources to help you study the Bible for yourself. https://www.listenerscommentary.com/members-sign-up   MORE TEACHING - For more resources and Bible teaching from John visit https://www.johnwhittaker.net    

Today on the You Can Heal Your Life Podcast, you'll hear a chapter from the brand-new audiobook, The Promise by entrepreneur, philanthropist, and best-selling author Mandy Morris. Mandy explores the importance of connecting the trials and tribulations of our everyday lives to the beautiful story that we, the infinite beings of this Universe, are all entitled to live. Unbind yourself from the fears and doubts that drag you down to the darkest trenches of your life and learn how to handle adversity in a new, more assured, and confident way, just as the Universe intended you to do.  You can listen to the full audiobook FREE with a trial of the Empower You Unlimited Audio App. To start listening today, visit hayhouse.com/empoweryou.

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