My Best Friend Is Jesus

In our story from John chapter 11, we meet three siblings: Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. They weren't just casual acquaintances of Jesus - they were close friends who opened their home to him regularly. When Lazarus became seriously ill, his sisters sent an urgent message to Jesus: "Lord, your dear friend is very sick." Notice they called Lazarus Jesus' "dear friend" - this shows how special their relationship was.

Here's where the story gets puzzling: When Jesus heard about Lazarus being sick, he didn't rush to help immediately. Instead, he stayed where he was for two more days. Why do you think Jesus would delay when his friend needed him? Sometimes God's timing doesn't make sense to us, but Jesus had a bigger plan. He said, "Lazarus's sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this."

After two days, Jesus told his disciples, "Let's go back to Judea. Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up." The disciples were confused - they thought Jesus meant Lazarus was just taking a nap and would feel better after sleeping. But Jesus was using "sleep" as a gentle way to talk about death, which people often did in those days. Finally, Jesus had to speak plainly: "Lazarus is dead."

When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Martha ran to meet him with words that showed both her pain and her faith: "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask." Think about Martha's incredible trust - even in her grief, she believed Jesus could still do something amazing.

Jesus made one of his most powerful statements ever: "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?" This wasn't just about bringing Lazarus back to life temporarily - Jesus was talking about eternal life for everyone who believes in him.

At the tomb, Jesus did something surprising - he wept. Even though he knew he was about to perform an incredible miracle, Jesus felt the real sadness of death and loss. This shows us that Jesus understands our emotions and cares about our pain. Then Jesus prayed out loud so everyone could hear: "Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me."

What happened next changed everything. Jesus shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" And after being dead for four days, Lazarus walked out of that tomb, still wrapped in burial cloths but completely alive and healthy. Can you imagine the shock, joy, and amazement of everyone watching?

This miracle shows us three incredible truths about Jesus as our friend: First, he has power over death itself - the thing that scares people most. Second, he cares deeply about our pain and will comfort us in our hardest times. Third, he keeps his promises about eternal life for those who believe in him.

But here's what makes this even more amazing: Jesus offers this same kind of friendship to you. He knows you personally, cares about your struggles, has power to help in impossible situations, and promises you eternal life. The question Martha had to answer is the same one you need to consider: "Do you believe this?"

Being Jesus' friend isn't just about having someone to pray to when you're in trouble. It means having a relationship with someone who loves you enough to die for you, who understands everything you're going through, and who has conquered death so you can live forever with him. That's a Best Friend Forever in the truest sense.

Let's pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for showing us through Lazarus's story that Jesus has power over death and wants to be our closest friend. Help us to trust you even when we don't understand your timing, and to believe in your promises about eternal life. Thank you that Jesus cares about our pain and will never leave us alone. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Think About It: What does it mean to you that Jesus wept when he saw people's sadness, even though he knew he was about to fix the problem? How does knowing Jesus has power over death change the way you think about difficult situations in your life?