You are the Messiah
Scripture: John 11:17-28 (The Message)
When Jesus finally got there, he found Lazarus already four days dead. Bethany was near Jerusalem, only a couple of miles away, and many of the Jews were visiting Martha and Mary, sympathizing with them over their brother. Martha heard Jesus was coming and went out to meet him. Mary remained in the house.
Martha said, “Master, if you’d been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Even now, I know that whatever you ask God he will give you.”
Jesus said, “Your brother will be raised up.” Martha
replied, “I know that he will be raised up in the resurrection at the end of time.”
“You don’t have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life.
The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live.
And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?”
“Yes, Master. All along I have believed that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who comes into the world.”
After saying this, she went to her sister Mary and whispered in her ear,
“The Teacher is here and is asking for you.”
Encounter with Jesus:
- What is going on in the passage?
- Take time to imagine you are there ‘in the story’ as it happens. What do you see, hear, smell? If you were one of the people in the passage, who would you be? Why?
- Still imagining you are there…
- What question would you like to ask Jesus?
- What was/is Jesus’ response?
Now, what does it mean for us?
I find it quite interesting that we seem to dwell on the previous story of Mary and Martha more than we dwell on this one! And yet here, Mary doesn’t even go out but remains in the house. Whilst in contrast Martha not only goes to Jesus, she also makes an incredible declaration – ‘you are the Messiah’. What a contrast seemingly from the passage we looked at the other day. I am reminded that when I look at the children and young people in our communities, what we see now is not the end of their story, and with Hope I want to encourage you to continue in your prayers for them. Your prayers can and will make a difference for their lives, and together as we pray let us cry out for our children to join with Martha in saying ‘I believe that You are the Messiah, the Son of God’.
To do today:
- Today, let us focus purely on those children and/or young people who we know, praying that they would stay strong in their faith in Jesus, or find a faith in Jesus. In both cases, I pray that they would have an encounter with Jesus and find a way to grow in their relationship with Him.
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