Day 1 - Why Did Jesus Weep?
April 1, 2020 • Susan Grant • John 11:1–44
When I was little, I would talk with God, praying, “God, if you’re really up there, please show me a sign!” . I think my prayer is one that, at one point or another, we all pray. We want to know if God is there. But we also want to know, “Is He here? Does He care about my thoughts and situations?” . In John 11, Jesus’s close friends, Mary and Martha, sent a message asking Jesus to come to their house: their brother, Lazarus, was dying. They sought Jesus’s help and comfort during this difficult time, but Jesus delayed coming. . When Jesus finally arrived, Lazarus was dead, and the sisters asked Jesus why He didn’t prevent this. They wanted to know: “Do you care about us and what happens to us?” . Jesus went to Lazarus’s tomb and wept. He knew He was the Resurrection and the Life, and that, in a few minutes, He would raise Lazarus from the dead. So why did He weep? . The simple answer is Jesus grieves over sin and the hurt it causes—including death. He grieves over the fact that the people He made often reject Him, the only One who can rescue them from all that is broken. When we are hurt by the sin and brokenness in the world, it’s as if Jesus goes to the “tombs” in our lives and weeps along with us. . Jesus is Emmanuel, meaning “God is with us.” Be encouraged because God has become one of us. God became a human to end sin and the brokenness it causes (John 1:1-14). When our trust is in Christ, through the Holy Spirit, God is here with us even now. He cares deeply about all the details of our lives. And He promises that His people—those who know Him through faith in Christ—will one day dwell with Him forever, free from tears (Revelation 21:1-5). • Susan Grant . • What specific things in your life have you wondered if God really cares about? . • If you knew Jesus weeps over sin and the brokenness it causes, how would this make a difference in your life? . Jesus wept. John 11:35 (CSB)
Why Did Jesus Weep?
April 1, 2020 • Susan Grant • John 11:1–44
When I was little, I would talk with God, praying, “God, if you’re really up there, please show me a sign!” . I think my prayer is one that, at one point or another, we all pray. We want to know if God is there. But we also want to know, “Is He here? Does He care about my thoughts and situations?” . In John 11, Jesus’ close friends, Mary and Martha, sent a message asking Jesus to come to their house: their brother, Lazarus, was dying. They sought Jesus’ help and comfort during this difficult time, but Jesus delayed coming. . When Jesus finally arrived, Lazarus was dead, and the sisters asked Jesus why He didn’t prevent this. They wanted to know: “Do you care about us and what happens to us?” . Jesus went to Lazarus’ tomb and wept. He knew He was the Resurrection and the Life, and that, in a few minutes, He would raise Lazarus from the dead. So why did He weep? . The simple answer is Jesus grieves over sin and the hurt it causes—including death. He grieves over the fact that the people He made often reject Him, the only One who can rescue them from all that is broken. When we are hurt by the sin and brokenness in the world, it’s as if Jesus goes to the “tombs” in our lives and weeps along with us. . Jesus is Emmanuel, meaning “God is with us.” Be encouraged because God has become one of us. God became a human to end sin and the brokenness it causes (John 1:1-14). When our trust is in Christ, through the Holy Spirit, God is here with us even now. He cares deeply about all the details of our lives. And He promises that His people—those who know Him through faith in Christ—will one day dwell with Him forever, free from tears (Revelation 21:1-5). • Susan Grant . • What specific things in your life have you wondered if God really cares about? . • If you knew Jesus weeps over sin and the brokenness it causes, how would this make a difference in your life? . Jesus wept. John 11:35 (CSB)
I Promise!
January 16, 2020 • Susan Grant • Hebrews 11:11, Numbers 23:19, Genesis 18:10–15, Genesis 21:1–3
Have you ever trusted a friend and then found out they were not trustworthy? Maybe you confided in them, spilling your guts about something personal. And, even though your friend promised to keep it to themselves, they didn’t. . When someone has broken the trust of another, it’s a serious problem that can damage and even destroy relationships. Some people never get over the hurt broken trust has caused them. . Another unfortunate consequence of broken trust is that we tend to view our relationship with God like we view our relationship with friends and family who have mistreated us. People have broken our trust; therefore, we think, Maybe God is the same way. . In Genesis 18, God promised Abraham and his wife, Sarah, that they would become parents, but Sarah didn’t believe Him. After all, Sarah was ninety, and Abraham was one hundred. Surely God meant well; perhaps Sarah thought God was like some of her friends, who just wanted to say the right thing but ultimately weren’t reliable. . But, in verse 14, God makes it clear He keeps His promises: “Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” . A year later, guess who had a son? . It’s important to learn to separate how people sometimes act from how God always acts. We live in a broken world, and we as humans are broken and sinful. But, no matter what betrayal we have faced from others, we can know God is trustworthy and faithful. • Susan Grant . • Why is trust so important in relationships? . • All the promises of God are fulfilled in Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20). How is God’s promise to create life from Sarah’s dead womb reminiscent of His promise to raise His people from the dead (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)? . God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19 (NIV)