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A Better Choice
"As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," The Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42 NIV)
The Death of Lazarus
"Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on The Lord and wiped His feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one You love is sick."
"When He heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days. (John 11:1-6 NIV)
The Resurrection of Lazarus
"On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him, but Mary stayed at home.
"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give You whatever You ask."
"Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
"Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." [see The Last Day]
"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"
"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that You are The Christ, The Son of God, who was to come into the world." [see The Messiah]
"And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to Him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met Him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
"When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet and said, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."
"When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" He asked.
"Come and see, Lord," they replied."
"Jesus wept."
"Then 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?" [see Miracles Of Jesus Christ]
"Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," He said.
"But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."
"Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
"So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent Me."
"When He had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, Come Out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face."
"Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."
"Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in Him." (John 11:17-45 NIV)
Fact Finder: Did Jesus and the disciples attend a dinner in Jesus' honor at the home of Martha and Mary the week before He was crucified at Passover?
John 12:1-11
