Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. He said to the disciples, let us go into Judea again. The disciples said to him, rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?
Did Jesus answer, 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. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. He spoke to them, our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to wake him out of sleep.

The disciples said to him, Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover. Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Jesus told them plainly, Lazarus is dead, and for your sake, I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him. Thomas called his fellow disciples, let us also go, that we may die with him.

When Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary sat in the house.

Martha said to Jesus, lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.
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, he who believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?

She said to him, yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the son of God, he who is coming into the world. When she said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying quietly, the teacher is here and is calling for you.

And when she heard it, she arose quickly and went to him. Jesus had not yet come to the village but was still in the place where Martha had met him.

When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw many rises quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

Then Mary, when she came where Jesus was and saw him, 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 came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and 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 opens the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?

Jesus deeply moved again, and came to the tomb, it was a cave, and a stone lay upon 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 would believe you would see the glory of God?
So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted his eyes and said, father, I thank you, I knew that you hear me always, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, that they may believe that you send me.

When Jesus said this, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out. The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with 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 he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

Beloved, let us have faith in the lord and I believe our prayers will be answered.
May the good lord bless us all to inherit the kingdom of God.
Thanks for having a special time with us.