Two More Days

by Brian Kim, Parent and Family Support Coordinator

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

John 11:5-7

This week, we look at John 11 and the death and resurrection of Lazarus with curiosity at why Jesus waited to visit his sick friend.

Devotion: Two More Days

Gather your family and start by taking a few minutes to talk about the miracles of Jesus: what are some of the wonderful things He did during His time on earth? Do you have a favorite miracle? Why do you like that one so much?

Why do you think Jesus did all those miracles? Was He out to prove how powerful He was? Did He do it because He wanted people to like Him and make Him famous? What do you think?

In John 11, we see Jesus to another incredible miracle, let’s read it together. Read John 11:1-16 and 38-44. What do you think about this miracle? Pretty amazing, right? How is this miracle similar to other ones Jesus has done? How is it different?

Verse 6 tells us that when Mary told Jesus that Lazarus was sick, He decided to stay where He was for two more days. Why do you think He waited? Do you think Jesus was being lazy or just didn’t care? What do you think?

Verse 26 tells us this: “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.”

I wonder if Jesus waited those two days because He wanted to show the people a different part of God and His Kingdom? What can you learn about God in this story?

As we close, are there things that you have to wait for sometimes? Do you find it easy to wait? No, most people struggle with waiting. Show us with your body what you do when you are finding it hard to wait for something. However, what might it look like to wait knowing that God could be at work in a different way during that time? Show us now with your body what this kind of waiting might be like.

Let’s ask God to help us in our waitings. Close with a short prayer, being specific to name the things that your children may find hard to wait for, as well as asking the Spirit to help us be patient and to be aware of how He is at work, even when we can’t see it.