February 20, 2013 Lent Day 8

Lent Day 8 The Plot Against Lazarus Read John 12:9-11 John 12:10-11 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus too, 11 because on his account many Jews were rejecting them and believing in Jesus. POOR Lazarus. He had died, been raised to life, and now, about 3 weeks later, the chief priests were plotting to kill him! Talk about a rough month! What was Lazarus’ crime? He had received a magnificent healing—he had been given, literally, a new life. As a result, he was a walking, talking, living testimony to Jesus’ power. He gave credibility to Jesus, who proclaimed himself the Son of God, the author of life. With Lazarus out of the way, it would be much easier for the priests to discredit Jesus and to crucify him. Are you a living testimony to the life-giving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ? What are some practical ways you can show Jesus to the world? Sometimes it may mean giving comfort to a person who is very sad. We can share how Jesus’ comfort has come to us through prayer and being with others for support. Perhaps someone needs to make a decision about a relationship or finances or a job, and they seek our advice. We can tell them how we make our decisions by checking out the Bible and learning what Jesus says about getting along with others. We can tell them how following Jesus’ words have made a big difference in our lives and give them real-life examples. We can tell people in need how we have taken time to seek him when we needed strength and patience to deal with daily challenges—that going to him in prayer and having others pray for us has made a big difference in our lives. We can share simply that when we follow Jesus, life is better, that Jesus’ words have given us a new outlook on life—they have given us a new life in him. Sometimes your witness, your life may cause people to mock you or even threaten you. Try not to let that bother you. More often, living a resurrected life—a life with Jesus—will cause people to know your Lord in a special way. Some people are blind to Jesus’ love, and it takes someone like you to begin to show his love to them. Pause and Consider: showing Jesus gets people stirred up. That’s good!