This post is Day 11 in a series of studies about “Surprises”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

Feel free to comment below with your own thoughts about each verse and how you will be acting on each thought. Also, if you haven’t yet signed up to receive the notifications of new studies, you can do that today. (The form is at the bottom of the page).

Surprises – Day 11

The plan was to surprise them more than they could dare hope. On the fourth day He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. This was a forerunner of what Father God was going to do for His beloved Son, raising Him from the dead on the third day!

John 11:5-6

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.

The Thought

These two verses seem totally illogical. Surely, if we love somebody we would want to go and help them in times of trouble! Mary and Martha had asked in faith for Jesus’ help, reminding Him that they knew how much Jesus loved this friend. Jesus rarely did things according to the world’s logic, and in this case, refused to respond. This was a bad surprise for those two sisters. But God had a plan!

God’s plan was to surprise them more than they could dare to hope. On the fourth day He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. This was a forerunner of what Father God was going to do for His beloved Son, raising Him from the dead on the third day! One of the biggest surprises the world has ever seen!

The disappointment of Mary and Martha was wonderfully turned into joy, when Jesus arrived and called their brother out of the tomb where he had been buried 4 days earlier!

Action

Read John chapter 11 and feel all the emotions behind the words. Imagine the sorrow of Mary and Martha as they called for help from Jesus, the only one they knew who could help their dying brother. Imagine their hurt when He didn’t arrive. Then feel their joy at seeing their brother raised from the dead. What an amazing surprise that was! Bigger than they could have dared to ask or could even have imagined.

Ephesians 3:20 … He who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.

Dare to ask Jesus to do something big for you or for someone you love today, remembering that verse from Ephesians.

For a full list of online studies available on this site, please click here.

If there is a subject you would like to see on this site, please use the comment section below or drop us an email (there’s a link at the very top of the page). We can’t promise to cover them all, and our studies are usually prepared a month or two in advance, so please be patient.

For a full list of physical resources available through this site, please click here.