Scripture to Read: John 12:9
It’s pretty amazing how God led the Apostle John to write exactly what He wanted him to record. For as soon as we read Jesus’ response, God has the Apostle John shift focus back to the crowds. We read in John 12:9, The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. No doubt, word spread like wildfire about Jesus being in Lazarus’ house. The people in Bethany knew that Jesus was the One who had raised Lazarus from the dead. Even if they had not seen it with their own eyes, there’s no doubt they had all heard about it. So, the crowd came not only to see Jesus, but also to see Lazarus and to confirm that he was no longer dead. God has always used miracles to draw people to Himself and to glorify Himself. The problem is never with the miracle but with the people’s reaction. Some people immediately believe in Jesus as Lord simply by seeing the miracle occur. Others see the miracle and decide to follow Jesus because they want to see Him do more miracles or to get something from Jesus, like when he fed the five thousand plus people. But then there is that group that sees the miracle or hears about it but remains skeptical and questions whether the miracle they saw or heard about was actually real or just a trick. Today, individuals still have to decide whether they’ll follow Jesus or not.
Challenge & Application
• What was the reason the crowd came seeking after Jesus and Lazarus?
• What must be our motivation to seek after Jesus and His Word each day?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!