Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Daily Encouragement for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

29 May 2025

Reading From John 11:1-29

 “So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”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 11:3-7

This story that fascinates me at every turn and there is so much to take in, but what stood out to me in this passage is that Jesus told His followers that His friend Lazarus’ sickness would not end in death. From a human perspective, we ask why would Jesus say this? Lazarus died, his sisters and their family and friends were grieving, and he was in the tomb for four days! Jesus is introducing a new, deeper, more spiritual way of thinking of and emotionally processing life and death.

In verse eleven, the Lord tells the disciples that Lazarus is sleeping and that He is going to wake him up. They took this to mean “natural sleep” as in rest. Jesus seems to be softening how we see death. It isn’t final, it’s temporary.

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

“Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”—John 11:23-27

Jesus is not scolding Martha, He is gently leading her into a deeper understanding and stronger faith. Even as she speaks out in her grief that if Jesus had been there her brother wouldn’t have died, she is showing faith in Jesus’ ability to heal. She further says that she does believe that Lazarus will come alive again at the resurrection, she just doesn’t realize that the her brother would be resurrected twice!

If a person believes, repents, and confesses Jesus as Savior and Lord, then even though the physical tent of the body will “fall asleep” and even decay, the spirit has been fused with the Holy Spirit and will never die, but be reunited with the restored and glorified body on the Last Day. Physical death is temporary, but the bond with have with God and His eternal family is forever.

“God, thank You that no matter what happens to us physically, You take perfect care of us. Our mortal bodies may experience disability, illness, and even death, but Your love is more powerful even than the grace and our bond of love is stronger than any other force. Thank You for Your love and care. You are Love. In the Name of Jesus Christ and with a sincere and grateful heart I pray these things. Amen.”

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ¹⁵ According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangeland with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.—I Thessalonians 4:13-18