Lazarus, Mary, & Martha
TEXT: John 11 & 12

I. Jesus had to balance His love for His friends with His love for His Father JOHN 11:1-15
A. Jesus knew Lazarus was going to die if He did not go to heal him
B. Jesus knew how sad his friends would be if their brother died
C. Jesus knew the will of the Father for Him to display His power as God

II. Mary & Martha had to balance their love for Jesus and for their brother JOHN 11:17-27
A. Our faith in the truth of God can help us through life’s struggles
B. Jesus can identify with our sorrows and sadness
C. God is greater than our greatest need if we trust and obey Him JOHN 11:38-44
D. If we will trust God with our sorrows, we can be a witness to others  JOHN11:45-48

III. Mary had to balance her love for Jesus with her love for her family   John 12:1-11
A. She anointed Jesus’ feet with oil to honor Him as her Lord
B. She cleaned Jesus’ feet with her hair to exalt Him as her Saviour
C. She set at Jesus’ feet listening to Him to be close to Him as her Shepherd

IV. Martha had to balance her love for Jesus and her serving of Jesus   Luke 10:36-42
A. She loved having Jesus in her home and did so often vs. 38
B. She loved showing honor to Jesus as His hostess in her home
C. She struggled with letting circumstances steal her joy