Speaker 1: Hello again, and welcome back to kids Bible Stories. This
Speaker 1: series is called the Miracle of Lazarus, and today's episode
Speaker 1: is a cry for help. This comes from John chapter eleven,
Speaker 1: verses one through seven. As we unfold the pages of
Speaker 1: this scripture, you meet fascinating people like Mary, Martha, and
Speaker 1: their brother Lazarus. They were close friends of Jesus who
Speaker 1: experienced his love and power firsthand. Let's jump right in.
Speaker 1: In the quaint village of Bethany, nestled on the outskirts
Speaker 1: of Jerusalem, a humble home stood. Behind the doors of
Speaker 1: this home was Lazarus, beloved brother to Mary and Martha.
Speaker 1: But sadly, Lazarus was very, very sick. The sisters tended
Speaker 1: to Lazarus, hoping to help him. Their brother, whose laugh
Speaker 1: was once vibrant, had now become a whisper. His chest
Speaker 1: rose up and down, up and down, working hard to breathe. Mary,
Speaker 1: with tears pulling in her eyes, sat by Lazarus's side,
Speaker 1: gently wiping his brow with a cool claw. The room
Speaker 1: was dimly lit by a single oil lamp, casting long
Speaker 1: shadows that danced on the walls. As she watched the
Speaker 1: shadow's chain shape, she had an idea. See, Mary knew
Speaker 1: and loved Jesus. In fact, if you read past this scripture,
Speaker 1: you'll learn that it was Mary who would anoint the
Speaker 1: Lord with oil and wipe his feet with her hair.
Speaker 1: Mary's voice broke the silence, her words barely a whisper.
Speaker 2: Martha, you love Lazarus dearly. We must send word to Jesus.
Speaker 2: Surely he can heal him.
Speaker 1: Martha nodded, agreen with her sister's idea. Martha still had faith,
Speaker 1: but her forehead wrinkled in concern. Martha stepped outside, her
Speaker 1: gaze lifting to the stars that speckled the night sky,
Speaker 1: and she called for a young boy from the village,
Speaker 1: known for his swift feet. Go go as fast as
Speaker 1: you can to find Jesus and tell him Lord, the
Speaker 1: one you love is sick, she instructed the messenger. As
Speaker 1: Martha prepared to send the young boyn his urgent mission.
Speaker 1: I imagine Mary being thoughtful like she usually was. I
Speaker 1: picture her trying to sneak a piece of honeycake into
Speaker 1: the messenger's pouch. Mary, this is no time for snacks,
Speaker 1: Martha said, with a gentle laugh. Mary, with a mischievous
Speaker 1: glint in her eye, whispered back.
Speaker 2: Well, everyone knows a bit of honeycake makes any journey sweeter,
Speaker 2: even a messenger's.
Speaker 1: The two sisters shared a much needed giggle before returning
Speaker 1: to their tasks. The brief moment brightened the dim room.
Speaker 1: Understanding the urgency of his mission, the boy darted off
Speaker 1: into the night, his figure quickly swallowed up by the darkness. Listeners,
Speaker 1: why do you think Martha and Mary didn't just pick
Speaker 1: up the phone and call Jesus.
Speaker 2: They didn't have funds.
Speaker 1: That's right, back to our story. Inside, the sisters resumed
Speaker 1: caring for Lazarus and praying for help. Days crawled by,
Speaker 1: each passing hour, a heavy tick of the clock reminding
Speaker 1: them of waiting and waiting some more. Lazarus's breath grew shallower, weaker,
Speaker 1: and the sister's hope flickered like the flame on the
Speaker 1: wick of their lamp. Why hasn't he come? Martha murmured
Speaker 1: into the night, her faith wrestling with fear each time
Speaker 1: she felt Lazarus's fading breath. But finally the messenger returned,
Speaker 1: panting from exertion.
Speaker 2: Jesus about Lazarus and Jesus disciples, and he.
Speaker 3: Told them this sickness will not end in death. No,
Speaker 3: it is for God's glory, so that God's son may
Speaker 3: be glorified through it.
Speaker 1: The sisters exchanged a look of puzzled relief. The words
Speaker 1: were a sweet medicine. It was great news, but some
Speaker 1: of the message was also a bit confusing. The mystery
Speaker 1: of Jesus's words hung heavily in the room. Mary squeezed
Speaker 1: Martha's hand, finding strength in her sister's company. Now, Jesus
Speaker 1: loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, so when he
Speaker 1: heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed two days longer
Speaker 1: in the place where he was. After two days, Jesus
Speaker 1: announced to his disciples who followed.
Speaker 3: Him, let us go to Judea again.
Speaker 1: Well, that is it for our story today. But before
Speaker 1: we go, lat's think about what we just heard. We
Speaker 1: heard that Mary and Martha are sisters, and what's their
Speaker 1: brother's name, Lazarus, way to remember, And we heard that
Speaker 1: Lazarus is very, very sick. So who do they decide
Speaker 1: to go tell and ask for help? Jesus perfect They
Speaker 1: reached out to him in their darkest hour, holding on
Speaker 1: to the promise that Jesus cares deeply. This teaches us
Speaker 1: that it's okay to feel scared or confused when tough
Speaker 1: times come our way. What's important is to remembory that
Speaker 1: we can always reach out to God through prayer. You
Speaker 1: can remember this when you're facing things that may feel
Speaker 1: scary to you, like getting your tonsils out, taking a
Speaker 1: difficult test, or speaking in front of everyone at Show
Speaker 1: and Tell. Like Mary and Martha, you can pray and
Speaker 1: talk to God about everything that worries you. Tell your
Speaker 1: parents about it too, and guess what they also can
Speaker 1: pray with you. Remember, God is always listening, and just
Speaker 1: like in our story, he cares about what happens to us. Now,
Speaker 1: the last thing I want to tell you is that
Speaker 1: I am always fascinated with the sentence we just read.
Speaker 1: The Bible said Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus,
Speaker 1: so when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed
Speaker 1: two days longer in the place where he was. What
Speaker 1: I expected that sentence to say, he loved them so
Speaker 1: he went right away, or he loved them so he
Speaker 1: prayed and healed him right then and there. Though Jesus
Speaker 1: did not come immediately, he had a plan for Lazarus,
Speaker 1: Mary and Martha, one that would show his power and
Speaker 1: love in an even greater way than anyone could have imagined.
Speaker 1: This reminds us that sometimes God's timing is different from ours.
Speaker 1: Mary and Martha probably didn't want to wait those two days,
Speaker 1: but He always knows what's best for us with his plans,
Speaker 1: and he will get the glory. So, dear listeners, let
Speaker 1: this story inspire you to be brave in your faith
Speaker 1: and hopeful in your waiting. Share your worries with God,
Speaker 1: your parents, and trust that He is working out something
Speaker 1: wonderful that will show others how great he is, even
Speaker 1: if you can't see it yet. He loves you and
Speaker 1: you can always call out to Him for help. And
Speaker 1: remember this is in the end of our story. Tune
Speaker 1: in to see what happens next to Lazarus, Mary and Martha.
Speaker 1: What will Jesus do? Today's episode is made possible thanks
Speaker 1: to the generous newest Patreon supporters. A big thank you
Speaker 1: to Charlotte and Olive who live all the way in Australia,
Speaker 1: and thank you to Maureene and Tara. From our family
Speaker 1: to yours, we cannot say thank you enough. We are
Speaker 1: at eleven and a half million downloads in counting, and
Speaker 1: this is made possible because of families like you. If
Speaker 1: you would like to join them and also enjoy the
Speaker 1: fun bonus content for these episodes, go to kbspodcast dot
Speaker 1: com and click bonus content. Other ways to show your
Speaker 1: support are writing an iTunes review or sharing this podcast
Speaker 1: on your social media. Thank you again everyone, and as always,
Speaker 1: bye for now.