It was by the grace of God alone, through His Spirit, that we were raised to new life in Christ. Without God, we’d have died in our sins, having no hope of heaven. The Raising of Lazarus, 1517 1519, Sebastiano del Piombo Lazarus DiesĪfter Jesus learned that Lazarus was gravely ill, He stayed right where He was for two more days. Most people might have expected Jesus to rush to Lazarus side before He died, but He didn’t, but don’t most of us expect Jesus to come to our rescue quickly, but we forget, Jesus is interested in glorifying God (John 11:4). That’s why Jesus says something interesting, saying, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. Why was Jesus glad He wasn’t there? He could have kept Lazarus from dying, but He waits and says the reason was “so that you may believe,”and believe they will! That explains why He waits and why He said earlier that “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4). When Jesus finally arrives at Martha and Mary’s, “he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days”(John 11:17), but Martha gives Jesus a slight rebuke for arriving late, saying, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21). Perhaps Jesus would have prevented Lazarus from dying if He had come earlier, but this was not the way for God to receive glory though. This is why Jesus tells Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this” (John 11:25-26)? Ask yourself that. Do you believe? Martha did believe in the resurrection and in Christ (John 11:24), so her theology was right. When the Lord finally arrived, “Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled”(John 11:33), so much so that He wept (John 11:35). After this, “Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days”(John 11:39). Martha still didn’t understand what Jesus was about to do and what He will do for others someday. “He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go” (John 11:43-44). If Jesus had not mentioned Lazarus by name, all who were in their graves would have come forth. Why? It’s because Jesus has resurrection power as God. He said, “I Am the Resurrection and the life,” and proved that by raising Lazarus from the dead. If you believe in Him, you already have eternal life.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |