Jesus is God – The Living Water, The Bread of Life, The Light of the World, The Healer of Blindness, The Good Shepherd and in chapter 11, The Resurrection and The Life! (Again 20:31!)
Imagine getting word that your closest friend is dying and is going to die, and you’re not gonna’ be there. That’s just the situation Jesus was in. He loved Lazarus & his family. So he tells his disciples that He, and they, are going back to see Lazarus. The disciples are scared because last time there the Jews tried to stone Jesus. He assures them that God will be with Him as long as He is doing His Father’s will (9-10). Then Jesus has to explain to his dense disciples (likewise with me) that Lazarus has died and He is going to resurrect him. And why? (20:31 again): “so that you may believe.”
Up to this point, six miracles have been presented but NONE of them compare to raising Lazarus from the dead! Jesus arrives and Martha tells Jesus “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus tells her Lazarus will rise, but she’s thinking the last day and Jesus is thinking TODAY! Then comes one of the most powerful statements ever by our Lord, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? Yes, Lord, she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God…” (20:31 again). She then takes Jesus to Lazarus. Looking at His friend causes Jesus to cry. Then Jesus tells Lazarus to come out of the tomb AND HE DOES! There’s a first – an obedient dead man!~
What was the result of this? It caused the Holy Heavies to get ticked because people were following Jesus and not them! From that day forward they plotted to arrest & kill Him!
SO WHAT?!
*What makes Christianity the ONLY way and the RIGHT way? The fact that Jesus is ALIVE! The leaders of all other religions – Mohammed, Joseph Smith, Buddha, Allah, etc… are ALL DEAD. Jesus is alive! We serve a RISEN Savior who is with us today and every day – what a huge reminder!
*And hey, if God can cause a dead man to obey Him, he can help us to do the same. Lord help us to obey YOU and not our own selfish desires!
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