Words of Jesus Part 57

• John 11:1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
• 2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
• 3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

Jesus had grown very close an attached to this family for some reason. Perhaps it was their acceptance of Him. Other than His disciples we don't see the Lord having too many close friends. They were very hospitable people and kind. Mary was the one who sat at His feet when he was teaching while Martha was busy preparing food.

I've notice that when one leaves all to go into the ministry for the Lord, God always gives them at least one friend that can be counted on to give support and encouragement.

• John 11:4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

Even though this sickness would kill Lazarus, it was not really a sickness that was meant for his death. My understanding is that it was not really his time to leave the earth but God would allow this to show that Jesus was the Son of God and the one who was given the power over the resurrection of the dead.

• John 11:5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

I'm sure Jesus loves everyone but was close to this family for some reason. Like I said before, God always gives us at least one friend we can count on when we work for Him.

• John 11:6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
• 7 Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.
• 8 His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?
• 9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
• 10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

He had work to do while He was still here on earth. He was the light of the world. He had to keep going even though it would be risking His life. Giving His life is what He came to do and it had to be done. If Jesus would have allowed them to make Him king and take over the world at this point, many would remain in darkness and have not received the light of the world into their hearts because they would remain in darkness and still have no way to be free from sin. Jesus' death made a way for all who believe to be free from sin or darkness. Once someone is free from sin the darkness leaves and the soul is full of light. That light being Jesus Christ. 

• John 11:11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
• 12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
• 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
• 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

This was said in this way so that they would understand that he was not just taking a rest in sleep but was dead. The reason Jesus doesn't use the word dead very much is because to God we are only sleeping and are not really dead. We just pass from this life to eternal life when we die in Christ.

"To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord."

The body is resurrected at a later time but the soul and spirit go to be with the Lord to await the resurrection. Only the natural body goes into a grave. The real person is gone at the point of death.

• John 11:15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
• 16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

Although they forsook Him and fled when the time of Christ's crucifixion occurred, we do see that in their hearts they were willing to die with Him but as we see later, the flesh is weak when fear comes.

• John 11:17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

This was to make sure that all knew that Lazarus was really dead and that this miracle was real.

• John 11:18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
• 19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
• 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

Some thought this to be a sign of disrespect but I see it as just a sign that Mary was stunned and truly full of grief. Perhaps she hoped that Jesus would come and prevent the death before it occurred.

• John 11:21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
• 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

Martha was the one who usually spent time caring for people and making sure they had basic needs such as food and we see here that in times of grief, Martha showed a great deal of faith in Jesus.

• John 11:23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
• 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
• 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

Here is the basis of all our hope. He that believes in Jesus, though he dies, he or she will live.

• John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

This is literally true. We see someone dying but God sees someone passing from this life into eternal life. Faith in Jesus makes this possible and no other way can accomplish the gift of eternal life. Hell is considered a place for final death even though the soul and spirit do not actually die or become annihilated. It is considered death. Eternal life is only for those who believe to the point of receiving Jesus into their lives. Without Jesus there is no eternal life. Those that died before the coming of Jesus will be judged by their faith in God and the promise that the Messiah would come. Those that believed that will also have eternal life. Examples of these are Abraham, Noah and Daniel. They believed God and it was counted as righteousness. They knew that Jesus was coming to die for their sins although they might not have understood every detail of how that was to happen.

It is the sin that takes one to hell. Jesus paid for that sin. If we reject Jesus and do not believe in Him as the offering for sin or as the Son of God sent to save us from sin, then we die in our sins and lose the gift of eternal life. We then spend eternity in hell where the soul does not die. This is very serious business. Jesus would not have had to die on that cross if there was another way to be saved. God saw us all entering hell because of the law that says, "The soul that sins shall die." He sent us a way out. If we refuse this way, we send ourselves to this place. When Adam sinned against God he brought death upon all of us. God made a plan to get us back into fellowship with Him so that we could live and not die. Our bodies may still die but our soul and spirit live forever. We will one day receive a body that will not die either.

• John 11:27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
• 28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
• 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
• 30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
• 31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
• 32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
• 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

Jesus is always troubled by our unbelief.

• John 11:34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
• 35 Jesus wept.

He wept because so many was slow to believe.

• John 11:36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
• 37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
• 38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
• 39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
• 40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
• 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
• 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
• 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

Some say that had Jesus have only said, "Come Forth," all would have come out of the graves.

• John 11:44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
• 45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
• 46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

Some see miracles and still will not believe. This should have been enough proof to show the whole world who Jesus was.

• John 11:47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
• 48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

They feared the Romans more than God. Where is the Roman Empire today? God still exists but it does not.

• John 11:49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
• 50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
• 51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

I don't believe this man knew that Jesus was to die for our sins. He was thinking of His death to put a stop to what they thought would hurt their existence as a Jewish nation. They wanted Jesus out of the way to save their nation from being wiped out by the Romans. Little did they know that by their rejection of Him, the Romans would wipe them all out in 70 AD.

• John 11:52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

This did not happen yet but will happen at His second coming.

• John 11:53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

This shows that they did not believe Him to be the Son of God or they would not have wanted to kill Him.

• John 11:54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.
• 55 And the Jews' Passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.
• 56 Then sought they for Jesus, and spoke among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?
• 57 Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should show it, that they might take him.

They were now without excuse for their crimes. Many miracles were done to show that Jesus had the power of God and was sent to save them. Even one was resurrected from the dead and they were worried more about the Romans than God. Had Jesus become a great military leader that showed the skill to deliver them from the Romans, they would have believed in Him. They were not looking for one to save from sin.

It is hard for us to realize this fact but we need to be saved from sin. Sin is what will destroy our chance of eternal life. Sin kills. Sin keeps us out of Heaven. Sin separates us from God. Jesus came to save all who believe from sin. If we refuse to believe in Jesus the Son of God, we will remain in sin and be lost.

Words of Jesus Part 58

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