Click here to Access the JOHN 12:37-41 PODCAST
37 Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him. ~ John 12:37-41
Miracles do not create faith. Confronted by the message and miracles of the Lord Jesus, most of Israel chose unbelief. He was crucified and their hearts still were not changed. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him, as Messiah. Israel's unbelief aided the fact that the Lord Jesus came to die in our place and make salvation possible for the whole world.
The fact that God blinded the eyes and hardened the hearts of Israel does not take away or contradict their personal responsibility to believe and receive the free gift the Lord Jesus came to offer. The Lord Jesus said in John 3:18, “Whoever believes in me is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” Israel could have believed, in fact some of them did, but all of them didn't. And, they bare the guilt of their choice.
In our text, the Apostle John quotes the prophet Isaiah. John could have left Isaiah out and simply said: the unbelief of Israel was planned by God and their hardness and blindness is owing to His sovereign choice. But what he did was quote two different places in Isaiah.
In John 12:38, John quotes Isaiah 53:1. And in John 12:40 he quotes Isaiah 6:10. Isaiah 53 is a description of the suffering servant, whom we know now as the Lord Jesus. And the two verses that follow go like this: “He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men” (Isaiah 53:2–3).
So the point is that Isaiah prophesied that this suffering servant would be rejected. Israel would not believe on Him. Which is why John says in John 12:38, “Who has believed?” Why did they not believe? Because He was simply not the kind of Messiah they wanted.
Then, in John 12:40, John quotes Isaiah 6:10 which describes what was going to happen when Isaiah preached the vision that he saw of God’s glory. God told Isaiah that when he preached this great message the people would not believe. They would, in fact, be blinded and hardened. Why? Because they did not want to hear such a message.
God blinded and hardened them by sending a savior who was not what they expected. He sent a lowly servant, knowing that they would despise and reject Him. He didn't make them reject Him, He knew in advance how they would respond to Him. The problem was not Him, it was them, their pride and ignorance.
The Lord Jesus didn’t deserve to feel the shame of sin, but He did. He didn’t deserve the humiliation of the cross, but He did. He had never sinned, yet was treated like a sinner. He became sin, so that His perfection could be deposited into our account. This gospel changes hearts, some hearts.
Friday, November 29, 2019
Thursday, November 28, 2019
John 12:28-36
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28 Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. 30 Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. 34 The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?” 35 Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them. ~ John 12:28-36
The Lord Jesus understood very clearly what awaited Him and He struggled with it. As recorded here in our text, for the third time the voice of God spoke from heaven. Upon hearing His Father's voice, He continued on the right path, the path the Father had mapped for Him.
This voice had first been heard at the baptism of Jesus when the Father said, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17). The second time the Father spoke happened at the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus, a few weeks before the final week in Jerusalem. During that experience on that mountain, Moses and Elijah talked with the Lord Jesus. And now, for the third time, as He faced the cross, the voice of the Father expresses His pleasure at the willingness of His Son to be the Passover Lamb.
In v.32, the Lord Jesus says, "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." When Christ was lifted up on the cross, He purchased and guaranteed the homecoming of His sheep, the ingathering of His followers.
The word “draw” is the same word used in John 6:44, where the Lord Jesus says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” We drew near to Him because He drew us to Himself. Could we have rejected His draw? We had to have had that option, otherwise we would be robots.
According to v.33, "He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die." These words are clearly a reference to the cross. By means of the cross the Lord Jesus would draw all kinds of people home.
In v.34-36 we learn of the crowd's reaction which constitutes a remarkable study in unbelief.
Unbelief is selective faith, a faith that believes some, but not all, of the words of God. The people said, "We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever.'" In other words, "Messiah will not die on a cross." This is to ignore such passages as Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 where the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus was predicted and described.
In addition, unbelief caused these people to miss their opportunity to believe. In v.35-36, the Lord Jesus said to them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light."
This was the crowd's last opportunity to hear the words of Jesus. He never spoke to the multitudes again. At the end of v.36, we read, "When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them." The point? When God is speaking, while His word is illuminating your mind, when you begin to see reality from God's perspective, that is a critical hour. Seize it! Don't let it pass. Act on it. Yet these people let their opportunity pass.
28 Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. 30 Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. 34 The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?” 35 Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them. ~ John 12:28-36
The Lord Jesus understood very clearly what awaited Him and He struggled with it. As recorded here in our text, for the third time the voice of God spoke from heaven. Upon hearing His Father's voice, He continued on the right path, the path the Father had mapped for Him.
This voice had first been heard at the baptism of Jesus when the Father said, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17). The second time the Father spoke happened at the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus, a few weeks before the final week in Jerusalem. During that experience on that mountain, Moses and Elijah talked with the Lord Jesus. And now, for the third time, as He faced the cross, the voice of the Father expresses His pleasure at the willingness of His Son to be the Passover Lamb.
In v.31, we read, "Now is the time for judgment on this world." The sins of the world were judged as the Lord Jesus hung on the cross. The Greek word used for the word "judgement" is krisis, which is a decision point, where a choice must be made.
The remainder of v.31 reads, "now the prince of this world will be driven out." Since his rebellion in heaven, the devil has been the god of this world. According to 2 Corinthians 4:4, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."
This means God has given to the devil a certain measure of authority in the earth. This makes sense of the fact that often people blindly follow demonic delusions that Satan sends into the world without even knowing it. The people of this world are manipulated by Satanic values and have no idea of how helpless they are to change, apart from Christ. Given these facts, at the cross the fangs of death were wrestled from this protector of death, the devil himself.
In v.32, the Lord Jesus says, "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." When Christ was lifted up on the cross, He purchased and guaranteed the homecoming of His sheep, the ingathering of His followers.
The word “draw” is the same word used in John 6:44, where the Lord Jesus says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” We drew near to Him because He drew us to Himself. Could we have rejected His draw? We had to have had that option, otherwise we would be robots.
According to v.33, "He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die." These words are clearly a reference to the cross. By means of the cross the Lord Jesus would draw all kinds of people home.
In v.34-36 we learn of the crowd's reaction which constitutes a remarkable study in unbelief.
Unbelief is selective faith, a faith that believes some, but not all, of the words of God. The people said, "We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever.'" In other words, "Messiah will not die on a cross." This is to ignore such passages as Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 where the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus was predicted and described.
In addition, unbelief caused these people to miss their opportunity to believe. In v.35-36, the Lord Jesus said to them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. 36 Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light."
This was the crowd's last opportunity to hear the words of Jesus. He never spoke to the multitudes again. At the end of v.36, we read, "When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them." The point? When God is speaking, while His word is illuminating your mind, when you begin to see reality from God's perspective, that is a critical hour. Seize it! Don't let it pass. Act on it. Yet these people let their opportunity pass.
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
John 12:25-28
Click here for the John 12:25-28 PODCAST
25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. 27 “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!” ~ John 12:25-28
The theme of John's Gospel is Christ's fullness and mankind's emptiness. In our text today, the Lord Jesus is underlining the reason for mankind's emptiness: we rejected God's definition of life and we tried to define our lives for ourselves.
The Lord Jesus reminds us in v.25 that infatuation with the way we think life should be leads to our destruction. The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ begins with dying, it begins with His cross. God's culture confronts the philosophy of this world where self is placed squarely at the center. The Lord Jesus advises that if we follow this philosophy, we will lose. The life we so desire will slip through our fingers no matter what we do.
In v.25, we read, "Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life." This means we must recognize that living for self will never supply what we really want out of life. Only as we surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that happen. That is why the gospel includes His cross, and why His cross has become the symbol of Christian faith.
The cross is the symbol of death. It stands for the end of the our will. When we came to Christ we did not bring our life up to a higher plane. The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die. That is the beginning of the gospel.
In v.26, we read, "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." Surrendering our claim on our lives, and bowing our knee to the Lordship of the Lord Jesus is a form of dying. The result, as promised in v.26, is that we will truly begin to live.
In v.27 the Lord Jesus reveals that He struggled with this idea of going to the cross. His struggle was not caused by His lack. His struggle was linked to the impending separation from the Father. He had never known such separation. We are motivated in the reverse order of that which the Lord Jesus was. Our insecurities are linked to our lack which creates the potential for greed and covetousness. This is not so for the Lord Jesus for He has no insecurities caused by any type of lack. His apprehension was caused by having to become sin while hanging on the cross. He who had never committed one sin embraced all sin so that God would punish that sin in His body as He hung on that tree.
The latter part of v.27 and v.28 reveals that the Lord Jesus concluded His cross was His calling in order to rescue mankind from our emptiness. His cross was a necessary evil, otherwise, you and I would be damned for eternity. Imagine that, we would be guaranteed an eternity in hell. The Lord Jesus was emptied in the worse possible way so that we would be able to know the fullness of God's forgiveness and presence in our lives.
25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. 27 “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!” ~ John 12:25-28
The theme of John's Gospel is Christ's fullness and mankind's emptiness. In our text today, the Lord Jesus is underlining the reason for mankind's emptiness: we rejected God's definition of life and we tried to define our lives for ourselves.
The Lord Jesus reminds us in v.25 that infatuation with the way we think life should be leads to our destruction. The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ begins with dying, it begins with His cross. God's culture confronts the philosophy of this world where self is placed squarely at the center. The Lord Jesus advises that if we follow this philosophy, we will lose. The life we so desire will slip through our fingers no matter what we do.
In v.25, we read, "Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life." This means we must recognize that living for self will never supply what we really want out of life. Only as we surrender to the Lordship of Christ can that happen. That is why the gospel includes His cross, and why His cross has become the symbol of Christian faith.
The cross is the symbol of death. It stands for the end of the our will. When we came to Christ we did not bring our life up to a higher plane. The grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die. That is the beginning of the gospel.
In v.26, we read, "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." Surrendering our claim on our lives, and bowing our knee to the Lordship of the Lord Jesus is a form of dying. The result, as promised in v.26, is that we will truly begin to live.
In v.27 the Lord Jesus reveals that He struggled with this idea of going to the cross. His struggle was not caused by His lack. His struggle was linked to the impending separation from the Father. He had never known such separation. We are motivated in the reverse order of that which the Lord Jesus was. Our insecurities are linked to our lack which creates the potential for greed and covetousness. This is not so for the Lord Jesus for He has no insecurities caused by any type of lack. His apprehension was caused by having to become sin while hanging on the cross. He who had never committed one sin embraced all sin so that God would punish that sin in His body as He hung on that tree.
The latter part of v.27 and v.28 reveals that the Lord Jesus concluded His cross was His calling in order to rescue mankind from our emptiness. His cross was a necessary evil, otherwise, you and I would be damned for eternity. Imagine that, we would be guaranteed an eternity in hell. The Lord Jesus was emptied in the worse possible way so that we would be able to know the fullness of God's forgiveness and presence in our lives.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
John 12:17-24
Click here for the John 12:17-24 PODCAST
17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” 20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. 23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ~ John 12:17-24
In John 12:17-21, the Lord Jesus is popular. The whole world seemed to want to see Him because He had raised Lazarus from the dead. This kind of word spreads fast. So popular was the Lord Jesus that some visiting Greeks went to Philip and Andrew, requesting to see Him. This request underlines the fact the Lord Jesus was popular. But, this kind of popularity repulses Him.
This kind of popularity isn't high on His list. And, even though He came to be the King, He didn't come to be the King that was expected by these gathered in Jerusalem. In fact, by the end of this week their praises turn to "crucify Him".
In v.23, we read, "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified!" This is the first time the Lord Jesus has gone along with the people's desire to acknowledge Him as such. Several times in this gospel we have heard Jesus say "My hour has not yet come." These responses give clear indication that He was in utter subjection to the will of His Father in heaven.
In v.24, we get the explanation for His acceptance of the people's adulation: He goes on to utter words introduced by what I have described as the formula of focused attention: "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."
Of course, He is talking about Himself. He is the grain of wheat. Unless He is willing to die, unless He goes to the cross, His whole purpose in coming to earth will have been wasted, we will remain alone. "But if it dies, it produces many seeds." These Greeks, perhaps, represent the many seeds, converts with changed hearts and minds.
The Lord Jesus is that grain of wheat. To realize its purpose, the seed must be planted. It has to be left in the cold, dark earth. In time, a green sprout will appear, then the blade, then the plant, then the stem, and finally the head. Then, the harvest. On the cross He accomplished something no one else could have: He conquered sin and death so that we could be reunited to God. Had the Lord Jesus not embraced death on the cross, we would not be redeemed.
The word redeem means “to buy out.” The term was used specifically in reference to the purchase of a slave’s freedom. The application of this term to Christ’s death on the cross is quite telling. If we are “redeemed,” God has purchased our freedom, and we are no longer in bondage to sin or to the Old Testament law.
In the Old Testament, redemption involved deliverance from bondage based on the payment of a price by a redeemer. The Hebrew root word includes a substitution required for the person delivered from the bondage of another.
According to the New Testament, deliverance of mankind from its state of alienation from God has been accomplished through the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. In the New Testament, redemption requires the payment of a price. Mankind is held in the bondage of sin from which only the atoning death of Jesus Christ can liberate.
Redemption is the promise of God to deliver us from the penalty, power and presence of sin. Before sin entered this world, Adam and Eve had intimate relationship with God. But now, mankind has forfeited that relationship by choosing to reject God. The good news is that the Lord Jesus has purchased our redemption through His death on the cross by dying as a kernel.
James Montgomery Boice tells the story of a young Russian, the son of a close friend of Czar Nicholas, who was caught stealing from the Czar. As treasurer of a border fortress of the Russian army, the young man was to manage the Czar’s money and dispense the wages to the troops. But he began gambling and trying to cover his losses by borrowing from the army treasury.
One day he heard that a government auditor was coming to examine the books. He sat down and added up what he had taken. It was a huge amount. He emptied out his own resources, subtracted it from what should have been in the account and noted the great discrepancy. Under the amount due, he wrote: “A great debt; who can pay?” He couldn’t, and he knew no one who could help him. So he drew his revolver and decided to kill himself at midnight.
But as he waited for the clock to strike, he fell asleep, and while he slept, Czar Nicholas paid a surprise inspection visit. He saw the books, the despairing note and the revolver, and he realized that the young man had betrayed his trust. But rather than arrest the young man, he had mercy on him. He stooped and wrote something next to the man’s note and quietly left.
When the young man awoke, he again picked up the gun and was about to pull the trigger when he noticed something. Next to his note, “A great debt; who can pay?” was a single word: Nicholas. And the next morning, a bag of coins arrived from Nicholas that covered the exact amount owed.
Our debt was much, much steeper. We faced an eternity apart from God and all that is good. But while we were yet enemies of God, Christ died for us. My friend, I trust you have believed in the Lord Jesus and received His free gift of redemption.
17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” 20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. 23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ~ John 12:17-24
In John 12:17-21, the Lord Jesus is popular. The whole world seemed to want to see Him because He had raised Lazarus from the dead. This kind of word spreads fast. So popular was the Lord Jesus that some visiting Greeks went to Philip and Andrew, requesting to see Him. This request underlines the fact the Lord Jesus was popular. But, this kind of popularity repulses Him.
This kind of popularity isn't high on His list. And, even though He came to be the King, He didn't come to be the King that was expected by these gathered in Jerusalem. In fact, by the end of this week their praises turn to "crucify Him".
In v.23, we read, "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified!" This is the first time the Lord Jesus has gone along with the people's desire to acknowledge Him as such. Several times in this gospel we have heard Jesus say "My hour has not yet come." These responses give clear indication that He was in utter subjection to the will of His Father in heaven.
In v.24, we get the explanation for His acceptance of the people's adulation: He goes on to utter words introduced by what I have described as the formula of focused attention: "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."
Of course, He is talking about Himself. He is the grain of wheat. Unless He is willing to die, unless He goes to the cross, His whole purpose in coming to earth will have been wasted, we will remain alone. "But if it dies, it produces many seeds." These Greeks, perhaps, represent the many seeds, converts with changed hearts and minds.
The Lord Jesus is that grain of wheat. To realize its purpose, the seed must be planted. It has to be left in the cold, dark earth. In time, a green sprout will appear, then the blade, then the plant, then the stem, and finally the head. Then, the harvest. On the cross He accomplished something no one else could have: He conquered sin and death so that we could be reunited to God. Had the Lord Jesus not embraced death on the cross, we would not be redeemed.
The word redeem means “to buy out.” The term was used specifically in reference to the purchase of a slave’s freedom. The application of this term to Christ’s death on the cross is quite telling. If we are “redeemed,” God has purchased our freedom, and we are no longer in bondage to sin or to the Old Testament law.
In the Old Testament, redemption involved deliverance from bondage based on the payment of a price by a redeemer. The Hebrew root word includes a substitution required for the person delivered from the bondage of another.
According to the New Testament, deliverance of mankind from its state of alienation from God has been accomplished through the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. In the New Testament, redemption requires the payment of a price. Mankind is held in the bondage of sin from which only the atoning death of Jesus Christ can liberate.
Redemption is the promise of God to deliver us from the penalty, power and presence of sin. Before sin entered this world, Adam and Eve had intimate relationship with God. But now, mankind has forfeited that relationship by choosing to reject God. The good news is that the Lord Jesus has purchased our redemption through His death on the cross by dying as a kernel.
James Montgomery Boice tells the story of a young Russian, the son of a close friend of Czar Nicholas, who was caught stealing from the Czar. As treasurer of a border fortress of the Russian army, the young man was to manage the Czar’s money and dispense the wages to the troops. But he began gambling and trying to cover his losses by borrowing from the army treasury.
One day he heard that a government auditor was coming to examine the books. He sat down and added up what he had taken. It was a huge amount. He emptied out his own resources, subtracted it from what should have been in the account and noted the great discrepancy. Under the amount due, he wrote: “A great debt; who can pay?” He couldn’t, and he knew no one who could help him. So he drew his revolver and decided to kill himself at midnight.
But as he waited for the clock to strike, he fell asleep, and while he slept, Czar Nicholas paid a surprise inspection visit. He saw the books, the despairing note and the revolver, and he realized that the young man had betrayed his trust. But rather than arrest the young man, he had mercy on him. He stooped and wrote something next to the man’s note and quietly left.
When the young man awoke, he again picked up the gun and was about to pull the trigger when he noticed something. Next to his note, “A great debt; who can pay?” was a single word: Nicholas. And the next morning, a bag of coins arrived from Nicholas that covered the exact amount owed.
Our debt was much, much steeper. We faced an eternity apart from God and all that is good. But while we were yet enemies of God, Christ died for us. My friend, I trust you have believed in the Lord Jesus and received His free gift of redemption.
Monday, November 25, 2019
John 12:12-16
Click here for the John 12:12-16 Podcast
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: 15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” 16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. ~ John 12:12-16
We have now entered into the final week of life on earth for the Lord Jesus as recorded by the Apostle John. In fulfillment of the prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9, the crowd in Jerusalem cried out, "Hosanna!" meaning, "Save us now!" They saw the Lord Jesus as the political king of Israel come to deliver them from Roman rule. They wrongly thought politics rendered the answer for mankind's condition. Our hope comes from way beyond the powers of this world, our hope comes from the One who overcame sin and death.
John tells us in v.12, "The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem." These people who welcomed the Lord Jesus were not residents of Jerusalem. These were visitors who were in Jerusalem for the Passover. According to Matthew's account, the whole city of Jerusalem was stirred when they saw this procession coming down the Mount of Olives. But instead of joining in with the crowd, they suspiciously asked, "Who is this?" The crowd making up the procession had to inform them, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth."
The disciples of the Lord Jesus, also, did not understand this at first. They had been with the Lord Jesus in Galilee when the crowd had tried to crown Him king following the feeding of the five thousand, but He prevented it. Here, He is willing to be the center of the crowd's adulation. They did not know what this meant until after the Lord Jesus was glorified and they had been filled with the Holy Spirit.
Those who had been with the Lord Jesus when He called Lazarus to come out of his tomb were also present. They were attracted to the Lord Jesus because He had raise Lazarus from the dead. Here, also, was the amazed multitude, caught up with the exciting news that the Lord Jesus had raised a man who had been dead four days. They were all anxious to see the One who had done this amazing thing.
Then, there were the religious leaders who had decided not to take Jesus as prisoner during the Passover because they feared the reaction of the masses. But now, as they see the sweeping response of the people, they say, "You see that you can do nothing; look, the whole world has gone after him." Their plans were changing real fast.
All of these groups had incomplete views of the Lord Jesus. So do I. What helps us with our incomplete views of the Lord Jesus? Of course, the answer is the word of God and prayer. I am finding the more I invest in these two forgers of eternity in our souls, the more I see beyond the obvious.
In our text, the prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27 is unfolding before the eyes of all to see. In that prophecy there are 490 years predicted for the nation of Israel. Jeremiah 30:7 tells us that it is a time of Jacob's trouble. Jacob is Israel in unbelief.
Daniel 9:24-27 is a prophecy which begins with seventy "sevens" until the restoration of Jerusalem. The seventy "sevens" is a reference to a period of 490 years. It is divided into three sections: seven sevens (49 years), sixty-two sevens (434 years), and one seven (7 years).
The first period of time, seven sevens (49 years) began with the issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the it's completion. The issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem is recorded in Nehemiah 2:1-8. It was 444 BC when King Artaxerxes issued the decree and Jerusalem was rebuilt in 395 BC. This 49 year period accounts for the first part of this prophecy.
The second period of time began with the completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem til the coming of the "Anointed One" who would be "put to death". This Anointed One, of course, is the Lord Jesus. This period of time (7 times 7 years, plus 62 times 7 years) equals 483 years. When these 483 years elapsed, Messiah, would then be presented to the people. In fact, the very day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem was 483 years after the issuing of the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem!
Daniel 9:26 then speaks of prophecy following the time of Jesus' death on the cross. "The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."
Comparing this passage with prophecies in Revelation, the coming Antichrist ("the ruler who will come") will destroy Jerusalem and the sanctuary during the middle of the 70th seven or the middle of what most refer to the tribulation period. The Bible never refers to this seven year period as "the Tribulation". There will be a flood, war, desolations, and a covenant for one "seven" (seven years). He, Antichrist will desecrate the temple at the midpoint of the tribulation and ultimately be defeated at his "decreed" end.
Clearly, design is seen in these prophesied events. God truly is sovereign and is in control, even when it appears that He is not. He has the ability to work all things for the good for those who are learning to love Him. Therefore, we can trust Him. We should live every day henceforth with great excitement and anticipation, anticipating the life He has for us. This is real life, this is His life come to bear on ours. To realize His plan for and through our lives is a privilege because he has deemed that we play a role in what He is doing in this world.
12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: 15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” 16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. ~ John 12:12-16
We have now entered into the final week of life on earth for the Lord Jesus as recorded by the Apostle John. In fulfillment of the prophecy found in Zechariah 9:9, the crowd in Jerusalem cried out, "Hosanna!" meaning, "Save us now!" They saw the Lord Jesus as the political king of Israel come to deliver them from Roman rule. They wrongly thought politics rendered the answer for mankind's condition. Our hope comes from way beyond the powers of this world, our hope comes from the One who overcame sin and death.
John tells us in v.12, "The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem." These people who welcomed the Lord Jesus were not residents of Jerusalem. These were visitors who were in Jerusalem for the Passover. According to Matthew's account, the whole city of Jerusalem was stirred when they saw this procession coming down the Mount of Olives. But instead of joining in with the crowd, they suspiciously asked, "Who is this?" The crowd making up the procession had to inform them, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth."
The disciples of the Lord Jesus, also, did not understand this at first. They had been with the Lord Jesus in Galilee when the crowd had tried to crown Him king following the feeding of the five thousand, but He prevented it. Here, He is willing to be the center of the crowd's adulation. They did not know what this meant until after the Lord Jesus was glorified and they had been filled with the Holy Spirit.
Those who had been with the Lord Jesus when He called Lazarus to come out of his tomb were also present. They were attracted to the Lord Jesus because He had raise Lazarus from the dead. Here, also, was the amazed multitude, caught up with the exciting news that the Lord Jesus had raised a man who had been dead four days. They were all anxious to see the One who had done this amazing thing.
Then, there were the religious leaders who had decided not to take Jesus as prisoner during the Passover because they feared the reaction of the masses. But now, as they see the sweeping response of the people, they say, "You see that you can do nothing; look, the whole world has gone after him." Their plans were changing real fast.
All of these groups had incomplete views of the Lord Jesus. So do I. What helps us with our incomplete views of the Lord Jesus? Of course, the answer is the word of God and prayer. I am finding the more I invest in these two forgers of eternity in our souls, the more I see beyond the obvious.
In our text, the prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27 is unfolding before the eyes of all to see. In that prophecy there are 490 years predicted for the nation of Israel. Jeremiah 30:7 tells us that it is a time of Jacob's trouble. Jacob is Israel in unbelief.
Daniel 9:24-27 is a prophecy which begins with seventy "sevens" until the restoration of Jerusalem. The seventy "sevens" is a reference to a period of 490 years. It is divided into three sections: seven sevens (49 years), sixty-two sevens (434 years), and one seven (7 years).
The first period of time, seven sevens (49 years) began with the issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the it's completion. The issuing of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem is recorded in Nehemiah 2:1-8. It was 444 BC when King Artaxerxes issued the decree and Jerusalem was rebuilt in 395 BC. This 49 year period accounts for the first part of this prophecy.
The second period of time began with the completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem til the coming of the "Anointed One" who would be "put to death". This Anointed One, of course, is the Lord Jesus. This period of time (7 times 7 years, plus 62 times 7 years) equals 483 years. When these 483 years elapsed, Messiah, would then be presented to the people. In fact, the very day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem was 483 years after the issuing of the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem!
Daniel 9:26 then speaks of prophecy following the time of Jesus' death on the cross. "The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."
Comparing this passage with prophecies in Revelation, the coming Antichrist ("the ruler who will come") will destroy Jerusalem and the sanctuary during the middle of the 70th seven or the middle of what most refer to the tribulation period. The Bible never refers to this seven year period as "the Tribulation". There will be a flood, war, desolations, and a covenant for one "seven" (seven years). He, Antichrist will desecrate the temple at the midpoint of the tribulation and ultimately be defeated at his "decreed" end.
Clearly, design is seen in these prophesied events. God truly is sovereign and is in control, even when it appears that He is not. He has the ability to work all things for the good for those who are learning to love Him. Therefore, we can trust Him. We should live every day henceforth with great excitement and anticipation, anticipating the life He has for us. This is real life, this is His life come to bear on ours. To realize His plan for and through our lives is a privilege because he has deemed that we play a role in what He is doing in this world.
Friday, November 22, 2019
John 12:4-11
To access the JOHN 12:4-11 PODCAST, click here
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” 9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him. ~ John 12:4-11
In John 12, we are given a few contrasts, the most pronounced is between Mary, who poured perfume on the Lord Jesus, and Judas, who complained that Mary's worship was a waste. Mary's eleven-ounce flask of perfume was worth about $25,000. Just before the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, Judas would betray Him for $1000.
Despite the fact Judas said the money from the sale of Mary's perfume could be used to help the poor, he did not care for the poor. As the treasurer appointed by the Lord Jesus, he wanted the money for himself. In fact, Judas often took money from the money box. Judas’ heart valued money more than he valued the Lord Jesus. Judas’ heart contradicted the treasure who is the Lord Jesus.
Mary’s heart was full of gratitude, love and joy overflowing into worship of the One who meant so much to her. Mary loved Jesus. Mary’s heart corresponded with the treasure that is the Lord Jesus. We were created to worship. Our greatest worship is of the Lord Jesus for He is the greatest. Anything that convinces us to worship Him must be valued. Anything which prevents us from this is a curse.
Worship comes from a heart that has been broken and blessed by God. Such a heart expresses its gratitude to the Lord who fills it so full and makes it so rich.
In v.7, the Lord Jesus says, "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial." We do not know how Mary had come into this costly perfume. Undoubtedly, the Lord provided it for her. As with all things that He gives us, these were all given to be a means of our worship of Him.
Notice Jesus' words v.8, “You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” His bodily presence in the body for them to see, hear and touch will be there only for a short time longer. Mary knows the preciousness of Jesus’s bodily presence, thus the anointing with the very expensive perfume. This was not precious to Judas. His sense of value is measured by money. His reference to the poor was a cover for his greed. He’s a thief. He wants money, not the Lord Jesus. His heart is the opposite of Mary’s.
Our greatest treasure must be the Lord Jesus. Mary was able keep on treasuring the Lord Jesus even after His burial. Mary had experienced intimacy with the Lord Jesus, despite her deep pain. It was through her pain that she was opened up to the Lord's preciousness. She would have not known intimacy with Him without her pain.
Judas was not born of God, despite the fact that he had spent so much time with Him. Judas did not value his ability to know the Lord Jesus with his heart, to see Him with his eyes, to hear Him with his ears, to touch Him with his hands. He never knew the value of John 1:14, "The Word was made flesh and is dwelling among you full of grace and truth."
Mary had seen the glory of the Lord Jesus. Mary had tasted His grace. Mary has gotten a glimpsed of His truth. And Mary’s heart had been formed by this experience. And she had reached for the most valued thing she could find to express the inexpressible: a heart that matches the worth of the Lord Jesus.
In mere seconds, the valuable perfume was dispensed, but she still had her brother. And the Lord Jesus is the one who raised him and He is the reason life is worth living. He is the resurrection and the life. There is no way to calculate the cost of love. There is no way to put the heart in a scale and say, this much love for the Lord Jesus and no more. Jesus is inexpressibly wonderful, and Mary is inexpressibly affectionate.
Judas didn't love the poor, because he didn’t love the Lord Jesus. The love of money, the desire to be rich robs us of real love and real life. It blinds us to the worth of the Lord Jesus. He, the Lord Jesus, is to be desired above all riches. Our preference for money, the things of this world, is preference for death. Our preference for the Creator of life is preference for life.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” 9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him. ~ John 12:4-11
In John 12, we are given a few contrasts, the most pronounced is between Mary, who poured perfume on the Lord Jesus, and Judas, who complained that Mary's worship was a waste. Mary's eleven-ounce flask of perfume was worth about $25,000. Just before the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, Judas would betray Him for $1000.
Despite the fact Judas said the money from the sale of Mary's perfume could be used to help the poor, he did not care for the poor. As the treasurer appointed by the Lord Jesus, he wanted the money for himself. In fact, Judas often took money from the money box. Judas’ heart valued money more than he valued the Lord Jesus. Judas’ heart contradicted the treasure who is the Lord Jesus.
Mary’s heart was full of gratitude, love and joy overflowing into worship of the One who meant so much to her. Mary loved Jesus. Mary’s heart corresponded with the treasure that is the Lord Jesus. We were created to worship. Our greatest worship is of the Lord Jesus for He is the greatest. Anything that convinces us to worship Him must be valued. Anything which prevents us from this is a curse.
Worship comes from a heart that has been broken and blessed by God. Such a heart expresses its gratitude to the Lord who fills it so full and makes it so rich.
In v.7, the Lord Jesus says, "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial." We do not know how Mary had come into this costly perfume. Undoubtedly, the Lord provided it for her. As with all things that He gives us, these were all given to be a means of our worship of Him.
Notice Jesus' words v.8, “You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” His bodily presence in the body for them to see, hear and touch will be there only for a short time longer. Mary knows the preciousness of Jesus’s bodily presence, thus the anointing with the very expensive perfume. This was not precious to Judas. His sense of value is measured by money. His reference to the poor was a cover for his greed. He’s a thief. He wants money, not the Lord Jesus. His heart is the opposite of Mary’s.
Our greatest treasure must be the Lord Jesus. Mary was able keep on treasuring the Lord Jesus even after His burial. Mary had experienced intimacy with the Lord Jesus, despite her deep pain. It was through her pain that she was opened up to the Lord's preciousness. She would have not known intimacy with Him without her pain.
Judas was not born of God, despite the fact that he had spent so much time with Him. Judas did not value his ability to know the Lord Jesus with his heart, to see Him with his eyes, to hear Him with his ears, to touch Him with his hands. He never knew the value of John 1:14, "The Word was made flesh and is dwelling among you full of grace and truth."
Mary had seen the glory of the Lord Jesus. Mary had tasted His grace. Mary has gotten a glimpsed of His truth. And Mary’s heart had been formed by this experience. And she had reached for the most valued thing she could find to express the inexpressible: a heart that matches the worth of the Lord Jesus.
In mere seconds, the valuable perfume was dispensed, but she still had her brother. And the Lord Jesus is the one who raised him and He is the reason life is worth living. He is the resurrection and the life. There is no way to calculate the cost of love. There is no way to put the heart in a scale and say, this much love for the Lord Jesus and no more. Jesus is inexpressibly wonderful, and Mary is inexpressibly affectionate.
Judas didn't love the poor, because he didn’t love the Lord Jesus. The love of money, the desire to be rich robs us of real love and real life. It blinds us to the worth of the Lord Jesus. He, the Lord Jesus, is to be desired above all riches. Our preference for money, the things of this world, is preference for death. Our preference for the Creator of life is preference for life.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
John 11:55-12:3
Click here for the JOHN 11:55-12:3 PODCAST
55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him. 1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ~ John 11:55-12:3
John 1-11 covers the first three years of the ministry of the Lord Jesus, and John 12-21 covers the final week of His life. In our text today, are contrasted believers with unbelievers, Mary with Judas.
In John 11:55-57, we learn that many (possibly up to three million) people came to Jerusalem for the Passover. Many of these three million wanted to see the infamous Jesus Christ, who was so popular that the religious leaders had issued a warrant for His arrest.
According to John 12:1-2, six days before the Passover, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were with the Lord Jesus in Bethany. Six days before the Passover. Six, the number of man, the incomplete number, is highlighted. This is half of the theme of John's Gospel: The Fullness of God, the Emptiness of Man. This was the last Sabbath, because through His death, burial, and resurrection, the Lord Jesus ratified the New Covenant. The Old Covenant is no longer binding on man.
In Bethany, a group of transformed believers honored the Lord Jesus with a meal. This meal was not being served in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, but in the home of Simon the leper. We don't know much about Simon, other than he had been a leper who had been healed by the Lord Jesus.
Filled with gratitude, these who had been transformed by the Lord Jesus, took this opportunity, despite the fact that there was a warrant out for the arrest of the Lord Jesus, to honor the Him. Gratitude is such a key ingredient for worship. Gratitude is the soil within which we bow our all before the Lord Jesus Christ.
Note, in v.2-3, Martha is serving; Lazarus is "with" the Lord Jesus, while Mary anoints His feet with a pound of very expensive perfume and wipes them with her hair. Each of these actions is a form of love and worship. Each did what was most comfortable and natural for them.
Notice, Lazarus, who had recently been raised from the dead, is hardly featured at all. He is content to be "with" Jesus. Never is a word of Lazarus recorded in the Gospels. And, Martha, whose love language was acts of service, is preparing the meal without a complaint.
According to v.3, Mary took a pound of very costly Indian perfume and poured it on the Lord Jesus. Mary's love language was giving gifts. Later, Judas complains about the extravagance of using what, in effect, was the equivalent of a year's pay, to anoint the Lord Jesus. Judas illustrates a very important principle: A man sees in his eyes that which is in his heart.
Mary's heart was so filled with love, joy and gratitude that she breaks the expensive jar full of perfume and pours it upon the Lord Jesus until its fragrance filled the whole house. According to the other gospel accounts, she anointed his head first, and the perfume ran down along his body until it covered his feet. Then she unbound her hair and wiped up the excess perfume with it.
Mary had experienced love from the Lord Jesus through the raising of her brother from the dead. This drilled down deeply into her heart. As a result, she was deeply appreciative of the deep love of the Lord Jesus. So, she expressed her deep love to the Lord Jesus by pouring this expensive perfume on Him.
She spared no expense, she cared nothing for the customs of the day, entering into a supper where women were usually not welcome, letting down her hair in public, an unthinkable act in that culture, and openly expressing her love for the Lord Jesus. But that's how love acts. It is uncaring of cost and expense.
Worship is a heart transformed expressing itself regardless the cost. The transformation of heart included the pain of losing. Simon had lost all of his feeling due to his leprosy. Mary and Martha had lost their brother to death. Lazarus had gotten sick and died. This is service, this is fellowship, this is worship. "We perish for the lack of wonder, not because of a lack of wonders." ~ Chesterton
55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him. 1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ~ John 11:55-12:3
John 1-11 covers the first three years of the ministry of the Lord Jesus, and John 12-21 covers the final week of His life. In our text today, are contrasted believers with unbelievers, Mary with Judas.
In John 11:55-57, we learn that many (possibly up to three million) people came to Jerusalem for the Passover. Many of these three million wanted to see the infamous Jesus Christ, who was so popular that the religious leaders had issued a warrant for His arrest.
According to John 12:1-2, six days before the Passover, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were with the Lord Jesus in Bethany. Six days before the Passover. Six, the number of man, the incomplete number, is highlighted. This is half of the theme of John's Gospel: The Fullness of God, the Emptiness of Man. This was the last Sabbath, because through His death, burial, and resurrection, the Lord Jesus ratified the New Covenant. The Old Covenant is no longer binding on man.
In Bethany, a group of transformed believers honored the Lord Jesus with a meal. This meal was not being served in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, but in the home of Simon the leper. We don't know much about Simon, other than he had been a leper who had been healed by the Lord Jesus.
Filled with gratitude, these who had been transformed by the Lord Jesus, took this opportunity, despite the fact that there was a warrant out for the arrest of the Lord Jesus, to honor the Him. Gratitude is such a key ingredient for worship. Gratitude is the soil within which we bow our all before the Lord Jesus Christ.
Note, in v.2-3, Martha is serving; Lazarus is "with" the Lord Jesus, while Mary anoints His feet with a pound of very expensive perfume and wipes them with her hair. Each of these actions is a form of love and worship. Each did what was most comfortable and natural for them.
Notice, Lazarus, who had recently been raised from the dead, is hardly featured at all. He is content to be "with" Jesus. Never is a word of Lazarus recorded in the Gospels. And, Martha, whose love language was acts of service, is preparing the meal without a complaint.
According to v.3, Mary took a pound of very costly Indian perfume and poured it on the Lord Jesus. Mary's love language was giving gifts. Later, Judas complains about the extravagance of using what, in effect, was the equivalent of a year's pay, to anoint the Lord Jesus. Judas illustrates a very important principle: A man sees in his eyes that which is in his heart.
Mary's heart was so filled with love, joy and gratitude that she breaks the expensive jar full of perfume and pours it upon the Lord Jesus until its fragrance filled the whole house. According to the other gospel accounts, she anointed his head first, and the perfume ran down along his body until it covered his feet. Then she unbound her hair and wiped up the excess perfume with it.
Mary had experienced love from the Lord Jesus through the raising of her brother from the dead. This drilled down deeply into her heart. As a result, she was deeply appreciative of the deep love of the Lord Jesus. So, she expressed her deep love to the Lord Jesus by pouring this expensive perfume on Him.
She spared no expense, she cared nothing for the customs of the day, entering into a supper where women were usually not welcome, letting down her hair in public, an unthinkable act in that culture, and openly expressing her love for the Lord Jesus. But that's how love acts. It is uncaring of cost and expense.
Worship is a heart transformed expressing itself regardless the cost. The transformation of heart included the pain of losing. Simon had lost all of his feeling due to his leprosy. Mary and Martha had lost their brother to death. Lazarus had gotten sick and died. This is service, this is fellowship, this is worship. "We perish for the lack of wonder, not because of a lack of wonders." ~ Chesterton
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
John 11:45-54
Click here to access the John 11:45-54 PODCAST
45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”
49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. ~ John 11:45-54
The raising of Lazarus is the seventh miracle of the Lord Jesus recorded in John's Gospel. It is the greatest of all of the Lord Jesus' miracles. As a result, according to v.45, many believed in Him as their Messiah.
In light of all the Lord Jesus said and did, I find it amazing that many did not believe in Him. Can you imagine the resistance of these people to this miracle? So obstinate and stubborn is human unbelief that it can persist even in the face of overwhelming evidence.
In reaction to those who believed, the Pharisees called an emergency meeting of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was made up of two parties, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Pharisees believed in the supernatural, while the Sadducees did not.
In v.47-48, we read, “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”
Caiaphas, a Sadducee, was the high priest. He had garnered the office of high priest by being the highest bidder for the job. The Romans had put the office up for sale, so that whoever among the Jews could come up with enough money got the job. As a Sadducee, Caiaphas did not believe in God.
Given his theology, it made sense that he was arrogant. In v.49, his arrogance is put on display. He says to the council, "You know nothing at all!" In effect, he suggests death for the Lord Jesus. This is the approach to life the Atheist takes when being threatened. Solomon, many years before this, said it this way: "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death."
In the mind of Caiaphas, the substitution was this: We kill Jesus so the Romans won’t kill us. We substitute Jesus for ourselves. In the mind of God, the substitution was this: I will kill my Son so I don’t have to kill you. God substitutes Jesus for His enemies.
In v.51-52, the Apostle John gives the alternative view. Speaking of Caiaphas, the high priest: "He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one." In Isaiah 53, it was predicted many years before: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Mankind can do nothing to thwart the will of God, and God never prevents the free choice of man. Unsaved man is so limited, so ignorant, so blinded, so selfish that, even allowed to exercise free will, he will invariably choose the wrong thing. That is why the exercise of free will only carries out what God has said will happen when a deformed and twisted will is allowed to make choices.
In v.53, we read, "So from that day on they plotted to take his life." They rejected the truth, and they did the bidding of God. When we reject truth, we become unable to see clearly. It is impossible to understand what is happening in life unless we see life from God's point of view. There are factors involved that we will miss, there are realities that we do not see, that nobody sees.
In v.54, we read, "Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples."
The Lord Jesus withdraws some 20 miles northeast of Jerusalem to an obscure village. As best we can tell, John 11 took place in February. Passover comes in early April, so the Lord Jesus had several weeks yet to wait. Thus, He withdraws and teaches his disciples in obscurity.
Note the design! There are no mistakes with God. He allows or causes things to happen to bring about His will. And, His will is best for us for He knows all. In her book, The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom illustrates the point.
Corrie and her sister Betsie had been imprisoned by the Nazis for hiding Jews behind the wall of their Holland home, and Nazi prison conditions pretty well unbearable. Corrie writes:
"Barracks 8 was in the quarantine compound. Next to us--perhaps as a deliberate warning to newcomers--were located the punishment barracks. From there, all day long and often into the night, came the sounds of hell itself. They were not the sounds of anger, or of any human emotion, but of a cruelty altogether detached: blows landing in regular rhythm, screams keeping pace. We would stand in our ten-deep ranks with our hands trembling at our sides, longing to jam them against our ears, to make the sounds stop. It grew harder and harder. Even within these four walls there was too much misery, too much seemingly pointless suffering. Every day something else failed to make sense, something else grew too heavy."
Yet, in the midst of the suffering, the women prisoners around Corrie and Betsie found comfort in the little Bible studies they held in the barracks. Corrie writes they gathered around the Bible "like waifs clustered around a blazing fire…The blacker the night around us grew, the brighter and truer and more beautiful burned the Word of God."
When they were moved to Barracks 28, Corrie was horrified by the fact that their reeking, straw-bed platforms swarmed with fleas. How could they live in such a place?
It was Betsie who discovered God's answer: "'"Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus." That's it, Corrie! That's His answer. "Give thanks in all circumstances!" That's what we can do. We can start right now to thank God for every single thing about this new barracks!'
"I stared at her; then around me at the dark, foul-aired room…" They thanked God for the fact they were together. They thanked God they had a Bible. They even thanked God for the horrible crowds of prisoners, that more people would be able to hear God's Word. And then, Betsie thanked God for the fleas. "The fleas! This was too much. 'Betsie, there's no way even God can make me grateful for a flea.'
"'"Give thanks in all circumstances,"' she quoted. 'It doesn't say, "in pleasant circumstances." Fleas are part of this place where God has put us.' "And so we stood between tiers of bunks and gave thanks for fleas. But this time I was sure Betsie was wrong."
It turned out that Betsie was not wrong; the fleas were a nuisance, but a blessing after all. The women were able to have Bible studies in the barracks with a great deal of freedom, never bothered by supervisors coming in and harassing them. They finally discovered that it was the fleas that kept those supervisors out.
Through those fleas, God protected the women from abuse and harassment. Dozens of desperate women were free to hear the comforting, hope-giving Word of God. Through those fleas, God protected the women from much worse things and made sure they had their deepest, truest needs met.
45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”
49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. ~ John 11:45-54
The raising of Lazarus is the seventh miracle of the Lord Jesus recorded in John's Gospel. It is the greatest of all of the Lord Jesus' miracles. As a result, according to v.45, many believed in Him as their Messiah.
In light of all the Lord Jesus said and did, I find it amazing that many did not believe in Him. Can you imagine the resistance of these people to this miracle? So obstinate and stubborn is human unbelief that it can persist even in the face of overwhelming evidence.
In reaction to those who believed, the Pharisees called an emergency meeting of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was made up of two parties, the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Pharisees believed in the supernatural, while the Sadducees did not.
In v.47-48, we read, “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”
Caiaphas, a Sadducee, was the high priest. He had garnered the office of high priest by being the highest bidder for the job. The Romans had put the office up for sale, so that whoever among the Jews could come up with enough money got the job. As a Sadducee, Caiaphas did not believe in God.
Given his theology, it made sense that he was arrogant. In v.49, his arrogance is put on display. He says to the council, "You know nothing at all!" In effect, he suggests death for the Lord Jesus. This is the approach to life the Atheist takes when being threatened. Solomon, many years before this, said it this way: "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death."
In the mind of Caiaphas, the substitution was this: We kill Jesus so the Romans won’t kill us. We substitute Jesus for ourselves. In the mind of God, the substitution was this: I will kill my Son so I don’t have to kill you. God substitutes Jesus for His enemies.
In v.51-52, the Apostle John gives the alternative view. Speaking of Caiaphas, the high priest: "He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one." In Isaiah 53, it was predicted many years before: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Mankind can do nothing to thwart the will of God, and God never prevents the free choice of man. Unsaved man is so limited, so ignorant, so blinded, so selfish that, even allowed to exercise free will, he will invariably choose the wrong thing. That is why the exercise of free will only carries out what God has said will happen when a deformed and twisted will is allowed to make choices.
In v.53, we read, "So from that day on they plotted to take his life." They rejected the truth, and they did the bidding of God. When we reject truth, we become unable to see clearly. It is impossible to understand what is happening in life unless we see life from God's point of view. There are factors involved that we will miss, there are realities that we do not see, that nobody sees.
In v.54, we read, "Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples."
The Lord Jesus withdraws some 20 miles northeast of Jerusalem to an obscure village. As best we can tell, John 11 took place in February. Passover comes in early April, so the Lord Jesus had several weeks yet to wait. Thus, He withdraws and teaches his disciples in obscurity.
Note the design! There are no mistakes with God. He allows or causes things to happen to bring about His will. And, His will is best for us for He knows all. In her book, The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom illustrates the point.
Corrie and her sister Betsie had been imprisoned by the Nazis for hiding Jews behind the wall of their Holland home, and Nazi prison conditions pretty well unbearable. Corrie writes:
"Barracks 8 was in the quarantine compound. Next to us--perhaps as a deliberate warning to newcomers--were located the punishment barracks. From there, all day long and often into the night, came the sounds of hell itself. They were not the sounds of anger, or of any human emotion, but of a cruelty altogether detached: blows landing in regular rhythm, screams keeping pace. We would stand in our ten-deep ranks with our hands trembling at our sides, longing to jam them against our ears, to make the sounds stop. It grew harder and harder. Even within these four walls there was too much misery, too much seemingly pointless suffering. Every day something else failed to make sense, something else grew too heavy."
Yet, in the midst of the suffering, the women prisoners around Corrie and Betsie found comfort in the little Bible studies they held in the barracks. Corrie writes they gathered around the Bible "like waifs clustered around a blazing fire…The blacker the night around us grew, the brighter and truer and more beautiful burned the Word of God."
When they were moved to Barracks 28, Corrie was horrified by the fact that their reeking, straw-bed platforms swarmed with fleas. How could they live in such a place?
It was Betsie who discovered God's answer: "'"Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus." That's it, Corrie! That's His answer. "Give thanks in all circumstances!" That's what we can do. We can start right now to thank God for every single thing about this new barracks!'
"I stared at her; then around me at the dark, foul-aired room…" They thanked God for the fact they were together. They thanked God they had a Bible. They even thanked God for the horrible crowds of prisoners, that more people would be able to hear God's Word. And then, Betsie thanked God for the fleas. "The fleas! This was too much. 'Betsie, there's no way even God can make me grateful for a flea.'
"'"Give thanks in all circumstances,"' she quoted. 'It doesn't say, "in pleasant circumstances." Fleas are part of this place where God has put us.' "And so we stood between tiers of bunks and gave thanks for fleas. But this time I was sure Betsie was wrong."
It turned out that Betsie was not wrong; the fleas were a nuisance, but a blessing after all. The women were able to have Bible studies in the barracks with a great deal of freedom, never bothered by supervisors coming in and harassing them. They finally discovered that it was the fleas that kept those supervisors out.
Through those fleas, God protected the women from abuse and harassment. Dozens of desperate women were free to hear the comforting, hope-giving Word of God. Through those fleas, God protected the women from much worse things and made sure they had their deepest, truest needs met.
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
John 11:38-44
Click here for the John 11:38-44 PODCAST
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” 40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” ~ John 11:38-44
Being deeply moved, again, within, according to v.38, the Lord Jesus approaches the tomb of Lazarus' planned death. Remember, the Lord Jesus stayed where He was two more days. His love allowed the death of this beloved brother. He did so, because this illness and death was for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it. This is the point of all our lives experiences.
Faith is not a way to control the outcomes. The story of Lazarus addresses the manipulative nature of our faith. Real faith is patience with the mystery. But, when the mystery unfolds, faith is captivated by the love of this Genius who has been known to make us wait. The love of God is most often proved by His perceived absence. Real faith is the precedent to the insight of hindsight.
Lazarus' tomb was a vertical cave into which one would descend in steps. A stone was laid flat on the ground of its surface. According to v.39 the Lord Jesus instructs the stone to be removed. Martha protests, "But, Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
In v.40, notice the response of the Lord Jesus. He does not rebuke Martha, He encourages her with, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" The word of God always addresses the obstacle of our doubts. How often do we find that our faith needs encouragement only to be found in His word. In advance, we must believe before we can see His genius. Our faith must always be framed up by the word of God.
In order to do the impossible, the Lord Jesus begins with a simple prayer in v.41-42, which reads, "41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
Notice the combination of human involvement in removing the stone and the prayer of the Lord Jesus. In His prayer, the Lord Jesus brings attention to the fact that this miracle was performed for the growth of those who were observing this miracle. But we only grow when we respond to His word in obedience and trust. Had they not removed the stone, Lazarus would not have come forth.
Then, according to v.43-44, the miracle was done. It is a good thing the Lord Jesus singles out Lazarus, had He not, it is speculated that others would have come forth from their graves. And, that which Mary and Martha had grieved over became the source of great joy. But, joy is mostly found in the context of the glory of the Lord. We experience the greatest of joy when the Lord Jesus is receiving the most glory.
Then, life returns to Lazarus' body and he comes out of the tomb. He comes forth bound in grave clothes, still wrapped in white, staggering about. Then, the Lord Jesus involves the disciples, He tells them to take the grave clothes off of Lazarus. What a picture of ministry. We must never be surprised by the fact that ministry is messy. And, if you aren't willing to get a little messy, you will not be good at ministry. In addition, life is something only God alone can give, but unbinding people is something we can do.
The Lord Jesus raised Lazarus because He is the resurrection. He shows up at the tomb of every Lazarus. And, we all have Lazarus' in our lives. Lazarus' name means the one whom God helps. The resurrection of Lazarus is a preview of our resurrection. The Lord Jesus is coming back to this earth in power and great glory for those who have cried out to Him. And this story is a window into that future event.
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” 40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” ~ John 11:38-44
Being deeply moved, again, within, according to v.38, the Lord Jesus approaches the tomb of Lazarus' planned death. Remember, the Lord Jesus stayed where He was two more days. His love allowed the death of this beloved brother. He did so, because this illness and death was for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it. This is the point of all our lives experiences.
Faith is not a way to control the outcomes. The story of Lazarus addresses the manipulative nature of our faith. Real faith is patience with the mystery. But, when the mystery unfolds, faith is captivated by the love of this Genius who has been known to make us wait. The love of God is most often proved by His perceived absence. Real faith is the precedent to the insight of hindsight.
Lazarus' tomb was a vertical cave into which one would descend in steps. A stone was laid flat on the ground of its surface. According to v.39 the Lord Jesus instructs the stone to be removed. Martha protests, "But, Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
In v.40, notice the response of the Lord Jesus. He does not rebuke Martha, He encourages her with, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" The word of God always addresses the obstacle of our doubts. How often do we find that our faith needs encouragement only to be found in His word. In advance, we must believe before we can see His genius. Our faith must always be framed up by the word of God.
In order to do the impossible, the Lord Jesus begins with a simple prayer in v.41-42, which reads, "41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
Notice the combination of human involvement in removing the stone and the prayer of the Lord Jesus. In His prayer, the Lord Jesus brings attention to the fact that this miracle was performed for the growth of those who were observing this miracle. But we only grow when we respond to His word in obedience and trust. Had they not removed the stone, Lazarus would not have come forth.
Then, according to v.43-44, the miracle was done. It is a good thing the Lord Jesus singles out Lazarus, had He not, it is speculated that others would have come forth from their graves. And, that which Mary and Martha had grieved over became the source of great joy. But, joy is mostly found in the context of the glory of the Lord. We experience the greatest of joy when the Lord Jesus is receiving the most glory.
Then, life returns to Lazarus' body and he comes out of the tomb. He comes forth bound in grave clothes, still wrapped in white, staggering about. Then, the Lord Jesus involves the disciples, He tells them to take the grave clothes off of Lazarus. What a picture of ministry. We must never be surprised by the fact that ministry is messy. And, if you aren't willing to get a little messy, you will not be good at ministry. In addition, life is something only God alone can give, but unbinding people is something we can do.
The Lord Jesus raised Lazarus because He is the resurrection. He shows up at the tomb of every Lazarus. And, we all have Lazarus' in our lives. Lazarus' name means the one whom God helps. The resurrection of Lazarus is a preview of our resurrection. The Lord Jesus is coming back to this earth in power and great glory for those who have cried out to Him. And this story is a window into that future event.
Monday, November 18, 2019
John 11:17-37
Click here for the John 11:17-37 PODCAST
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” 28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” ~ John 11:17-37
The Lord Jesus knew that Lazarus was dead. He had to die. He was well-aware His friend had been buried in a tomb for four days, and his sisters were mourning every moment. Even though He knew this, hope was soon coming and Lazarus would breathe and live once again. Martha and Mary had to go through the pain. They had to, so that they could learn greater faith and love through what they suffered.
Earlier, Thomas had said, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” He didn't then understand what he was saying. But Martha experienced it firsthand. She died with Lazarus, and even before Lazarus was resurrected, she was resurrected because she had gone out to be with the One who is the Resurrection.
Hearing that the Lord Jesus was on His way to her house, Martha goes out to meet Him. Mary, her sister, on the other hand, waits at home. In Luke 10, Martha was preoccupied with work, now she is preoccupied with the Lord. Like Martha, when Lazarus dies in our lives, do we run to find the Lord Jesus, or do we stay at the house, waiting for Him to call for us? Martha has learned to trust the Lord Jesus with the most special things in her life.
Martha greets the Lord Jesus with the phrase, "if you had been here." She realized the message that Lazarus had died did not reach the Lord Jesus until Lazarus was dead. Her response is one of regret.
Then in v.22, Martha said to the Lord Jesus, "But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." And, the very next word of the Lord Jesus is, "Your brother will rise again." Notice how Martha responds in v.24, "“I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Martha is dealing with her pain and looking for comfort, peace and meaning.
Then, in v.25-26, the Lord Jesus responds, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" The first word of v.25 is reiterated. Literally, in the Greek, it reads, "I, I am the resurrection and the life." This is the point of all of life: Christ must be the center of our pursuits, only then does our pain make sense.
The believer in the Lord Jesus will pass from limiting time, and we will be, one day, in the realm of eternity where there will be no darkness, no loneliness, no separation, and no limitations. For those who reject the free gift of salvation, there is no hope. There is nothing ahead but darkness, loneliness, separation, and limitations.
In v.27, Martha responds, “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” Then she goes into the house and tells Mary the Lord Jesus was asking for her. And when Mary learns of this, she goes quickly to the Lord Jesus, followed by her comforters. What a picture! The purpose of our pain is to get us to seek Him, and then that example is to be delivered to those who are watching.
Though Mary greets the Lord Jesus with the same words as Martha, she does so in a totally different way. When the Lord Jesus saw her, she was weeping, and all those who came with her were weeping. When Martha came to Him she was handling her brother's death better. But when Mary comes, she is trying to deal with a broken heart. Our broken hearts are in their best spot when they are seeking the Lord Jesus.
"When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled." The word for "deeply moved in spirit" is a word that only occurs four times in the New Testament, and in each place it describes anger. The Lord Jesus is not angry at death, He is angry at the effects of sin. What made Him weep was his friend's pain.
The Lord Jesus wept not because he lacked faith, but because he was full of love. In love, He weeps with those who weep. John 11:35 is the shortest verse in all of the Bible, but one of its most powerful, and insightful. Rightly was this tiniest of sentences assigned its own number. In His tears we see that God does not stand aloof to our pain. He has taken on flesh and blood. He has not called us to a humanity that He himself was unwilling to take on. We have not been abandoned to a painful world where He can not be found.
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” 28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” ~ John 11:17-37
The Lord Jesus knew that Lazarus was dead. He had to die. He was well-aware His friend had been buried in a tomb for four days, and his sisters were mourning every moment. Even though He knew this, hope was soon coming and Lazarus would breathe and live once again. Martha and Mary had to go through the pain. They had to, so that they could learn greater faith and love through what they suffered.
Earlier, Thomas had said, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” He didn't then understand what he was saying. But Martha experienced it firsthand. She died with Lazarus, and even before Lazarus was resurrected, she was resurrected because she had gone out to be with the One who is the Resurrection.
Hearing that the Lord Jesus was on His way to her house, Martha goes out to meet Him. Mary, her sister, on the other hand, waits at home. In Luke 10, Martha was preoccupied with work, now she is preoccupied with the Lord. Like Martha, when Lazarus dies in our lives, do we run to find the Lord Jesus, or do we stay at the house, waiting for Him to call for us? Martha has learned to trust the Lord Jesus with the most special things in her life.
Martha greets the Lord Jesus with the phrase, "if you had been here." She realized the message that Lazarus had died did not reach the Lord Jesus until Lazarus was dead. Her response is one of regret.
Then in v.22, Martha said to the Lord Jesus, "But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." And, the very next word of the Lord Jesus is, "Your brother will rise again." Notice how Martha responds in v.24, "“I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Martha is dealing with her pain and looking for comfort, peace and meaning.
Then, in v.25-26, the Lord Jesus responds, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" The first word of v.25 is reiterated. Literally, in the Greek, it reads, "I, I am the resurrection and the life." This is the point of all of life: Christ must be the center of our pursuits, only then does our pain make sense.
The believer in the Lord Jesus will pass from limiting time, and we will be, one day, in the realm of eternity where there will be no darkness, no loneliness, no separation, and no limitations. For those who reject the free gift of salvation, there is no hope. There is nothing ahead but darkness, loneliness, separation, and limitations.
In v.27, Martha responds, “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” Then she goes into the house and tells Mary the Lord Jesus was asking for her. And when Mary learns of this, she goes quickly to the Lord Jesus, followed by her comforters. What a picture! The purpose of our pain is to get us to seek Him, and then that example is to be delivered to those who are watching.
Though Mary greets the Lord Jesus with the same words as Martha, she does so in a totally different way. When the Lord Jesus saw her, she was weeping, and all those who came with her were weeping. When Martha came to Him she was handling her brother's death better. But when Mary comes, she is trying to deal with a broken heart. Our broken hearts are in their best spot when they are seeking the Lord Jesus.
"When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled." The word for "deeply moved in spirit" is a word that only occurs four times in the New Testament, and in each place it describes anger. The Lord Jesus is not angry at death, He is angry at the effects of sin. What made Him weep was his friend's pain.
The Lord Jesus wept not because he lacked faith, but because he was full of love. In love, He weeps with those who weep. John 11:35 is the shortest verse in all of the Bible, but one of its most powerful, and insightful. Rightly was this tiniest of sentences assigned its own number. In His tears we see that God does not stand aloof to our pain. He has taken on flesh and blood. He has not called us to a humanity that He himself was unwilling to take on. We have not been abandoned to a painful world where He can not be found.
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