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26 October 2007
John 11 v 38-44
Again feeling very upset, Jesus came to the tomb. It was a cave with a large stone covering the entrance. Jesus said, "Move the stone away."
Martha, the sister of the dead man, said, "But, Lord, it has been four days since he died. There will be a bad smell."
Then Jesus said to her, "Didn't I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?"
So they moved the stone away from the entrance. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you heard me. I know that you always hear me, but I said these things because of the people here around me. I want them to believe that you sent me." After Jesus said this, he cried out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with pieces of cloth, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, "Take the cloth off of him and let him go."
There are some good principles here for seeing people move from spiritual death to a place of life. Firstly, there are the lengths Jesus went to. He left the comfort zone, travelled a long distance to a place of danger, showed empathy and compassion to others in sharing their emotional pain, and all for just one person. How much are we prepared to sacrifice for one person?
And when Jesus arrived at the grave to be told the body would already have started to rot, he did not give up even then. It's good to remember that no situation is beyond God's redemption, no matter how messed up or rotten. Then there was prayer, which was an essential part of the story. Jesus called Lazarus by name. And finally Jesus also asked for the help of others. People had to step out in obedient faith when he asked for the gravestone to be rolled away (a job that required people to work together). And then Jesus did not simply stop with raising Lazarus from the dead, but he told others to help remove the grave clothes. Jesus wanted other people to help Lazarus remove those remnants of death so that he could walk freely and see clearly in life.
Do you know any situations that seem too rotten to be beyond hope? Thank God that he never gives up, and ask him to show you how you can help, and for the faith to be able to do your part.
Written by Dan Cooper
John 11 v 38-44
Again feeling very upset, Jesus came to the tomb. It was a cave with a large stone covering the entrance. Jesus said, "Move the stone away."
Martha, the sister of the dead man, said, "But, Lord, it has been four days since he died. There will be a bad smell."
Then Jesus said to her, "Didn't I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?"
So they moved the stone away from the entrance. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you heard me. I know that you always hear me, but I said these things because of the people here around me. I want them to believe that you sent me." After Jesus said this, he cried out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with pieces of cloth, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, "Take the cloth off of him and let him go."
There are some good principles here for seeing people move from spiritual death to a place of life. Firstly, there are the lengths Jesus went to. He left the comfort zone, travelled a long distance to a place of danger, showed empathy and compassion to others in sharing their emotional pain, and all for just one person. How much are we prepared to sacrifice for one person?
And when Jesus arrived at the grave to be told the body would already have started to rot, he did not give up even then. It's good to remember that no situation is beyond God's redemption, no matter how messed up or rotten. Then there was prayer, which was an essential part of the story. Jesus called Lazarus by name. And finally Jesus also asked for the help of others. People had to step out in obedient faith when he asked for the gravestone to be rolled away (a job that required people to work together). And then Jesus did not simply stop with raising Lazarus from the dead, but he told others to help remove the grave clothes. Jesus wanted other people to help Lazarus remove those remnants of death so that he could walk freely and see clearly in life.
Do you know any situations that seem too rotten to be beyond hope? Thank God that he never gives up, and ask him to show you how you can help, and for the faith to be able to do your part.
Written by Dan Cooper