”THE CLOSER WALK” for Thursday, April 3rd, 2014 JOHN 11: 1- 44 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin,said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this ion account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go. We read, “So, when Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer ...” (verse 6) Did you find that puzzling? I did! Jesus is told that his good friend Lazarus is sick, so he stays two days longer! It reminds me of an old Jerry Seinfeld episode. Elaine is told that her boyfriend has been in an accident and is in the hospital. Elaine goes directly to the hospital – except on the way she stops and buys Milk Duds. (smile) I said that only to get your interest! This is not what is happening here. Jesus loves Lazarus, and his sisters Mary and Martha. Jesus would certainly not neglect them! There is a reason. There is. And, I’ll tell you tomorrow. But, I’m going to leave you in suspense for a awhile. (insert mysterious organ music) Still, I had a similar experience: I had just moved back to Nashville, Tennessee, from Muskegon, Michigan. It was February of 2005. I was alone. And, I was so lonely. I prayed for help! I asked the Lord to relieve the pain. Do you know what happened? Did I suddenly receive friends? No! I got sick and was bed-ridden for four months! All alone and sick! I could have easily said that “the Lord dropped the ball”. But, that’s not what happened at all. I had always been “co-dependent”. I had always needed someone in my life. Being hopelessly alone caused me to seek God. And, it changed my life! The author Rick Warren says, “You’ll never know that God is all you need until God is all you have”. Well, that’s exactly what I learned. It was one of the best things that ever happened to me. Concerning Jesus waiting two more days before he headed for Bethany - there’s a reason. And, I’ll tell you tomorrow! Blessings, Dr Steven James Hale Your Web Church Pastor
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 20:15:42 +0000
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