Time for a Great Commercial: Some Things Just Don’t Need Words!

 

Friends Don’t Let Friends . . . Die! (A Study of John 11) Part 7

Let’s summarize what we have seen thus far. Jesus’ good friends are in crisis. Their brother is dying and Jesus purposely does not come to their rescue. There seems to be no other conclusion one can come to other than Jesus stayed away to give Lazarus time to die!

He then decides to go to Judea, a dangerous place, to get involved in the situation. Let’s read a bit further in John 11 . . .

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ² (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) ³ So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

⁴ When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” ⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, ⁷ and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

⁸ “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”

⁹ Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. ¹⁰ It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.” 

¹¹ After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

¹² His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” ¹³ Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

¹⁴ So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵ and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

¹⁶ Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Fully aware of the danger in Judea, Jesus tells His disciples why He is going there: “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” (v. 11). Again, there was no doubt that Lazarus was Jesus’ “friend.”

Jesus uses a figure of speech (called a euphemism) to describe Lazarus’ condition — he has “fallen asleep.” Jesus knew that Lazarus had died. But to the Lord of glory, this was nothing more than a nap! And Jesus was going to wake Lazarus up from his “nap”!

The worst thing that could ever happen to a person (death), Jesus describes as a nap (sleep). What power the Lord had!  And still has. (to be continued)

 

 

 

 

Psalms of the Salter: Some Thoughts on Really Living for the Lord: Psalm 121

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
⁸ the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

 

Psalms of My Life (Psalm 132)

Psalm 132

A song of ascents.

¹ Lord, remember David
    and all his self-denial.

² He swore an oath to the Lord,
    he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
³ “I will not enter my house
    or go to my bed,
⁴ I will allow no sleep to my eyes
    or slumber to my eyelids,
⁵ till I find a place for the Lord,
    a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

⁶ We heard it in Ephrathah,
    we came upon it in the fields of Jaar:
⁷ “Let us go to his dwelling place,
    let us worship at his footstool, saying,
⁸ ‘Arise, Lord, and come to your resting place,
    you and the ark of your might.
⁹ May your priests be clothed with your righteousness;
    may your faithful people sing for joy.’”

¹⁰ For the sake of your servant David,
    do not reject your anointed one.

¹¹ The Lord swore an oath to David,
    a sure oath he will not revoke:
“One of your own descendants
    I will place on your throne.
¹² If your sons keep my covenant
    and the statutes I teach them,
then their sons will sit
    on your throne for ever and ever.”

¹³ For the Lord has chosen Zion,
    he has desired it for his dwelling, saying,
¹⁴ “This is my resting place for ever and ever;
    here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it.
¹⁵ I will bless her with abundant provisions;
    her poor I will satisfy with food.
¹⁶ I will clothe her priests with salvation,
    and her faithful people will ever sing for joy.

¹⁷ “Here I will make a horn grow for David
    and set up a lamp for my anointed one.
¹⁸ I will clothe his enemies with shame,
    but his head will be adorned with a radiant crown.”