Three Quick Notes – John 11

Today, I would like to just share a few quick notes on John 11, where Jesus Christ raised Lazarus from the dead.  Rather than spending a long time describing each section, I encourage you to read the whole chapter to get the full context of the story.  Nonetheless, I want to bring to your attention a few lessons that stood out to me as I read the chapter this morning. 

For those who would like to read the passage: John 11

Lesson #1:  God’s Timing Leads to What Is Best

John 11:4-6 – 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. 

This passage makes it clear that Jesus Christ loved Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus.  They were not just strangers to Him, but likely close friends.  Yet, when Jesus Christ heard that Lazarus was sick, He did not immediately go to him and heal him.  Instead, it says that He waited two more days before leaving to see him.  The Son of God who could have healed Lazarus with a simple word, chose not to do anything in that moment and to wait, and because of waiting Lazarus died.  This made me reread the verse several times, where one word popped out to me in vs. 6, SO.  The word so was like a connecting word with the previous sentence, so (see what I did there), I read the previous verse and linked the ideas together, which made it sound like what was actually being said was, “Because Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, he waited two days longer.”  Now, the question I had after reading this was “Why?”  If Jesus loved them so much, why was He willing to allow them to go through the heartbreak and suffering that accompanies the death of a loved one?  The answer to it was in the previous verse – “It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”  By waiting a couple of days until Lazarus died, a greater miracle would occur that would bring more glory to God.  Rather than just healing Lazarus, Jesus would raise him from the dead and show the world that He truly was the Son of God, since He had power over sin and death.  Sometimes, God does not answer our prayers instantly the way we want it, because it will bring Him more glory to wait and to do it in another way.  We must be patient, trusting that our loving God will always do what is best.  Jesus Christ waited, Lazarus was raised from the dead, and many believed in Christ due to this miracle.  Trust God’s timing and plans. 

Lesson #2:  God Empathizes with Us.

John 11:35 – Jesus wept.

I believe this verse is the shortest verse in the Bible.  It is the one verse that everyone can memorize, because it only contains two words, “Jesus wept.”  But with these two words, an important reminder is given to us – that God cares for us.  When Jesus went to the tomb and saw Mary and the other Jews weeping because of the death of Lazarus, His spirit was moved, and He wept.  He could feel their troubled hearts and moved with compassion, He wept with them.  God sees and knows our troubles, fears, and heartaches, and He empathizes with us.  If you are going through a difficult time right now, remember that God is there with you in it.  Don’t doubt that God cares for you when trouble comes, remember that Jesus wept with the others when Lazarus died, and He also weeps with you. 

Lesson #3:  Not Just Actions but Words as well

John 11:41-44 – 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 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.”

Oftentimes, Christians like to use the excuse that the way they live their lives is enough of a witness of the Gospel that they need not say anything.  They are either too afraid or too lazy to share the Gospel with their mouths, so they say that their lives will do Oftentimes, Christians like to use the excuse that the way they live their lives is enough of a witness of the Gospel that they need not say anything.  They are either too afraid or too lazy to share the Gospel with their mouths, so they say that their lives will do the talking.  Now, as you all know, I greatly emphasize that your life should be a witness of what God has done and that your life is the greatest witness of the Gospel to others; but I want to emphasize the importance of sharing the Gospel with your words as well.  Jesus Christ lived a righteous life.  He constantly worked miracles that proved He was the Son of God.  His actions were a great witness of Him being the Son of God.  Yet He never stopped sharing who He was with His words.  Even in this passage, it says, “I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”  (Underline added for emphasis.)  Although He already knew that God was listening to Him and that He would raise Lazarus from the dead, He still spoke these words for the benefit of those around Him.  Jesus Christ used His words, although His actions already did the talking.  I encourage you to share the Gospel not only with your actions but with your mouths as well.  For how can people believe in Him whom they have never heard of?  Our words can make that impact today. 

I hope at least one of these lessons can bring you comfort and encouragement today. 

Mini Sermon – Pray and Go

Luke 10:1-3 – After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.  And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.  Go your way; behold I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.”

PRAY AND GO – these were the two commands that Jesus Christ gave to the seventy-two disciples he sent as heralds to prepare his coming into the towns.  He was going into those towns to share the good news of the coming of the Messiah and the salvation from sin He was bringing into the world.  But just as kings and leaders send messengers to prepare a town before their arrivals, Jesus sent his disciples out to prepare his way.  But before he sent them out on this task, he shared with them a few things to prepare them to fulfill the demanding ministry that was theirs to accomplish.  Let’s take some time to examine the commands He gave His disciples and the pointers He shared with them to help them achieve their goal of preparing the way of the Lord. 

The First Command – Pray

The first command that Jesus gave to His disciples was to pray.  Although many people feel like ministry is all about doing the work, Jesus Christ highlighted the importance of prayer in ministry by making it the first thing He told His disciples to do.  He told them to pray to the Lord of the Harvest (God Himself) to send laborers into the harvest.  He didn’t tell them to prepare a speech of what they were going to share.  He didn’t tell them to pack provisions for their journey.  He didn’t tell them to make plans on where they would stay.  He told them to start their ministry with prayer.  It is quite easy to get caught up in the planning and the activity of ministry, because there is often a lot to do in a short bit of time.  When the pressure of that hustle and bustle builds up, it is easy to forget to pray, because it seems like the most insignificant part of the work, since there isn’t any tangible evidence of success.  But in reality, prayer is the lifeblood of every Christian and ministry.  Prayer keeps our relationship with Christ strong and connected.  Without it, we are like a branch that is not connected to the Vine, and without that connection, there can be no fruit.  As John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”  If we ignore our relationship with Christ, our ministry will fail. 

Prayer is essential to the growth of the Christian church.  This fact has proven true over the past several centuries, for almost every revival that has ever happened began with prayer.  Often, it would begin with just a small group of people coming together and pleading to God to send His Holy Spirit to touch the hearts of those who did not know Him.  And those small prayers, lit a fire that ignited nations of people to turn to God.  In essence, these groups were practicing the command given in Luke 10 – “Pray earnestly to the lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”  This is why about twenty years ago, a group of men at our church decided to start a weekly Saturday morning prayer meeting.  They recognized that prayer was the key to the preservation and growth of the church and made it a habit to pray.  And this habit has continued on even though many of those founding members have already passed away. 

We, as disciples of Jesus Christ, must make it a habit to pray, and to pray specifically for those who do not know Christ as their Lord and Savior.  We should be praying daily that God would touch the hearts and lives of our friends, our family members, our nations, and our world.  We should be praying that God would prepare missionaries, evangelists, teachers, preachers, and even individual Christians to be bold and courageous to share the Gospel with those who do not know Him.  We should be praying that God will send forth laborers into the bountiful harvest of souls right in front of us.  The ministry, the work of the Gospel, the discipleship of new Christians all begins with prayer. 

The Second Command – Go

The second command that Jesus gave the seventy-two disciples was to GO.  They were not only to PRAY for laborers to be sent into the harvest, but they were told to GO and be those laborers themselves.  They were not only to be viewers of the work of God but doers as well.  Many Christians don’t mind praying for God’s work to happen.  They will happily pray and ask God to send people to share the Gospel.  They will gladly give of their money and material goods to support missionaries and ministries around the world.  But when God works in their hearts to give of their time, they will run away as fast as Jonah did to Tarshish and get swallowed by a giant fish.  They are just like the people who claim they want something to happen but won’t move a finger to make it happen.  Their attitudes remind me of the story of the Little Red Hen, who asked all her fellow farm animals to help her make bread.  But no matter what the task was or who she asked for help, none of them were willing to help her.  Only after the bread was made did they all want to come by and take part in the reward of eating the delicious meal.  They wanted to see the results but were unwilling to work. 

We as Christians must be willing to go to the places that we pray for, work in the ministries we ask God to send laborers in, and witness to the people we want God to move in the hearts of.  We must constantly be ready for the Holy Spirit to move in our own lives and to share the Gospel with those around us.  Like the seventy-two disciples, we must step up and go into the places and allow God to work in and through us.  We are those laborers that we are praying for.  We are the people that should be going out into the harvest.  We are the people that God has sent.  So we must go. 

Some Tips for the Work

But our Lord is not a cruel master who leaves us unequipped for the work.  Rather the tips that He gave to his seventy-two disciples before they went out are applicable to us as well.  So let’s take a quick look at a few of those tips right now. 

Tip #1:  Do not worry about the physical provisions, for God will always provide for His children. 

One of the main excuses that people give for not entering full-time ministry when God has called them to it is that they won’t be able to provide for themselves or their families.  They are constantly worried that they will have no food to eat, no money to pay the bills, and no place to stay.  But look at what Christ told His disciples in vs. 4-7, “Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house.”  Jesus assured His disciples that they would be provided for.  It was not guaranteed that they would live a lavish life or have their first choice in delicacies (if anything, they were told to not be picky), but they were promised that they would be taken care of.  Our God is the Lord of all Creation and has control of everything that happens in it.  It is not a big thing for God to provide for you.  Just remember that if God our Heavenly Father carefully watches over every bird in the air and tends to every blade of grass in the field, how much more would He care for us?  Don’t sweat the physical, when God can take care of that. 

Tip #2:  Do not take rejection to heart.  They aren’t rejecting you; they are rejecting God. 

One of the hardest things to accept is rejection.  That is one of the main reasons why many people don’t try for what they really want.  They are too afraid to be rejected, so they never apply for their dream job, they never ask out the person they are interested in, or more importantly, they never share the Gospel.  They are so afraid of being told, “No thanks.  I don’t want to hear about it,” that they are unwilling to even breach the topic when the Holy Spirit moves them to.  But what we must remember as Christians is that our job is not to convert people, but simply to share with them the Good News.  Our job is not to save but to give them the opportunity to meet the One that can save them.  That is why Jesus Christ told the seventy-two that if they ever entered a town and were not welcomed, that they were simply to wipe the dust off their feet and move on.  They were to remember that there are so many other opportunities and people ready to hear and receive the Gospel that if someone rejected it, to move on to the next one (Matthew 10:23).  Don’t take it personally.  They aren’t rejecting you.  

Tip #3:  Do not forget what is really important – your personal relationship with Christ.

When the seventy-two disciples returned to Jesus from their task of preparing the way of the Lord, they rejoiced that they were able to work miracles, share the Gospel, and even cast out demons in the name of Christ.  But instead of simply focusing on these tangible successes, Jesus Christ asked them to reflect on what was truly important – that their names were written in heaven (vs. 20).  Jesus wanted to remind them that their joy should not be focused on what the world would deem a successful ministry but on their relationship with Him.  When ministries succeed and things are going on the up, it is easy to get caught up in the minutiae of growing church numbers and increasing the percentage of people getting baptized.  Packing the church and bringing more people in on Sundays becomes the goal, and if it doesn’t occur, the work is deemed a failure.  But rather than focusing on those things, Christ reminds us that our joy should be based on our relationship with Him.  Instead of finding joy in the numbers, we must be glad that we have our names written in the Book of Life.  We should be rejoicing that God loves us and allows us to take part in the ministry rather than just taking joy in the ministry itself.  Let us not lose sight of our God as we work with Him.  Instead of putting aside our relationship with God to take part in ministerial activities, let us be even more vigilant in keeping our hearts closer to the Source.  When Christ’s ministry on this earth was growing, He made sure that He set apart time in the early mornings and late nights to spend time with His Father.  He knew that His relationship with His Father was more important than anything else.  The same goes for us.  When our ministry is growing, let us not forget to stay connected to Jesus Christ. 

Conclusion

The commands that Jesus Christ gave to the seventy-two disciples in Luke 10 are the same commands that He gives to each and every one of His disciples today.  We are asked to pray that God send laborers into the bountiful harvest and to go out there as laborers to bring in that harvest.  Even though at this time, it seems like more and more unbelievers are out there and less and less people are interested in hearing the Gospel, we must not grow discouraged by what we do not see.  God is telling us that there is truly an abundant harvest of people who are seeking Him and who need to hear the Gospel.  There need only be people who are willing to go out there and share it.  So let us take the initiative and do the job we were given to do.  Do not let any fear keep you back from doing the work of God.  If you are worried about provisions, remember your Provider, who cares for every bird and tree.  If you are worried about rejection or persecution, remember your Savior, who willingly went to the cross for you.  If you are worried about the possibility of failure in the worldly sense, remember that the only important thing is your relationship with Him.  Then Pray for the harvest and Go and reap it.  

Quick Note – John 7:13 – Fear Got Your Tongue

John 7:13 – Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.

This will be quite the short post, but it is something that I thought about when reading my Bible today.  When a person is unable to speak,usually because he messed up and has no response to a rebuke, people often ask “Cat got your tongue?” I’m not sure where that phrase originated from, but it is quite clever and memorable.  But today I want to ask you, followers of Jesus Christ, “Fear got your tongue?”  There are many occasions when we as Christians have an opportunity to speak about our faith.  We are given the chance to share what we believe in, sometimes through a simple interjection about faith when answering a question or sometimes through an in depth conversation with a person who is truly curious about God.  But much of the time when that opportunity arises, we shirk back and don’t say anything at all.  I think the reason for this is usually Fear – fear of what people might think of us, fear of being reprimanded by HR at work, fear of losing a potential promotion.  Most times fear has our tongues.  I’m John 7:13, many people were curious about who Jesus was so they had conversations in private about it, but for fear of the Jewish leaders many people kept their opinions quiet.  Take Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea as examples.  They didn’t show their faith in Christ until after His death although they had placed their trust in Him much earlier.  Fear probably got their tongues.  It goes the same for us.  So I want to encourage you all the next time you are hesitant to speak about your faith to another to ask yourself, “Does fear have my tongue?”  If so, brush that fear away, place your confidence in Christ, and let the Holy Spirit speak through you.  

Quick Note – Matthew 12:33-37 – The Witness of the Mouth for the Heart

Matthew 12:33-37 – 33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

I must admit that over the years, there have been times where I have not been careful with my words.  I will either speak out of turn and offend someone by speaking what is right at the wrong time or I will literally say something hurtful to someone.  This often happens, because I do not put a watch over my tongue and instead just carelessly let my words fly.  I have been lucky, in that, to the best of my knowledge, I have yet to destroy any relationships with my words, but I most certainly have put tension on it for at least a few days.  What I have noticed though is that these words are often a reflection of my heart at that moment.  These situations only prove to me that the words spoken by Jesus in Matthew 12 continue to ring true today – “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” 

Many people try to hide behind a mask or façade of who they want people to think they are.  They will act like they are righteous and holy at church but live in the most ungodly way during the week.  They will present themselves as kind and caring in public but lash out at their family members in the privacy of their homes.  They will pretend to love and support a coworker’s success but inwardly despise and covet what they see.  But a person cannot hide their true nature for long, eventually it all comes to the light, for good trees will bear good fruit, while bad trees bad fruit. 

A true Christian reflects the love of God in his or her daily life.  It is seen in their actions and treatment of others, their reactions to difficulties and trials, and their demeanor.  Our lives are the best witnesses of what God has done in us.  Just yesterday, when I spoke with one of my co-workers about the Christian faith, she told me something that was quite poignant.  She, an unbeliever, said that Christians should stop trying to simply talk about how to get saved and instead to live out the difference that Christ makes in their lives.  She said that if that difference was seen, people would notice and ask what made that change.  This statement challenged me to reflect on my own witness and why I was not displaying it in my life the way I should. 

We as disciples of Jesus Christ must bear good fruit.  If we bear good fruit, the difference will be seen in our lives, drawing people to seek the reason for that difference.  That good fruit must first come from a change in our hearts – a change that is brought about by the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.  We must then nourish that change by reading and obeying God’s Word until it produces the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives, fruit like – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) We can then observe that change by listening to the words that come out of our mouths, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  What do your words say about your heart?  Are you growing closer to Christ and reflecting the new clean and pure heart He has given you?  Or are you filled with the same sinful thoughts and emotions that were there before you came to Christ?  We will be judged by our words, so let us make sure our hearts are right with God, so that our words are a reflection of Him and the fruit that is being born from that change.  May our words be a witness of the work Christ has done in our hearts. 

Quick Notes – Double Post

This morning I wanted to do a double post.  The first half of the post is focused on those who are not Christians yet, those who are searching and trying to decide whether Jesus Christ is truly God or not.  I encourage you to read this quick post and consider for yourself is there is truly enough evidence for Christ.  The second half of the post is more focused on those who are already Christians and disciples of Christ.  I encourage you to read this quick post and consider whether you are living the life expected out of you as a Christian.  I have clearly labeled each post with a title, so it doesn’t get confusing, but it wouldn’t hurt to read both. 

More than Enough Witnesses for Christ

John 5:31-32 – If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true.  There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.

In the ancient Jewish court of law, one needed at least two or three witnesses to confirm that something wrong had occurred.  This likely held true for validating whether some event whether good or bad occurred, as well.  Jesus knew the importance of this principle and emphasized that there was more than one witness that declared to the world that He was the Messiah, the Chosen One of God.  For this reason, it was quite shocking that the Pharisees, the leaders of the Jewish people at the time, were adamantly against placing their faith in Christ. 

Between John 5:31-47, Jesus mentioned three important witnesses that declared He was the Christ.  First, he mentioned the witness of a man, John the Baptist, who declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).  Although Jesus did not want to emphasize the testimony/witness of man, He knew that mankind would need this witness in order to believe, since we have a tendency to trust in our fellow man. Because of this, He wanted to clearly state that John the Baptist, a man like you or I, was a witness to His deity (vs. 33-35).  Second, He emphasized the witness that came from God the Father (vs.36-38).  If the people were willing to trust in John the Baptist, then they should be even more willing to trust in God.  God showed His approval of who Jesus Christ was through the works and miracles that Jesus did.  When Christ healed the sick, made the lame to walk, caused the blind to see, raised the dead – these were all works of God through His Son to prove that Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of God.  Just as our actions not our words declare to the world who we truly are, Christ’s actions and works proved that He was and is the Christ.  Third, Jesus emphasized the witness of the Scripture and the prophets (vs. 39-47).  The Jewish people held the Scriptures, the law of God, the witness of the prophets like Moses with high regard.  These Scriptures described the coming Messiah and what prophecies would need to be fulfilled in order to make it clear who He would be.  These same Scriptures that the Jewish people held to high regard described Jesus Christ.  Whether it was the prophecy about His birthplace in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:5-6) or the prophecy about His coming out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1, Mathew 2:13-15) or the prophecy about His ministry to heal the sick and free those who were prisoners to sin (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:17-20; Luke 4:38-41) or the prophecy about His growing up in Nazareth (Matthew 2:23), all were fulfilled in Christ.  If they believed the Scriptures, then they had to believe in Jesus. 

We are willing to place our faith and trust in the witness of man so easily, so why is it so hard for us to place our faith in Jesus Christ?  There is so much evidence that He is the one and only Son of God.  There was the witness of mankind, in that, many disciples were willing to die for their faith in Him.  They were either crazy people who were willing to die for a lie or truly saw the Resurrected Savior and Christ.  There was the witness of His works, in that, miracles immeasurable were performed during His time on this earth and continue to be performed this day.  We may not see Him walking on the water, but we can see God’s work in and through our daily lives.  I am sure there have been “close calls” that you have experienced that can only be explained by the grace of God.  There is the witness of the Bible, which describes who Jesus Christ is and how He fulfilled every prophecy declared about Him.  The probability of one person to fulfill even one or two prophecies was high, but to fulfill all of them is astronomical, yet Jesus Christ did.  What are you waiting for still?  Place your faith in Him today. 

Like Father, Like Son

John 5:19 – So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of His own accord, but only what He sees the Father doing.  For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.”

There is a common phrase that is spoken when a young boy acts just like his father – “Like father, like son.”  Children often act like their parents, and eventually when they grow up tend to be like carbon copies of the people who raised them.  They take up much of the good and the bad habits that they witness as they are growing up.  If their parents were hot-tempered, they will likely be quick to anger.  If their parents were talkative, they tend to be outgoing.  If their parents were kind-hearted, they likely becoming quite hospitable.  Children are like their parents. 

In the same way, Jesus Christ was like the Father.  He did everything according to His Father’s will.  More than that, He would only do what His Father willed (John 5:30).  Jesus Christ’s only focus was doing His Father’s will.  He showed the world who God was, because He was God.  He showed the Father’s love and compassion as He ministered to the people; He showed the Father’s righteousness and justice when He defended the downtrodden and rebuked the false teachers; He showed His Father’s grace and mercy when He willingly died on the cross for our sins; He showed His Father’s omnipotence when He rose from the dead.  Christ did everything God the Father would do and wanted done.  Like Father, Like Son.  This is why when Philip, a disciple of Jesus Christ, asked Him to show them the Father, Jesus pointed to Himself (John 14:8-11).  The question I have for you who are disciples of Jesus Christ, Christians, followers of God is “Are you living according to the Father’s will?  Are you living according to His character?  Like Father, like son?”  We as Christians are called the children of God, for when we receive Jesus Christ into our lives, we are adopted into His family.  But that means that we should also become reflections of Him to this world.  So are you doing that?  Are you acting like the One who saved you and raised you and accepted you into His family?  Can others see Jesus in you? Like Father, like son.