01/23/2018
Msg-ARE YOU HURTING? Jesus raises Lazarus John 11
John 11: 1. Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
These two sisters are the same ones in Luke 10:38
Luke 10: 38. Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. 40. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 41. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42. But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. - Bible Offline
Notice here that Mary was at Jesus's feet partaking of spiritual food but Martha was concerned about getting things ready to eat natural food.
Back to John 11:2. Notice here also about Mary, what she had done for Jesus:
2. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
Let's step a little ahead to John 12:3 and hear this encounter:
John 12: 3. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly,(one years wages) and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. - Bible Offline
But notice in the pervious scripture, John 12:2, Martha was serving again, while Lazarus and Mary was around Jesus:
John 12: 2. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. - Bible Offline
Back to John 11:3
3. Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4. When Jesus heard that, (notice what He said) he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. 5. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 6. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. 7. Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. 8. His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? 9. Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. 10. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. 11. These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
Now Jesus was scolding them because of their fear of the Jews stoning Jesus. But Jesus let them know He wasn't scared of them a little bit because His hour had not come yet and as He just said: "The Son of God was to be glorified through Lazarus' healing. So there's no way the Jews could possibly stone or stop Him!
12. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 14. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. 15. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. 16. Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus (twin), (now this is doubting Thomas as some of us may know of him) unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
(Thomas still didn't believe the Jews couldn't overcome Jesus until Jesus laid down His life, in fact no one could, Jesus said so in:
John 10: 17. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. - Bible Offline)
17. Then when Jesus came, he found that he (Lazarus) had lain in the grave four days already. 18. Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:(1.9 miles) 19. And many of the Jews (some that wanted to stone Him) came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
(Now why did Mary not go with Martha to greet Jesus? Do you think she was hurt at Jesus and felt the same way Martha did? because listen to Martha's words to Him:)
21. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. 23. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27. She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. 28. And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
Ah, So Mary did not come earlier because she didn't know He had come. She was excited when she heard it from Martha as we see here:
29. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
I think that Martha needed to be ministered to by Jesus, to heal her hurt of disappointment that Jesus wasn't there, therefore; her brother died. If Mary would have known and come with Martha the first time, Martha's conversation with Jesus would have been interrupted by Mary. Martha had been hanging on the outskirts serving, the times Jesus was ministering in her presence, keeping the carnal things, needs of the flesh, in mind instead of the spiritual things. After all "Jesus the Son of God" was right there before her all those times.
30. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. 31. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. 32. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34. And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35. Jesus wept. 36. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! 37. And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? 38. Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. (Unbelief and carnal thinking again)
40. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? 41. Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. - Bible Offline
Do you have hurt or disappointment towards God. Has things not happened like you thought they should have. Have faith in God! Believe He is with you and IN you. Not far away up in heaven but as close as inside you. He has said all through His word that He loves and cares for you, but Satan tries to get you to look at the disappointment he's talked you into and that is unbelief towards God. When you do that you are choosing to believe Satan instead of God and that's what happened to Adam, causing his rule over the earth to be given to whom he believed. The Word of God says for us to judge ourselves. Let's choose to believe God. Come to Him now and repent of any unbelief. Pray for others wherever you are, at work, the store, wherever, and the Spirit of God will do the miracle!