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John

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Judged by Wrong Criteria

John 10:34-39 

The religious leaders of Israel refused to believe that Jesus was God and wanted to stone Him to death for blasphemy.  He pointed them back to Psalm 82:1-2 where the unjust rulers of Israel are described as failed ‘gods', and the scene shows God as the presiding judge rebuking the corrupt leaders.  God’s people were supposed to be like Him, having authority to rule God’s world (Genesis 1:26-28) by God’s Word.

For and Against Jesus

John 10:40-42 

When Jesus told the truth about His Divinity, religious powerholders became angry.  They had heard the message and fully understood.  But they were unable to kill Him or even arrest Him because His time had not yet come (John 7:8).  There was nothing more Jesus needed to do in Jerusalem and so He went back to where His ministry began by the River Jordan, where He had been baptised by John.  It was the place where Father God spoke over the water, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)  It had been a place of preparation for ministry; now Jesus prep

Relational Ministry

John 11:1-3 

Jesus loves people; that is His nature for He is God and God is love (1 John 4:10-17).  This little family in Bethany, of two sisters (Mary and Martha) and their brother (Lazarus), lived together, apparently without elderly parents or spouses or children.  They were a self-contained unit who looked after one another about two miles from Jerusalem, and became well known to Jesus and His trainee apostles as they would visit from time to time (Luke 10:38-42).  

Divine Delay

John 11:4-7

Jesus had just received the message that His friend, Lazarus, was seriously unwell (John 11:1-3).  Instead of showing anxiety, as we might have done, He simply responds that God would be glorified.  The end of the story would not be his death, but that all would see that Jesus really was God's Son.  He was not at all callous or indifferent to the suffering of Lazarus, or the anxiety Martha and Mary were experiencing, but He knew it was important not to answer their call immediately.  We know from the narrative that Lazarus did die, probably about the time when Jesus received the message, an

Protection and Danger

John 11:8-10

Jesus was more than a two days' journey from Jerusalem, where envious religious leaders had previously tried to stone Him.  Jesus and His trainee apostles slipped away from them and walked for two days to the baptism site on the River Jordan to the place where John had baptised Jesus some two years previously.  It was a quiet place for reflection.  But soon they were joined by many people who were hungry for His ministry and believed in Him (John 10:40-42).  

The Confusion of Fear

John 11:11-16

Although Jesus knew His friend Lazarus was very ill, He deliberately waited for two days before going to see him (John 11:4-7).  Now, Lazarus was dead, but Jesus said he had ‘fallen asleep’ and that He would travel to Bethany, only two miles from Jerusalem, to wake him up.  However, the disciples thought there was no need to make that journey if Lazarus would recover after a rest.  They certainly did not want to go back to the Jerusalem area, fearing they might be killed, as almost happened to Jesus not long before (John 11:8).  

Reacting Differently

John 11:17-22

Lazarus, the much-loved brother of Mary and Martha, had been dead for four days (John 11:39).  Although the sisters had sent a message saying that Lazarus was very unwell, Jesus did not come.  Soon after that, the sick man died.  Then, after Jesus had intentionally delayed His journey by two days (John 11:6), the disciples accompanied the Lord to the little village of Bethany outside Jerusalem.  The funeral had already taken place, the tomb had been sealed (John 11:38-39), and now the devastated sisters were mourning their loss surrounded by many of their friends from Jerusalem.

Who Raises The Dead?

John 11:23-27

Martha's brother had been dead for four days (John 11:38-39).  When she met Jesus after the funeral, she expressed her confusion that He had not come sooner to heal Lazarus; however, she also believed a miracle was still possible (John 11:21-22).  So Jesus probed her understanding of life after death by telling her that Lazarus would rise again.  

The Hope Which Comes From Jesus' Call

John 11:28-31

Lazarus' death was such a shock to His two sisters; so too was Jesus' apparent indifference to their call for help.  When Jesus did come, four days after the funeral, Martha confronted Him with her grief and frustration.  But Mary refused to come out of the house.  Perhaps she felt so let down by Jesus, rejected by Him when the family was in their greatest need (John 11:17-22).
 

Tears Of Genuine Love

John 11:32-36

It was a sad day.  Jesus’ friend, Lazarus, had died and his grieving sisters, Mary and Martha, had been perplexed that Jesus had not immediately responded to their call for help.  When Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been in his grave for four days (John 11:17).  First Martha (John 11:21), and then Mary, poured out their confused grief to Jesus – “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died”.  No doubt, a thought they had often shared together over the previous four days.

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