Jesus and Lazarus
Beloved to Jesus
The man by the name of Lazarus from the village of Bethany was sick. Sisters of Lazarus, Mary and Martha sent to Jesus announcement "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. "Mary was that, which in her hair wipe feet of Jesus Christ.
To the Lord Jesus Lazarus was extremely beloved. To Jesus is not only Lazarus beloved, but Jesus Christ loves each persons, that's why He went for the sake of our sins to the centre of the cross to Calvary and died there for the sake of our sins. As the red wire of Bible is love of God towards a man, as the indication of that is death of Jesus Christ, His atonement.
Glory and brightness of God
Message of the sister achieved to Jesus Christ, when He heard the message He stayed yet two days in that place were He was. Jesus said that this disease is not to be death to Lazarus, but for the glory of God, and Son of the God by way of that would become glorified. After the two day from the message about Lazarus, Jesus went to journey towards to Bethany. Why does Jesus didn't go immediately to Bethany, He loves a man, but why He delayed? This question certainly rises to your and my heart. We agonize and feel pain, when we wait Jesus Christ to come in our life's hard and painful situation. We shout in our pain, why you does not come Jesus and help me. Why does Jesus not moving, why He is delaying? This question was certainly risen also to the hearts of the disciples and to heart of the Mary and the Martha. So, why you Jesus are delaying and don't help me? When you are waiting Jesus, you are thinking: Don't you love me Jesus? Are you abandon on me? Does you feel like that, that you don't get the answer to these questions?
Reason of the delaying of Jesus in the situation of Lazarus and also in your situation is very same. There is a purpose why Jesus delayed of those couple days, so that He would be in Bethany just fourth day. Jesus Christ loves us, even though He accurate deliberately also delay and not become always as when we would like that Jesus comes and help us. Reason of Jesus delaying was that flesh of the man would be died and by way this dying of the flesh is acts of the flesh cessation, so that the glory and the brightness of God can revealed in this world.
The jews buried the death ones immediately after the death. Old jew belief was, that soul stayed very near of the grave about three days, from there soul hoped that he can return to his body. On the fourth day started decay of the body and according to this belief soul can not return back to the body, but then soul leaves body forever. Bible doesn't teach, that soul stays very near to grave three days, and from there soul wishes return to the body. Jews were under this belief and this was the reason, why Jesus came to Bethany on the fourth day.
Jesus waited four days for that reason, that Lazarus was certainly dead also according to the belief of jews. Jesus of course didn't Himself belief to this belief. In this death of Lazarus there is very important meaning and teaching cause after the flesh of man dies, so after then Spirit of God can function and works of God can reveal to this world. When the possibilities of the people have finished, so then God can function and to brighten Himself, so that which happened are certainly from the God and not from the flesh. Acts of the God can't make by the power of the flesh, and when the possibilities of the people have finished, so then can God function and glorified Himself.
Also in your life can be situations and matters, which are under the power of the flesh, and that's why Jesus is delaying in your life, cause He never bless the act of the flesh. Bible teaches, that one from the many missions of the Spirit of God is bring death to our flesh, so that we can live righteousness life through the power of the Holy Spirit, Romans 8:13. Most common reason to this fact, that Jesus is delaying in our life is that our flesh doesn't want to die away from the sins of this world, and that we want cherish our flesh desires and lust. To the godly and righteous life is not shortcuts, only way is the cross of the Christ, after which Holy Spirit starts by way of the word of God to die our flesh, so that the Spirit of God may rule and affect righteous life in our heart. Without the death of the flesh is not righteous life and effect of the Holy Spirit is keeping in discipline our flesh, cause we are with Christ, crucified to this world.
Lazarus is dead
Jesus said to His disciple that Lazarus is dead. Jesus said also that He is rejoicing about that, that He wasn't in Bethany, so that disciples could believe to God.
The situation is whole time in God's control. We can be safe to be His children. There is fear to our flesh such conditions, in which matters are not controlled by our flesh. God makes in our life often such situations, were the possibilities of the flesh have completely finished. When the possibilities of the flesh have finished, so then we will see how God functions, we will see His works. God often leads our flesh in front of the impossibility things, after which He works with His power and change impossible to be possible. Remember, that the faith is the indication of the work and power of God. The belief doesn't need power of the flesh, because faith is the revealing of the work and the power of God. You, who you are hopeless, remember, God does not have hopeless cases. God sets only one conditional, so that impossible can become possible, this is the death of our flesh, so that His effectful power may change impossible to be possible in your life.
Martha
Jesus arrived near to Bethany. Against him came Martha, which said to Jesus "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died". But also now I know, that God give you all, what you will apply from God.
Does Martha really know what Jesus can do? Do we know what Jesus can do?
Jesus said to Martha, that Lazarus will rise up. Martha answered to Jesus " I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Martha knew, that Lazarus will rise up on the day of the resurrection. Understanding of Martha was right, but it she doesn't know, that Lazarus will be restored to the life from the death in very same day.
We can also know, that God can do miracles. But also we will set the possibilities of God afar to the future often we don't belief, that God functions today, He works now, and of course as also on the coming days. God wants to teach to us by way of Lazarus, that God functions today, He have the ability to function in the future, but he functions also today, He can do His work now. Do you believe this?
Jesus said to Martha "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" Do you also believe this? " Martha answered to Jesus "Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world."
Jesus meant that not any matter or the condition of the life be impossible to God. Not even dead be dead, if he has believed to Jesus. Jesus knew that Lazarus was not the dead, only his body were dead, but he himself was alive. Martha knew, that Jesus is Son of God. We also know that Jesus is the Son of God. But do we know what Jesus can do? Firstly we must know, that Jesus is Son of the God, but after that Jesus wants to teach to us what He can do. This all for that, so that we believe and we will understand, that He is able to change our life in accordance with the will of God. Jesus can remove all hinderances from our life, which prevent us to believe and serve to God.
Jesus cried
When Jesus arrived to Bethany, so he meet there Mary and many jews. Jesus saw Mary and crying crowd. Because of their weeping when He saw her weeping, and the Jews who came down with her weeping, Jesus .
Then Jesus ask "Where have you put him? They said to Him, Lord, come and see." And then Jesus cried. To this the jews said: "Behold how He loved him!"
Jesus was earlier said this is not sickness to death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God be glorified by it. Jesus knew that all is well with Lazarus. Jesus cried because of the Mary and also other jews, in that pain and distress what they felt cause of the death of Lazarus. Jesus saw their pain and distress and He took part in theirs pain by crying. Jesus see their distress and pain and that's why He cried. How great is Jesus, He really take part also in your pain and your distress. Jesus will cone to your life and heal your pain and distress which is in your heart. He comes to you on fourth day, when your flesh possibilities have completely finished, that His glory can reveal to this world. Wait for Jesus, He cries with you these weeping, which you cry in your distress. Wait, He comes certainly into your life. Those tears which leaky from the heart of the Jesus announce to you freedom and bring freedom to your life, freedom from the slavery of the sins.
Few jews, which were on the tomb of the Lazarus said: "Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?" And when Jesus heard this He groaned in the Spirit and troubled Himself and went to the tomb, which was cave, and in front of the cave was big stone.
The jews thought about, that if Jesus might have been in Bethany, so he had been able to prevent death of Lazarus. In this they were right, but Jesus can do greater works as we can believe. Jesus wants to teach to us, that He can do more than what we can understand. And we understand this so we can believe and let Him do His works in our life.
Death ones comes out from their caves
God has spoken to my heart much of this case of Lazarus. Jesus awakened the death person, for Lazarus had been death already for four days. Teaching of this is, that Jesus awakened the death person. But God has spoken also to my heart, that in case of Lazarus is also exemplary awakening of the person whose are the death in his sins, and that Jesus give him a new life by regeneration.
Jesus comes near to tomb by weeping, because he identified to the pain and distress of the people. People of this world are also in the dark cave of the sin, and there is in front of the cave heavy stone. The sin locks and binds man to the slavery of the sin. Sin sealed slave of the sin with the large and heavy lock, which the slave of the sin can not open with his own power. The sin guarded sinner and not get man to be free from the grip of the sin, the slave of the sin is completely failed by the sin and hardened by the sin. Only God can save a man from the power of the sin and Satan.
Do you feel pain from the people of this world, which sin has enslaved? This slavery produces to them eternal damnation. Jesus wants, that also His disciple draw near to people of this world and that His disciples feel healthy pain in their heart for the sake of those who are in the slavery of the sin and Satan, such kind of healthy pain which produced tears our face for the sake of the people of this world. Jesus wants to affect in His disciples real pain on behalf of the people of this world. The key to winning of the people to the half of Christ is love, which feel healthy pain for sake of the people of this world. Hearts of this world sin makers are as thick chains and fetters as those stone walls which was surrounding Lazarus in the tomb. The sin has vaccinated them to be immune to gospel.
What is the help for those who are walking to damnation ?
Jesus came to tomb of Lazarus and said: "Take ye away the stone." Jesus says also to you: take stones and plates of the sin off from the heart of the sin makers! Hopefully you do not answer, such as to Jesus was answered on the tomb of Lazarus. Martha said to Jesus "Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. " The sin smells and stench really bad. Can you stand the smell and stink of the sin. God has stopped me to this. Do we believers avoid to sin makers, when the sin smells so bad? Is from of us nicer to sit nicely in prayer rooms, than go to find those who are lost? Are we like this or has the love of Jesus conquer our heart? Are in our heart pain from the souls which are going to go to hell? If in your heart is pain from the souls which are lost, so then Jesus sends you to this world were is those sin makers, that we can love and preach to them gospel, that Jesus can give them freedom from the darkness of the sin and forgiveness of the sins.
Jesus answers to Martha "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" Do you believe to Jesus Christ? If you believe, so then also you can see brightness and glory of God. But you have to persuade to go nearby sinful, even though gruesome smell of the sin smells from them.
Come out
So they took stone away from the tomb of Lazarus. And Jesus lifted His eyes upward and said, Father, I thank You that You heard Me. And I know that you always hear Me, but because of the crowd standing around, I said it, that they might believe that You sent Me. And saying these things, He cried out with a loud voice, Lazarus! come forth! And the one who had died came out, the feet and the hands having been bound with sheets, and his face being bound with a cloth. Jesus said to them, Loosen him and let him go. Then many of the Jews, those coming to Mary, and having seen what Jesus did, believed into Him.
Jesus don't have disbelief. In Him is faith. Do you give Jesus donate to you believe, He can and have the ability to affect in your heart believe. When Jesus shouted: "Lazarus, come forth. ", so dead came out, the feet and the hands having been bound with sheets, and his face being bound with a cloth. Also the sinners of this world are as tightly bound with chains of the sin as Lazarus was bound with sheets.
Only Jesus can call sin maker out from his cave, but Jesus wants that you scrolled stone away from the heart of the sinner. What the rolling of this stone means? That means, that you will give Jesus affects in you healthy pain from the souls who are lost. That means, that you give God shreds your heart love of God, whereby you can love to those, who God loves. That means, that you will preach the gospel in the Spirit of the love and truth to sinners of this world. And them they can get salvation.
The decay body of Lazarus came in the moment to be completely healthy, but the sheets by which he was bounded stinked real bad, they smelled for rotten flesh. Think about this, Jesus calls you to release people from the bondage of the sin. Jesus said: " Loose him, and let him go. " Do you want go to nearby sinners, who are stinking really badly for the sin? Jesus wants, that you help those, which have saved from the power of the sin and Satan. Help them to release them from the sin, which stinks really bad. Jesus gives for you to that the anointment, so that you are able to help them. The question is only that, that you agree to go and help them to loosing those bondage of the sins. Do not do such as unfortunately, some believer is doing, that they start to bind them, cause those binders are fleshly believers and they are preventing the growth of new spiritual babies, cause they are in theirs flesh putting people down (binding is also: tradition of the men), when they would come to loose them from the bounds of the sins.
Key for the coming the of death ones to come out from cave is the love and the truth of God. Before Lazarus got out from the dark tomb, so then it preceded healthy pain, which affected the weeping. Only then start real freeing for the power of the sin, when can be found those believers, which from the heart leak tears for the sake of those who are lost. Then Holy Spirit can show the sin and the right
the righteous and judgement to people hearts and they can repent theirs sins and receive salvation in theirs life.
Several jews believed to Jesus, when they saw what Jesus made. If you follow Jesus and you will listen, what He commands to you to do, so then many of these, who see what Jesus makes through your life can come to salvation. You, who are disciple of Jesus, today Jesus calls to you and say come and follow me, in that I, Jesus Christ want indicates my brightness and glory in this world. Do you allow that Jesus can come glorified through you? You need only agree in the death of your flesh, and after that whole earth is full of the glory of the Lord. You don't need to die yourself in your own power, but Jesus helps you. Do you allow that Jesus can fill this earth with His glory?
More Bible teachings
