Power to raise Lazarus
Key Verses: 14-15, 25-26, 35-36, 44, 50
One of the pointers to the authenticity of the Gospel of John is the author’s appeal to their personal knowledge of characters. He tells them specifics of identification in hopes they will know the person being talked about. Here Mary is highlighted, a woman whose reputation was in question when she entered Jesus’ life in a simple act of service. Jesus loves this family. He loves them, but delays his coming and Lazarus dies. This gives Him the opportunity to teach us something else about who He is. He says “I am the resurrection and the life” and he proves it when Lazarus walks out of the grave.
When Jesus arrives we see Him wept real tears of grief. People saw these expressions of grief and confirmed that he was truly sorrowful. He got overwhelmed with grief even when He knew that Lazarus would be alive in a few minutes. Grief is grief. It is hard work. Even as believers, we grieve when someone dies, even if we know the person is in heaven. Grief is normal and healthy. It reminds us of the temporary nature of this present life, in hopes that we will accept the security of a life that lasts beyond these present moments.
What do you do when what you have believed bumps up against a new reality? Jesus calls us to believe in Him, to trust Him. We are going to trust someone or something anyway, so why not trust Him!
The religious leaders are so threatened that they have a meeting in order to figure out what to do about Jesus. Their leader suggests a trade: Jesus for the survival of the nation. Jesus or the institutions of man. They know they can’t have Jesus and stay in power, so they choose power. What do you do when your grasp on power is threatened by belief in Jesus? Do you yield, or do you resist?
REVIEW: Acrostic Theme & each chapter’s phrase.
The Arnold Journey 