Lazarus, Mary & Martha - Allen Bonifay 1-29-06

I'm very thankful to be here today.

I'm especially thankful to be able to worship with you again.

My history with this congregation goes back quite a

long way, especially since I wasn't born in California, but

this congregation supported me in the first mission, work that

I ever did too young to know what I was doing, but we did the

best we could anyway. And that was that the work in

Flagstaff. And even though there is no

congregation in Flagstaff, there are still members of the church

today that are faithful as a result of that work.

Work. And so my time with you goes

back a long way even though I have not been here very often in

recent days and it's good to be with you again.

It's been 30 years and of course, there are others here

that I've known and been with the long time.

Denny and Carl back over Brundage long years ago and

Terry, I don't know how many years but anyway, it's very good

to be with you and to Ship with you today.

I'd like to read from a special song.

At least, I think it is connected with the passage.

I'd like to talk about today. But before that, I want to take

you back to some scenes that we imagine, must have preceded or

at least something like this preceded.

Some events that are talked about in the gospel It's a sick

room that I want you to Envision in your mind's eye.

They say that the young man who is so desperately ill at this

time, was about 30 years of age. He was quite a young man and

this was a totally unexpected thing.

This young man. I don't know where his parents

were, they're not they're never on the scene but he has a very

close-knit family he has two sisters none of the three of

them are married and these sisters love their brother

dearly and I am sure that he loved them.

So as well although we're not told much about that but we do

know for a fact that they loved him dearly And here is the labor

in his sick room. And as his illness becomes more

and more desperate, they are beside themselves.

It seems only a short while ago that he was so healthy and such

a strong vibrant young man. And here before their very eyes,

he is wasting away to nothing. And finally, at almost the last

instant in fact I suppose past the last instant they send a

message to Jesus asking him to come.

They wait a long time. Too long.

Shortly after the message is sent, maybe about the same time.

The young man finally expires. He dies.

Their hearts are broken Beyond imagination, but there's no time

for that just now. And so they begin to busy

themselves about making preparations for the funeral.

and, They send into town by someone, I suppose and contact

the professional Wailers. Even the poorest Jew was

entitled to, to wailing women in a rabbi for their funeral.

But now these people are pretty wealthy and they send him to

town and there are many mourners and personal friends who come to

attend to them. They prepare the young man's

body almost immediately. It's a hot country and they

don't do in bombing and there's no time for delay.

As decay will set in quite soon. They prepare the body for

burial, they light, a light beside his bed, just in case his

spirit is hovering near and they begin to fast.

And for the next several days, they will Fast and they might

eat the white White of an egg once or twice but that would be

all and soon. All things are ready and they

lift the body on a beer and they take it to the cemetery outside

of town. and, I don't know exactly what was said over this

young man's body. But in all likelihood, in fact,

it's a great probability that the rabbi read, from the 90th

song, at least that was customary.

And it was it was the expected thing.

And it seems to me almost a certainty when you read the

90th, saw him in the light of these events, I want to talk to

you about that. This was in fact, the passage

that was read, it goes like this.

Lord thou Hast been our Dwelling Place in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth or ever.

Thou has formed the earth and the world even from Everlasting

to Everlasting Thou Art God. Thou turnest man to destruction

and say us to return you Children of Men for a thousand

years in thy sight are. But as yesterday when it is past

and as a watch in the night now carry us them away.

As with a flood, they are as asleep.

In the morning, they are like the grass which groweth up in

the morning at flourishes and groweth up and in the evening,

it is cut down and withereth for.

We are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath or we troubled.

Thou Hast, said her iniquities before thee, our secret sins in

the light of thy countenance, for all our days are passed away

in thy wrath and we spend our years as a tale that is told the

days of our years are threescore years and ten.

And if by reason of strength, they be fourscore years.

Yet it is their strength, labor and sorrow for it is soon.

Cut off. And we fly away who knoweth the

power of thine anger, even according to thy fear, so is thy

wrath. So teach us to number our days

that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom return, O Lord, how

long and let it repent. The concerning thy servants, o

satisfy us early with I Mercy that we may rejoice and be glad

all our days make us glad according to the days, wherein

thou Hast. Just Afflicted us.

And the years, wherein we have seen evil, let thy Work appear

unto thy servants, and thy Glory unto their children.

Mark those words and let the beauty of the Lord.

Our God be upon us and stablished.

Now, the work of our hands upon us.

Yay! The work of our hands

established thou. It As these words faded into the

Stillness, they would soon turn and leave the graveside and they

would go back into their Village.

And then the sisters would have the luxury to mourn the loss of

their beloved brother. But I cannot help about thinking

about these words. I like I said, I don't know, I'm

not inspired, I don't know if this was the psalm read there or

not. I just know that it was

traditional And these words are amazing and verse 16.

Let thy Works appear unto thy servants and thy Glory under

their children. Mark the word glory in your

mind. These people.

Brokenhearted had no idea. Of the unimaginable magnitude of

the glory of God Almighty that they were about to be privileged

to witness in their lives. This morning, I wanted to bring

you as best. I can The Story of Lazarus and

Mary and Martha in John chapter 11.

John 11 · chapter mention

But before we do, we want to approach our heavenly father in

a word of Prayer in John chapter 11, I would like you to notice

John 11 · chapter mention

first of all the specificity of the first verse, now, a certain

man was sick named Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary, and

her sister Martha. The reason I call attention to,

this is the record concerning. These women has not always been

this. Clear.

We have heard of them on two other occasions in the gospels.

In Luke chapter 10, we are introduced to them for the first

Luke 10 · chapter mention

time and the scripture says in Luke 10 verse 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 and she had a sister called Mary, which sat at Jesus

feet, and heard his word, but Martha was cumbered about much

serving and came to him and said, Lord Dost thou not care.

That my sister has left me to serve alone, bid her, therefore

that she help me Jesus answered and said, unto her Martha,

Martha thou'rt, careful and troubled about many things.

But this one thing is needful and Mary has chosen that good.

Good part which shall not be taken away from her.

Now, the interesting will actually there's two things that

are interesting about this introduction to these women.

The first is that their character is revealed and is

clearly maintained in all of the records about them.

In the scriptures, Mary is much more introspective than Martha.

Mary is much more. Is a much quieter more thought.

Awful person. Now that's not to say that Mary

is a better person Jesus loved Martha, as well as he did Mary.

Even though he did gently chide her on this occasion, for being

too troubled about things and about preparing a meal and so on

and so forth. As that But Martha is more the

extrovert, and she is much more practical minded than Mary is.

And we shall see that again in John chapter 11, but the other

John 11 · chapter mention

thing I want you to note is that this record says there was a

certain Village and a certain woman.

Now it does name the women, Martha and Mary But that's like

being over in Russia and talking about Boris and Oleg.

You could be talking about any one of 10, maybe 50 million

people everybody's named Boris or Oleg as far as I can tell.

In Russia now I'm exaggerating but still they were very common

names is the point and it's a certain Village and so on and so

forth. Now, why do you suppose that is

I'll tell you why. I think it is.

John writes his gospel entire much later than Matthew, Mark,

and Luke near the end of the first century you will remember.

In this story, we're going to discuss that Lazarus is raised

from the dead and as a result of that the Jews seek to kill

Lazarus on numerous occasions and Lazarus being raised from

the dead, of course, continue to live out his days until he

either died again from illness or a Or some injury.

We don't know about all of that, but the point is until he did

die, Matthew Mark, and Luke seem very circumspect about referring

to him because they have a story to tell that's vitally

important. And yet they don't want to

unduly, expose Lazarus to danger.

And so because of that, I think Luke is more circumspect about

who this is and just where this has happened.

Now. John writing near the end of the

first century writes. The first defense of the

scriptures. In fact, Matthew, Mark, and Luke

are called the synoptic gospels. You will recognize that word sin

means with Sy, n are sympathetic, so to speak and

optic means your eye. So synoptic means they see the

same and Matthew, Mark, and Luke gospels are very closely

paralleled to one another. And Generally speaking the same

material in generally speaking the same way John's gospel is

entirely different. John's gospel is written to

defend. What Matthew Mark and Luke have

written. Not only that.

John's gospel is written to answer.

One of the plaguing false doctrines of the early days of

the church called gnosticism in, which it was claimed that Jesus

did not come to Earth as a real human being.

But only Only as an apparition that look like a human being but

wasn't really flesh and blood. And John writes to prove that

Jesus Christ was at one in the same time, 100% completely,

totally human. And at the same time in

comprehensible, though, it be to our finite Minds, 100%, totally,

and completely Divine. And so, John's gospel can be

shaped either around the seven miracles that he chooses to

establish the Divinity of Jesus or as we should See in this

chapter, it can be shaped around the seven, I AMS of Jesus Christ

which is another Declaration of his divinity.

Now by the time, John writes this first verse quite likely

either. The pressure on Lazarus about

his life has East. He has moved away and certainly

he's very old. He may already be dead and so

he's much more specific about who this is and where it is and

what town it is. Then there's another very

interesting thing in the second verse it says it was that Mary?

Which anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with

her hair whose brother Lazarus was sick?

He further identifies this Berry about whom he is speaking.

As that Mary who anointed the feet of Jesus?

Now, that's not so interesting in and of itself.

But the interesting thing about it is that John doesn't record

that event till the 12th chapter.

Now, here we are in the 11th chapter and he already expects

us to be familiar with who that Mary was.

Now how do you suppose that is or why?

Well I'll tell you what I think. I think that when these men

wrote these words, they knew they were writing scripture,

they knew they were writing something that was to establish

normalcy in doctrine that was normative and going to be

normative for all time. And when John writes this, he

expects you as a child of God to already be thoroughly familiar

with Mary and Martha and Lazarus because surely you have read

Matthew, Mark, and Luke many times.

And if met these women on many occasions and so he says it was

that Mary? There's another possibility and

it's even a little more intriguing.

It's possible that John writes. It was that Mary whom he does

not mention until the twelfth chapter because lo and behold he

expects you to read his gospel more than once and when you get

around to the 11th chapter of the second time, he expects you

to be familiar with all what he already said.

In the 12th chapter. Either way, you look at it.

The point is the same, John clearly expects.

The people of God to be a people of the word of God, he expects

them to be familiar with the word of God.

He expects the things of the word of God to have already

lodged in their hearts, so that he can just say it.

Was that Mary who anointed the feet of Jesus and you and all of

the rest of the Christian system, will know who he's

talking about. It says, therefore, his sister's

sent unto him saying, Lord behold he whom.

Thou lovest is sick. This is interesting because it

is the only account of anyone outside of the inner circle of

Peter, James and John, who is specifically stated to be loved

by Jesus. It's not that he didn't love

everyone, but it's a great honor to be spoken of as the one whom

he loved. They sent this message.

Jesus got the message and in verse 4, Jesus, immediately sent

that messenger, back with a return message.

And said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of

God, that the Son of God might be glorified, thereby.

I used to think this was sort of an editorial comment inserted

here or that Jesus simply announced this to his disciples

upon hearing this messenger. I don't think that.

Because later on in this chapter he says did not send you a

message saying that you would see the glory of God.

And so this messenger has come to Jesus.

Now Jesus and his disciples according to John 10, 40 and 41

has left Jordan He has gone away Beyond Jordan unto the place

where John at first baptized and he's about a Day's Journey away.

And so he sends the messenger back.

But then lest you misunderstand. It says, now, Jesus loved Martha

and her sister and Lazarus, he does not want you to think that

he is ignoring his friend or that he does not love them.

It's stated very clearly. But when he had heard therefore

that he was sick, he Abode two days.

Still in the same place where he was and then after saith, he to

his disciples. Let us go into Judea.

Again, this brings up a question, Jesus sends this

messenger back and he says, you will see the glory of God this

sickness, he says is not unto death.

But you will see the glory of God and yet, he stays here, two

whole days has Jesus, is he just playing around with Lazarus

life? Is he some sort of person that

would allow his friend to Simply languish and die and his

sister's Hearts to be broken when he could have gone there

and done something about it? I think that's too hasty a

conclusion, if you think about this a moment, I'm sure you know

this story if it took the man a day to travel to where Jesus was

to bring the message and it took him a day to go home.

It's a Day's Journey away. So he comes in a day, Jesus

abides there, two days. And then Jesus goes where

Lazarus was, that's four days. And when Jesus goes out to the

cemetery, what did Martha say? It had been four days and the

conclusion is this, either Lazarus was already dead when

the messenger came and Jesus knew that which is entirely

possible, he is divine, and that's part of the teaching of

this story. Or he was nearly dead and Jesus

knew that. Anyway, he waits two days and he

says, let's go see and to Judea again to see him in his

disciples protest immediately and they say master the Jews of

late have sought to Stone me and go stuff either again.

Now he's they are referring to what happened over there in John

John 10 · chapter mention

chapter 10 when Jesus was among the Jews in that place and he

said to them, among other things, my sheep hear my voice

and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal

life and they shall never perish.

Neither shall any man, pluck them out of my hand, my Father,

which gave them me is greater than all, and no man is able to

pluck them out of my father's. Fathers and I and my father are

one and the Jews took up stones to Stone him in.

Jesus said many good works. Have I done among you for which

of these do you Stone me? And they said we're not stoning

you for doing good works. Where stoning you because you

said that God is your father and that you and God are one.

And Jesus said, is it not written in your law?

Ye are God's. It is written in their law, it

didn't mean quite the same thing as what he's saying.

But nevertheless that is what the Bible says.

If he called them gods and to whom the word of God came and

the scripture cannot be broken. Say ye of him, whom the father

has Sanctified and sent into the world.

Thou blaspheme assist because I said, I'm the son of God.

If I do not the works of my father, believe me, not, but if

I do the works, but if I do though, you believe not, me

believe the works. That you may know, and believe

that the father is in him, and I in him What he's having

reference to is the miraculous power that he has demonstrated

among them. So abundantly.

And what he's saying is the same thing, Nicodemus that what he's

saying they should do is the same thing Nicodemus said.

When he said Master, we know that thou art a teacher come

from God, because no man can do the things you do except God be

with him or he's appealing to the same thing that the man who

was born, blind who had received his sight said, when they said

When they said this man cannot be from God.

He said, well, it's amazing to me.

I was blind and now I see and we know that God does not hear

sinners by the way. He's not really talking about

prayer there. Although Christians do have a

special praying relationship with God.

That others don't have, but he's not talking about prayer.

What he means is we know that God doesn't answer a man's

request to perform a miracle. If he's a sinner, you know, that

none of that. That's what Jesus is appealing

to right here. Anyway, they went their way but

they took their anger in their hearts with them and sought

another opportunity to kill him. And so Jesus left and went

beyond Jordan. And that's why his disciples say

Lord, we don't want to go back over there.

You don't want to go back over there.

They were just of late, trying to kill you over there.

And Jesus said, are there not twelve hours in a day?

If any man walk in the day he stumbleth not because he seeth

the light of the world. If any man walk in the night, he

stumbleth because there's no light in him.

I'm not sure, I understand all I know about that passage right

there but I think all that Jesus is saying is the same thing.

He said over in chapter 9 verse 4, when he said I must work the

works of him that sent me while it is day the night cometh when

no man can work. I think he's simply saying

nothing nothing mysterious here. He's just saying you have to

work while you have opportunity. The time is coming when it'll be

dark and you can't work in the dark.

You guys are all painters and you can't paint stuff in the

dark. You have to be able to see what

you doing. Well, that's all Jesus is

saying. I need to work at my Ministry

while there's an opportunity. Now, by the way, just a side

note, this is free Christians. Need to pay attention to this.

Sometimes Christians spend so much time.

Talking about what it is, they want to do that.

It gets to be night and no one has done it.

And there comes a time when it's time to quit talking and get out

there and do something for the Lord.

Anyway, that I think that's what Jesus is saying right here.

These things said he and after that he saith unto him in his

next argument, our friend Lazarus sleepeth.

But I go that I may awaken out of sleep and they don't want to

give up. They said Lord if he's sleeping,

he'll do better. Well, Jesus was trying to be

nice about it and use a euphemism.

But he goes on to say, well, he's dead.

He's dead. And I'm glad for your sakes that

I was not there to the intent that you may believe

nevertheless, let us go unto it. By the way, when the scripture

speaks of death as sleep? It's not a reference to the

spirit, the Eternal part of man, the Eternal part of man does not

sleep, not after physical death, not before physical death, it

does not sleep, it remains conscious subconscious, it goes

back to God. Who gave it?

It's talking about the sleep of appearance.

It's talking about what the body looks like.

When the spirit leaves and goes back to God, it looks like it's

asleep. And that's why Jesus uses that

language and the rest of scripture too for that matter.

Well anyway Thomas says Thomas called didymus said well let us

go that we may die with them just a word about Thomas as we

pass through here. First of all, why do you suppose

Thomas is the one Speaking here? I thought Peter was the one who

always had his mouth and motion before his brain got in gear.

and, A lot of scholars believe that Peter James and John are

not here on this occasion. For that very reason hardly

anybody could be quicker on the draw to say something than Peter

whether he knew what he was saying or not.

But Thomas speaks up and I want to point out something, he I

think Thomas is taking a bum rap over the years.

You know, he's known famously as doubting Thomas because he said

except I see the print of the nails in his hand and I thrust

my hand into his side. I will not believe and so people

have said he was doubting. but did you know that none of the

disciples believed in Jesus till they saw him the tales of those

women seem to them as but idle Tales and they all refused to

believe until they saw Jesus. So let's take it.

Easy on Thomas. Thomas is an apostle of Jesus

Christ as faithful. And loyal is any of them even

though we don't know about his works?

Well anyway, Thomas said well, if he's let's go if he's going

to go, we'll go with him. If he dies, we'll die with him.

One of the most. Impressive statements to me in

my years. Preaching was, I remember at

time back in West Virginia, when Linwood was coming for meeting

every year, And this particular year, he had been quite sick and

Ivy and Agnes were just beside themselves and did not want him

to go. And they were arguing to him,

that he needed to call and cancel the meeting.

He was not able to go up there or not.

And finally, he told me when he could talk.

He finally said, listen, listen, this is what I do.

And I'm going up there, and I'm going to preach Ouch, that

meeting the best I can. And if I die, I die.

That's pretty impressive to me. And I thought he was going to

right there in my house but he didn't.

And we're thankful for that. Well, that's the way Thomas is

right here, loyal to Jesus, even to the point of death.

Then when Jesus came and found that he laid in the grave for

days, already laying in the grave for days.

Now, Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem about 15 furlongs off.

And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them

concerning their brother and then Martha.

As soon as she heard, that Jesus was coming went and met him, but

Mary sat still in the house then said, Martha unto Jesus Lord.

If thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

But I know that even now whatsoever, thou Wilt ask of

God. God will give it to thee.

I don't think Martha is asking for Jesus to raise her brother

from the dead, because she doesn't understand it.

When Jesus promises to do that very thing.

I think that she is simply saying Lord, in spite of this

great tragedy, which has broken our hearts, in spite of the fact

that if you had been here, he would not have died, we still

love you, and we are still loyal to you and we are still

faithful. To what you have taught us.

I think that's probably something like what she saying

here. The message, the messenger came

and said this sickness is not unto death but so that you can

see the glory of God. The message has been all

forgotten, of course, it's been forgotten by the time of the

messenger. Got back.

Last dress was dead. And the message if it was ever

even heard has simply passed into Oblivion, and she doesn't

remember it. But isn't that interesting what

she said? Lord, if thou hadst been here,

my brother had not died. How many times do you suppose?

Those two women who love Jesus with all of their hearts.

How many times do you suppose in those last few days they had

said oh if only Jesus was here if only he would come It's

certainly a measure of their faith.

And gives us a check on our own. Jesus saith unto her, thy

brother shall rise again. It's zipped right over her head.

Martha said, yes! Lord, I know he will rise again.

In the resurrection. She means the general

Resurrection. Jesus said, 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 believe.

It's now this She doesn't know what he's talking about and

she's really not prepared to consider all this right now.

She said, hey Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the

son of God, which should come into the world.

She doesn't really answer his question.

And it doesn't really register to her yet what he's saying.

But when he said this, by the way, this is one of the key

passages in the Gospel of John. I am the resurrection and the

life. If you search the Gospel of

John, you will find seven of these great Iams of Jesus.

I don't know if I can name them. All right now, but you can look

them up. If I can't, I am the bread of

life. I am the light of the world.

I am the way, the truth and the life.

That's the one I couldn't remember a while ago.

I am the door. I am the Good Shepherd.

I am the vine and you are the branches and here I am.

The resurrection and the life. What's so significant is about

this is you will remember in the Old Testament back over there in

the land of Midian where Moses has fled from Egypt and has

dwelt for 40 years and now has a family and his herding, his

sheep. He sees that bush that is on

fire, but will not burn up and says to himself.

I must turn assignment. See, this bush.

This is a curious thing. And he turns aside, and the

voice says, Moses. Moses, put off thy shoes from

off thy feet. For the ground whereon.

Thou standest is Holy Ground. And the voice said, I want you

Moses to go back to Egypt to deliver my people.

Moses said in my own and elegant translation.

Are you talking to me? Now, I tried that once and it

didn't work. I can't do that.

Yes, you can. I will I will give you help.

He cast his rod down, it becomes a serpent, he takes it again.

He sticks his hand in his and his cloak and he takes it out to

left for us. He puts it back in at God's

instruction. It's renewed.

God said, I'll give you power. He said I can't do this, who

will? I say?

Sent me and God said you tell them that I am.

Who I am has sent you. The Great.

I Am the Jehovah God. Did you know that Jesus is

Jehovah? Now the father and the son are

not the same person, but the word Jehovah is a word like God

you know Jesus Christ is God The father is God.

They're both Jehovah also. and in John chapter 8, Jesus said to

John 8 · chapter mention

those Jews year of your father, the devil you are Liars from the

beginning, like he was And they said that wasn't so.

And so it goes on in this discussion and he says Verily

verily. I say unto you.

If a man keep my saying he shall never see death in said the Jews

unto him. Now we know that thou Hast a

devil Abraham is dead and the prophets and thou sayest.

If a man keep my saying he shall never die.

Or if thou greater than our Father, Abraham which is dead

and of the prophets are dead and whom makest thou thyself.

And Jesus said, if honor myself my honor is nothing, it is my

Father which honoureth me of whom you say that he is your

god, yet you have not known him but I know him and if I should

say, I know him not I shall Liar like unto you but I know him and

keep his saying your father, Abraham rejoiced to see my day

and he saw it and he was glad, and then said the Jews unto him,

Thou Art. Not yet fifty years old, how

hast thou seen Abraham and he said verily before Abraham was I

am. When Jesus says in John chapter

John 11 · chapter mention

11, just like all those other places when he says I am the

resurrection and the life he is stating his divinity, he is God

In the Flesh. You keep that in mind.

When you think of Jesus Christ, he said I am the resurrection

and the life he that believes in me, though.

He dies physically, yet he shall live.

If and whoever lives and Believes In Me shall never never

never die. In the green.

Why do you believe this? She said yes Lord.

I know you're the son of God. And she goes back into the house

to alert her sister that Jesus has come.

And as soon as Mary hears that she rises from her knees and she

flees to, where Jesus is outside of the town, probably standing

near the cemetery. The reason I think that is

because that's where they thought she was going.

And when she reaches Jesus, she says to him, Lord, if thou hadst

been here, my brother had not died.

The very same words. Her sister said Ed.

Oh, how they love Jesus and how they trusted in him.

The Bible says that these mourners followed her out there.

And it says that When they followed her out there.

Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews also weeping which came

with her and he groaned in spirit and was troubled.

This means actually literally this word is most often

translated he was angered in his spirit.

I suspect that this is because of the hypocrisy of these

professional mourners Jesus had absolutely no patience with

people who pretended to be something that they were not.

when it goes on to say, He said where have you laid him and they

said, Lord come and see, goes on to say Jesus wept, this is an

entirely different word in the Greek and it means he wept

silently. It means tears.

Course down his cheeks but he did not grown out loud.

The Bible says he groaned within himself.

The Bible does say that when our beloved ones depart that we

sorrow, not as others who had no hope.

But it doesn't say we do not sorrow, Jesus sorrowed here.

Even though he knew what he was about to do, because of the

suffering of those around him. And because he loved this man,

and they said, see how he loved him.

Don't you suppose? If he had been, he who gave

sight to the blind, don't you suppose he could have done

something about this. They murmured such things, as he

walked to the Grave. They came to the graveside and

Jesus said, take away the stone and Martha ever the Practical

one sec. Wait, wait, wait, Lord behold

it's been four days. He's stinking by now.

Now listen. What's about to happen?

Here is different from any other resurrection of the Dead that

has ever occurred to this time. When Elijah raised, that boy

from the dead. He grew up.

Became a man and got old, and he died unless something happened

to him. Before that, the point is, he

was only physically raised. And when Elijah, Elijah raised,

that boy from the dead, he was hardly yet, cold Elisha laid

himself on the boy three times and raised him from the dead

when they threw that man's body into that cave.

And he landed on Elijah's Bones, the man was hardly dead, but he

stood up to life immediately. When Jesus raised the son of the

Widow of nain, it was the same day that he died when Jesus

raised. Gyrus is daughter.

Rigor mortis hasn't even set in yet.

This man has been dead. He has been buried.

He has been in the grave for days and already.

His body is decaying. That's the point.

Each Resurrection Jesus performs his mightier than the one before

it until the mightiest one of all.

And Jesus said to her, did I not send you a messenger said, I not

unto thee that if thou wouldest believe that I should have see

the glory of God? Remember that Psalm about the

glory of God? And they took away the stone.

From the place where the dead was laid in.

Jesus lifted up his eyes and he said, father, I thank thee.

That thou Hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me

always but because of the people just a side note again.

He said, because of the people, sometimes we need to say what's

going on, not necessarily for the benefit of the one that is

happening to, but because of the people, so they will know what's

going on. Anyway, Jesus said, but because

of the people Which standby I said it.

That thou May believe that thou Hast sent me, and when he had

thus spoken, he cried with a loud voice Lazarus, come forth.

And don't you know it was dead silent.

He's lost his mind. They must have thought.

And then a wrestling. And if it weren't so serious, it

might almost be humorous. If he was wrapped up in that

grave like he usually was, are they usually were?

He was, his legs were wrapped together and quite likely.

He came hopping to the Grave door.

And Jesus said loose him and let him go.

Don't, you know that they all fell down and worshipped the Son

of God and gave glory to his Everlasting name, in his holy

power as the son of God. Nope.

That's what's so interesting about this story.

It goes on to say many of the Jews which came to Mary and had

seen the things which Jesus did believed on him.

Yes, there were many who were converted by Jesus act on this

very occasion. But some of them went their way

to the Pharisees and told them, what things Jesus had done and

then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees, the council

and said, what do we do this? Man does great Miracles and if

we let him keep on doing this, everybody's going to believe in

him and we can't have that and the high priest spoke up and

said, You do nothing at all. Nor consider that it is

expedient for us, that one should die for the people. that

the whole nation perish, not Isn't it incredible?

Isn't it incredible? How that such a wicked man is

Caiaphas speaks for so boldly. The word of God and has

absolutely no idea what he's saying.

Nor the Fulfillment of it. And from that very occasion, the

death plot was hatched. Now, the point I don't want you

to miss is this. You see belief in Jesus.

And Christianity. It's always about choosing.

It's always about what you decide.

It's always about how you look at it.

Because you see, two people can see the very same things and

hear the very same words and see the very same power of God.

And one of them Falls humbly at the feet of Jesus and worships

him with all of his heart and gives God, the glory that is due

to his name and becomes a child of God, obedient to his will and

the other one. Goes and says to the Pharisees.

If you let this keep happening, everybody's going to believe in

him. We can't have that.

And it happens over and over again. the Apostle Paul said in,

Second Corinthians 2 about verse 14, I think he said we are an

aroma of Jesus Christ. A saver.

I think the King James Bible says, we are the aroma of Jesus

Christ and we preach the gospel. And to one we are the aroma of

Life unto life and to the other, we are the smell of death unto

death. Same sermon smells like death to

one person and Life to another. Why do you suppose that is?

That's because God's done all for you.

He's going to do he sent you his only begotten son, who willingly

came here and prove Beyond doubt that he was divine.

On this occasion, he proved that he is the resurrection and the

life. and now, You must decide what you are going to do about

that. You can believe in Jesus, you

can accept his will, you can allow him to be in charge of

your life. You can take the word of God and

you can treasure it up in your mind.

You can obey it. You can live by it be forgiven

of your sins, declared righteous by God and you in spite of your

worthless self can go to heaven. And be with God forever and ever

and ever. Or.

You and Frank Sinatra can keep on doing it your way.

And you'll die and burn in hell, but you can do it if you want

to. so, what about you? What is your response to the

glory of God? If you're not a Christian today,

you need to become one. You can do that.

You can believe in Jesus Christ. You don't have to know anything

else. Except that.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that you're a sinner and

that if you believe in him, you can be forgiven.

You need to repent of your sins. Make a decision, not to serve

sin anymore confess. I believe.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God before this great audience and

allow yourself to be immersed in water, and your sins are washed

away in a moment by the grace and mercy of God and you are

declared righteous. We thank you for listening to

our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.

Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional

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