Consider His Omnipotence

Open your Bibles to John chapter 11 this morning. John chapter 11. So last week we considered

John 11 · chapter mention John 11 · chapter mention

! We considered the deliverance of Christ. Two weeks ago we considered the omniscience of Christ.

! Today we will look at His omnipotence. Consider the omnipotence of Christ. Let's open our Sunday

school hour on the word of prayer. Heavenly Father we just come to you today Lord grateful that

we could be here. Grateful for the day we could come worship you Lord. Grateful for this country

that you've given to us. I just pray Father each and every one of us would have opportunity Lord to

work to keep this nation great. More importantly Lord I pray that we each and every one of us would

have an opportunity Lord to to spread your gospel and expand your kingdom Lord. I just pray you'd

bless our time together as we learn about you and I just pray this in Jesus name. Amen. You know all

throughout the gospels we get the chance to see the Lord Jesus Christ possess all of the attributes of

deity. In John 8 58 we see Jesus stand and say before Abraham was I am. A few weeks ago we saw the Lord

control the winds in Mark chapter 4 when he said to the sea peace be still. Something only God could do.

Mark 4 · chapter mention

During his ministry on earth he performed miracle after miracle. Yet there were still some who

questioned if Jesus Christ was really the Son of God. Not an unfamiliar question is it? They wondered

if he truly did possess all of the attributes of deity. But in John chapter 11 Jesus unmistakably proved

John 11 · chapter mention

to all who were there and to all who read about it today that he was truly God himself. As he revealed his

power over death. I mean truly is there anything God cannot do. So why did Jesus decide to show his

omnipotence at this time? And why did he perform these great miracles? What was his purpose in raising

someone from the dead? Two things I want us to notice today. Two purposes for his miraculous works.

First of all Jesus performed these miracles so that we might see the glory of God. Right? John chapter 1

John 1:14

verse 14. And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory. The glory is of the

only begotten of the Father. Full of grace and truth. Second Jesus performed these miracles so that

we would believe on him as the Son of God. Not just a good teacher. Not just a good man.

But as the Son of God. Many times he taught that he was the way to have eternal life. But through his

miracles men and women can have validation of his claims. This is an encouragement to believers

and assigned to unbelievers. And so he performed them often during his ministry. John here lets us know

that Jesus performed so many miracles that the apostles could not even record them all.

John chapter 20 verse 30 and 31. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples

John 20:30

which are not written in this book. But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the

Christ. The Son of God. And that believing you might have life through his name. Still, even after Christ

proved that he did have power over death, there were still unbelievers, weren't there? Many did not

believe. Hey, many would not believe. Their hearts were hard. Not because there was no evidence.

But because they did not want to humble themselves and put their faith in him. Thankfully,

Jesus did not let those facts stop him from continuing to prove to have miracles and to continue to prove

his omnipotence to those that would believe. And I'm glad that there are people even yet today

that are still willing to believe, not seeing. And it's encouraging to me that he still wants us to

believe. And he's still willing to perform miracles in the lives of believers and unbelievers. So first

of all, let's look at Christ's purpose at Bethany. John chapter 11 verse number one.

John 11 · chapter mention

Now a certain man was sick named Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair,

whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore his sister sent unto him saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

When Jesus heard that, sorry about that. See if that helps. Okay. Verse number four.

When Jesus heard that, he said, the sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God,

that the son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

Then after that, saith he to his disciples, let us go into Judea again. His disciples saying to him,

Master, the Jews of late sought to stone me, and goest thou fither again? Jesus answered,

Are there not twelve hours in a day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth

the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

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. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleepeth,

he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death, but they thought he had spoken of taking a rest and

sleep. Then Jesus said unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. The news had come to Christ that his friend

Lazarus had died. Lazarus's sisters, Mary and Martha, I suppose they wanted Jesus to come before that.

Right? They had seen Christ perform miracles before. Why couldn't Jesus come and perform a miracle on

Lazarus before this? I'm sure that entered their head. But Christ didn't come until Lazarus was

already dead. I suppose Mary and Martha had thought it would be too late for Christ to do a miracle now.

I mean, he's dead. Can't heal him now. Little did they know that everything was according to God's divine

purpose. See, often Christ's purposes are delayed compared to our timetables.

Verse number six, when he had heard, therefore, that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same

place where he was. Upon hearing that Lazarus was sick, Jesus waited two days before he decided to go back

to Bethany. By the time he had gotten back to Bethany, Lazarus had already died. But what Mary and Martha

were about to learn was that what seems to be a delay, according to us, is not a delay for God. And just

because God doesn't work now, that doesn't mean God isn't going to work. Jesus had not forgotten about

Lazarus, nor had he stopped loving Lazarus. Consider the love that Jesus Christ has for us all.

Hebrews 12, 3 says, first, consider him that endures such contradiction of sinners against himself,

lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. You know, it's often easy to get weary, to give up,

to the point of fainting even. I want to quit because my trials are hard. And you know what? My trials are

harder than your trials. I mean, if you were to stand in my shoes and see my trials, you would know that.

Am I the only one that thinks that? And we want God to fix it now. But we have to keep in mind

that God's always working, even if we don't see it. And maybe he's just working on his timetable,

on his sovereign timing. Galatians 4, 4. But when the fullness of time was come,

not before, not after. The fullness of time was come. God sent forth his son made of a woman,

made under the law. When Jesus came to earth, he came at just the right time. I mean, I read the

Christmas story and I think, gosh, I'd like to be a part of that. I want to see that. I want to see,

you know, Christ going around and preaching to everybody and everybody being mad at him. You know,

I want to see that. It's not the right time. He came at the right time. Now it would be too late.

And when he comes back again, that will also be the right time. The perfect time. Not for us.

Here's the hard part. Not for us. For him. Yep. Whatever it is we may be waiting on,

we can always be confident that God will accomplish things according to his perfect timing.

His purpose in this passage seemed delayed, but his timetable is always perfect.

And even though his timetable seemed delayed,

it was deliberate. His timetable was deliberate. Look at verse number four. When Jesus heard that,

he said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified.

Have you considered today that the main purpose for our lives is to glorify God?

Through every trial, through every victory. And including this tragedy here in John 11,

God has a purpose. Anybody guess what verse is coming next? We've heard it a million times, haven't we?

Romans 8.28. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God,

to them who are called according to his purpose. You know? But it can be hard to feel good about

yourself and about the place you're at in your life when you don't see the good that God is working in it.

That's a hard thing to do, isn't it? You betcha. But you know what? Romans 8.28 can only be a comfort to you if you believe it's true.

The good news is, if you do believe Romans 8.28, then anytime you're going through a trial,

you can have confidence that God is at work. Consider the man of John chapter 9, who had been blind his entire life.

John 9 · chapter mention

John 9, verse number 1,

And Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying,

Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?

Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

That man was experiencing a trial since the day he was born.

Why would God do that?

Did he know that God was using his life

as an illustration for everyone else?

Did God ask him permission to do so?

These are hard things, aren't they?

Yep.

The disciples assumed that this man's blindness had to be some sort of punishment

because of his parents' sin or his own sin.

You know, our human tendency is to assume that difficulties are the result of sin or as a punishment.

It's easy to get into that, isn't it?

Maybe we do it to ourselves, right?

When we grow up, you know, we steal a cookie, we get punished.

We cheat on a test, we get punished.

So we're trained.

Bad behavior equals bad consequences.

And while that's right, that's not always how God works, is it?

Because trials sometimes come for his reasons, as we're about to find out.

Often the Lord will bring trials into our lives

because he wants to make us stronger.

He wants to see us, through our trials, bring glory to him.

God allows trials so that he can be glorified in this world in front of others.

And what a blessing to know that through every trial, God is working for his glory and for his honor.

His purpose always glorifies himself and fulfills our needs along the way.

Remember Romans 8.28?

The good that we can't always see?

That's it right there.

That's the good of Romans 8.28.

God is working for his honor and glory and fulfilling our needs.

Maybe that's a new perspective.

On how to look at trials now.

Maybe it could help you.

Understand that trials are not always a punishment.

Christ's purpose for the miracle of John 11 was twofold.

So that God would be glorified and so the disciples would learn.

It's a funny thing.

Our trials are not always about us.

John chapter 9, the blind man.

John 9 · chapter mention

He did nothing wrong, was blind his whole life.

His trial was not about him.

His trial was so that...

I'm going to battle this court all day.

All right.

Christ's purpose for the miracle of John 11 was twofold.

So that God would be glorified and so the disciples would learn.

Christ wanted the disciples to grow in their faith, so he allowed this trial for the glory of God and the instruction of the disciples.

God allows trials.

Or in other words, God uses us so that others may learn about God through that trial.

Have you considered that?

That maybe the trial that's in your life right now, God is using it in the life of another person?

Another believer?

An unsaved person?

Another believer?

Maybe a second new perspective on trials.

You know, it strikes me, though, as Lazarus and Martha and Mary are going through this trial.

Did God ask them permission?

Right?

We always say, why me, God?

And then we say, why do bad things happen to good people?

Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were good people.

Bad things happened to them.

Why?

Why?

Because God wants to use them as an example to others.

If God's using you to a trial right now, praise him for it.

Because we're an example to someone else through that.

Maybe it's not a big price to pay if we look at it like that.

Look at verse number 10.

But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

These things said he, after that he saith unto them,

Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go, that I may awake him out of his sleep.

Then his disciples said, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

Howbeit Jesus spake of his death.

But they thought that he had spoken of taking rest and sleep.

Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there to the intent you may believe.

Nevertheless, let us go unto him.

Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples,

Hey, let's all go, that we may die with him.

You know, when Jesus first told his disciples, he was planning to go see Lazarus.

The disciples were rightfully concerned.

Verse 8 tells us, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee, and goest thou dither again?

When Jesus made it clear he was going, Thomas said in verse 16, let's all go.

Let's all die together.

But the disciples' faith was weak in this.

And I would imagine, I know I would be scared to go back.

So it's hard to understand connotation through written text, isn't it, right?

You ever get a text message and somebody says yes or no or sure,

and you put the wrong connotation on it?

I wonder, right?

Was Thomas, was he being sarcastic?

It's like, well, they're going to stone Jesus, so let's all go get stoned, you know?

Was that how it was?

Or was he like, you know, rah, rah, oh yeah, let's all do it together.

I don't know.

Well, I think it tells us if we read about it.

But their faiths were weak, because they were going to go back to a place where they would be in danger.

Because it wasn't just Jesus they wanted.

It was everybody that was with him, too.

They wanted to make sure that this little movement got stamped out now.

Undoubtedly, this whole incident was about to strengthen the faith of the disciples.

And Jesus was about to demonstrate his power to do something that only God could do.

That's to give life.

Physically and eternally.

Christ was not fulfilling his purpose, however, purely out of duty to the Father.

He also had a love for those that he was trying to serve.

Next thing we want to look at today is the passion at Bethany.

Here in Bethany, the disciples saw a glimpse of their Savior's heart.

When we consider sympathy and comfort, we must remember that there is no greater comforter than God himself.

Look at verse number 17.

Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

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

And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother.

I think that's interesting, that verse right there.

Many of the friends were there comforting Martha and Mary about their brother.

But Jesus came to comfort them.

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him.

But Mary sat still in the house and then said Martha unto Jesus,

Lord, if thou had been here, my brother had not died.

But I know that now whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

Jesus saith unto her, thy brother shall rise again.

Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection of the last day.

Jesus said unto her, 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?

It's a very piercing question.

Believest thou this?

Look up here for a minute, class.

Believest thou this?

It's a question that each and every one of us must answer at some point in our life.

Believest thou this?

Verse 27, she saith unto him, yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God,

which should come into the world.

And when she had so said, she went her way and called Mary, her sister,

secretly saying, the Master has come.

Calleth for thee.

As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came unto him.

Now Jesus was not yet come into town.

It was in that place where Martha had met him.

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 to the grave to weep

there.

Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, saw him, she fell down at his feet, saith unto him,

Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping, which came unto her, he

groaned in the spirit and was troubled, and said, where have you laid him?

They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

Verse 35, Jesus wept.

Then said the Jews, behold, how he loved him.

And some of them said, could not this man with open the eyes of the blind have caused that

even this man should not have died?

Right?

Jesus therefore again, groaning in himself, cometh to the grave.

It was a cave and a stone lay upon it.

This account shows that the Lord was not a high priest who could not be touched with the

feeling of our infirmities.

Hebrews 4.15 says that.

He truly loved Lazarus, and he felt pain when he lost his friend.

Christ's passion involved personal pain for himself.

Verse 35 shows a painful passion.

Oh, by the way, if you're looking for a memory verse, verse 35.

I mean, seriously.

It's an easy one to remember.

Like, okay, everybody should know this verse.

Know the address.

John 11.35, Jesus wept.

It's a powerful verse, too.

Because we learn that Jesus cries for his...

Jesus loves us enough to weep over us.

Christ saw Mary and Martha weeping over the loss of their brother.

The sisters assumed that if Christ had been there earlier, Lazarus may have lived.

Often when we're in mourning, right, we like to think through all the scenarios, the what-ifs.

It's what we do.

And maybe that's what Mary and Martha were doing when Jesus arrived.

Because Martha stated in verse 21,

Have you ever ministered to someone?

Maybe another Christian?

Sometimes we hurt with them, don't we?

Sometimes we get hurt by them, don't we?

Yeah.

You know, it's a true saying.

That people who we didn't cut will bleed on us.

But what are we supposed to do?

Let them bleed?

If we really love others, when they hurt, we'll feel pain.

And perhaps we've invested in someone's life

only for that person to turn their back on us.

That happened to Jesus.

Judas betrayed him, didn't he?

Yeah.

Perhaps someone that we love very much will pass away.

You know, the fact is, we cannot love others in a Christ-like manner

without experiencing pain and loss.

Jesus' passion was painful, but it was also personal.

Therefore his sister sent unto him, saying,

Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

That's pretty personal, isn't it?

There's people that I love.

There's people that I know that I don't love.

Just being honest, Jesus loved this man.

It was personal for him.

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping,

and the Jews also weeping, which came with her,

he groaned in the spirit and was troubled,

and said, Where have ye laid him?

They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

Jesus wept.

Then the Jews, then said the Jews,

Behold how he loved them.

Lazarus was a good friend of Jesus.

He loved this family very much,

and he came to help them during their time of grief.

When we have a friend who needs assistance,

the Christ-like thing for us to do

is to be there for that friend,

to offer comfort and support.

This is what Jesus did then,

and this is what he wants us to do today,

and this is what he'll do for us today,

because Jesus is a faithful friend.

Proverbs 18.24,

A man that hath friends must show himself friendly.

Right?

You want friends?

You've got to start it.

You've got to be friendly to them first.

Okay?

But the second part of that verse,

And there is a friend that sticketh closer to any brother.

I would suggest this morning,

if you know somebody that's in a trial,

somebody that's hurting,

the most impactful thing you can do in that person's life,

acknowledge their pain.

Acknowledge the trial.

Number two,

Spend time with them.

You don't have to fix their problems.

You don't have to, you know,

bathe them in Scripture.

Just spend time with them.

Let them know you care.

That somebody cares.

Because often,

we don't want people to fix our problems.

We just want somebody to show up that cares.

Somebody to go through it together.

You know,

even if we can't understand why this person is in pain,

even if we can't understand why this person would go through this trial,

it seems small to us,

ridicule, you know, whatever.

I can't believe you have such little faith about that.

You know,

everybody's mom dies or whatever.

You know?

Yeah.

It's a big trial for them though, isn't it?

Show up and care.

But it's even more important when somebody is having spiritual trouble.

when somebody is going through a spiritual trial.

Because it's hard, isn't it?

To show up through a spiritual trial.

Because we may not know how to minister to that person.

How to give them the spiritual guidance that they need.

Same principle applies.

Show up.

Spend time with them.

Let them know that you care.

You know,

Jesus came to these sisters in their time of need,

their time of mourning,

and was a true friend to them.

He loved this family,

and he empathized with them.

And he saw those that he loved weeping.

He had a tremendous amount of passion,

pain,

and love all mixed together,

as we all often do.

When we go through the valley of the shadow of death,

bearing burdens that seem too heavy,

Jesus can empathize.

Jesus will empathize with us.

He is all-powerful,

but he also has a heart to feel what we feel.

Because he's felt it.

John chapter 11.

John 11 · chapter mention

Jesus wept.

He felt sadness.

He felt loss.

Same as you and me.

This is the wonderful wonder of our Savior.

And this passage tells us that he groaned in his spirit and wept.

Because this was not just a loss,

a physical loss of a loved one.

This was a spiritual loss also.

Mary and Martha were having spiritual trouble at this time.

Consider the care of Jesus.

The creator God wept for the pain of losing a friend,

a man.

Jesus loved this family,

and he loves your family as well.

Jesus Christ, the omnipotent son of God,

left the streets of gold,

came to the sin-sick streets of the earth,

and became acquainted with grief,

and loved us in our sinful state.

Isaiah 53.3.

He is despised and rejected of men,

a man of sorrows,

and acquainted with grief.

Because Jesus, the omnipotent God,

allowed himself to be acquainted with grief,

he wept,

he saw Mary and Martha mourning,

and was sad for them.

We serve a God who can truly empathize with us,

feeling our pain as his own.

Hebrews 4.15 again.

For we have not a high priest,

which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities,

but was in all points tempted like as we are,

yet without sin.

Christ is compassionate and powerful.

Christ's purpose and passionate Bethany were clear.

However, that's not the end of the story.

He exercised his power as well.

So we've looked at Christ's purpose at Bethany.

We've looked at Christ's passion at Bethany.

Now let's look at Christ's power at Bethany.

Look at verse number 23.

Jesus saith unto her,

Thy brother shall rise again.

Martha saith unto him,

I know that he shall rise again.

In the resurrection of the last day,

Jesus said unto her,

I am the resurrection and the life.

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.

And there's that question again.

Believeth thou this?

I hope you can say yes.

In verse 23,

Jesus tells Martha that Lazarus would rise again.

Christ was not referencing the resurrection of the last day.

He was referring to that day.

What a cool thing, huh?

Right now,

Jesus was going to bring hope.

We see the power of hope in verse 25 and 26.

Jesus Christ has the power to provide hope.

And this is not a false hope that the world offers today.

Hope of the world is rhetoric.

It's,

I hope the Easter bunny comes

and Santa Claus brings me,

you know,

cool things in my stocking.

Jesus Christ provides real hope.

Something that we can know and grab onto

and not ever let go of.

We serve a powerful Savior

who offers hope more powerful than death even itself.

He is the resurrection and the life.

He is the power over death.

Titus 2.13,

looking for that blessed hope

and the glorious appearing of the great God

and our Savior Jesus Christ

who gave himself for us

that he might redeem us from all iniquity

and purify unto himself a peculiar people

zealous of good works.

The power of hope is found in verses 25 and 26.

And in the words of Jesus Christ,

when he says,

I am the resurrection and the life,

Christ has the power of hope

and Christ has the power of resurrection.

Look at verse number 38.

Jesus therefore again,

groaning in himself,

cometh to the grave.

It was a cave and a stone lay upon it.

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 had been dead four days.

Jesus saith unto her,

said I not unto thee

that if thou wouldst believe,

thou shouldst see the glory of God?

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.

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.

And when he had thus had spoken,

he cried with a loud voice,

Lazarus,

come forth.

And he that was dead came forth,

bound hand and foot with grave clothes,

and his face was bound about with a napkin.

Jesus saith unto him,

loose him,

let him go.

You know,

the Gospels record three different resurrections

in addition to Christ's resurrection.

One was a 12-year-old girl,

Luke chapter 8.

Luke 8 · chapter mention

One was a young man who had been dead for hours

in Luke chapter 7.

Luke 7 · chapter mention

And in our text today

is of a man who had been in the tomb

for four days.

Pretty hard to fake that one,

isn't it?

Four days.

This gives a picture of the fact

that God is willing to save all

regardless of who they are.

Age,

gender,

status.

if they are in Christ,

if we are in Christ,

we have the hope of resurrection.

Christ can resurrect anybody,

any time,

any day.

And someday he will resurrect

all who have died in him.

This is a power far greater

than any skeptics we might see today.

Skepticism is nothing new though,

is it?

Especially skepticism of God.

In fact,

there were skeptics

in this account.

Look at verse number 38.

Jesus therefore again

groaning in himself

come unto the grave.

It was a cave

and a stone lay upon it.

Jesus said,

take ye away the stone.

So before you start

picking on Martha,

ask yourself

how many times you've done this.

Martha,

the sister of him that was dead,

saith unto him,

Lord,

by this time he stinketh,

for he hath been dead four days.

Jesus saith unto her,

said I not unto thee

that if thou wouldst believe,

thou shouldst see the glory of God.

Yeah,

we're not here today

to pick on Martha.

But she was being skeptical,

wasn't she?

About everything

that was happening around her.

And she protested

by noting,

hey, Lord,

he's been dead four days.

There's nothing you can do.

You missed your window.

You should have been here

five days ago

and healed him.

Time has passed.

Anybody else done that?

In their Christian life?

God,

why weren't you here last week?

I needed you a month ago.

The Jewish people of the day

considered the fourth day

to be the point

beyond reviving a person

back to life.

Jesus explained to Martha

that this miracle

showed the glory of God.

Verse number 40,

if thou wouldst believe,

thou should see the glory of God.

You know,

there's churches today

that are skeptical

of the miracles in the Bible.

Many celebrate

Resurrection Sunday

while denying

the bodily resurrection

of Jesus Christ

and that it even took place.

Regardless of what

skeptics may think,

this account is not

an allegory.

It's not a fairy tale.

It's not a bedtime story.

And we know this

because the Bible

is the infallible word of God.

And the Bible tells us

that Lazarus was dead

and in the grave

before Jesus Christ

literally raised him up.

We serve a God

with that kind of power.

Consider today

God's omnipotence.

All powerful.

Is there anything

God cannot do?

He has the power

over skeptics

and over all doubters

that exist.

And even in front

of those hurting,

Jesus prayed aloud

to his Father.

I'm not praying, God,

because you'll hear me,

because I know

you'll hear me.

I'm praying so that

these unbelievers

will hear me,

see the miracle,

and believe.

Look at verse 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.

And I knew that thou

hearest me always.

He hears us always too,

by the way.

But because of the people

which stand by,

I said it,

that they may believe

that thou hast sent me.

On that day,

as many doubted

whether this man

named Jesus

was truly the Son of God,

Jesus eliminated

all doubts

by raising Lazarus

from the dead.

This account still

gives us proof today

that Jesus is

who he claims to be,

God in human flesh.

One day,

the same voice

that called Lazarus

from his grave

will call the entire

bride of Christ

to join him.

The trump of God

will sound

and we will join him

in the air.

I hope it's today.

1 Thessalonians 4.16

For the Lord himself

shall descend from heaven

with a shout.

The voice of the archangel

and with the trump of God

and the dead

in Christ

shall rise first.

Then we which are alive

and remain

shall be caught up together

with him in the clouds

to meet the Lord

in the air.

And so shall we ever

be with the Lord.

Fourth of July was fun.

That's funner.

As we get closer

to that day,

Jesus desires

for more

to come to him

for salvation,

more to join him

on that resurrection day.

So why did Jesus

do this miracle?

So that people

would believe.

John chapter 20,

John 20 · chapter mention

verse number 30,

and many other signs.

Truly did Jesus

in the presence

of his disciples

which are not written

in this book.

But these

are written

that you might believe

that Jesus is the Christ,

the Son of God,

and that believing

you might have life

through his name.

Is that you today?

I hope so.

How does that work then

if it's not you?

Maybe you're wondering.

I hear it all the time,

but I don't understand

how it works.

Romans 10.10

For with the heart

man believeth

unto righteousness,

and with the mouth

confession is made

unto salvation.

That's how it works.

Has there ever been

a day

that you believe

that Jesus Christ

is the resurrection

and the life?

Believest thou this?

If not,

do it today.

Do it now.

If you need help,

ask.

Many would be happy

to help you

and show you.

Not an opinion,

right?

But what the Word of God says.

The infallible

Word of God.

Perhaps we are

needing strength today.

I can only be found

in God's power.

And maybe

through a trial

we're waiting on God

and He's just

not getting it done.

I mean,

come on,

I got things to do,

God,

let's hurry up.

But let's not

be discouraged.

God's timing

is perfect

because He's sovereign

and He's omnipotent.

Just keep trusting God.

Faithfulness.

Keep doing it

over and over.

Knowing that He does

have a perfect plan

and that even

as we wait,

He will feel

our pain

as His own.

Christ's omnipotence

is comforting

not only because

He has all power

but because

He uses it

on our behalf.

I hope you find

comfort and hope

in considering

His omnipotence

this week.

Let's pray together.