Gospel of John - When Jesus Comes...

                               

When Jesus comes…

John 11:17-37

We live in a time where many evangelical Christian are thinking of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet even among those who have heard the Word, there is still skepticism, doubt, and even questions of wavering and apprehension of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ according to the will of the Father.

 So it was in the days of Martha and Mary, they were awaiting the coming of Jesus, as he had promised through their messenger(s). Jesus waited for the Father’s timing and will, knowing that the Father’s glory would be revealed through the death and resurrection of Lazarus. Let’s begin with the first part of the text, “Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.  Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” 

Jesus and the disciples had made the journey to Bethany, staying away from the shadows of Jerusalem and the Pharisees. As he was near Bethany, Jesus found  that Lazarus had been dead in the tomb for four days, and his thoughts were for Martha and Mary. Martha was the first to respond to the news that Jesus had come and she wasted no time in going out to meet him. Distraught with grief, and wanting to know what kept Jesus from coming earlier. Martha’s words revealed her heart, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 

Jesus didn’t question her emotions or fears, nor the presumption of the immediacy of asking God for favor. He stated clearly, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha didn’t miss a beat in her response, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” She had listened and believed Jesus' teachings on the end times, possibly from Jesus referring to an earlier teaching while he was in Jerusalem for the feast, when he healed the invalid man. Jesus spoke then of the resurrection of the dead, “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.” (John 5:28-29). She knew and believed that those who died whose names are written in the book (Dan. 12:2) would be resurrected at the last days. For Jesus declared to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” Jesus restated the Father’s will in his response, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

Martha had been listening, for she truly believed Jesus was the Christ, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” 

Application - I wonder how many Christians have sat in funerals and wondered if Jesus could bring back to life the one lying in the casket or could have stopped the death. Or like the scorners and scoffers in Peter’s letter, asking  “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 2 Pet. 3:4

Just like Martha and Mary, Jesus gave his promise that he would come, and to all his believers he even gave  signs that would happen before his coming. The problem isn’t in the promise, it is in the faith of those who place their hope in their own understanding or the presumption of man on the times in which God the Father has set. Yes, set! Before all was created God the Father knew the timing of the events of the last days (1 Pet. 1:20, Mark 13:32, Eph.1:4), also the coming of Jesus as Bridegroom (Eph. 5:25-27), Savior (Titus 2;13), King and Lord (1 Tim. 6:15) over all, this includes his enemy (Ps. 110:1). 

Jesus will come at the timing of the Father. It will be such a timing that even those who have heard and believed will be astonished for he said “it will be like a thief in the night. (Matt.24:43, 1 Thes. 5:2)”

Many Christians have their hope in the resurrection of those who have believed in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Like Lazarus, many die unexpectedly, or from prolonged illnesses. Those who are left place their hope in the resurrection of the righteous dead by Christ Jesus that Paul taught in 1 Thes. 4:13-18, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

There is only one truth, the Word of God, it says that Jesus will come back for his bride, the church. Whether in resurrection, or being caught up in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:51-52, “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”, We all wait, alert and confident in Jesus because He who promised doesn’t lie, nor is He late. He will arrive at the precise time, revealing the glory of God, Jesus Christ.

Lastly, Mary awakens to the knowledge of Jesus’ arrival from her sister. Let’s look at the next portion of the text, “When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

Mary too was awaiting Jesus' arrival, remaining in her home. When her sister returned, she told her in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” Mary didn’t hesitate and arose quickly to meet Jesus at the spot where Martha had said he was waiting. Mary was weeping, her tears were not only from her grief for her dead brother but also for the coming of Jesus. Again Mary fell at the feet of Jesus, but this time to be consoled by Him. For Mary knew that Jesus could have healed her brother’s sickness. After Mary’s departure from her home, many other friends and town folk followed weeping. They had believed Mary had gone to her brother’s tomb to mourn, to their surprise there stood Jesus weeping with Mary, for he was touched and troubled in spirit because of the unbelief of those weeping. For it was a custom to mourn with a family even though they didn’t have any hope to give the family only condolence. It was this unbelief that troubled Jesus.

Jesus asked Mary a question that seemed logical to all who heard it, “Where have you laid him?” But in their unbelief, they thought the tears of Jesus were out of mourning for Lazarus, and grief for Mary and he too wanted to mourn his friend. Jesus knew the Father’s will, and that Lazarus would arise from the dead to the glory of the Father and the Son. And in the unbelief of those following, some were talking aloud. They spewed words of skepticism and seeds of doubts, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

Application - When it comes to the name of Jesus in today’s world, very few truly believe in the possibility of miracles, even though in the name of Jesus in the spiritual realm all submit and obey his commands. Mary came with grief and despair, not doubting in Jesus’ promise or abilities, but in the timing, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

How many today claim to have a form of godliness in the name of Jesus, but deny it power (2 Tim. 3:5) and his timing “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:8-9) 

People today have developed presuppositions and expectations on God and His Son. What we forget about God is “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa 55:8-9) When it comes to the timing of God, it is according to his set will and purpose. All things are done for his good pleasure  and the loving of his creation by showing them his glory through his power.

 Jesus sees the tears and weeping of those in grief, disbelief, and lostness. Just as Jesus came to console Martha and Mary, Jesus also came to wipe away the tears of those today who are weeping over death, “For The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.’ (Ps. 34:18), “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.” (Isa 25:8)“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:4)

 We live in a fallen and disbelieving world, who have forsaken God and His Son. But our God is coming with power. He has already defeated death and the grave (1 Cor. 15:55). He holds the keys to Hell (Rev. 1:18) through his death, resurrection, and ascension. He is coming soon for those who are his. “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Rev. 22:12,20)

We are not to be like those who doubt, are skeptical, or disbelieving. We are those who profess with our hearts, mouths, and lives that Jesus is Lord and is coming. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil. 1:6

I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation (JD Farag). Please, Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

I am developing a new webpage on Spiritual warfare. Please give it a look. I’m adding answers each week to questions that pertain to our time today.  Thank you

http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com