John 11:25-57Have You Been Raised Like Lazarus?; The Rapture in

John 11?; “the Christ, the Son of God”; no use of “repent” in John; Weeping Jews; God’s Compassion; "hypostatic union”; not embalmed; “believe”; Public

Prayers; Regathering

The fantastic weather continues! The view from Eagle River Valley. Brent Reynolds Photography

Have You Been RaisedLike Lazarus?

John 11:25, 5th “I am” [ego eimi]

• John 6:35 …”I am the bread of life…• John 8:12 …”I am the Light of the world…• John 10:7+9, "I am the door…• John 10:11+14, "I am the good shepherd…

• NAU John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am [ego eimi]

the resurrection and the life; he who believes [present active] in Me will live even if he dies,

• John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life…

• John 15:5+1, "I am the true vine…

John 11:25-26, Jesus And The Rapture. Follow Up, gracethrufaith.com

• Q. Re: John 11:25-26. Inferring the rapture from “Whoever lives and believes in me will never die” seems like a big stretch…

• A. Here’s John 11:25-26. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

• According to John 11:24 this part of Martha’s discussion with Jesus concerned the resurrection of believers “at the last day” and the Lord referenced two different groups in His response. The first is believers who will live even though they die. The second group is believers who live and will never die. View the Lord’s statement in that context and you have one group who will be brought back from death to eternal life and another group who will transition straight to eternal life without passing through death. This is exactly the way Paul described the rapture of the Church in 1 Thes. 4:16-17.

• I’ve said repeatedly that people who don’t already know about the rapture will probably not see it in John 11:25-26. But if you’re going to fault me for knowing the rest of the Bible and putting 2 and 2 together, then I plead guilty as charged.

• http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/jesus-rapture-follow/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29

John 11:27, She Believed!• NAU John 11:27 She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed

[indicative perfect active] that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.”

• NAU John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am [ego eimi] the resurrection and the life; he who believes [present active] in Me will live even if he dies,

• NAU John 8:24 "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am [ego eimi] He, you will die in your sins.”

• She hit the nail on the head, like Peter did in; Matthew 16:16.• Jesus did not correct her by saying, “Be quiet the Pharisees

might hear you and think that I'm claiming to be God.”

John 11:27“the Christ, the Son of God”

• John 11:27 …the Christ, the Son of God…• NAU Matthew 16:16 Simon Peter answered, "You

are the Christ, the Son of the living God."• NAU Matthew 26:63 But Jesus kept silent. And the

high priest said to Him, "I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” [Mark 14:61-62]

• NAU Matthew 14:33 And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "You are certainly God's Son!”

John 11:27“the Christ, the Son of God”

• NAU Romans 1:4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord,

• NAU 1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

• Psalm 42:2, Joshua 3:10, Matthew 4:3, 4:6, 11:27, Jeremiah 10:10, John 20:31, Acts 8:37, 17:3,

John 11:27, no use of “repent”

Three Gospel Studies

by Bill Fiess, Grace in Focus,

page 14, March/April 2016

Don't squint! The complete article follows after the THE END slide.

John 11:27, no

use of “repent”

Three Gospel Studies by Bill Fiess,

Grace in Focus,

page 14, March/April 2016

John 11:33, The Weeping Jews

• NAU John 11:33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled,

• Jewish custom, and the oral tradition, indicated that even a poor Jewish family should hire flute players, and at least one professional wailing woman (vs. 31, they got up quickly).

• NAU 1 Thessalonians 4:13 …those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.

John 11:35, The Glory Of God, God's Love, God’s Compassion

• NAU John 11:35 Jesus wept.• Shortest verse in the English Bible. (1 Thess. 5:16, Greek)• Why God Lets Friends Die, By Glenn Durham, “We Must Not Doubt the

Compassion of God's Love (John 11.35)…Never does the Bible say that Jesus laughed. Indeed, he was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Jesus' tears prove three things (at least):

• 1) Jesus was truly human… 2) God truly cares. God is not "out there," disinterested in your hurts. He came near, wept with those who weep, and loved his own. 3) There is terrible wrong in this world. Lazarus is dead… Why does God record this shortest of verses? So that when you face the powers of hell and the frowning providence of God, you will not doubt God's compassion. Jesus wept.”

• NAU Matthew 23:37 …How often I wanted to gather your children together…

John 11:35, "hypostatic union"• NAU John 11:35 Jesus wept.• Jesus was/is 100% deity, and 100% humanity [Revelation 1:13,

5:6]. He had/has human emotions.• This doctrine is called the "hypostatic union” theologically. It

is essential doctrine, and fully Biblical. Jesus retained all His divine attributes, and yet took on the form of a servant, even a baby in the manger. Christ alone had/has two natures, infinite deity, fully human with all our attributes.

• NAU John 19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, "I am thirsty.”

• NAU John 18:4 So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him… (John 13:3)

• NAU Matthew 9:4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts…• NAU Matthew 4:2 …He then became hungry.

John 11:35, "hypostatic union"• NAU Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high

priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

• NAU Hebrews 7:26 … a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens;

• NAU Hebrews 2:17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Question: "What is the hypostatic union?"gotquestions.org

• Answer: The hypostatic union is the term used to describe how God the Son, Jesus Christ, took on a human nature, yet remained fully God at the same time. … Jesus' two natures, human and divine, are inseparable. … In summary, the hypostatic union teaches that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine, that there is no mixture or dilution of either nature, and that He is one united Person, forever.

• www.gotquestions.org/hypostatic-union.html

John, Believe And Live, Elmer Towns, Mal Couch and Ed Hindson, Twenty-

First Century Biblical Commentary Series, page

What brought tears to Jesus's eyes?, Page 111

John 11:39, KJV “he stinketh”• KJV John 11:39 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 hath been dead four days.

• Dr Ryrie says, “Although Jews used aromatic spices, their custom was not to embalm the body but to use the spices to counteract the repulsive odors from decomposition. They would wrap the body in linen cloth, adding spice in the layers and folds. The Jews did not wrap the body tightly like Egyptian mummies, but rather loosely with the head wrapped separately. This is indicated by the fact that Lazarus could move out of the tomb before he was unwrapped…”

Tomb, Wrapping the Body, Bone Box

Dr. James Fleming, Explorations in

Antiquity Center

John 11:40, “believe”• NAU John 11:40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if

you believe, you will see the glory of God?”• NAU John 20:31 but these have been written so that you

may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

• The root of this Greek word “believe” is used 86 times in John. Almost 3 times more then any other NAU book in the entire Bible. John never uses “faith” here.

• The Gospel of John does not use the words “pray,” “prays,” “prayed,” “prayer,” or “praying” even once, but “believe” often.

John 11:42, Public Prayer

• NAU John 11:42 "I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”

• Sometimes our public prayers can seem canned, or rehearsed, and not as personal as our private prayers.

• Jesus prayed publicly to His Father “because” and “so that” the prayer fulfilled His purpose for those humans who heard.

John 11:44, “Unbind him”• NAU John 11:44 The man who had died came forth, bound

hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go.”

• This commandment Jesus gives to us every time He calls someone out of death.

• NAU Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

• We cannot make someone born again, born of God, but we are to disciple every person God saves. Help them to take off their grave clothes, shed the old ways.

John 11:44How Did Lazarus Come Forth?

• Q. In John 11 is the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. It says he came forth bound hand and foot. I heard someone say once that they thought Lazarus was levitating when he came out of the tomb, but just the use of the word “levitating” frankly gives me the creeps. But it does say he was “bound” — any thoughts on how Lazarus “came forth”?

• A. The Bible doesn’t give us a clear answer as to how Lazarus was able to come out of the tomb, but some translations say his hands and feet were wrapped with strips of linen. This could explain his ability to walk and clear up the confusion. The important thing is that Lazarus did come out of his tomb, and there were so many who became believers in Jesus because of it that the officials plotted to have him murdered (John 12:10-11).

• http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/lazarus-come-forth/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29

John 11:44How Did Lazarus Come Forth?

• Differently than the resurrected Christ.• NAU John 20:7 and the face-cloth which had been on

His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.

• Lazarus apparently could be killed again, and did die again. Jesus, however, resurrected in a glorified state.

• The stone of Lazarus had to be rolled away by humans.

• NAU Matthew 28:2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.

John 11:48, “our place”

• NAU John 11:48 "If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

• Some say that the phrase “our place” refers to the Jewish leaders position or job. However I believe from the context of this word, topos/topon, is referring to the Temple (English word topographical comes from topos).

John 11:49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that

year, said to them, "You know nothing at all,

I installed a short video clip showing Caiaphas’ bone box

http://vimeo.com/62872166#t=15

John 11:50One Sacrificial Death

• NAU John 11:50 nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”

• NAU John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

• NAU John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

• NAU John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

John 11:52, Gather Into One• NAU John 11:52 and not for the nation only, but in

order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

• NAU Ezekiel 11:17 "Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries among which you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel."'

• NAU Zechariah 6:15 "Those who are far off will come and build the temple of the LORD." Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely obey the LORD your God.

John 11:52, Regathering• NAU Deuteronomy 30:4 "If your outcasts are at the ends of

the earth, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back.

• This regathering is not after the Babylonian captivity. It's referring to the Diaspora after 70 A.D., when the wandering Jews were driven to “the ends of the earth.”

• NAU Isaiah 11:11 Then it will happen on that day that the Lord will again recover the second time with His hand The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the islands of the sea. 12 And He will lift up a standard for the nations And assemble the banished ones of Israel, And will gather the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth. [Jeremiah 16:14-15]

Deuteronomy 30:4, Regathering• NAU Deuteronomy 30:4 "If your outcasts are at the ends of the

earth, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back.

• NAU Romans 9:27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, "THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED;

• NAU Romans 11:26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” 27 "And this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins." 28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Regather, Regathering Verses

• Genesis 13:15 Hag 2:7 Obadiah 1:20-21 Lev 26:14-45 Micah 7:19-20, 2:12, 4:6 Hos 14:4-8, 3:4-5 Joel 3:20-21, 3:2 Deut 30:1-10, 30:1-30 Amos 9:11, 9:15 Rom 11:25-27 Zephaniah 2:1, 8, 3:8-20, Zechariah 10:6-12, 8:1-23, 14:20-21 Matthew 3:12 Ezekiel 36:8-12, 37:12-14, 37:21-23, 11:17, 28:25 Jeremiah 23:3, 30:11, 16:14-15, 31:35-37, 29:14, 30:3, 31:10 Isaiah 66:8, 49:14-16, 41:10-11, 11:11-12,

• Jerusalem Daily Photo, A family praying together at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, by Noam Chen. During the High Holidays we pray for the health and happiness of our loved ones.

Have a blessed Independence ha ha ha ha Ha ha-ha Ha ha ha Day!

• In• Closing

THE END

BIBLE IN FIVEPastor Dave KooyersValley Bible FellowshipBox 433Boonville CA 95415http://www.slideshare.net/dkooyers www.ValleyBibleFellowship.org

(707) 895-2325God bless you as you examine His Word,Your servant in Christ, 2Cor. 4:5

These Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are provided "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12-15). To help Christians to "to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ." So that "we are no longer...tossed here and there...by every wind of doctrine." They may be downloaded and modified free of charge.

Matthew 10:8 …Freely you received, freely give.

Question: "Why does God allow good things to happen to bad people?” gotquestions.org

• Answer: This question is similar to its opposite: "Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?" Both questions refer to what seems to be the perplexing injustice we witness every day. The 73rd Psalm is our answer to the very same questions that also tormented the psalmist. Finding himself in terrible distress and agony of soul he writes, “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm 73:2-3).

• The writer of this Psalm was a man named Asaph, a leader of one of the temple choirs. Obviously, he was not a wealthy man, but rather one who had dedicated his life to serving God (see 1 Chronicles 25). But, like us, he had experienced some difficulties and questioned the injustice of it all. He watched the evil people around him living by their own rules, enjoying all the wealth and pleasures of the world and collecting riches. He complains, "They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills" (Psalm 73:4-5).

• Asaph was looking at these people who didn't have problems. They could pay their bills. They had plenty to eat and plenty of luxuries. But poor Asaph was stuck with directing the choir and trying to live godly. And to make things worse, his choice to serve God didn't seem to be helping him. He began to envy these people and even to question God as to why He would allow such a thing to happen!

• How often do we find ourselves relating to Asaph? We dedicate our lives to serving God. Then we witness the wicked, ungodly people around us get new possessions, luxurious homes, promotions, and beautiful clothes, while we struggle financially. The answer lies in the rest of the psalm. Asaph envied these evil people until he realized one very important thing. When he entered the sanctuary of God, he fully understood their final destiny: “When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies” (Psalm 73:16-20). Those who have temporary riches on earth are in reality spiritual beggars because they do not have true riches—eternal life.

• There are many times when we do not understand what is happening to us, nor do we understand how providence works. When Asaph entered the sanctuary of God, he began to see that there was no need for him to be envious of the prosperity of the wicked because their prosperity is an illusion. He began to comprehend that the ancient deceiver, Satan, had used lies to distract him from the reality of God. Upon entering the sanctuary, Asaph realized that prosperity is a fleeting fulfillment, like a pleasant dream that pleases us only for a little while but, when we awaken, we realize it was not real. Asaph rebukes himself for his own stupidity. He admits to being “senseless and ignorant” to envy the wicked or to be jealous of the perishing. His thoughts then returned to his own happiness in God when he realized how much more joy, fulfillment, and true spiritual prosperity he had in the Creator.

• We may not have everything we want here on earth, but we will one day prosper for all eternity through Jesus Christ our Lord. Whenever we are tempted to try the other road, we should remember that the other road is a dead end (Matthew 7:13). But the narrow road before us through Jesus is the only road that leads to eternal life. That should be our joy and our comfort. “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge . . .” (Psalm 73:25, 27-28)

• We need not concern ourselves when good things seem to happen to bad people. We only need to keep our focus on our Creator and enter into His presence every day through the portal of His holy Word. There we will find truth, contentment, spiritual riches, and eternal joy.

Question: "How will our resurrection body be different from our current body?", GotQuestions.org

• Answer: In his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul discusses the great differences between our earthly bodies and our resurrected bodies (see 1 Corinthians 15:35-54). Contrasting our earthly bodies with the splendor of our heavenly (resurrected) bodies, Paul says, “The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it israised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body” (vv. 42-44, emphasis added). In short, our resurrected bodies are spiritual, imperishable, and raised in glory and power.Through the first Adam, we received our natural bodies, perfectly suited to an earthly environment. However, they became perishable as a consequence of the Fall. Due to disobedience, mankind became mortal. Aging, deterioration and eventual death now affect all of us. From dust we came, and to dust shall we return (Genesis 3:19; Ecclesiastes 3:20). Our resurrection bodies, on the other hand, will be “raised imperishable.” They will never experience sickness, decay, deterioration, or death. And “when the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable… then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory’” (1 Corinthians 15:54).As a result of the Fall, we are “sown in dishonor.” We were originally made perfect and in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), but sin has brought dishonor. Yet believers have the promise that our imperfect and dishonored bodies will one day be raised in glory. Freed from the restrictions imposed by sin, our resurrected bodies will be honorable and perfectly suited for pleasing and praising our Creator throughout eternity.Our current bodies are also characterized by weakness and debility. Our earthly “temples” are undeniably fragile and susceptible to the plethora of diseases that ravage mankind. We are also weakened by sin and temptation. One day, though, our bodies will be raised in power and glory, and we will no longer be subject to the flaws and fragility that pervade life today.Lastly, our resurrected body will be a spiritual one. Our natural bodies are suited for living in this world, but this is the only realm in which we can live. “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 15:50). After the resurrection we will have a “spiritual body,” perfectly suited for living in heaven. This does not mean that we will beonly spirits—spirits do not have bodies—but that our resurrected bodies will not need physical sustenance or depend on natural means of supporting life.We get a glimpse of what our resurrection bodies will be like when we recall Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances. He still had visible wounds, and His disciples could physically touch Him, yet He was able to travel effortlessly and appear and disappear at will. He could go through walls and doors yet could also eat and drink and sit and talk. Scripture informs us that our “lowly bodies” will be just “like His glorious body” (Philippians 3:21). Indeed, the physical limitations imposed by sin that hindered our ability to fully serve Him on earth will be forever gone, freeing us to praise and serve and glorify Him for eternity.Recommended Resources: Heaven by Randy Alcorn and Logos Bible Software.

Sequence Of The First Resurrectiongracethrufaith.com

• Q. A post-trib believer is demanding Scriptural proof from me that the first resurrection really is divided into several phases. If you can lead me to the Bible passages I need to share with him, I’d be most grateful.

• A. The Bible teaches a span of time between the beginning of the First Resurrection and it’s conclusion exceeding 2000 years, and requiring three different events.

• Paul wrote that Jesus was the first fruits of the first resurrection, and Matt 27:53shows that others came out of their tombs at the same time. Rev. 20:4-6describes its end, involving those who will have been martyred for their faith during the Great Tribulation, following the Lord’s return to Earth.

• In between are two other mentions of a resurrection event, one in 1 Thes. 4:16-18 and the other in 1 Cor 15:51-53. The one in 1 Thes 4 says it will take place concurrent with the Rapture of the Church under circumstances that can not be compared to Rev. 20:4-6 so it has to have occurred sometime prior. 1 Thes. 4:16 is for all the dead in Christ and takes place at the same time as living believers are raptured. Rev. 20:4-6 is specific to martyrs from the Great Tribulation and does not include the rapture of the living. It also takes place after the 2nd Coming, too late for the rapture.

• Also in 1 Cor. 15:51 Paul said the announcement of this resurrection was something that had been a secret until then. But Job 19:25-27 and Daniel 12:1-2 both describe a resurrection at the end of the age and were written centuries earlier, so again Paul had to have been speaking of a different event.

• Put it all together and it’s clear that the First Resurrection began with Jesus, continues at the Rapture and is completed after the 2nd Coming with the Tribulation Martyrs (Rev. 20:4) and Old Testament believers (Daniel 12:1-2).

• http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/sequence-of-the-first-resurrection/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29

• Question: "Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ important?"

Answer: The resurrection of Jesus is important for several reasons. First, it witnesses to the immense power of God Himself. To believe in the resurrection is to believe in God. If God exists, and if He created the universe and has power over it, He has power to raise the dead. If He does not have such power, He is not a God worthy of our faith and worship. Only He who created life can resurrect it after death, only He can reverse the hideousness that is death itself, and only He can remove the sting that is death and the victory that is the grave’s (1 Corinthians 15:54-55). In resurrecting Jesus from the grave, God reminds us of His absolute sovereignty over life and death.

Second, the resurrection of Jesus is a testimony to the resurrection of human beings, which is a basic tenet of the Christian faith. Unlike all other religions, Christianity alone possesses a founder who transcends death and who promises that His followers will do the same. All other religions were founded by men and prophets whose end was the grave. As Christians, we take comfort in the fact that our God became man, died for our sins, and was resurrected the third day. The grave could not hold Him. He lives, and He sits today at the right hand of God the Father in heaven.

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul explains in detail the importance of the resurrection of Christ. Some in Corinth did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, and in this chapter Paul gives six disastrous consequences if there were no resurrection: 1) preaching Christ would be senseless (v. 14); 2) faith in Christ would be useless (v. 14); 3) all the witnesses and preachers of the resurrection would be liars (v. 15); 4) no one would be redeemed from sin (v. 17); 5) all former believers would have perished (v.18); and 6) Christians would be the most pitiable people on the earth (v. 19). But Christ indeed has risen from the dead and “has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (v. 20), assuring that we will follow Him in resurrection.

The inspired Word of God guarantees the believer's resurrection at the coming of Jesus Christ for His Body (the Church) at the Rapture. Such hope and assurance results in a great song of triumph as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:55, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

How do these concluding verses relate to the importance of the resurrection? Paul answers, “...you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (v. 58). He reminds us that because we know we will be resurrected to new life, we can suffer persecution and danger for Christ’s sake (vv. 29-31), just as He did. We can follow the example of the thousands of martyrs through history who gladly traded their earthly lives for everlasting life via the resurrection.

The resurrection is the triumphant and glorious victory for every believer. Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose the third day according to the Scripture. And, He is coming again! The dead in Christ will be raised up, and those who remain and are alive at His coming will be changed and receive new, glorified bodies (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Why is the resurrection of Jesus Christ important to salvation? It demonstrated that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. It proves that God has the power to raise us from the dead. It guarantees that those who believe in Christ will not remain dead, but will be resurrected unto eternal life. That is our blessed hope!

Recommended Resources: The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Gary Habermas and Logos Bible Software.• GotQuestions.org via icontactmail1.com

NAU John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,

• Question: "How can it be said that we have everlasting life when we still die?"

Answer: The Word of God assures us that all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ will have everlasting life (John 3:16; 6:47; 1 John 5:13). The Greek word translated “everlasting” means “perpetual, eternal, forever.” Perhaps the word perpetual best explains the biblical concept of everlasting life; it is life that, once begun, continues perpetually into eternity. This speaks to the idea that man’s life is not merely physical. Rather, the true life of human beings is spiritual, and while the physical life ends, the spiritual continues throughout eternity. It is perpetual.When God created Adam and Eve, He put them in the Garden with the tree of life, intending that they would live joyously forever, both physically and spiritually, but they sinned and brought physical and spiritual death to themselves and to all subsequent generations (Romans 5:12–14). God then sent Adam and Eve from the Garden and stationed cherubim to guard the way to the tree of life, and He did so because in His mercy He did not want man to live forever under the weight of sin. But sin must be punished and the only acceptable punishment to a holy God is everlasting punishment (Mark 9:43–44). However, our merciful God sent His Son as a perfect sacrifice to suffer, once for all time, the punishment due mankind for sin, thereby providing a perfect way to the tree of life for anyone and everyone who believes in Him (1 John 5:12; Revelation 22:14).We receive everlasting life by dying to our own efforts and receiving Christ Jesus into our hearts as our Lord and Savior, and, when we do, we are instantly reborn and made alive in Christ. We may not feel any immediate change, but there has in fact been a rebirth in the heart (John 3:6–7), and we are now free of the fear of death; we have the promise of God that we will never die spiritually, but instead will live forever with our Lord Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:9–10). Later, when we die physically, our soul will immediately be with the Lord, and still later, when He returns, the Lord will resurrect our bodies to meet Him in the air. As for those Christians who are alive at His return, their bodies will be changed “in the twinkle of an eye,” and they will not experience even physical death (1 Corinthians 15:51–52).Jesus Christ instructed the Apostle John to write the last book of the Bible, and therein we again read about the tree of life: “To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God'” (Revelation 2:7b). The tree of life in Revelation is symbolic of Jesus Christ. It is in Christ that all Christians trust, and it is in God’s power that we rest, assured of our everlasting life (1 Peter 1:3–5). The one true God who created all things, including life and death and rebirth, will keep His Word. Our God is all-powerful and full of grace and truth (John 1:14), and He wants us to know that our eternal state is assured: Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies” (John 11:25).Recommended Resources: Heaven by Randy Alcorn and Logos Bible Software.

• GotQuestions.org via icontactmail1.com

John 11:25, Question: "What did Jesus mean when He said 'I AM'?"

• Answer: Jesus, in response to the Pharisees’ question “Who do you think you are?” said “‘Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.’‘You are not yet fifty years old,’ the Jews said to him, ‘and you have seen Abraham!’ ‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’ At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.” The violent response of the Jews to Jesus’ “I AM” statement indicates they clearly understood what He was declaring—that He was the eternal, incarnate God. Jesus was equating Himself with the "I AM" title God gave Himself in Exodus 3:14.If Jesus had merely wanted to say He existed before Abraham’s time, He would have said, “Before Abraham, I was.” The Greek words translated “was” in the case of Abraham, and “am” in the case of Jesus, are quite different. The words chosen by the Spirit make it clear that Abraham was “brought into being,” but Jesus existed eternally (see John 1:1). There is no doubt that the Jews understood what He was saying because they took up stones to kill Him for making Himself equal with God (John 5:18). Such a statement, if not true, was blasphemy and the punishment ascribed by the Mosaic Law was death (Leviticus 24:11-14). But Jesus committed no blasphemy; He was and is God, the second Person of the Godhead, equal to the Father in every way. Jesus used the same phrase “I AM” in seven declarations about Himself. In all seven, He combines I AM with tremendous metaphors which express His saving relationship toward the world. All appear in the book of John. They are: I AM the Bread of Life (John 6:35, 1, 48, 51); I AM the Light of the World (John 8:12); I AM the Door of the Sheep (John 10:7,9); I AM the Good Shepherd(John 10:11, 14); I AM the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25); I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6); and I AM the True Vine (John 15: 1,5).

John 11:27, no use of “repent” Three Gospel Studies, by Bill Fiess, page 14, Grace in Focus,

March/April 2016

John 11:38 Tomb, Wrapping the Body, Bone Box

• Tomb, Matthew 27:60 Mark 15:46 Luke 24:2 John 11:38 John 20:1• Dr. Reagan: Let's take a look at the New Testament tomb. It was a classic rolling stone type of tomb.• Dr. Fleming: Yes, and it would have been quite big. Joseph of Arimathea was one of the elders, which means a member of the Jewish ruling Sanhedrin. Archaeologists have discovered some tombs

in Jerusalem with this same large entry stone, so we know the tomb Jesus was put in must have been a wealthy tomb.• The entry stone rolls uphill to open. It would be easier to close the tomb than open it. Because opening was going to take a lot of pushing, that's why the women who came to prepare Jesus' body

were wondering who would help them push back the stone.• Usually a wealthy Jewish tomb's entryway was decorated with floral or geometric designs.• Outside of the tomb, there would be a mourner's bench. For one week you would visit the tomb daily and you would cry. There were even tear vases or tear cups that they would use to collect

their tears. That way the mourners could inter their grief by putting the tear cup into the tomb. Archaeologist have found many tear cups in the tombs. The act is about burying your grief with your loved one. There are even mentions of these tear bottles in the Bible.

• After coming up a flight of stairs in our tomb here at the Center, we enter the anterior of the tomb. In order to have people be able to view the inside of the tomb easier, we've made it so there are three fully preserved niches and two of these niches are preserved though the roof "broke" and later "collapsed" for ease of viewing externally.

• There would be three more niches running in other directions. In front of the niches is a U-shaped bench on three sides. That's where you would dress the body and then afterwards slide it into a niche. At the Center we have one sort of example "body" to see.

• The tomb of Christ is a typical Herodian Period tomb. These kind of tombs were only found in Jerusalem from 37 BC to 70 AD, which is a very restricted period. Because of the timing, they're called Herodian Period tombs.

•Wrapping the Body,

• Dr. Fleming: You can imagine then that Friday Jesus' body would have been brought up to the tomb, but not yet slid into a niche. He would have simply been laid on the bench because due to the Sabbath the women couldn't work and so would have had to return to the tomb on Sunday to add grave cloths and spices. Usually the women would be bringing grave clothes with the body. Possibly Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea may have been bringing a mixture of myrrh and olives and some grave cloths as well so that they could have wrapped the body with the spices. But, the Sabbath was coming so they couldn't properly prepare the body for burial. Remember the Scriptures say as they exited the tomb the Sabbath was being manifest, and that means the Jewish people were lighting their oil lamps just before the sunset. It wouldn't be then the tradition of the women to come back on Saturday.

• At the first light Sunday morning, the women wanted to add more grave cloths because they didn't have enough time before sunset Friday night to properly prepare Jesus' body. So, here they are coming back to the tomb wondering who would help them roll back the massive stone that covered the entryway. Anyone familiar with the Resurrection story knows the stone was already rolled back when they got there, and so we have this mystery of the resurrection narrative.

• Let's mention a bit more about burial practices. Those tending the body would wrap the body from foot to head. Notice they'd have to tie off the shoulders and then come around again and start with the head. The head was a separate wrapping from the body. That separate head wrapping is mentioned in John 11:44 and the Gospel narrative of John 20:7.

• If someone had just stolen Jesus' body after unwrapping the grave clothes, you'd expect to see a jumbled pile of grave clothes left behind. Instead, the women and Apostles saw the head wrapping separately folded apart from the body wrapping. Remember that there's a little space between them because there is a tying off at the shoulders and starting anew with the head. That's significant!

• When the women tell the disciples, and Peter and John run to the tomb, remember John got there first. I guess he could jog faster. He stooped and looked in because the entryway was only five to seven hands high for the door. Peter when he got there walked right in, so he is the first one to witness the empty tomb. It must have been so strange a thing to see when he saw the head wrapping separate from the body wrappings. Once he saw them all neatly laid out, he finally believed. If someone had stolen the body and left the grave cloth,s there would have been just a pile of grave cloths.

• People back then would have understood to tie off the body and then start again coming in from the shoulders for the head. The witnesses to the Resurrection were seeing the head clothes separate from the body clothes, and that made them realize they could not explain the arrangement of the grave clothes. The body was missing, but the grave clothes were left undisturbed.

• Normally what would happen is that the preparers of the body would add more spices the rest of that week as the body decomposes and gets smellier. Remember in the Lazarus story in John's gospel Martha says, "By now Lazarus stinks." So, they would have added more spices for the entire week as they kept coming back for the funeral wake. They would add time for crying out on the bench out in front.

•Bone Box

• Dr. Fleming: The interior of the tomb of Jesus has an arrangement of a U-shaped work area inside. The angel part of the resurrection narrative was there, one angel sitting at the head and one at the foot. Their positions showed the body had not yet been slid into a niche. A niche again is made to hold the body in a family tomb, and so the body would slide in headfirst.

• The climate in Jerusalem would take about two years to decompose a body. So, the plan would be at the end of those two years to come back and collect the bones and put them into a bone box called an ossuary.

• The proof of the resurrection of Jesus however is not just found in the folded arrangement of the grave clothes, which could not be explained. Rather, Jesus' followers turned that First Century upside down. They should have returned to their nets had the resurrection not occurred, but instead they turned the First Century upside down.

• It was the early disciples' belief in the Resurrection that kept them serving God. It kept them even in spite of danger and persecution. They were willing to give their lives in obedience to God's will, sharing the Gospel throughout the Roman world.

•In the seventeenth and last part of this series with archaeologist Dr. James Fleming at his Explorations in Antiquity Center, we'll glean some biblical insights by looking at the economy of First Century living.

Question: "What is the hypostatic union?"gotquestions.org

• Question: "What is the hypostatic union?"

• Answer: The hypostatic union is the term used to describe how God the Son, Jesus Christ, took on a human nature, yet remained fully God at the same time. Jesus always had been God (John 8:58, 10:30), but at the incarnation Jesus became a human being (John 1:14). The addition of the human nature to the divine nature is Jesus, the God-man. This is the hypostatic union, Jesus Christ, one Person, fully God and fully man.

• Jesus' two natures, human and divine, are inseparable. Jesus will forever be the God-man, fully God and fully human, two distinct natures in one Person. Jesus' humanity and divinity are not mixed, but are united without loss of separate identity. Jesus sometimes operated with the limitations of humanity (John 4:6, 19:28) and other times in the power of His deity (John 11:43; Matthew 14:18-21). In both, Jesus' actions were from His one Person. Jesus had two natures, but only one personality.

• The doctrine of the hypostatic union is an attempt to explain how Jesus could be both God and man at the same time. It is ultimately, though, a doctrine we are incapable of fully understanding. It is impossible for us to fully understand how God works. We, as human beings with finite minds, should not expect to totally comprehend an infinite God. Jesus is God’s Son in that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). But that does not mean Jesus did not exist before He was conceived. Jesus has always existed (John 8:58, 10:30). When Jesus was conceived, He became a human being in addition to being God (John 1:1, 14).

• Jesus is both God and man. Jesus has always been God, but He did not become a human being until He was conceived in Mary. Jesus became a human being in order to identify with us in our struggles (Hebrews 2:17) and, more importantly, so that He could die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins (Philippians 2:5-11). In summary, the hypostatic union teaches that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine, that there is no mixture or dilution of either nature, and that He is one united Person, forever.

Philippians 1:1, 1 Corinthians 13, Galatians 5:22, Knowing each other in heaven?, Dr. Ed Hinson, Saint Valentine's Day, Who is a

saint?

The Seven Miracles In John Saturday, April 5th, 2014

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

• The Seven Miracles In John• Saturday, April 5th, 2014Featured• Grace• Healing• Israel• Salvation• A Bible Study by Jack Kelley• In the past I’ve explained the need for 4 Gospels and the tremendous increase in understanding we can gain by comparing events from the different perspectives of each (read The Four Faces of Jesus). In this study we’ll focus on the unique character of John’s Gospel.• Due to his extensive use of symbolism John’s Gospel, written to the church, can be the most intriguing. Everything he recorded in his gospel actually happened, but he arranged and described them in such a way as to convey additional truth beyond the obvious point of his narrative. Sometimes he even rearranged the order of

events to underscore emphasize this additional truth. John 2 is a good example of this. He placed the cleansing of the Temple right after the wedding at Cana to illustrate the point that the Lord came to create an intimate personal relationship with His church (as in a marriage), not to fix a broken religion.• The focus of John’s gospel is the Lord’s Judean ministry and really only the last part of that. He devoted most of 9 chapters (John 12-20) to the Lord’s last week and used 1/3 of the gospel’s 879 verses to describe His last 24 hours. The first 11 chapters define the Lord’s ministry through John’s selective use of 7 miracles, and we’ll

use them to show how John’s Gospel contains more than meets the eye.• Miracle 1, Water Into Wine (John 2:1-11)• This one is misunderstood by most and yet results in the disciples putting their faith in the Lord. (This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed His Glory and the disciples put their faith in Him, John 2:11). It seems so insignificant when compared the opening miracles in the other gospels,

which involved either casting out demons or curing leprosy.• This miracle took place because an embarrassing discovery had been made. A wedding banquet Jesus was attending was in full swing when the servants suddenly realized they were out of wine. His mother, who was also there, asked Him to help. The Lord had 6 empty jars of stone filled with water which He then turned into

wine. The master of the banquet proclaimed the wine Jesus had made to be superior to the wine they had served earlier, saying they had saved the best for last.• Look at the symbolism: These six stone jars normally held water used for used for ceremonial cleansing, an important part of Old Covenant life. Now they contained wine, which is often associated with the New Covenant due to the Lord’s Supper.• What’s more, the wine these jars now contained was superior to the wine the wedding guests had been drinking before, just as the New Covenant is superior to the Old Covenant (Hebrews 8:6). This miracle symbolized nothing less than the Mission of the Messiah; changing the empty way of man’s religion into a living, joyful,

relationship with the Lord, as demonstrated by the wedding celebration.• Miracle 2, Healing the Official’s Son (John 4:43-54).• Here’s an act of God’s Grace, pure and simple. There’s no indication of the official’s nationality or background, his religious conviction or his worthiness, only his faith. He had heard of Jesus and of His miraculous power and begged Him to come heal his dying son. Jesus didn’t go with him but simply told the man his son would

live. The man took Jesus at His word and departed for home. The next day, while he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his son had recovered. From their discussion he learned that his son had been made well from the very time he had spoken with Jesus. Because of this He and all his household became believers, saved by grace through faith.

• Miracle 3, The Healing at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-9)• Tradition holds that an angel periodically stirred the waters at the Pool of Bethesda. The first one into the water when that happened was healed. Many people who were sick or disabled waited there by the pool day after day for a chance to be healed. But a cripple can’t get himself to the pool in time. This man had been crippled

for 38 years and had repeatedly tried and failed. Then Jesus came along and healed him.• I believe this man’s predicament demonstrates the poverty of the Law, which was never intended to heal us of our infirmities (physical and spiritual) but to show us our need for a Savior … that we’re hopeless and helpless without Him.• He was at the very edge of healing, but all of his unsuccessful efforts to get into the pool had only made it obvious that his infirmity was preventing him from being healed. In the same way, the Law leaves us at the very edge of salvation but all of our unsuccessful efforts to keep it only make it obvious that our sinfulness will

prevent us from being saved. Just like the cripple needed someone to heal him, we need someone to save us.• Miracle 4, The Feeding of the 5000 (John 6:1-5).• This is perhaps the best known of all the Lord’s miracles and the only one before the resurrection that is recorded in all four gospels. A large crowd had followed Jesus into a remote location and Jesus could see that they would need to be fed. But the men alone numbered 5,000 and adding the women and children could have

more than doubled that number. Andrew found a boy with 5 small barley loaves and 2 small fish, and Jesus multiplied it into a satisfying meal for everyone with enough left over to fill 12 baskets.• This is the practical demonstration of the Lord’s promise that if we seek His kingdom and His righteousness, all our other needs will be met as well (Matt. 6:31-33). But there’s more in view here than just our physical needs. We who believe in Jesus will never again feel that emptiness that tells us there’s more to life than just

having our physical needs met. This is what Jesus meant when He said;• I AM the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty (John 6:35).

• Miracle 5, Walking on the Water (John 6:16-25).• The 5th miracle is also well known to everyone familiar with the Lord’s ministry. The disciples had labored all night long to row only about half way across the Sea of Galilee (about 3 miles), when the Lord passed by them … walking on the water! When they realized it was Jesus, they let him into the boat and immediately reached

their destination. Without Him they were struggling just to make headway, but with Him in their midst the struggle was over.• Miracle 6, Healing The Man Born Blind (John 9:1-41).• A man had been blind from birth. Jesus made some mud, put it on the man’s eyes and told him to go wash it off. When the man did as Jesus instructed he could see.• While Jesus performed this miracle early in Chapter 9, the balance of the narrative clearly (and sometimes comically) shows how much more spiritual discernment this blind beggar had than the learned officials of the religion, who had studied all their lives. In their experience, no one had ever opened the eyes of a man born blind

and they were determined to discredit the lowly beggar, especially since this event took place on the Sabbath. A lengthy interrogation followed, where the beggar put the religious experts to shame, and they ended up throwing him out. Afterward Jesus found him and introduced Himself. The man became a believer and worshiped him.

• Jesus said He came so the blind would see and those who see would become blind. When the Pharisees asked if He thought they were blind He said, “If you were blind you would not be guilty of sin, but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains” (John 9:39-41).• As it concerns your eternity, it doesn’t matter what you claim to know about Jesus. What matters is whether you know Jesus.• Miracle 7, Raising Lazarus From The Dead (John 11:1-44).• The last miracle John recorded before the resurrection shows the fulfillment of our Lord’s promise to all who believe in His name, as He called Lazarus out of the grave and restored him from death to life. The text shows that even though Jesus knew Lazarus was sick He actually waited until Lazarus was dead and buried before He

responded to the sisters’ call for help. He did this so He could bring Lazarus back to life. It was an unmistakable model of the resurrection of the believing dead that contains the tiniest hint of the rapture. I don’t think people who don’t already know about the rapture see this, but those who do can take comfort in this faint hint contained in John 11:25-26.

• Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).• What’s The Point?• Near the end of his gospel account John said, “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).• This tells us he selected these seven miracles specifically for their ability to help us believe that Jesus is who He claimed to be, and that by believing we might have eternal life. So what does these particular miracles show us that would help us believe?• Miracle 1 shows He came to take us from the stone cold and empty way of man’s religion into a living and joyful relationship with Him.• Miracle 2 shows we are saved by grace through faith.• Miracle 3 shows our own futile works are insufficient to save ourselves. We need Him to save us.• Miracle 4 is a demonstration of His supernatural care and provision for those who seek Him.• Miracle 5 shows that because of His miraculous power, we can easily accomplish things through Him that would be all but impossible on our own.• Miracle 6 reveals that if we’ll allow it, He can cause even the lowliest person born spiritually blind to see and believe, and• Miracle 7 is a promise that all who believe in Him will live even though they die, and those who live and believe will never die.• I purposely confined my commentary on these miracles to what I believe John was trying to convey to us in his gospel. Some of these miracles are contained in one or more of the other gospels where you might see details John didn’t include or where the emphasis might be a little different. Matthew’s account of Jesus walking on

the water is a good example (Matt. 14:22-33). I encourage you to read the different accounts of all these miracles to get the whole story. Selah 04-05-14• http://gracethrufaith.com/topical-studies/spiritual-life/the-seven-miracles-in-john/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29

Resurrection Of Old Testament Believers• Resurrection Of Old Testament Believers• Thursday, May 29th, 2014End Times• Great Tribulation• Prophecy• Resurrection• Q. I was reading a post “Who Goes Where And When” and you gave the reference (Daniel 12:1-2, Rev. 20:4) to show that the Old Testament saints

would be resurrected at the 2nd coming. It has been my understanding that all people before Christ will sleep through the thousand years and I did not see anything indicating differently. What am I missing?

• A. Daniel 12:1-2 says, “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.”

• The phrase “at that time” refers to the time of the anti-Christ’s unsuccessful attempt to gain world dominance (Daniel 11:36-45). Four things will happen then; Michael will come to the aid of the Jewish people, the believing remnant of Israel will be delivered, there will be a time of distress such has never been seen before, and there will be a resurrection of Jewish people.

• The phrase “There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then” was quoted by Jesus in Matt. 24:21 to describe the Great Tribulation. This confirms the timing of these things.

• Then the angel told Daniel “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” This is the Bible’s first reference to two resurrections; the resurrection of believers which will take place at the time of the Great Tribulation, and the resurrection of unbelievers that will take place at the end of the Millennium, 1,000 years later (Rev. 20:11-15).

• The angel made two references to “your people” indicating he was speaking of Daniel’s people, the Jewish nation.• http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/resurrection-old-testament-believers/?

utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29

John 11:52,

• Acts 2, Joel 2, John 11:52, 1 Corinthians 14:20–22, Matthew 24:34

• Grace in focus, November December 2015• When The Holy Spirit Came (Acts 2:1–21), by

Zane C. Hodges, pg. 31

Why God Lets Friends DieBy Glenn Durham John 11:1-44

• • Prayer Requests• • Why God Lets Friends Die• • By Glenn Durham

John 11:1-44 • • • John 11 contains the well-known story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, and (for trivia fans) the shortest verse in the Bible is in this chapter. We also find here the last of the seven miracles (or "signs" as John calls them) which structure this book. Miracles (of course) are exciting, but Jesus is no mere magician. God has come to die for the sins of his people and to rise for our justification. This culminating sign is a parable revealing deep truth about God's love and work in our

lives. Please give your attention to the reading of God's Word in John 11. [Read John 11.1-44. Pray.]• • One ill effect of an evil heart is that I naturally assume that my will should be the axis around which the universe turns. This perspective often reveals itself by how much the affairs of life control my feelings. When events please me, I believe God is good and his love safe and solid. When circumstances go awry, I wonder that God's love is so fickle and frail. Such attitudes betray a most basic form of idolatry. I look at life's problems and assume they reveal the nature and character of

God. The Bible condemns that approach.• • The book of Romans does say that creation reveals God exists and deserves worship. The Apostle Paul learned this from Psalm 19: "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." But Paul adds that sin both bends creation's story to hide the truth, and corrupts our ability to interpret "general revelation" properly. As a result, circumstances actually deflect us from the true nature of God. We must have the Word (both in flesh and in Scripture)

reveal God to us.• • William Cowper struggled with depression much of his life. This led him to meditate frequently on God's love and goodness in the midst of pain and suffering (what he called God's frowning providence). One fruit of his anguish was the hymn, God Moves in a Mysterious Way. Listen to these words: "Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take, the clouds ye so much dread, are big with mercy, and shall break in blessings on your head. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust him for his

grace, behind a frowning providence, he hides a smiling face. His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding ev'ry hour; the bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flow'r."• • Today, a frowning providence; tomorrow a smiling face. ESV Psalm 30.5b: "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning." God's unfolding flower of providence will one day reveal blessings unimaginably sweet for his people.• • Our family found a corollary example of this when we left off sweets for lent - pleasure can increase when we do without for a season. What that experience taught in a small and simplistic way is also true in substantial and significant events: hard circumstances and difficult trials can bring "joy inexpressible and filled with glory" (1Peter 1.8).• • As I grow older I am more and more convinced that our attitude towards our troubles drastically affects the outcome. We find it easy to nurse poor attitudes until they infiltrate every pore of our lives. Rather than trust God and count trials as opportunities to grow in grace and faith, our attitudes drive us to self-pity, self-absorption, self-trust, fear, defensiveness.• • These attitudes seem to lead to one of two errors. The first subordinates thoughts of God's glory to desire for personal happiness. Then, when bad things happen, when we are displeased with God's providence, we either reject God completely or dissolve into a morass of destructive emotions. We may say, "I'm not interested in a God who let's my friends die (or suffer)." Or we may simply feel sorry for ourselves and take out our pain on whoever happens to be near.• • The other error imagines that God's concern for his own glory makes him unfeeling and indifferent to our suffering. Religion, then, helps me grit my teeth and endure. But this is the false faith of stoicism. You know people whose faith is joyless, and not content with their own bad attitudes, they steal joy from others.• • The Biblical balance is ESV James 1.2-4: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.• • The Bible clearly teaches that God delights to glorify himself. That truth is the only rock that holds firm when storms of suffering slam against us. But (and do not miss the other half) God's glory is the only thing which will make me infinitely and eternally happy.• • Both of these truths come to light in John 11, in the person of Jesus Christ. Pain, suffering, death of dear friends - these miseries of a fallen world combine to cast doubt on God's love. But Jesus steps into our world to show us both the power and purposes of God - and to deliver us from errors and attitudes which threaten hope and joy. To get there, first...• • 1. We Must Remain Certain of God's Love (John 11.3,5,36)• ESV John 11.3: So the sisters sent to him, saying, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." John 11.5: Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. John 11.36: So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"• • After singing, "Oh, How I Love Jesus," Philip Bliss commented: "Those words are true. Yet I feel guilty for having sung so much about my poor love for Christ and so little about his endless love for me." So he wrote a hymn with these words: "I am so glad that our father in heaven/Tells of his love in the book he has given;/Wonderful things in the Bible I see/This is the dearest, that Jesus loves me."• • John wants us to remember the certainty of God's love; he tells us three times. But why must we be reminded?• • We must be reminded of God's love because of sin. When people sin against us, we feel anger and coldness and (sometimes) contempt. Since we know that we sin against God, we can assume that God's love for us fades like a cut flower left on the dashboard of the car.• • We must be reminded of God's love because of Satan. When the enemy destroys your confidence in God's love, your usefulness in the kingdom is shattered.• • We must be reminded of God's love because of circumstances which argue against that love. Notice how the sisters describe to Jesus the need: "Lord, he whom you love is ill." They do not make demands; they are humble and confident. "Tell God about your problems and the problems will go away," seems to be their plan. They picture in their mind's eye Jesus mounting his trusty steed and racing furiously to arrive in time.• • But time ticks away. Minutes are marked by dozens of worried glances through the window - "Do you see him?" "Is that him?" "Is he coming?" After a day or two the dreaded word is whispered: "It's too late; Lazarus is dead."• • When God lets friends die, you may doubt his love. So John reminds us: Jesus loved Martha; he loved Mary; he loved Lazarus. And if you are his, if you have been born-again of his Spirit, then he loves you. Yes, I love Jesus, but my soul needs a greater anchor, a more glorious truth: Jesus loves me. This is especially critical when we realize that...• • 2. We Must Not Deny the Difficulty of God's Love (John 11.5-10)• • I see two ways the love of God is shown to be difficult.• • First, Jesus stays two more days. John 11.5-6: Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was." Jesus does not rush to help; he does not hurry to comfort. Jesus seems to care little about Lazarus' sickness or the sisters' sorrows. Indeed - he intentionally waits until Lazarus dies before departing! Difficult! And you know when God seems not to care about your problems how difficult it is

for you to hold on confidently to God's love.• • Second, the difficulty of God's love is shown in his taking his people into great danger, John 11.7: "Let us go to Judea again." To which his disciples answer, John 11.8: "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?" We know the difficulty of what Jesus was asking by Thomas' response: John 11.16: "Let us also go, that we may die with him." Jesus takes his people where they may die. Eventually, most of the disciples will be martyred for their

faith.• • So God's love must not be defined by our health or comfort or safety. God loved Lazarus; Lazarus got sick and died. God loved Martha and Mary; Martha and Mary wept and mourned. God loved his disciples and leads them to the place of stoning. Throughout church history Christians have mistakenly assumed that God's love is best experienced in health, wealth and prosperity.• • John Newton, known for writing, Amazing Grace, also wrote a poem to capture the difficulty of God's love:• • I asked the Lord that I might grow

In faith, and love, and every grace;Might more of His salvation know,And seek, more earnestly, His face.

• • 'Twas He who taught me thus to pray,

And He, I trust, has answered prayer! But it has been in such a way, As almost drove me to despair.

• • I hoped that in some favored hour,

At once He'd answer my request;And by His love's constraining pow'r,Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

• • Instead of this, He made me feel

The hidden evils of my heart;And let the angry pow'rs of hellAssault my soul in every part.

• • Yea more, with His own hand He seemed

Intent to aggravate my woe;Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

• • "Lord, why is this," I trembling cried,

"Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?""'Tis in this way," the Lord replied,"I answer prayer for grace and faith. "These inward trials I employ,"From self, and pride, to set thee free;"And break thy schemes of earthly joy,"That thou may'st find thy all in Me."

• Martha and Mary discovered this truth; so did Lazarus and the disciples - you too must travel through the difficulty of God's love before you will know its joy. To connect the certainty and difficulty of God's love...

• • 3. We Must Consider the Purpose of God's Love• • ESV John 11.21: Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." ESV John 11.32 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."• • These were not words of condemnation, but expressions of faith. Mary and Martha had talked together about what God could do. They trusted God's power and were certain that the purpose of God's love must be to keep Lazarus from dying. And such purpose would have been accomplished if Jesus had been present.• • ESV John 11.35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" 37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?"• • It was not only Jesus' friends who knew best what God's love should do; the Jews were sure that if God really loved Lazarus, he would have kept him alive. I have often felt the same - if God loved me, so-and-so would happen. And I doubt God's love when he crosses the fair designs I scheme. That is precisely why John reminded us three times of Jesus' love.• • So what were these friends of Lazarus missing? And what are we missing when circumstances cause us to doubt God's love?• • ESV John 11.4: But when Jesus heard it he said, "This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it."• • ESV John 11.14-15: Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."• • In other words, God's love must be channeled toward a greater purpose than my pleasure - glorifying Jesus Christ. Additionally, God's love must seek a greater result than my comfort - faith in the surpassing goodness and joy of God's being glorified. My momentary pleasure and comfort cannot be the end for which the world exists. Even if it were, I would not be happy. God's glory is so infinitely beautiful that if I were to remove one drop of honor from his goals and his purposes, I

would be miserable forever.• • Suppose I take a can of black spray paint and repaint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Would this display of my art delight anyone? No, least of all, myself. My days would be filled with remorse over defiling such surpassing beauty. The glory of Jesus and our faith in him and his purposes are the Sistine Chapel across which my comfort would be hideous black graffiti. God's love is certain, though it seems difficult because it is constrained by God's purposes, not our own.• • 4. We Must Not Doubt the Compassion of God's Love (John 11.35)• • Never does the Bible say that Jesus laughed. Indeed, he was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Jesus' tears prove three things (at least):• • 1) Jesus was truly human. In a few moments, he will raise the dead, his greatest miracle before his own resurrection and undeniable proof of his deity. But first, he weeps over losing a dear friend. God has become man.

2) God truly cares. God is not "out there," disinterested in your hurts. He came near, wept with those who weep, and loved his own.•

3) There is terrible wrong in this world. Lazarus is dead, and that is not the way it is supposed to be. God made us to enjoy his presence forever. Jesus' tears remind us that we live in a fallen world with great and terrible trouble.• • Why does God record this shortest of verses? So that when you face the powers of hell and the frowning providence of God, you will not doubt God's compassion. Jesus wept.• • 5. We Must Place Our Hope in the Provision of God's Love (John 11.38-44)• • Note well, the hope of this passage is not the restoration of your friends who have died. We do not weep and wail during funerals in the vain wish that they would climb back out of the casket. Jesus raised Lazarus, but he lived to die again.• • This is a parable - to press on you the ultimate reality: "I am the resurrection and the life."• • Where will you place your confidence when suffering comes? What will control you when your friends and family die? It happens, you know. Alan's nephew, boy scout troop leader. Article by pediatrician in Kentucky which occurred in Touchstone Magazine just this week. Two children died. I've noticed that a lot of people end up dying.• • Christianity does not propose a sentimental faith - butterfly kisses wash away all pain. Nor is it a stoical religion - God is busy doing what is important, so go away and leave him alone.• • Instead, Jesus is deeply troubled, "suffering with" that he might "suffer for." Love and glory come together so that your best and greatest joy is guaranteed in his greatest glory. That is a truth which will change your bad attitude and give you a faith worth seeing and a hope which sustains. You think about that. Amen.

John 11:35,• Jesus Wept• http://www.blogos.org/organicfruit/jesus-wept.php• What's behind our emotions?

• By Tiffany Wismer

• Jesus wept. It's a strange thing to consider, isn't it? God shedding tears.

• Back in college, I had a discussion with a med student about emotions. He told me, "Your feelings are just a series of chemical reactions within your body." I had no way to refute this statement, and it upset me. I just couldn't understand how it could possibly be true that all the things we feel are nothing more than chemical reactions. What about the soul?

• Honestly, I still have no way to refute what he said. It's probably true — at least as far as science can tell. Something sad happens, and the chemicals in our brain start firing, telling our eyes to cry. We hear something funny, and involuntarily, the laughter comes. Our chemicals know what to do, and when.

• But Jesus wept. Even though Jesus was sinless, knew that God had everything under control, and had perfect peace in the will of God, he still wept. When Lazarus died, and when Jesus saw a lack of faith in people, he wept. Why? Simple. It hurt. The reality of a fallen world, perceived through the sinless perfection of his soul, produced a physical reaction: tears.

• This should tell us something about our emotions. When we cry, those tears tell us something about who we are and what we value. Same for when we laugh, or feel anger, or elation. The realities we see in the world, perceived through our souls, produce physical reactions.

• Jesus wept when the pain of sin caused a physical reaction. We should, too. tweet• Jesus wept, and so do we. His humanity felt and expressed emotion, but his reactions were sinless and divine because of

his sinless soul. If we take a good look at our reactions, they may tell us something about what's going on in our souls. This might be a frightening exercise. Emotion can tell you a lot about your sin. But the good news is that whatever we find in ourselves can be brought fearlessly before a God who loves us and has promised to heal us, and conform us into the image of His Son. Then, the things that made Jesus cry — faithlessness, the lost souls of men, and the results of the fall — will make us weep too.

• For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15

• For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:29

• The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:17

• Image Credit: Art G.; "Weeping Willow At Sunset"; Creative Commons