The Power of God
John 11: 1-3, 14-15, 38-44
“1Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
“38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” 40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
I have selected a condensed version of this amazing story but I would strongly encourage everyone to find the time to read all of John 11 to get the most out of this incredible event in Jesus’ ministry. For me, this is one of the most amazing miracles Jesus performed. In my mind I try to place myself in the crowd when Jesus calls Lazarus out of the cave. I probably would have been thinking something like “What is this crazy guy doing?” but then the unthinkable happens. I think I would have just stood there in shock and maybe that’s what happened to many of the people standing there. Eventually though, after it sunk in, this story must have spread like wildfire around the area. We can read about the aftermath in John 12:17-19 “Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”
We get a glimpse of God’s wisdom in this passage. Before the miracle Jesus says to His disciples “and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe.” Jesus, being in very nature God, knew the Father's plan and understood that many would realize His amazing power and that He was the Son of God. The question for us is: Do we believe He has this same power today? Brothers and Sisters, we serve the same Jesus today as Mary and Martha served back in the first century. God works in different ways today but He still has the same power as always. He has given us the bible and we are blessed to have the recording of this story and many others like it so we can believe, study and learn. We must also remember that it’s more than a book of stories. It has the power to save lives as well and not mere temporary physical bodies (as in the case of Lazarus) but eternal spiritual lives. Consider Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
At first glance it may seem like a book of stories but I challenge you to commit to studying it and see if it doesn’t save your life. Thank you, Lord Jesus for your teachings!