Resurrection Power (John 11:1-45)

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (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.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." (John 11:1-4 NIV)

You may remember Mary and Martha from Bible stories.  Mary was the one who sat at Jesus' feet while Martha tended to the tasks of the household.  Mary, as this passage says, is also the one who purchased expensive perfume and poured it on the feet of Jesus.  What we learn here, though, is that Jesus loved their family - Mary, Martha, and their brother, Lazarus.

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world's light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light." (John 11:5-10 NIV)

It seems strange, then, to read that Jesus stayed away from Lazarus an extra two days after hearing that he was sick.  Why would Jesus do such a thing?  Why didn't he rush to his friend's side?  Didn't Jesus want to heal Lazarus?  Were they really friends?

After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord," she replied, "I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" (John 11:11-36 NIV)

Clearly, Jesus loved his friend.  Lazarus was, first and foremost, his friend.  That didn't stop Jesus, though, from doing the will of his Father in Heaven.  Jesus wasn't supposed to heal Lazarus.  He was supposed to bring him back to life.  People may have doubted what happened to the little girl, Tabitha. She may have been just sleeping and/or sick.  When Lazarus dies, though, there is no doubt.  He is dead.

But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "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." Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 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." When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 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." Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. (John 11:37-45 NIV)

More people began to believe him because of this miracle.  Jesus showed everyone he had the power to conquer death.  In fact, he showed them in a way that they would not doubt.  That's important.  When Jesus tells us later that he will conquer death for us, we need a reason to believe him.  Lazarus gives us that reason.  We can trust that Jesus can, and does, save us from death.

How about you?  Do you believe Jesus has the power to conquer death?  Have you accepted life from Him?

At His Feet (Mark 5:21-43)

When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. (Mark 5:21-24 NIV)

Jarious was a synagogue leader at the time he asked Jesus for help.  This meant one of two things.  Either he believed that Jesus was the Messiah they had all been waiting for, or he didn't care about that possibility and he just wanted his daughter to be healed.  The second possibility is a big one, because Jesus wasn't a popular topic of discussion among the synagogue leaders.  Some believed he was sent by God.  Others believed he was not.

And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'" But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." (Mark 5:25-34 NIV)

On the way to help the man's daughter, Jesus encountered a woman who desperately needed healing.  There was no doubt what she believed.  She was confident that just touching his clothes would be enough.  She was right.

While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher anymore?" Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, "Don't be afraid; just believe." He did not let anyone follow him except e Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat. (Mark 5:35-43 NIV)

When Jesus raised Tabitha from the dead, many people would not see it that way.  He woke her from "a sleep."  This would be much easier to believe than to believe he brought someone from death to life.  Those closest to him, however, knew the truth.  She was dead.  Now she was alive.  Jesus has the power to conquer death!

How about you?  Do you believe?  Would you be a synagogue leader who believed Jesus was sent by God or not?  Would you trust Jesus as much as the woman with the bleeding disorder?  Would you recognize what Jesus did when Tabitha "woke up" from her "sleep?"  Do yop believe Jesus has the power over death?

Scary Story? (Mark 5:1-20)

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God's name don't torture me!" For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you impure spirit!" Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. (Mark 5:1-10 NIV)

I'm not sure that I would listen to a demon as a good character witness.  Demons follow Satan, the father of lies.  When they encounter Jesus, though, there seems to be a genuine fear for their lives.  They seem to be experiencing terror.  More than that, they recognized that Jesus was the "Son of the Most High God."

A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them." He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. (Mark 5:11-13 NIV)

A legion of soldiers numbered in the thousands.  This legion of demons begged Jesus to be sent into the nearby pigs - about two thousand of them.  I'm not sure why they wanted to be sent into the pigs.  More than that, Scripture doesn't tell us why the pigs immediately rushed into the water and were drowned.  Were I to guess, though, I would say that the demons were "released" from the man and "attached" to the pigs.  Once the pigs died, they were "released" to do what they pleased.  Killing the pigs allowed them to escape.

Why would they want to escape from Jesus?  Why would they beg him for their lives, then run away "immediately."  It's simple.  He had power and authority over them.  This spiritual battle was no battle at all.  They knew he would win.  So, they ran.

Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man--and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. (Mark 5:14-17 NIV)

People in that area didn't know how to react to such a fierce spiritual battle.  They could see the man being exercised by demons.  They could see the pigs rush down into the lake.  They could also see Jesus.  They couldn't see the fallen-angels, though, who were speaking through the man and then exercising the pigs.  The whole scene frightened them.  Seeing Jesus win especially frightened them.  They wanted him to leave.

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. (Mark 5:18-20 NIV)

The demonized man was so grateful.  Imagine being bothered by two thousand spiritual beings who spend day and night harassing you.  Now imagine them all going away.  What a relief!  He wanted to thank Jesus and follow him.  Jesus told him how he could do that:  Go tell people about me.

How about you?  How would you react to a spiritual battle taking place right in front of you?  How would you react to the Son of God winning the battle and demons running away?  Would you run away too?  Would you want to follow Jesus?  Would you be willing to follow his instructions, even if it meant not staying right by his side?  Do you follow him today?

Proof of Authority (Luke 5:17-26)

As I said before, Jesus often gave reasons for his miracles.  That's because people didn't automatically have faith in him.  They shouldn't have.  There were others running around claiming to be the Savior/Messiah, too.  Jesus needed to give them proof.  When he performed specific miracles, he would use it of proof of a specific aspect of his being.

One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (Luke 5:17-21 NIV)

This proof was one that nobody saw coming.  You see, prophets performed miracles.  That was a part of the requirement.  They needed to have miracles and/or predictions as signs that they were speaking for God.  The Savior/Messiah, they expected, would have similar signs provided by God.  That way everyone would know when he arrived on the scene.  Jesus, however, is claiming more than this.  He is claiming to have the authority to forgive sins.  This authority is reserved only for God.

Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." So he said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today." (Luke 5:22-26 NIV)

Now Jesus performs the miracle to give people proof.  He tells them it is proof that he has the power to forgive sins.  This is something never given to any prophet.  It is also something they did not expect from the Messiah.  Jesus was claiming to have the unique authority of God.  This caused all the theologians and teachers of the law to sit up and take notice.  Who is this guy?  Who does he think that he is?  Did he just claim to be God?

How about you?  Would you sit up and take notice of this miracle?  Would you take notice of someone claiming to have the authority to forgive sins?  Would you recognize someone claiming to be God?  How would you react?  How do you react to Jesus?

Lord, I Believe (John 9:1-41)

Miracles were not just a way for Jesus to show off.  They had a purpose.  Often times, Jesus would explain the purpose of a specific miracle before he performed it.

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means "Sent"). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. (John 9:1-7 NIV)

This miracle was done so that the "works of God might be displayed in him."  It's interesting to note, the people of his day thought that his blindness was the result of his sin or, at least, the sin of his parents.  Instead, man was blind so his healing would show us that Jesus is the light of the world.  He was blind specifically so he would be healed.  All he had to do was follow Jesus' instructions.

His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?" Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No, he only looks like him." But he himself insisted, "I am the man." "How then were your eyes opened?" they asked. He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see." "Where is this man?" they asked him. "I don't know," he said. They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. (John 9:8-13 NIV)

This man had been blind from birth, so it really got his neighbors' attention when he was able to see.  The wanted to know who had done this to him.  They wanted to know who the healer was.  Perhaps he was the messiah?  Let's ask the teachers of the law.

Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied, "and I washed, and now I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others asked, "How can a sinner perform such signs?" So they were divided. Then they turned again to the blind man, "What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened." The man replied, "He is a prophet." (John 9:14-17 NIV)

His healing caused quite a stir with the teachers of the law as well.  Some thought Jesus was from God.  Others thought he was an impostor.  None of them could seem to agree.  Who was this healer?  The blind man thought he was a prophet.

They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man's parents. "Is this your son?" they asked. "Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?" "We know he is our son," the parents answered, "and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don't know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself." His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, "He is of age; ask him." (John 9:18-23 NIV)

The blind man's parents wanted nothing to do with this fight.  The were willing to confirm that he was their son.  They also confirmed that he had been blind from birth.  The rest, though, they didn't want to have any part of.  They knew this miracle was already causing spiritual and political turmoil.  They backed out as quick as they could.

A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. "Give glory to God by telling the truth," they said. "We know this man is a sinner." He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" Then they asked him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" He answered, "I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?" Then they hurled insults at him and said, "You are this fellow's disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don't even know where he comes from." The man answered, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." To this they replied, "You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!" And they threw him out. (John 9:24-34 NIV)

The blind man wouldn't back down.  He knew that he had been healed.  He not only wanted to give glory to God.  He also wanted to give thanks to the man God worked through.  He was ready to thank Jesus.

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you." Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?" Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. (John 9:35-41 NIV)

The term "Son of Man" may need a bit of decoding.  This was the term God used to address the prophet Ezekiel throughout his life.  Probably more importantly, though, this was the title Daniel used to describe someone who approached God in a vision.  This someone was going to be the Savior/Messiah.  Son of Man was another term for Messiah.  Jesus was claiming to be the Savior/Messiah.  The blind man was ready to follow him.

How about you?  Are you ready to follow Jesus?  Would you stand up before a mixed audience and share about your faith in Jesus?  If he told you to travel a distance to wash off your eyes, would you do it?  Do you follow Jesus' instructions?  Are you his follower?