Victory Over Death, Sin, and the Grave (Updated so Read Again!)

Scripture: John 11:1-5,45  Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. ² It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. ³ Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

⁴ When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. ⁷ Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

⁴⁵ Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. 

Matthew 27:52-53  The tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And they came out of the tombs after His resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.

 Observation: Jesus said Lazarus' sickness was not unto death but that the glory of God might be revealed in it.  

Why did Jesus stay two more days before going to Bethany to heal Lazarus? The miracle of bringing Lazarus back from the dead would have been even more amazing to the Pharisees because they believed the spirit leaves the body in 4 days and thus it would be more difficult to bring a person back to life.  Jesus stayed 2 days before leaving and it was a 2 days journey to Bethany. 

 Lazarus' body was decomposing and it stank when Jesus arrived. Maratha only had faith for life after death.

John 11:45 says that many of the Jews believed in Jesus because of this miracle. It is considered the greatest of Jesus' miracles before His crucifixion . 

How precious it is to think of our Lord Jesus bringing a loved friend back from death the week of His death, burial, and resurrection.  Also, so absolutely amazing  how the power of His resurrection brought many saints out of the graves. Just imagine, one of your deceased loved ones walking around in Jerusalem!

The dead in Christ will rise from the their graves when Jesus returns for His Bride, the church of believers.  1 Thessalonians 4: ¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: ¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

Listen again to the Bishops as they sing "Lazarus Come Forth."  Notice the last verse which refers to this truth in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.  It may make you shout, "Hallelujah!"

Prayer:

Father God, You are all powerful, victorious over death and the grave. Death has no sting if we have Your Holy Spirit in us.  Glory to Your name, Almighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, our soon coming King.

I pray all who read this blog will know Your resurrection power in their lives today.  Your Word says that Your power in Your Holy Spirit in us will quicken our mortal bodies.  I pray healing, deliverance, forgiveness now that Your name may be glorified.  

 I pray all who read this blog will believe in Jesus to forgive their sins and will ask to receive His Holy Spirit. 

 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:31

May we all meet Jesus in the clouds when He returns for His believers!

 In the name of Jesus, name above all names, including death, sin  and the grave!  Amen!  Even so, come Lord Jesus.  Maranatha!