God's Women

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2003

NATIONAL WOMENS MINISTRIES DAY

JOHN 11:41-44

The Bible says that a certain man, named Lazarus, in the town of Bethany was sick.

We remember that Mary and Martha sent unto Jesus and said, “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.”

Jesus explained to them that the sickness was not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified because of it.

We know that Jesus loves all of humanity, but we are specifically told here in the Word of God that He loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

The Lord waited two more days in the place in the place where He was when He heard about Lazarus.

Then, against the will of the disciples, because the Jews in Judaea had sought to stone Him, they started towards Judaea.

Jesus said, “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

The disciples received those words the same as most of us would, but the all powerful and almighty Son of God was actually referring to sleep as unto death, because He then spoke to them plainly, LAZARUS IS DEAD!

And He said, “I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.”

And then Thomas, (You know the one I’m talking about) said, “Yeah, lets also go so we can die with him.”

Now, after they journey there for two days, they discover that Lazarus has been in the grave for four days.

Because Bethany was almost two miles from Jerusalem, many of the Jews came to comfort Martha and Mary concerning their brother.

When Martha heard that the Lord was coming, she went to meet Him.

She said, “If you would have just been here, my brother would not have died.

Jesus explained to her that Lazarus would rise again.

She agreed that he would in the resurrection at the last day.

Then the Lord said these awesome words, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”

Martha assured Him that she believed He was the Christ, the Son of God, that would come into the world and then she went her way back to the house where Mary was and told her that Jesus was almost there.

Mary quickly got up and went to where Jesus was, followed by the Jews that were at the house, thinking that she was going to the grave of Lazarus and they would comfort her there.

She fell down at Jesus feet and said, just like Martha, “If you would have just been here, Lazarus would not have died.

He saw her tears and the tears of the Jews and He said, “Where have ye laid him?”

At the grave, Jesus wept and the Jews saw how He loved him.

Then some of them said, “Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?

Jesus, groaning again came closer to the grave and said, “Take ye away the stone.”

And Martha said, “But Lord, by now he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.”

But the Lord said didn’t I tell you if you would believe, you could see the glory of God?

They removed the stone and Jesus raised His eyes toward heaven and said, “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.”

Then He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.”

Your Bible says, “And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin, and Jesus said unto them, “loose him, and let him go.”

Glory to God!

Now who do you believe Jesus is? Teacher? Miracle-worker? God? Myth? Savior?

We all have some opinion of Jesus, some belief about Him.

Even Martha, a close friend of Jesus, had her opinion, the Bible says.

Martha believed Jesus----at least she thought she did.

God can do anything, she’d tell herself. Yet the doubts lingered.

“If only You had been there,” Martha told Jesus, “Lazarus wouldn’t have died!”

Her brother had been dead for four days. She thought it was too late for Jesus to do anything.

But Jesus offered hope----“He who believes in me will live, even though he dies,” Jesus countered, “Do you believe this?”

Deep down, she really didn’t.

She knew Jesus was the Christ; she knew He was the Son of God, who had come into the world; she knew He could do anything-----but she didn’t really believe it.