INTRODUCTION: YOU CANNOT KILL A MIRACLE.
Let’s Start Looking at the Events Around The Easter Event. This Story Occurs About A Couple Of Days Before Jesus’ Triumphal Entry To Jerusalem. Webster Dictionary Defines “Miracle” As “An Event That Contradicts Known Scientific Law.” A miracle is a supernatural act in the natural realm. God actually suspends the Laws of Nature and moves supernaturally. The greater the supernatural, the greater the dismay.
TYPES OF MIRACLES JESUS PERFORMED.
We Must Believe In The Power Of The Lord Jesus To Do Miracles. In Mark 16: 15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Here Jesus gives us power and authority over all the types of miracles He performed.
1. Miracles Over Nature: John 2 He turned water into wine. Col. 1:16 All elements of nature are subject to Jesus because He created them all. Luke 8:22-24 Jesus arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: they ceased, and there was a calm.” Matthew 14:22-33, Jesus commanded Peter to walk on water. If you ever find yourself in a natural crisis, on land, at sea or in the air, use your authority in Jesus’ Name. Command the circumstances to change.
2. Miracles Of Supply: Matt. 17:24-27 In Capernaum, in order to pay taxes, Jesus commanded Peter to go to the sea and cast a hook and the first fish will have a coin in its mouth to pay the taxes. If you are faithful to serve God and support His work, He will ensure your daily supply. Malachi 3:10 reveals that as we give to God, He will open the windows of heaven to us.
3. Miracles Of Healing: God created our body and can restore it when it begins to malfunction. Some Christians have faith in car manufacturers than God. When their automobile breaks, they believe the manufacturer can fix it. Matt. 4:23 "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people." God wants us healed. But people don’t always get healed because they doubt. Jesus is limited by what we believe (Mark 6:1-6).
4. Miracles Over Demon Powers: Demons today still cause dumbness, deafness, fits, insanity, sickness, suicide, screaming. Jesus, through us, still exerts power over all physical and spiritual manifestations of demon spirits. Mark 1:32-34 "And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. And all the city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him."
5. Miracles Of Grace: While not as dramatic as miracles of power, it is still a great miracle when an addict is set free from his habit or a wounded spouse is able to forgive. People don’t change, but God changes people. It is a miracle each time the Holy Spirit changes a human heart. In Luke 19, Jesus forgives Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus asks other to forgive him.
6. The Miracle Of Salvation: It is a miracle every time a new life is created. There is no miracle greater than the regeneration of a human soul. The world is dying, God is bringing it back to life. That is true physically as well as spiritually. Being born again in spirit is as great a miracle as the creation of a child. In Acts 9, Saul is converted by Christ.
7. His Power Over Death & Hades. In Luke 8:41-46, Jesus raised Jarius’ daughter. In Luke 7:11-15, he raised the widow of Nain’s daughter. In John 11, he raised Lazarus. He Himself came back to life. Mark 16:17-18 "And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
A LOOK AT THE ENTIRE STORY
John 12:9 “Now A Great Many Of The Jews Knew That Jesus Was There; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. 10 But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.”
Listen! V. 9: "That They Might Put Lazarus Also To Death". See the evil in the religious heart of people that, instead of recognizing the miracle performed by Jesus and believing on Him, they plotted to kill both Jesus and Lazarus - to kill both the healer and the healed; the truth and the evidence to truth. People say today that if there were true miracles, then the world would get saved. Don’t believe it! The world does not want to acknowledge any evidence for the Truth of God. They want to suppress it, hide it, kill it, just as the Pharisees did here. If your life is a miracle, they try to kill it by what they do and say. But no one can kill a miracle without God’s permission. Why?
SEVEN REASONS FOR DIVINE HEALING AND MIRACLES FROM GOD.
1. Jesus Heals Because He Is Full Of Compassion. Mark 1:40 A leper came to Jesus, “…beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean”. What was the Lord’s response? 41 “And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean”. It was compassion that led to the miracle. Romans 2:4 The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance”.
2. Jesus Heals Because Healing Belongs To God’s Children. Mark 7:27-28 Once, when Jesus was preaching near the city of Tyre, a Syrophenician fell at His feet, asking Him to cast an unclean spirit out of her daughter. Jesus said to her, “Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs”.
3. Jesus Heals To Bring Glory To His Father. Matthew 15:30-31 On the side of a mountain near the sea of Galilee, “great multitudes came unto Him…and he healed them…(and) the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel”. Matthew 9:8 Jesus healed a paralytic man and “…When the multitude saw it, they marveled, and glorified God”.
4. Jesus Heals To Fulfill God’s Promises / Prophecy. Matthew 8:16-17 At Capernaum, “they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses”.
5. Jesus Heals Also To Confirm His Own Word. Healing was promised by the Father, then declared by Jesus Christ. John 10:37-38 He said, “If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him”. Christ knew He was sent to earth to perform the works of His Father. Miracles confirm the spoken Word of Jesus.
6. Jesus Heals To Show Us The Power In His Blood. The prophecy in Isaiah 54:4-5 was fulfilled: “…He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” The blood of Jesus was shed to forgive sins and provide healing.
7. Every Time The Lord Heals, The Devil’s Defeat At The Cross Is Proclaimed Aloud Again. 1 John 3:8 “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil”. Acts 10:37-38 At the house of Cornelius, Peter said, “You know…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him”.
WHY DO PEOPLE HATE GOD’S MIRACLE IN YOUR LIFE?
1. A Miracle Prevents People From Keeping Their Status & Position (John 11:48). They try killing the miracle to hold on to what they had. It is the same today. Men who do not want the truth will kill the messenger and the beneficiary of the message. Christians being killed because people do not want to change. They prefer to traffic in bondage and keep others prisoners.
2. A Miracle Comes To Rebuke People. Some people hate a miracle because its presence is a rebuke of their lifestyle. E.g. The Jews personally did no wrong to Haman – He hated them for what they represented. Mordecai & Haman. Esther & Haman. David & His brothers.
3. The Miracle of Lazarus’ Resurrection Was Undeniable Evidence That Jesus Was Who He Claimed To Be. That miracle was very public and obvious. Many people knew Lazarus had been dead. Now they could see he was alive. People were coming to faith in Jesus because they saw life in Lazarus. The enemies of the light wanted to put an end to that. People don’t like what they see in me. My presence is strong. I represent a Greater that is in me than myself.
4. A Miracle Is A Threat To Unbelievers: John 12:10-11 The unbelievers were the chief priests of Israel. In our lives, do others view us as a threat to them? Lazarus posed a threat Politically (Threat to their way of life) and Theologically (Sadducees did not believe in resurrection). If the Sadducees did not act quickly, then both their power and their influence in teaching others would slip away. There may be times when you will lose a friend, or when people view you as a threat because of your witness.
5. A Miracle Is An Irresistible Attraction: Why? Lazarus’ Story – dead, decomposed, unoxygenated. But Lazarus was brought to Life. And Lazarus was with Jesus (vs. 2). 1 Peter 2:9 says we are a "Peculiar People". Peculiar people Attract, while odd people repel. As we spend more time with Jesus, we too will begin to attract others to Jesus as did Lazarus. The responsibility of the believer is not to see people saved, it is to be a witness and sow the seed - It is God who Saves! Having been made alive and having spent time with Jesus, Lazarus attracted others to Jesus. People in John 11-12 flocked to Jesus because of Lazarus. The crowd at the Triumphal Entry multiplied because of Lazarus (John 12:17-19).
6. A Miracle Is A Hope For Deliverance. E.g. Moses was a miracle. Being saved from basket. Coming back to Egypt gave the people hope. Moses, raise your hand let the men fight. If God could do all that through one man, he can bring deliverance for me.
REASONS WHY THEY CANNOT KILL A MIRACLE - LAZARUS
It Takes A Lot Of Nerve To Conspire To Kill A Guy Just After He Was Raised From The Dead! Why did they want to kill Lazarus? Did they have something against Lazarus personally? No. Why are enemies after me? Because they hate me? No. They are after God because of what He is doing in my life. The devil cannot match God, so he comes after God’s creation. But he cannot win. I am a Miracle already. Let us examine why the devil cannot kill a miracle:
1. A Miracle Was Once Dead. Illustration: Man And Son Burning Farm – Fire Surrounds Them. E.g. Shunamite Woman’s son - The baby came from a dead womb. Isaac came from a dead womb. I am a miracle and once was dead but now am alive. Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? E.g. When you take a vaccine, you build immunity against certain germs that cause disease. You take TB Vaccine, it contains virus of that disease but in weakened or dead form. Your body then builds antibodies to fight that germ. This builds immunity against the virus the next time it enters your body. A miracle builds an immunity to similar germ entering you again until… Lazarus had already been dead – immunized against death for that moment.
2. A Miracle Is For A Purpose. Unless performed, it cannot die. Lazarus was resurrected and loosed for a purpose. E.g. Samuel, Samson, Paul (they left him for dead). He rose to go to Rome. John 12:9 “They came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also. He was raised to a living witness for Christ.” God saved us for the same reason – to tell. No recorded words of Lazarus in the Gospels, but his daily walk was enough to convince people that Jesus is God. He was not one of the 12 Apostles, but he hit the streets telling folks about a man named Jesus. This simply tells me that you do not need a title to tell somebody about Jesus. His testimony was powerful – I once was dead, but now I am alive.
3. A Miracle Is A Blessing To Many People: Though Lazarus was an attraction to all; though he did pose a threat to some; he became a blessing to many! There is no greater joy in the world than to see a soul saved from hell! There is no greater calling, vocation, than to work for God.
4. You Cannot Curse What God Has Blessed: Numbers 23:8 How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced? Balaam pronounces Israel happy in their distinction from the rest of the nations - Happy numbers, which made them formidable. Happy in their last end – he pronounces the righteous truly blessed, not only while they live, but when they die; which makes their death even more desirable than life.
5. A Miracle Has A Season: God brings miracles especially for us who are limited in time. Lazarus was raised but he had to die again. God may provide bread, healing, or any thing supernatural, but that does not make the miracle an earthly everlasting one. It will one day be depleted.
CONCLUSION: HAS ANYONE TRIED TO KILL YOU OR YOUR DREAM OR MIRACLE RECENTLY IN ANY WAY? WHY?
They Wanted To Kill The Miracle But They Could Not Kill The Miracle. Has anyone tried to kill you recently? Why would they want to kill Lazarus? They were on a mission to kill Jesus, and any proof of Him being the Son of God had to go as well. Has anybody ever tried to kill or hurt you recently? Why? Because you are walking proof of who Jesus is. If God Has You Alive, The Purpose Is Still Active. Rejoice In Your Purpose.
INTERCESSORY PRAYER ITEMS
1. You Were Once Dead. Jesus Gave You Life. Stay Alive.
2. Continue To Be That Proof That Miracles Still Exist. You Are A Miracle.
3. Continue To Be An Attraction For Jesus. Draw People.
4. Continue To Be A Blessing To Others. You May Not See That.
5. Be A Rebuke To Those Who Love Evil. By What You Hate And What You Love.
6. Continue To Believe You Were Kept Alive By God For A Purpose. Achieve It.
7. Let God Help You Be A Shining Witness To Others. Your Light Must Beam Brighter Daily.
8. Always Stay Close To Jesus. There Your Protection Lies.
