2 TIMOTHY 4:1–8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Tim. 4:7). If you were to find out that today was the last day of your life, what would your reaction be? Aside from the normal reactions of wanting to tie up loose ends, worrying … Continue reading “THE HOPE OF FAITH”
LESSONS IN SUFFERING
1 PETER 4:12–19 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you (1 Peter 4:12). Another reason we should not be surprised by suffering is that it is a mark of the Christian life. It is a means of sanctification as … Continue reading “LESSONS IN SUFFERING”
UNWARRANTED SURPRISE
GENESIS 3:9–19 “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life” (Gen. 3:17). It is significant that one question we do not read of Mary or Martha asking at the death of their dear brother is “Why?” They did not seem to feel the … Continue reading “UNWARRANTED SURPRISE”
POWER OVER DEATH
JOHN 11:38–4 “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth (John 11:43–44). One of the greatest manifestations of Jesus’ divinity is in His resurrection of Lazarus. Before a crowd of witnesses, Jesus revealed the power of His word. This … Continue reading “POWER OVER DEATH”
AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE
JOHN 11:28–37 He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.… Jesus wept (John 11:33, 35). It is fascinating that in a book which emphasizes the divinity of Christ, we find one of the most poignant expressions of Jesus’ human nature. The three verbs used here are like windows into Jesus’ soul: He “groaned in spirit,” … Continue reading “AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE”
RESURRECTION AND LIFE
JOHN 11:17–27 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25). This passage contains the fifth of seven “I am” proclamations (for the others see 6:35, 8:12, 10:9, 11, 14:6, and 15:5). In this instance, Jesus is declaring that … Continue reading “RESURRECTION AND LIFE”
VICTORY OVER DEATH
JOHN 11:7–16 “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up” (John 11:11). This passage teaches that believers have no need to fear death. Those who are a friend of Christ are a friend of life, and though they will die to this life, they will live for the life to … Continue reading “VICTORY OVER DEATH”
WAITING ON THE LORD
JOHN 11:5–6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was (John 11:6). When you first read verses 5 and 6, you might do a double take: “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He … Continue reading “WAITING ON THE LORD”
A MESSAGE OF HOPE
JOHN 11:1–4 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick” (John 11:3). The account we have before us is one of the most extraordinary of Jesus’ miracles: the raising of Lazarus from the dead. The name “Lazarus” is an abbreviation of Eleazar, meaning “he whom God helped.” And … Continue reading “A MESSAGE OF HOPE”
THE FRUIT OF PREPARATION
JOHN 10:40–42 “John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this man were true.” And many believed in Him there (John 10:41–42). Having faced only opposition in the city of Jerusalem, Jesus returned to the countryside to rest and preach to those who had once been under the ministry of John. … Continue reading “THE FRUIT OF PREPARATION”