John 11:1-27 KJV
1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest 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 might be glorified thereby.
5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
7 Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.
8 His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?
9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.
10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

I put on hold this chapter and I wonder why until we got to this place before Palm Sunday, which is this Sunday and going into Holy Week, meaning also Good Friday and into Resurrection Day which will be Sunday a week away. Most people will be tired of reading about the cross of Jesus before Easter. I do not say that as a put down or irreligiously, but a fact our hearts and minds might cling to the old wooden cross of Christ in faith, we do not study it continually in reference to faith. We resurrect and move forward into faith through baptism. Not leaving the memory behind but understanding the root and chief cornerstone of our faith in Jesus with the cost and price he paid for our sins has to do with the cross and resurrection. Know we too need to forgive as Christ forgave us on the cross and allow others to move forward from their guilt and shame of sin. This story is actually before the Triumphal Entry Into Jerusalem which is celebrated on this Sunday, which I think we will look at one more book on this topic. Putting us in the place for the cross, with all things spoken before the cross. And it takes usually two weeks, which means something will be left out again this year. There no way to cover it all even in four months. I have tried for years to do it especially with Easter being in April this year.

Let begin our story with Jesus going to Jerusalem and has he traveling Jesus knows his friend Lazarus had died, in fact when he arrives first in Bethany outside of Jerusalem it will have been four days when he reaches the tomb of Lazarus. Disciples heard Lazarus is dead and Thomas said lets us go to Bethany to die too. Jesus knew Lazarus been sick and told the disciples this, but finally Jesus tells them he is dead. Thomas response is strange, for he was dying of illness. Almost sounds like a COV19 party, hoping not to die but being exposed to the illness. Jesus tells them he is dead and they want to die with him. I sure Jesus was weary at the moment of Thomas' response if he ever was weary of man's response to things. When they arrived in Bethany Lazarus been in the grave four days. There were many Jews there mourning Lazarus still. Martha came and greet Jesus and she tells him if he been their he could of healed his friend. Jesus tells her Lazarus will rise again. Martha said I know he will rise again in the resurrection. Jesus says I am the resurrection and the life though he be dead will live. Jesus asked do you believe this. Martha said she believed he was the Christ the Son of God that was to come into the world.

The reality of resurrection still not fully understood, though others had been raise to life by Jesus. The possibility even now but Martha had not fully grasp it though she believed in the resurrection and that Jesus was the Christ. Two impossbilities by man at this time. Yet concept even understood in Elisha day. For he raised the Shunammmite woman's son from death to life through prayer. Elisha died but the one that fell on his body lived because the Holy Spirit had not departed from Elisha yet. The idea here is do you believe in what you yet heard, but not fully grasped the meaning of the words of Christ return.

I do believe we struggle with the reality of our faith when somethings we hope for have not yet been seen. It is not an usual problem. Some that believe will say I wil believe when it happens, but is it to late at this point? Our faith must be secure in what we do not grasp upon receiving of the word. Most of us believe, have faith in impossibility of what others in the world mock of our faith, but our reality is, we receive has Martha that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and the resurrection is true based on who Jesus is in our life. How we receive the truth of God's word. The resurrection is seen in hospital more often then not, on lives that should be technically dead raise back and repaired. Yet a life repaired is not the same as the resurrection Jesus has in store for us as believers, we will be made whole in the resurrection, healed from inside out where by the fountain of living water, where in the New Jerusalem. We will be healed and be restored in the Kingdom of our God.

How do we know this to be true by the evidence of healing and resurrections man is able to do that God is able to do even more powerful things then man. That miracles of healing God does through prayer and repentance. Through the work of grace in our life as believers when we not only fail God but need our soul healed for our failings to obey. Our encounter with Jesus begins upon the day of our salvation. Begins with the wooing of the Holy Spirit and the knocking of Christ on our hearts. Our faith comes by hearing of the word of God unto salvation and beyond unto belief.

Our faith does not stop at the cross, it must continue on. Martha had no idea what was going to happen later that week to Jesus but she be at the cross with his mother and the other Mary her sister. She would know of the resurrection of Jesus with the rolling away of the stone by angel from heaven and the earthquake and the body be gone. Yet the story being foretold is only a reminder of being on this side of the cross and looking back is about, seeing things 20/20 and not 20/70. Meaning not with the clarity of the picture of the cross and walking by faith into the story yet to come.

Martha understood by what she seen, and understood by what she believed. Do you believe Christ is the Son of God. Do you believe he is the resurrection and the life? That he is the only way man can be saved through faith and repentance. Then you are a believer in Christ and a brother and sister to me. To be born again by God's Spirit through faith in His Son is the awesomeness of our salvation. I do not talk the word encounter in past, but it going to be spoken as encounter because we need to understand it not by our will we are saved but the power of God to minister to our Spirit before salvation. To be the convictor of our soul. If you want to receive Jesus as Savior right now click the button at the bottom of the page, that says how to be saved. It is that simple.

Dear Heavenly Father, help all that want to come to Christ to know the door is theirs to open and not for Jesus to open but for him to knock and call them through. Lord is not a thief but he enters through the door of our hearts when we allow him in. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Acts 4:33 KJV
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.