Practical Christian Living: A Christian NEVER dies

John 11:1-27 NIV

John 11 New International Version (NIV)

The Death of Lazarus

11 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.)3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”

9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus

17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles[b] from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God,who is to come into the world.” 

There is a false doctrine rife among modern day Christians especially of the Pentecostal bent that once you give your life to Christ then all your problems will disappear. Christ seems to have foreseen the rise of this 'doctrine' and made our passage of today to teach us otherwise.

1. The one the Lord loved is sick. And died of the sickness. Our walk with the Lord is NOT an insurance against trials and tribulations. Though I am not a prophet I can say with certainty that you are either just coming out of some trials, or are currently in one or will soon be undergoing one. In this world we will see tribulations but we are of good cheer because Christ has overcome the world.

2. God has a plan and a purpose for everything that happens to every child of His. Ultimately that purpose is to give God glory.

3. In order to achieve #2, God works in ways that are not our ways. It may involve loss and pain (as in the case of Mary and Martha who lost their brother) , tests and trials, and it may involve promotion and provisions. Whatever method He chooses He is teaching us today that in everything He is omnipotent and His plan is always for our good not for evil to bring us to an expected end that will glorify His name.

4. Why then does an omnipotent God allow His children to go through trials and tribulations? To grow our faith and dependence on him--just as we allow a baby learning to walk to stand and fall. For it is in standing and falling that we master the walk. And when we have overcome the tests we are able to comfort others who maybe going through the same ( 2 Corinthians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.)

5. Most importantly Jesus is teaching us here that a Christians NEVER dies. For death is eternal separation from God. We may be separated from our physical bodies and 'fall asleep' but we will rise again--to ever be with the Lord. There is no greater consolation than that. The trials and tribulations I am currently going through is not unto death. For Christ has promised:

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

PRAYER:

Lord I believe; help my unbelief. Give me the grace to endure any trials and tribulations that come my way. Keep my focus on Jesus knowing that your plan and purpose for me even in these trials is for good and not for evil that your name be glorified in my life in Jesus name.

COURTESY: LAMB OF GOD EVANGELICAL MINISTRY

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