Raised From the Dead
Tonight at Bible study, Catalina led us in a discussion on the story of Lazarus.
Lazarus was a man who died and was eventually raised from the dead by Jesus.
Jesus was gone while Lazarus was sick, and he died while Jesus was gone.
Martha, Lazarus's sister, told Jesus that if He'd been there, Lazarus wouldn't have died.
She couldn't understand why, if Jesus cared for them, He would let Lazarus die.
Shortly after, Jesus raised Lazarus - who'd been dead for days - from the dead.
How many times do we ask Jesus for something and expect immediate results, the results that we think we should get, according to our timing and our plans?
[[ God says, "for I know the plans I have for you."
This means that He is in control and our plans don't mean jack. ]]
Jesus could've saved Lazarus from death before he even died.
Jesus could've healed Lazarus.
But how much more awesome is the story, knowing that Lazarus was raised from the dead?
How much more of a miracle occurred?
How much MORE GLORY was brought to Jesus, having raised a man from death, rather than healing a man from sickness?
Jesus not being there when Lazarus died didn't mean he didn't care about him and his family.
It meant that He wanted to use the situation in the best way possible - to perform the greatest miracle and gain the most glory.
Like Catalina said, the story might not have even made it into the Bible had Jesus merely healed Lazarus from his sickness.
Sometimes it takes a "death" or the closing of a door for us to see that something greater lies ahead.
Jesus has a perfect plan for us, and sometimes we have to go through some sad and rough times to get to it.
If life was easy all the time, how could God be glorified? How could we give Him credit for bringing us through the hard times and blessing us even more afterward?
God will let us go through trials so that through them, He can bless us more, and He will be more glorified.
We were challenged tonight to ask ourselves if there's anything dead in our life - any door that God is closing so that He can eventually open a new one.
Sometimes we, like Martha, wonder where God is during our hard times.
It seems like maybe He's not there, and doesn't care.
That's the farthest thing from the truth.
He is working diligently on our lives and unraveling His perfect plan for them.
If we trust that His plan is greater, we will wait patiently for His plan to unfold, and for Him to bless us and in return, receive all the glory.
Lazarus was a man who died and was eventually raised from the dead by Jesus.
Jesus was gone while Lazarus was sick, and he died while Jesus was gone.
Martha, Lazarus's sister, told Jesus that if He'd been there, Lazarus wouldn't have died.
She couldn't understand why, if Jesus cared for them, He would let Lazarus die.
Shortly after, Jesus raised Lazarus - who'd been dead for days - from the dead.
How many times do we ask Jesus for something and expect immediate results, the results that we think we should get, according to our timing and our plans?
[[ God says, "for I know the plans I have for you."
This means that He is in control and our plans don't mean jack. ]]
Jesus could've saved Lazarus from death before he even died.
Jesus could've healed Lazarus.
But how much more awesome is the story, knowing that Lazarus was raised from the dead?
How much more of a miracle occurred?
How much MORE GLORY was brought to Jesus, having raised a man from death, rather than healing a man from sickness?
Jesus not being there when Lazarus died didn't mean he didn't care about him and his family.
It meant that He wanted to use the situation in the best way possible - to perform the greatest miracle and gain the most glory.
Like Catalina said, the story might not have even made it into the Bible had Jesus merely healed Lazarus from his sickness.
Sometimes it takes a "death" or the closing of a door for us to see that something greater lies ahead.
Jesus has a perfect plan for us, and sometimes we have to go through some sad and rough times to get to it.
If life was easy all the time, how could God be glorified? How could we give Him credit for bringing us through the hard times and blessing us even more afterward?
God will let us go through trials so that through them, He can bless us more, and He will be more glorified.
We were challenged tonight to ask ourselves if there's anything dead in our life - any door that God is closing so that He can eventually open a new one.
Sometimes we, like Martha, wonder where God is during our hard times.
It seems like maybe He's not there, and doesn't care.
That's the farthest thing from the truth.
He is working diligently on our lives and unraveling His perfect plan for them.
If we trust that His plan is greater, we will wait patiently for His plan to unfold, and for Him to bless us and in return, receive all the glory.
eBa
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