Lazarus raised from the dead

[Boaz]

Lord thank you . Thank you for those that bear witness by seeking . Bless all who seek you Lord . Give courage that many ask , that many try . Give understanding to those who will venture and to ask . To read your word to find purpose and reason . Give the guidance and strength of your word in our daily lives to affect others . Be in our heart and mind to allow the spirit to guide . Provide for our inadequacies , correct our indecision and help us to live in the example you died to give us . Thank you Lord . Amen

[Boaz]

Not sure I can put this into words?

Jesus is the giver of life. If he had been there nobody would have understood why he didn't heal him. Now that Lazarus is dead he can now be given life in Christ. It seams Thomas understood what Jeuses was saying and wanted that life. The life we now have because of the love of the father.

Thank you Ronnie !
That's a good answer going by the verse at hand . But lets look at the fact that the Jews are out to kill Jesus and his followers which all the disciples are aware of . Bethany is only 2 miles away from Jerusalem The disciples are in hiding thinking they will be killed if they go there , certain death .
At this point after Jesus had preformed so many miracles , healing the sick , turning water into wine , casting out demons . Hearing his teaching , listening to his prophesy of his own death they still did not fully understand he was the son of GOD . This is borne out in verse 8 .

8 The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”

They still fear for him , they call him Rabbi , although realization is coming it will not be complete until he is crucified and he has risen . They think he is a man given by GOD to do these things . They don't understand fully he is the son of GOD , Emanuel , the Christ .

The raising of Lazarus is intentional , planned to help reveal this but not completely .

[Boaz]

Dang it . Must have stuck my foot in my mouth . Sorry if it applies .

[popper]

Israelite/Jew belief that only after 3 days was a person 'really' dead. Still is that Edgar Allen Poe 'sleeping' sickness.

[Boaz]

Thank you ! And you point is ?

[Thundarstick]

The point is that after four days the Jews couldn't say, "he wasn't really dead, just in a deep sleep". His disciples would see this as an undeniable ultimate power! Amen!

[Tom W.]

You'll notice that Jesus said for Lazarus to come forth. Had He said different, perhaps the whole graveyard would have risen.

And as Lazarus was bound head and foot, perhaps there was a more than good chance that he floated out of the tomb. If not, he wouldn't have to be unbound.

Just random thoughts batted around during a Sunday School class.....

[Boaz]

Verses 17-27 are pivotal again in complete realization who Jesus is .

17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20 Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

[Boaz]

Well heck this thread went well for a while and I enjoyed the discussion . That's what I meant it to be ..an exchange of thoughts and ideas . I'll let it slide off the board but I did enjoy the input ! Thank you !

[Boaz]

Aww dang it !! To those that have emailed me wanting me to continue I will not ! If you are not willing to enjoin There is little I can do . I ain't no preacher , I have no authority on the board . To each I say read your bible , seek reference , seek local face to face counseling .

Charlie

[Thundarstick]

Jhn 12:1-11
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”
He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”
Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.


So in these verses we see the continuation of the miracle of Lazarus restoration to life. You could almost say Jesus was rubbing their (Jewish leadership/sanhedrean) noise in it. They even made plans on how they should kill Lazarus as well, because so many where believing on Jesus because of Lazarus.

Now in Luke 16, Jesus tells a parable of a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus. You can read the account there, but I think Jesus used the same name on purpose, especially when I read Luk 16:30-31
“ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ” Yet when the very man of the same name was raised, many, many, believed! However, the leaders, the powerful, and many of the rich would not believe, yes to the point of plotting to kill these men!


What's this have to do with me? My everyday life, my sharing the good news? I'm reminded that even if I could raise the dead in Jesus Christ name, there are those who will not believe, and may even plot against me. Yet in the end there is a resurrection to life or to death.