S) "4 But when Jesus heard this, He said, 'This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.'"
John 11:4 (NASB)
O) This chapter is entirely about Lazarus, the brother of Mary, who fell sick and died. I've written twice about this already, noting the compassion of Christ Jesus, the omniscience and purposes of our Father in heaven, and the pain of loss, even between those two things. Generally speaking, I am very wary of taking promises out of context, but if we look at the words of Jesus in a more general sense and (this is key) pair them with other promises Jesus made, we see that this verse is really true for every disciple of Jesus. Our current bodies break down and fail eventually, no matter the physique or lifestyle. But, no matter how inglorious our death, in Christ Jesus we will be raised to the glory of God.
A) How difficult would it have been to intimidate Lazarus after his experience? The early church faced heavy persecution, but something tells me Lazarus might've just laughed at the threats. But, the disciples must've felt the same way, I think. After all, every single thing Jesus ever told them, came to pass exactly, no matter how strange it must've seemed at the time. In the same way, if I will believe His words entirely, if I will trust that my body is temporary, and that death has no sting, then I will never fear persecution either. I want to be fearless before man, in every way. I want only to fear God, because He is the only mighty, awesome, eternal One. If I have proper reverence for His words, then I won't fear anyone, or anything else.
P) Father, thank You for Your promises. You are so full of love and compassion, lavishing grace upon grace, that I can receive eternal life, that I can be part of Your holy family. Help me to be faithful with the words of Jesus. Help me to dwell on them, to trust them. I know that it is only by Your grace that I know His words at all, let alone believing them. I want to hold fast to this promise, that my life doesn't end in death. My real sickness is sin, after all, and In Jesus Christ, the curse of sin and death are broken. Use me, Lord. Let my boldness, my increasing fearless attitude be only for Your glory. I don't want to rebel against culture or persecution, just for the sake of being a rebel. I want to do it with Your purposes in mind. So, in my life, and in my fearless attitude toward man, let Your will be done. In the face of sickness or sin, let me rejoice that it does not end in death, but for Your glory. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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