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No Mistakes

Have you ever wondered why Jesus did/does certain things? First, I guess we need to consider that Jesus never did something with no purpose in mind. He didn’t live His life on earth in a haphazard manner.

Look at John 11 and the death of Lazarus. From a human perspective, what Jesus does here makes no sense. Mary  Martha & their brother Lazarus were all loved very much by Jesus.

When word comes that Lazarus is very ill, (John 11:6) Jesus delays 2 more days rather than going to see or heal His friend. When He is ready to go, His disciples remind Him that the Jews in that town had just tried to stone him—not a friendly neighborhood.  Before they leave, Jesus tells them, “Lazarus has died and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.” What does He mean?

When Jesus finally arrives, he finds that Lazarus has been dead for 4 days—not 1 or 2—not even 3 but 4. Keep in mind, nothing goes on in Gods economy for no reason.

In 11:31, the Jews who were with Mary follow her to meet Jesus and then move on to the tomb. By the time they arrive at the tomb, there are quite a few people there. When Jesus commands that the stone be rolled away, Martha reminds Him that it will stink—Lazarus has been dead for 4 days now.  Once it is moved, Jesus commands Lazarus to come out—and he does! Jesus has done more than just raise the dead, he has destroyed the opportunity for Jewish tradition to interfere with His miracle .

“According to various Jewish intellectual sources and folk traditions up through the medieval period, there is a gradual transition from physical death to an afterlife in which the body and spirit remain connected to one another in some way either through resurrection or immortality of the soul. According to early rabbinic folklore, the transition from death to life actually begins three days after death when the soul is believed to hover over the grave hoping to be restored to the body.”

Jewish tradition believed that 3 days after death, a spirit would linger around the body—that’s why Jesus delayed and allowed Lazarus to lay dead for 4 days—to stop the chance of “superstition” to take away from His miraculous act as the Son of God.  The Jews who had followed could not deny that what they saw was beyond their superstitions and had to be an act of God.

So, what is happening in your life today that makes no sense, that seems to be out of control? Do you think God has forgotten you or has left you to “die” alone or do you have a peace based on the knowledge that our Savior knows exactly what we need and when we need it?

John 11:35  Jesus wept.  Not because things were out of His control, but because He loves us so much, it breaks His heart to see us in pain. We serve an awesome God! –Steve Schmidt serves on the staff of America’s Keswick and is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy

Daily Bible Reading: Haggai 1-2; Luke 14:1-24

Quote of the day: There was never a sinner half as big as Christ is as a Savior. —C.H. Spurgeon

Verse to Memorize: “Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or the left; turn away your foot from evil.” Proverbs 4:26-27 ESV