King James Bible Study – “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” – Mark 8:34
Date: Thursday, October 29, 2020
Chapters: John 11
Message: And You Shall Know
Hello My Friend,
Seeing is believing, or is it believing is seeing? We can believe a lot of things by what we see, even then, the mind likes to play tricks on us, doubting what we see. Believing in something when we have not seen it, and seeing it, well, that is the greatest test of our faith. You see, we who believe that Jesus saves our soul merely by grace through our faith in His sinless death, burial, and resurrection. We do not need physical proof that Jesus is true, we, by faith, believe and therefore, we see Jesus, and know that when we leave the earth, we will see Him face to face, [II Corinthians 5:6-8 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.]
Now, Jesus does not have to prove to anyone who He is, or what He is capable of, but He was about to do something that no prophet or priest could ever do, that would bring many people to believe in Him. Mary and Martha had a brother named Lazarus (not the beggar that died), and he was deathly ill, they sent word to Jesus to come quickly and heal him. Remember, Mary was the one who sat there listening to Jesus as He spoke.
[John 11:1-6 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.]
[he abode two days still in the same place where he was.] Now, Jesus loves everyone, and He could have healed Him that instant without even touching him. So, why did He wait? The answer is in the Scripture above, [that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.] Up until now, Jesus touched and healed people who came up to Him, He had not raised anyone from the dead. Would this prove to the Pharisee’s and skeptics that Jesus is the Christ? Jesus tells the disciples that it was time to go see Lazarus, giving them the news that he died.
[John 11:11-16 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. 12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. 16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.]
[that we may die with him.] Thomas always had strange reactions to Jesus, the disciples feared that if Jesus returned to Judea that they would kill Him. Remember, Thomas was also the one who said he would not believe that Jesus resurrected until he put his finger in the holes where the nails pierced His hands and feet, but he was willing to die with Jesus. Well, when they arrived it was not four days since Lazarus died, Martha runs to Jesus.
[John 11:17,20-27 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already. 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. 21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. 23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.]
[though he were dead, yet shall he live:] We are to never feel sorry for or fear those who died already that are saved, their souls are safe with Jesus. Their physical bodies, whether they are lying in a grave or even cremated and scattered wherever they may be, are sleeping, and when Christ returns, they will all resurrect. And what a sight that will be, it is like what we read in the Book of Ezekiel when all the bones came to life, [Ezekiel 37:4-6 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.]
[and ye shall know that I am the LORD.] This is exactly what Jesus was attempting by raising up Lazarus from the dead. Now, Martha told Mary that Jesus arrived, she ran to Jesus, many followed her thinking that she was going to Lazarus’s grave. Remember, Mary was the one who sat there listening to Jesus as He spoke.
[John 11:31-38 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. 32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! 37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? 38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.]
[Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave.] Do you see how the world reacts to Jesus? Always skeptical, the first thing people do, who really have no faith in God, when something tragic happens is blame God, wondering if He is so great why did He allow it to happen in the first place. There is not a one size fits all journey for Christians or anyone for that matter, we all have different paths, and God deals with each one of us differently, He never changes, but He does put us in situations that He might change our worldly thinking into faith. Now, Jesus tells them to roll away the stone, before doing anything He says a prayer the Father.
[John 11:41-44 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.]
[that they may believe that thou hast sent me.] Do you realize that at this point the disciples were not saved either? Yes, some believed that He is the Messiah, but they were not saved, in fact, they did not even know what that term meant. Jesus, fully God, lowers Himself to be a mere mortal man, He could have come here as an angel, as we know He had done that several times throughout the Old Testament, He could have come here as a storm, as we know He as done that too, but He chose to come here in the likeness of the very image He created, man. Why? So they might believe that it is God who sent His Son. Well, many did believe that day, and that scared the Pharisee’s to death. When they heard the news of Lazarus being raised from the dead, they plotted to have Jesus killed.
[John 11:45-53 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. 46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done. 47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. 48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. 49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, 50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. 51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; 52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. 53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.]
[that one man should die for the people,] These people were well aware of the Scriptures, they knew who Jesus was, and yet they wanted to destroy Him. Why? Fear. Fear from losing control of their status, and of their deception being exposed. You see, that is what false religion does, it puts them in power of a persons soul. There is only one person in charge of a soul and that is God, He saves every soul that believes in His Son, [Revelation 21:6-8 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.]
Today’s Prayer: Jesus, No matter how I feel on the outside I know You are with me, not because of any good that I do, but because I believe in and trust in what You have done for me. I know that I have nothing to fear because You know what I need and exactly when I need it. Lord, it is hard to have patience when I have so many people and things trying to discourage and distract me, and I do admit that I am often too proud to say I need You. Lead me and guide me, give me Your power, wisdom, and grace to withstand every obstacle and to trust You with all of my life, knowing that everything is in your perfect timing. I ask these things in Your name Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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