John 11
LAZARUS is BACK!
but I had the same nagging question
that I felt the last time I read this story.
Why interfere with nature?
I couldn't understand why He would do it.
For whatever reason, it was time for Lazarus to go.
Otherwise, he wouldna went.
So when God takes a man,
shouldn't he stay gone?
Jesus brings him back.
but now that I think about it,
we are interfering with nature all the time.
There are lots of killers in the world,
lots of different ways to die.
We try earnestly,
determined to prolong life,
cure diseases,
heal the wounded,
enable the crippled.
So maybe its not saying no to "God's Plan",
to take Lazarus back for awhile.
Did Jesus HAVE to do this?
Was it some prophecy that had to be fulfilled?
to prove that the messiah had power
over life and death?
Maybe there is something behind the scenes
that everything added up to this event
to glorify God?
I don't know my history,
but maybe Jesus needed to prove this.
Or maybe it wasn't necessary to reverse Lazarus
to fulfill something,
Maybe it was more like a celebration
that ultimate power was available on earth.
Maybe the point of it
was to announce to the world
that nothing is impossible.
Think about it....
What is the most impossible task you can imagine?
What is the most astounding thing ever?
What would most blow your mind
of all the challenges ever thought of?
What is the absolute pinnacle of power?
I have never considered that until this day.
but the more I think about it,
my answer would be bringing forth life.
Has any scientist in history ever succeeded
in bringing even one single cell to life?
Even knowing everything about how a cell works,
DNA and proteins and amino acids and whatever
Having all the ingredients in all the right proportions,
and applying whatever stimulus we can think of
to give it the spark of life.
It hasn't been done.
And if it had, you would of heard about it!
nope.
No matter how much we learn about life,
I don't think anyone
will ever bring anything
to life.
EVER.
We see things come to life all the time.
babies are born and seeds grow.
So yes we can keep life going,
but it had to start from somewhere.
What we witness is just another link in the chain.
Jesus took an old decomposing body
with a stench no one could tolerate,
and restored it.
I think there is nothing more grand than that.
If I ever get to meet Lazarus,
I would like to know how it felt.
Did he feel "like death warmed over"?
Or was he fully restored?
perfect vision?
acute hearing?
food tastes better?
run faster?
jump higher?
Imagine if every cell was healthy,
every system running smoothly,
in balance
the way its supposed to be.
Wouldn't that feel good?
Being the decrepit 47-year-old that I am,
falling apart after years of neglect and abuse,
I almost can't even imagine that.
.
for next time:
1) Mary and Martha asked the same question
to Jesus in 11:21 and 11:32,
but he answered differently.
Timing is everything?
2) How many biographies include such things
as "this man will be the death of me" in 11:16
3) 11:57 forces even the casual fan to choose sides;
follow the hope, or follow the law?
but I had the same nagging question
that I felt the last time I read this story.
Why interfere with nature?
I couldn't understand why He would do it.
For whatever reason, it was time for Lazarus to go.
Otherwise, he wouldna went.
So when God takes a man,
shouldn't he stay gone?
Jesus brings him back.
Joh 11:44
And he who had died came out,
bound hand and foot with sheets,
and his face was bound with a cloth.
Jesus said to them, Untie him and let him go!
but now that I think about it,
we are interfering with nature all the time.
There are lots of killers in the world,
lots of different ways to die.
We try earnestly,
determined to prolong life,
cure diseases,
heal the wounded,
enable the crippled.
So maybe its not saying no to "God's Plan",
to take Lazarus back for awhile.
Did Jesus HAVE to do this?
Was it some prophecy that had to be fulfilled?
to prove that the messiah had power
over life and death?
Maybe there is something behind the scenes
that everything added up to this event
to glorify God?
I don't know my history,
but maybe Jesus needed to prove this.
Or maybe it wasn't necessary to reverse Lazarus
to fulfill something,
Maybe it was more like a celebration
that ultimate power was available on earth.
Maybe the point of it
was to announce to the world
that nothing is impossible.
Think about it....
What is the most impossible task you can imagine?
What is the most astounding thing ever?
What would most blow your mind
of all the challenges ever thought of?
What is the absolute pinnacle of power?
I have never considered that until this day.
but the more I think about it,
my answer would be bringing forth life.
Has any scientist in history ever succeeded
in bringing even one single cell to life?
Even knowing everything about how a cell works,
DNA and proteins and amino acids and whatever
Having all the ingredients in all the right proportions,
and applying whatever stimulus we can think of
to give it the spark of life.
It hasn't been done.
And if it had, you would of heard about it!
nope.
No matter how much we learn about life,
I don't think anyone
will ever bring anything
to life.
EVER.
We see things come to life all the time.
babies are born and seeds grow.
So yes we can keep life going,
but it had to start from somewhere.
What we witness is just another link in the chain.
Jesus took an old decomposing body
with a stench no one could tolerate,
and restored it.
I think there is nothing more grand than that.
Joh 11:25
Jesus said to her,
I am the Resurrection and the Life!
He who believes in Me, though he die,
yet he shall live.
Joh 11:26
And whoever lives and believes in Me
shall never die.
Do you believe this?
If I ever get to meet Lazarus,
I would like to know how it felt.
Did he feel "like death warmed over"?
Or was he fully restored?
perfect vision?
acute hearing?
food tastes better?
run faster?
jump higher?
Imagine if every cell was healthy,
every system running smoothly,
in balance
the way its supposed to be.
Wouldn't that feel good?
Being the decrepit 47-year-old that I am,
falling apart after years of neglect and abuse,
I almost can't even imagine that.
.
for next time:
1) Mary and Martha asked the same question
to Jesus in 11:21 and 11:32,
but he answered differently.
Timing is everything?
2) How many biographies include such things
as "this man will be the death of me" in 11:16
3) 11:57 forces even the casual fan to choose sides;
follow the hope, or follow the law?