December 21, 2021: SOAP #4401:  John 9-11

SCRIPTURE:  John (NIV) 11:21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. …
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” …
37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

OBSERVATION: When Jesus finally arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days.  Jesus could have healed Lazarus, but now there was no hope—Lazarus had died.  Their faith had reached a barrier over which it could not lift them.  Even with Jesus present, their faith was dead.  They had faith until death but not beyond! 

Jesus called Lazarus back.  He called him to return.  He came back to life, but he needed the grave clothes to be unwrapped.  He returned to a life that would end in death.  Lazarus bounced back from death into the continuation of a life that would end in death. 

What a difference—the resurrection of Jesus.  No one was needed to remove any grave clothes from Jesus.  Jesus did not return to a life that was subject to death.  Jesus did not bounce back; He went all the way through to resurrected, never ending life!   And that is where He takes me!!! 

APPLICATION:  I stand at the coffin of my loved one hoping they will bounce back.  I would love to have them back and share this life with me.  But my faith looks beyond the grave.  They have passed through death to a never-ending life!  I see them enjoying the presence of Jesus.  They are now more alive than they ever were here in this life.  As the baby emerges from its mother’s womb into a bright world full of new experiences, so the believer bursts out of this life through death into a life even more full, and more purposeful, and more exciting than could ever be experienced here!    

Missing them makes me mourn; seeing them by faith causes me to rejoice! 

PRAYER:  Lord, thank you for faith that reaches beyond death! Amen

Pastor Leon                        
Making friends for time and eternity!