Tag: Lazarus

  • God’s Personal Love -1-See how He loved him?

    God’s Personal Love -1-See how He loved him?

    Series Introduction:

    We hold many different understandings of love and views of those who receive God’s love. Perhaps no Image of God’s personal love imprints the minds of man more than that of the Son of Man, Christ Jesus.

    Jesus embodies the Father’s love of others and God’s love of the world in so many ways.

    During this brief season of Easter and until the occasion of Pentecost we will glance at God’s relational love for the Church.

    Yes, EASTER is a season for the Church and not just one Resurrection Day –– a season of significance recognizing the risen Messiah and Lord who walked the earth as Jesus had prior to His Crucifixion for our sins. Jesus instructed disciples for fifty days after the Resurrection and He was witnessed by many saints soon to be built into His foundation of the Church.

    We begin by returning to a scene just prior to Jesus’ Crucifixion at the tomb of Lazarus, who no doubt walked among those five-hundred witnesses until the day of Pentecost.

    How God loved His friends personally

    So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!”

    It’s one of the tenderest lines in Scripture.

    Roger@talkofJESUS.com – on witnesses of Jesus at Lazarus’ funeral John 11:36

    Jesus: Image of God’s Personal Love

    Jesus wept.

    When YOU die will you have even one friend observing a mourner saying, ‘See how he loved him?’ (or ‘see how she loved her?’)

    Do you have any friend — any mortal soul who loves you that much?

    I don’t think that I do.

    But then again, I’m far from the man of compassion our Lord Jesus is as once again He shows here the extent of his personal love of Lazarus, Mary and Martha.

    Throughout the Gospels — the Good News of Jesus Christ — the Lord’s Disciples and many others continually witnessed Jesus’ love for others both publicly and personally.

    But Jesus IS God we rationalize, so you and I can’t possibly love real people that much. Yet aren’t Christians supposed to be built into His Image?

    the Challenge of a personal conversation about Christ

    Our public witness of Jesus (at funerals and other life events) may characterize Christ at times, yet away from these occasions we frequently fail to love others as we see Jesus do here at the funeral of Lazarus.

    Some family, certain ‘friends’ and even a few from our ‘church’ convict me without mercy of the sins of all ‘christians.’

    Roger@talkofJesus.com

    Dare I call Jesus Christ my Lord?

    YES. (And I certainly plea for grace from you and any who willingly confess your own shortcomings in relational love of others.)

    So many will compartmentalize ‘christians’ as those who hate certain things too much and love certain people too little.

    Roger@talkofJesus.com

    Jesus Christ IS the Very Image of our loving heavenly Father modeling God’s Personal Love of us and for us. My desire in Christ is to love JESUS first and secondly to love those whose desire is to seek and remain in Jesus’ unfailing love.

    • Are you one of these so called, ‘Christians?’

    When we want to talk of Jesus, we remain ‘Christians’ (capital ‘C’) in Him, even though many ‘christians’ (small ‘c’) conveniently claim ‘Christ’ on their terms and not His.

    Relating to God personally provides the fruit of the Holy Spirit which connects Christ to His Church (as well as our heavenly Father).

    Two Personal Challenges

    IF YOU are up for a personal challenge,

    AND IF you have not encouraged me as your brother in Christ by subscribing to my occasional New Post Series notifications,

    THEN I ask you to respond personally to my opinion as a ‘CHRISTIAN,’ identifying yourself as part of one of two groups:

    1. ‘christians’ or
    2. one who does not like ‘christians.’
    Why not accept my challenge to your own hypocrisy (my fellow sinner)?

    I too prefer not to associate with some ‘christians.’ For I also receive accusations or snubs by some ‘christians‘ impersonally distancing me in most unchristlike manners.

    1. For those of you who do NOT like to relate personally to ‘christians’:
      • Just email me and make it personal, rather than judging me as ‘one of those closed-minded ‘christians’ shouting hatred and waving ‘Jesus’ signs in front of the cameras.’
    2. For those ‘christians‘ who do NOT like to relate to other ‘christians’ from your ‘church,’ because they (I) won’t get involved in YOUR issue:
      • Maybe you’re one of them and really would like to talk to another Christian about your ‘ISSUE.’
      • Let’s talk. Email me. I’ll respond to you and that ISSUE so important to you personally.

    As for our Christian community here on talkofJESUS.com, we will carry on conversations concerning our personal Lord witnessed in Scripture, Christ Jesus. We are Christians under construction by Christ.

    So how did God love His friends?

    I’m NOT going to give you the stock JOHN 3:16 answer, but it would apply.

    Last year in A.D. 2020, we witnessed our Lord’s personal love of those He loves in the Gospel of John.

    ..that you love one another as I have loved you. – John 15:14

    Jesus IS God’s Personal love

    Would you like to understand this special relationship of the Lord God to His church?

    (Hopefully you are a part of the church, my dear brother or sister in the Lord.)

    Look back at what you may have missed from our 2020 look at the Good News of John.

    Jesus loved his friend Lazarus

    We begin this series on God’s Personal love with the example of the death of Jesus’ friend Lazarus. Observation of the Lord by their fellow Jews present for Lazarus’ memorial service was: ‘Jesus wept.’

    • Do you have compassion like this for most of your ‘christian’ friends?

    Perhaps more importantly I ask you,

    ‘Do they know how much you love them?’

    Again, as friendless as my own life would seem at times, perhaps they do not know.

    My friends do not know how much I love them. (And that may include YOU, beloved friend.) So as you read the Good News of Jesus raising Lazarus from the grave, consider His human love for a friend you may not have ever seen in our Savior.

    Lazarus – God’s personal friend

    Below you will find a link to most of the story of Lazarus, but before we continue in this series just a highlight:

    So the sisters [Martha and Mary] sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he [Lazarus] whom You love G5368 is sick.”

    John 11:3 NASB20 – Strong’s G5368 phileō love

    And yes, phileō is the same verb the mourners used of Jesus when they remarked, “See how He loved G5368 him!”

    With ‘love’ as we use in English we have some confusion, not to mention misuse of application of Scripture. There is, however, some overlap as you will see in this next quote related to the context of Jesus and Lazarus.

    (Now Jesus loved G25 Martha and her sister, and Lazarus.)

    John 11:5 NASB20 – Strong’s G25 agapaō love
    Do you love your friends like Jesus?

    Why does love even matter?

    Quite simply, because Jesus loved His friends so much AND our Lord (if we really love Jesus as our Lord) commands His followers to love one another as He has loved us.

    God is a RELATIONAL GOD! And in Jesus we know the Lord’s LOVE PERSONALLY. We are connected in Love to Him and to each other.

    To be continued...
    
  • Witnesses to Jesus Risen! – Thomas

    Witnesses to Jesus Risen! – Thomas

    Jesus is risen!

    .. You can’t prove it, can you?

    Christ Born & Witnessed, Crucified, Risen, Ascended..

    by Roger Harned

    It’s really easy to hear someone’s story of a baby born in a manger during the census of Augustus Caesar.

    The Babe in a manger (and His mother) have become our iconic emojis of virtue.

    Roger Harned talkofJesus.com – on Christmas traditions replacing the significance of Christ’s Resurrection

    The Witness of Thomas

    Imagine what Thomas must have pondered before he saw Jesus once more..

    His miracles were authentic. He was a man like us, yet so unlike us.

    We discovered many times that the Lord Jesus was more than any man we had ever met, even John the Baptist..

    Like when He calmed the raging Sea of Tiberius, fed thousands and especially when Jesus healed the sick and even raising some like Lazarus just recently from the grave.

    But we witnessed also the defeat of Israel’s Messiah, our only hope — His rejection by our own Jewish leaders and Rome’s cruel sentence of His death on a cross, mocking our Rabbi as “Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

    I wasn’t close for His execution, for I was afraid like all the others; but Jesus is certainly dead as any other nailed to a Roman Cross.

    John 20 (continued)

    John continues his witness of Jesus’ resurrection appearances which first were to a group of women, Witnesses to Jesus Risen! – Mary Magdalene then to ten of the Eleven Witnesses to Jesus Risen! – the Eleven remaining behind locked doors.

    This is the witness of Jews who had hoped that Jesus would restore the Kingdom of Israel.
    (Translations incl. Complete Jewish Bible) 
    All of the Twelve were born as Jews, as was the Lord Jesus (Yeshua).

    24 Now T’oma [Didymus in common Greek] (the name means “twin”), one of the Twelve, was not with them when Yeshua came.

    When the other talmidim [disciples] told him,

    “We have seen the Lord,”

    he replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my finger into the place where the nails were and put my hand into his side,

    I refuse to believe it.”

    Believe it .. or not

    Well there it is: Like what happens so frequently, someone else tells us about the biggest event ever in their lives.. AND we missed it. Just like Thomas, we weren’t there.

    I either don’t believe them, pause with the uncertainty of doubt .. OR maybe I find it beyond belief that the Lord did not also choose ME to be part of such a life-changing moment.

    Perhaps you and I are not so unlike ‘doubting Thomas’ as we would like to believe.

    A timely note about time:
    
    Even though we've slowed the actual timeline of events between Jesus raising Lazarus and His own Resurrection, I will not delay John's Gospel an additional week to reflect real time. RH

    26 Eight days later His disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst..

    Although the doors were locked, Yeshua came, stood among them and said, “Shalom aleikhem!”

    27 Then he said to T’oma, “Put your finger here, look at my hands, take your hand and put it into my side. Don’t be lacking in trust, but have trust!”

    Witnessed Crucified; Witnessed Risen

    Thomas finally experiences the risen Christ Jesus the slain Messiah of Israel the same as the other Apostles and the women who saw Him first.

    Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

    John 20:27 NKJV

    28 Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

    Depicting Christ Crucified and Jesus Risen to Life!

    The scene of Thomas witnessing the wounds of the Risen Messiah, Jesus, their friend and their Teacher is beyond illustration.

    John must have recalled Jesus’ similar approach to Martha just before the Lord raised her brother Lazarus to life.

    “I am the resurrection and the life,” Jesus had asked the bereaved sister of Lazarus. “Do you believe this?”

    John 11:25-26 excerpt with context

    Martha and Mary had mourned the death of their brother.

    Mary the mother of Jesus also mourned helplessly. She could not save Him from suffering as she sorrowfully watched His death on a Cross nearby.

    Faithful painters of the Renaissance could neither paint nor sculpt the horror of the Lord Jesus’s wounds.

    Our focus draws to the hearts of the living rather than to the Redeemer of our lives.

    Believe by faith

    29 Jesus said [to Thomas, with all the Disciples present], “Because you have seen me, you have believed.

    Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

    By their witness and that of many others who had seen the risen Christ Jesus, many came to believe by the time John writes his Gospel, even many who would take up their cross to follow Him. These too the Apostle John would witness.

    30 So then, many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that by believing you may have life in His name.

    To be continued...
    Next: We will return briefly to further witness of the Eleven near the conclusion of John's Gospel.
    
  • 12 Men Texting as their Messiah approaches – Part 3

    12 Men Texting as their Messiah approaches – Part 3

    The Plot to Murder the Messiah!

    On the receiving end of these communications from those who witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus we find all of the VIP’s of Jerusalem’s council of leading religious leaders of this captive land.

    Previously:

    We have looked at the miraculous sign of the Messiah:

    We then looked at the Messiah Jesus as He and the Apostles retreated from Bethany into the hills beyond Jerusalem.

    Jesus – Traveling to and from Bethany

    google earth image of hills between Bethany and Jerusalem and Ephraim to the north

    Our current look at the people of John’s Gospel now focuses on three perspectives of those involved in this great witness of Good News.

    1. A traditional look at the Old & New Covenants and prophecy of the Messiah, specifically through Daniel 9. 12 Men Texting as their Messiah approaches – Part 1
    2. A brief look at the Sanhedrin & specifically the motives of Judas, the Apostle who was about to betray the Messiah after the Twelve dined with Jesus in Ephraim. 12 Men Texting as their Messiah approaches – Part 2
    3. And now we return to Jerusalem for a closer look at it’s religious rulers as they plot the murder of their own Lamb of Sacrifice come to His own.

    Returning to Jerusalem

    The Pharisees were just one of the religious political parties of Jerusalem, which formed after the return from exile from the east. Other parties and leaders were more influenced by the Hellenistic customs of the west imported to Jerusalem by Alexander and Rome.

    painting of Christ and the Pharisees by Earnst Zimmerman

    The Gospel of Matthew

    John, of course, is not the only Gospel writer to record the influence of the Pharisees. Since we follow a storyline of a brief time leading up to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem let’s glance at these men of this Jewish party in power through additional witness as well.

    (Of course if you’re following our 21st century approach of communication between everyone most likely the tax collector Matthew knew a few in Jerusalem he had to keep up to date on Jesus — and of course, this recent Lazarus miracle.)

    The Leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees

    16: The Pharisees and Sadducees approached, and tested him, asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

    4 “An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of[ Jonah.”

    Then he left them and went away. The disciples reached the other shore, and they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus told them,

    “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

    The Messiah cautions His followers to beware of their own religious leaders.

    Sabbath Questions

    At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples became hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat.

    But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.”

    Matthew would have been there. Now as they approached Jerusalem just days before the holiest of feast the Apostles must all have recalled this type of opposition from Jerusalem’s ruling council. (Of course Rome, for whom Matthew had collected taxes, kept a close watch on all of them.)

    The Gospel of Mark

    John Mark recalls from witness of the Apostles about a healing on the Sabbath ‘violation’ of Jesus:

    And He [Jesus] said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?”

    But they kept silent. After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man,

    “Stretch out your hand.”

    And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

    The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him [the Messiah Jesus], as to how they might destroy Him.

    Mark 3:6 NASB

    The Herodians, of course, happened to be the party in power (thanks to Rome) in Jerusalem. This consensus against the Messiah would not be so different than an agreement between Democrats and Republicans (in the US), between liberals and conservatives.

    The Gospel of Luke

    Pharisees and other Jewish leaders witnessed Jesus the Messiah perform many signs of proof throughout His three-year teaching ministry.

    A Man Cleansed

    5:12 While he was in one of the towns, a man was there who had leprosy all over him. He saw Jesus, fell facedown, and begged him: “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

    13 Reaching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, “I am willing; be made clean,” and immediately the leprosy left him.

    15 But the news about him spread even more, and large crowds would come together to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses…

    17 On one of those days while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and also from Jerusalem…

    20 Seeing their faith he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

    21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to think to themselves:

    “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

    22 But perceiving their thoughts, Jesus replied to them, 

    “Why are you thinking this in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”

    —he told the paralyzed man, “I tell you: Get up, take your stretcher, and go home.”

    25 Immediately he got up before them, picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. Then everyone was astounded, and they were giving glory to God. And they were filled with awe and said,

    “We have seen incredible things today.”

    Signs and Miracles

    The Messiah is predicted throughout Scripture (Old Testament) by many. First century witnesses no doubt quoted many verses after encountering Jesus. (They would have texted the latest to their friends, things like.)

    Know what I thought of when I heard Jesus today?
    What? & who is Jesus?
    Ezekiel. Jesus came here from Galilee and Samaria. Jesus is a Prophet!
    Like Ezekiel? How?
    You know it:
    כְּבַקָּרַת֩ רֹעֶ֨ה עֶדְרֹ֜ו בְּיֹום־הֱיֹותֹ֤ו בְתֹוךְ־צֹאנֹו֙ נִפְרָשֹׁ֔ות כֵּ֖ן אֲבַקֵּ֣ר אֶת־צֹאנִ֑י וְהִצַּלְתִּ֣י אֶתְהֶ֗ם מִכָּל־הַמְּקֹומֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָפֹ֣צוּ שָׁ֔ם בְּיֹ֥ום עָנָ֖ן וַעֲרָפֶֽל׃
    huh? oh I'm a bit rusty on my Hebrew
    “As a shepherd cares for his herd
     in the day when he is among
     his scattered sheep, 
    so I will care 
     for My sheep 
     and will deliver them 
     from all the places 
     to which they were scattered 
     on a cloudy and gloomy day.
    That's us alright, sheep scattered by Greeks, Rome and everyboby else.
    Tell me more about this Jesus

    Miracles! Miracles no ordinary man could do. And many Pharisees and other religious leaders from all over Galilee, Samaria, Judea and even the highest officials of Jerusalem witnessed the miracles of their Messiah Jesus.

    Some saw Jesus’ signs personally and others knew from reliable witnesses that this Son of Man was no ordinary man.

    Returning to the Gospel of John

    The Apostle John tells us at the conclusion of his Gospel that Jesus did many other things — too many to tell. Pharisees had plenty of evidence about the true identity of their Messiah right before them, yet by His Power they would lose theirs.

    In order to keep with our present scene just prior to the Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem (known as Palm Sunday), we’ll take just one more glance at the Pharisees in the crowded capital, preparing for both the crowds of the Passover festival and simultaneously by stealth seeking ways to kill the Messiah Jesus.

    We have been following John’s witness of Good News of the Messiah Jesus. He raised Lazarus from the grave!

    John does not follow a strictly chronological presentation of the evidence of Jesus Christ, born as a man, crucified and buried, raised from the grave then after many days and many more witnesses ascended once more into heaven.

    John 11:

    We’re back in Bethany, Lazarus has just walked out of his tomb, and you’ll have to imagine all of the texts going out to friends in Jerusalem and everywhere. (No photos, just imagine some 20th century communication.)

    45 So then, many of the Jews… who were eyewitnesses to what Jesus had done, believed in Him. But some of them went back to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

    47 Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying,

    “What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

    That’s really it, isn’t it, that those in power will often resort to anything to remain in power.

    This, of course, includes religious leaders who do not hold the Lord God dear to their own hearts. Some leading Jews, Christian and other religions have all been guilty of this witness to the world against the LORD.

    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; 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.

    57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it, so that they might seize Him.

    John 12:

    Now the Passover of the Jews was approaching

    All the talk around Jerusalem, all the chat, all the texts – everyone wondered if this Messiah Jesus would come to Jerusalem for the feast – the sacrifice of the Passover.

    Jesus has returned to Judah as far as Bethany to join his resurrected friend Lazarus in a family feast – a celebration at home before the great Jewish feast to which so many traveled yearly from near and far. Word gets out.

    9 Then a large crowd of the Jews learned he was there.

    woman with cell phone

    My friend traveling with the crowds saw the Messiah in Bethany!

    They came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, the one he had raised from the dead.

    Ahead in Jerusalem, waiting for Jesus

    10 But the chief priests had decided to kill Lazarus also, because he was the reason many of the Jews were deserting them and believing in Jesus.

    You know well the story of Jesus riding triumphantly up to the city gate of Jerusalem, the crowds worshiping Him laying palms before Him as He rode on the foal of a donkey.

    a crowd of people

    You know well the story of Jesus riding triumphantly up to the city gate of Jerusalem, the crowds worshiping Him laying palms before Him as He rode on the foal of a donkey.

    Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You see? You’ve accomplished nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!”

    John 12:19 CSB

    What sinister desperate plans will these religious leaders of Jerusalem about to be deposed text to each other next?

    You likely know the story of Holy Week and Palm Sunday, preached so many times to numb ears and distracted hearts. I have preached on it before as have so many. https://talkofjesus.com/jerusalem-defiled-awaits-king/

    Worship with your church Palm Sunday and ask yourself,

    IF I had witnessed the Messiah Jesus in Person, who would I text the GOOD NEWS?

    The Messiah approaches our city – SOON!

    Could you at least follow our scriptural posts by subscribing to talkofJesus.com and please comment.

    May the grace and peace of our Lord the Messiah Jesus be with you and remain with you always through God our Father and the Holy Spirit.

    NEXT: We will continue our series in the 
    Gospel of John, God-willing...
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