This column will occasionally be used for "Random acts of Bible Studies"---I have so many Bible studies running online, that I am reluctant to open another, but once in awhile I find something so 'cool' or clear, at least, while studying that I want to write a little study, but it doesn't fit topically into the continuing studies, so, for now, here in Judah's Glory Blog, I will offer a few vignettes here and there which I hope are helpful to those using the other Bible Studies on Judah's Glory.
I have been writing often on the topic of the Healing of Messiah, and the way he approached people he wished to heal: those studies may be found at healingofchrist.blogspot.com, an ongoing study. However, the other day, while studying in the Gospel of John, at the raising of Lazarus, I noted a little more than before in Yshua's dealing with Mary and Martha about the death of the brother both they and Jesus loved.
Jesus (Yshua), Mary, Martha and Lazarus
Jesus knew and loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus, the brothers and sisters who show up more than once in his life and teachings, showing faith, belief, attending to the good things of God and true friendship and hospitality. It appears he stayed often in their home at Bethany right outside of Jerusalem, and at least once cautioned Martha not to rebuke Mary for sitting at His feet, attending to the most important things in the Kingdom of Heaven, before the cares of this world.
Exactly who these three siblings were, we know only a little, save for Mary being the Mary who washed the Savior's feet with her tears and precious ointment, and while the two are not directly tied, the poor beggar at the rich man's gate who goes to Heaven to Abraham's bosom while the Rich man suffers in hell, is named Lazarus, not a small coincidence if it be one given the miracle attending the events in question.
A Blind Man Sees, and the Pharisees Cry for Darkness
Jesus has just performed the miracle of centuries: he has healed a man born blind since birth which in and of itself is the pronouncement prophesied for centuries, that He is indeed the Messiah, the Meschiach, King of Israel, for none before, even a prophet or 'nabe' could have done that. It caused such a stir that many believed, and the Pharisees, many of whom had illegally obtained their positions, immediately seek to find out who this is, and even with the most amazing evidence of His Messiahship, they look to devise ways to 'do him in' and even kill him, although in the process they show that they
1)have only a little knowledge of the Scriptures and
2) would do the Messiah in if it meant keeping their position.
Plotting to kill Jesus, that one man might die for Israel, they serendipitously declare his purpose, in a Deliverance which most of Israel cannot see. But just as the "Light of the World" has sent light into a blind man's eyes, and opened the eyes of spiritually blind Israel, Yshua HaMeschiach, Jesus, is about to show that he is the Light and the LIFE, and if one thinks no greater miracle could be done, He is about to do it: the raising of one several days dead.
It may seem at this point that this bible study is yet another among thousands about merely the raising of Lazarus, but instead, it is of interest, the pattern of belief and the manner of faith which Jesus sought and cultivated, deep enough to exact Salvation. Most today who accept Christ, or 'get saved' a term which doesn't do justice to the atonement, nod in acquiescence but too often do not trust and believe with the fervent faith which really exacts the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which is the earnest of our Salvation. The conversation among Mary Martha and Jesus when Lazarus dies, teaches a great deal about that 'leaning in', 'leaning on' type of faith, and the work of God which was brought about, because of the faith.
Now, faith IS the work of God! When we go looking for God's will, so often we are looking for something to do: does God want me to go on a mission's trip, or take that job, or buy that house, or work down at the shelter, etc, etc, and we are looking for a 'work of God' that we can take as an assignment and get busy. The real work and will of the Father, though, is not as much doing, as BELIEVING. 'Doing things' will follow, but the WORK OF GOD is BELIEF. And the FAITH, which pleases God, is not of ourselves, but is given to us. (Eph 2:8).
Lazarus Has Died.
The incident Jesus encounters as he leaves the healing of the blind man, is Lazarus' sisters pleading with Jesus about his sickness, and when Jesus hears he says
This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. John 11:4
Yshua, Jesus, however does not go immediately to see his beloved friend, their brother, but continues his ministry, during which time, Lazarus dies. The backdrop for this miracle, and this discussion of saving faith, is hardly one which any would expect: it seems just the opposite. Mary and Martha, trusting the Messiah, their friend and Rabbi, believe above most of Israel and certainly above most of the world, that if Jesus says it, he will do it. If Yshua says that Lazarus will not die, he will not die, but Jesus will come and heal him.
Jesus though did not say that Lazarus would not die: only that the sickness was not unto death, so it must have seemed that when Lazarus died, that Jesus had to have been wrong. So often in the Scriptures and in our own lives, even when we are sure of a command of God, we balk, or back up seeing what looks like impossibilities, or we feel that he has asked of us something we cannot do or that is not even possible. Many, think a promise of God could not possibly keep under some circumstances, just as Abraham did raising the axe above Isaac: the promises kept though, and faith was rewarded, then as in this case.
Along the way back to Bethany, though he reminds them all that He is the light in 11:9-10. And then he makes a most remarkable statement:
Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. John 11:11
The disciples do not understand his use of the word 'sleep', so Jesus plainly states:
Lazarus is dead. John 11:14
Belief and Unbelief
In the very next statement, though Yshua, Jesus declares just what this overwhelming miracle is about: BELIEF. He states his intent clearly in 11:15:
"And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the INTENT YE MAY BELIEVE..."
When Yshua arrives in Bethany, Martha states both utter faith and disbelief in a short sentence:
"Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." 11:21
That statement is curious because even after Lazarus' death, Martha his sister, the more 'worldly' one, still declares her faith in the Messiah: she does not say, 'you're not for real', this sickness was unto death, I don't believe'---no, instead she affirms that even though the events do not make sense given what is before them and what Yshua said previously, that she still knows, that he is the healer, and has sovereignty over illness, disease and death. She must have also known that he never dealt in half-truths, only truth, so her bewilderment comes at seeing what she surmizes could not have happened with what Jesus said, but did nonetheless, yet rather than cast herself to despair and doubt, she merely states that if Jesus had been there, Lazarus would not have died.
The Anatomy of Saving Faith and Belief
In the next few verses we see the Savior himself, "The Life" extracting belief and faith in the course of divine intervention, of the most wondrous sort mankind had ever seen: raising a man from the dead. Most brands of Christian faith have alot less trouble with the Cross than with the empty tomb. Crosses hang on every altar, and countless songs mourn our redeemer's pain and suffering rightfully so, but when it gets to the resurrection, we add it as a footnote, and yet that is what makes our faith not just a 'faith' or religion but belief in THE way of God: the Messiah led captivity captive by OVERTAKING DEATH: he delivered from sin, death and hell. He did not just suffer an ethereal martyrdom which somehow gave us a 'handstamp' that allowed us into heaven, but he CONQUERED death, laying it under foot. It has no power, now, in belief, and no victory. There would be no gifts of the Holy Spirit without the resurrection, there would be no indwelling of the Holy Spirit, no victory over darkness nor no salvation without the "Life" overcoming Death, just as the "Light (of the world)" overcame darkness.
Here then, is the 'anatomy'(perhaps a poor choice of words) of the Belief and Faith Jesus was cultivating :
1. Statement of Faith:
In 11:22 Martha says "but I know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee." 11:22
The statement of faith shows that though the event of his death makes no sense, Martha knows , she KNOWS God will do the thing, and that Jesus and His Father are one. That is not wavering faith.
2. The Declaration of God
Jesus' response is her reward:
"thy brother shall rise again" John 11:23
This is how God is, this is how he speaks. No 'ifs, ands or buts' he declares the resurrection of her brother. Now Israel had heard most of its life about the resurrection at the end of time, when all arise to the judgment of God, to the 'Book of Life' (remember David prayed 'blot me not out') and the faithful awaited it as a basic tenet of doctrine. Yshua , the King of Israel and LIfe though is saying much more, "thy brother shall rise again" meant a contemporary thing, not a 'maybe at the end of time thing' (there is no 'maybe'). And Martha, confirms this true belief of Israel of the endtimes, not understanding the fullness of what Jesus has said, by
3. Confirmation of God's Declaration- belief
"...John 11:24 I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
Note 11:24b: the 'resurrection at the last day': she indicates belief in God's way and doctrine, but her belief in the living word, the Living water in front of her is incomplete. However, even this little faith, genuine and the 'real article' is then fed by what Jesus says next, an astounding truth requiring one's whole self, heart, spirit and soul to believe:
4.Jesus Declares the Fullness of God: I Am the Way, The Truth and the Life:
John 11:25:... I am the resurrection and the LIfe: he that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live:"
Here is the 'step' up in faith, though it is more of a Mt Kilamanjaro of faith: Jesus does not point to the resurrection, he is not merely the 'agent' of the resurrection, HE IS THE RESURRECTION, so great a statement, that one either enters into a greater faith and heavenly plateau in knowing God, or one quits and turns back. Yshua is saying 'believe and live' and He is about to show that this is no mere religious ordinance or requirement, but a living thing with real power: he continues with the second part , which is the promise of Resurrection,
5.ETERNAL LIFE
John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
Living and believing go together. Life is in belief and belief is in life: all else is death, despair and doubt. Life and belief go from level to level, growing greater in the gift of faith from God: doubt and despair in those refusing living waters also grows greater and greater, till one cannot see God or the life he offers.
And Jesus then asks the question "Believest thou this?" There is the question, which leads one into citizenry in his Kingdom, into conversation with Him, into the Love of centuries: "Believest thou this".
I walked for many years in unbelief. I was in academic environments and we were too 'sophisticated' and 'educated' we thought for such things as 'faith' although the truth is, most of us knew very little of faith. Faith is not based upon IQ though: faith in the "RESURRECTION and the LIFE" has been held by simple children and such scholars as CS Lewis, and Blaise Pascal. That 'substance of things not seen' , faith is a language of belief, and a divine economy , a divine reason and wisdom apart from human reasonings: the faith of God requires a stepping out in trust and grows with each confirmation. Jesus has asked for centuries: "Believest thou this", and when Martha steps up to the greater faith she replies:
6. The Belief Unto Salvation
"Yea Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ
the Son of God,
which should come into the World. 11:27
Observe what she confirms in this rather hard task of belief: that Jesus is indeed the Messiah, that He is the Son promised even in Psalms, and that God sent Him into the World. That's an enormous faith before Pentecost. But here is the task of belief we all face: the Messiah has told us who and what He is. He has shown us every proof and fulfillment of every prophecy. He has shown us he is the LIFE and Resurrection, today, now, not in some distant future. And his requirement? "Believest thou this?"
There will be more to believe before Yshua is finished his ministry: there will be one most substantial requirement: to believe He is the Lamb of God, the one Isaac and Abraham saw on Moriah, who would take away the sins of the world, by an act so divine it can be seen only by faith. But then, that's the ensign God required, and He can do it his way, can't he? Mary and Martha, and soon Lazarus would need also to cast that trusting faith in the blood of the Resurrection and the Life, sealing the Covenant of God forever, the covenant of eternal life.
Lazarus, A Tomb and a Promise
There is yet one more critical thing to this 'anatomy' of belief: Jesus has promised LIFE, and that right present. When this Dialogue of Belief takes place, Martha has completed the work of God that Messiah had for her: belief in what He asked, belief in Him. The result? Against all belief and in what must have been one of the most frightening moments of all Israeli history , Jesus walks to the tomb,and shows Martha what faith in God can mean:
Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" John 11:40
and in John 11:41-42, He confirms again it is for the sake of BELIEF that he raises Lazarus from death:
"Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 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.
And He says "Lazarus Come Forth", and the dead man, his beloved friend is quickened from the dead. I noted one thing that is not often noted: He is bound hand and foot and his face covered. He did not 'walk out' of that tomb, the suddenness and power of God's voice appears to have caused a man dead 4 days with the liniments of death encasing him and any way he could have breathed, must have meant that he abruptly stood up: they had to unbind him. Jesus commands "Loose him and let him go" in 11:44, and well, the list for the Passover dinner the next week was increased by one very important visitor.
BELIEF. Mary and Martha saw the reward of their faith: their brother was returned to them alive, but even more than that, they had come to know the Messiah as the Resurrection and the LIFE: the MESCHIACH of the God of Israel, who could deliver even from death. Belief is the Work of God.
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