Seven Signs Revealing His Glory: Session 8 – The Last Enemy is Death

Notes:

The Last Enemy is Death    See Session Slides Here

  • John 11:3. Not ‘the one we love’, but ‘the one you love’ is sick, Jn.11:36. They did not tell Him to come; just informed Him of the situation and appealed to His love. You can tell Jesus your suffering.
  • Jn. 11:4. Jesus sent back a message: ‘This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God.’ But he did die. Prayer is making our requests known to God and leaving Him work out His will in the circumstances.
  • Jn. 11:6. For 2 days He remained. He does not respond in our time but His. He had 2 purposes in this:

1) That God and His Son be glorified through it

  • Jesus being glorified meant going to the cross, Jn.12:23; 7:39; Jn.12:16. Our main purpose in life is to live for His glory. ‘…that in all things God may be glorified’ ( 1 Pet.4:11).  1 Cor.10:31; 6:20.
  • Jn. 11:8-9. Going to Bethany to raise Lazarus would lead to His death and would bring glory to God.
  • Jesus said that we must travel in the daytime, i.e. walk in the light; to do the will of God. If we walk in God’s will, we never need worry about our lives being taken prematurely from us.
  • Jn. 11:11. Lazarus ‘sleeps’. This is a Christian term for death, Acts 7:60;  1 Thes.4:13;  1 Cor.15:6.
  • The word is never used about the soul, or the body, but the person. The word is appropriate because: 1) A person who is asleep has the appearance of one who is dead, and vice versa; 2) It is not meant to portray unconsciousness, but inactivity in the program of this present world. They from their labours.
  • This cannot possibly be a state of unconsciousness, Rich man and Lazarus; Lk.23:43; Phil.1:23;  2 Cor.5:8.
  • Jesus would raise him from the dead. This would lead to His own death and by this He would be glorified.

2) That their faith might be strengthened

  • Jn. 11:14-15. Jesus sets such high value on our faith. Untried faith may be true faith but it is little.
  • Jn. 11:17-19. There were 7 days of intense mourning.
  • Jn. 11:20-26. Martha: ‘If you had been here my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask God He will give you.’ She believed in His intercession’. ‘Your brother will rise again.’
  • ‘I know he will in the day of resurrection.’ She believed what most Jews believed – in the resurrection.
  • Jesus: ‘I AM the resurrection!’ The answer to our problems is a greater understanding of who Jesus is.
  • ‘Do you believe this? When depressed or distressed don’t look to the circumstances. Ask: What do you believe? Faith is not so much an issue of believing what He will do, but what He has done and who He is.
  • Jesus wants to strengthen your faith! Faith is often defective because of lack of knowledge. Faith cannot believe what it does not know, 2 Pet.3:18.
  • Shall never die. ‘But Christians do die’. Death, for the believer, is not a penal sentence. It is to vacate the body. That’s why the Bible often use the word ‘sleep’, 2 Cor.4:16; Rom.8:10. Do you believe this?
  • When we pass away we don’t cease to exist. We are very much alive,  1 Thes.5:9-10.
  • ‘Precious in the sight of theLord is the death of His saints’ (Psa.116:15); the body is buried but the soul is carried by angels to paradise (Lk.16:22). It is very much awake to the world it has entered and in a state of bliss. ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them”’ (Rev.14:13).

The last enemy is death

  • As Jesus confronted this enemy He was filled with 2 emotions: Jn.11:33. 1) He groaned in His spirit, i.e. was moved to anger, Mk.14:5. Face to face with sin, Satan and death; 2) Jn.11:35 Tears of love and compassion. Love made Him weep. He is our Great High Priest.
  • Jn. 11:38-39. He was still under the influence of these two emotions.
  • Jn. 11:42-44. He cried with a loud voice. Can be paraphrased: ‘Lazarus! This way out!’ See Jn.5:28.
  • Jn. 11:45-53. This miracle was the final straw for the Jewish authorities. Now we have to kill Him.
  • Note Jn.11:48. They openly admitted that He performed signs. They feared losing their lifestyle through a new movement resulting in Rome coming to crush it and take away their temple and city.

See the high priest’s prophetic utterance: Jn.11:50.


# Answers to this quiz are found in the notes above. Click on quiz to commence. Only correct spelling is recognised. A minimum 70%  correct is required to advance to the next session.