John 11: 28-40
....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." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where had you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes for the blind man have kept this man from dying?' Jesus, once move, was deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said. "But Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God."
It is recorded in this passage that Jesus was much troubled twice. Why was He troubled? First, He saw the ignorance of these people because they recognized not the sovereignty of God, his fullness and power. To them, Jesus was a God who could heal because they had seen his healing power by touching the sick. But they could not envision he could raise the dead because to them death is an obstacle impossible to overcome.
When Mary came before the Lord Jesus, she knelt before him and lamented, "Lord, if you have been here, my brother would not have died, because I know you are the God who heals. But he is dead now, there is nothing you can do." Jesus was troubled because of Mary's faith and understanding for him was so limited.
Not only did Mary behave this like, the Jews at the time also did. The Jews said, "Could not he who opened the eyes for the blind man have kept this man from dying?" They felt that if Jesus truly loved Lazarus, he would never let him die, but now Lazarus was dead, there was not anything he could have done. Again Jesus was troubled because of their ignorance and disbelief.
So when Jesus instructed that the stone of the tomb be removed, Martha reacted immediately, "But Lord, by this time, there is a bad odor." Although Martha had heard Jesus preached before, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he who believes in me, though he was dead, yet shall be live," Martha could not remember this, but Jesus reminded her once again, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God." Brothers and sisters, how much do you know God? How much faith do you have in Him? May the Lord help us to follow Him closely everyday!
Pray with Pastor Tong
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