Lazarus Part 2

00:00:00 Speaker 1: I am the Resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live even if he dies. John eleven, twenty five. Heavenly Father, our spirits are uplifted and our hearts ignited with hope. This promise transcends the boundaries of our earthly existence, offering us a glimpse into the eternal. Embolden us with the courage to live fully in the truth of these words. Let the reality of the resurrection empower us to face each day with confidence. Knowing that in Jesus we have overcome the world. Inspire us to walk in the newness of life, to rise above challenges, and to manifest the victory we have in Him. More of doubt or despair. Remind us that Jesus is our life. Remind us that in Him we find the strength to conquer fear, the grace to endure trials, and the hope that lights our path. May our lives be a testament to the resurrection power at work within us, drawing others to seek the source of our hope and joy. Encourage us, O God, to embody the life that Jesus promises. To live not just for the moment, but with an eternal perspective, motivated by the love and life he gives in his mighty name, we pray Amen. Thank you for praying with me today. This is the Jesus Podcast. Remain here to immerse yourself in the heart wrenching story of Lazarus. If you've enjoyed this podcast so far and are wondering how to support us, follow, leave a review and share it with a friend. These small steps make all the difference. Thanks for making the mission possible. 00:02:20 Speaker 2: Everyone up, pack your things, bring enough for a few days. 00:02:24 Speaker 1: Peter grunted and pulled his mangled hair back. 00:02:27 Speaker 2: Where are we going back to Judea Bethany, to be specific? 00:02:32 Speaker 1: Jesus helped Matthew to his feet and ruffle John's hair. 00:02:36 Speaker 3: Master, last time you were there, they'd tried to stone you to death, and now you want you return? 00:02:42 Speaker 1: Why are there not twelve hours in the day, Jesus urged, with a knowing glint in his eyes. 00:02:48 Speaker 2: If anyone walks in the day, he doesn't stumble because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks at night, he stumbles because the light is not in him. 00:03:00 Speaker 1: Eh Ah, he's too early for riddles, Peter said, rubbing his temples. 00:03:06 Speaker 3: All right, I'll speak plainly. 00:03:09 Speaker 2: Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. 00:03:11 Speaker 3: But I intend to wake him. 00:03:14 Speaker 1: Jesus slung his pack over his shoulder and began walking out the door. The others huddled at the entrance, wondering what on earth Jesus was talking about. 00:03:24 Speaker 3: Lord, If Lazarus is asleep, won't he wake up on his own? 00:03:29 Speaker 1: Jesus stopped, sighed, and turned around. 00:03:33 Speaker 3: Lazarus has died. 00:03:35 Speaker 1: The others gasped, Jesus. 00:03:39 Speaker 3: You're so sorry. We know you two work close. Thank you, but I am glad for your sake. 00:03:47 Speaker 2: I wasn't there, because now now you will get to behold the works of God and believe. 00:03:54 Speaker 1: Jesus turned and started walking again. 00:03:57 Speaker 3: Come let's go wake him up. 00:04:00 Speaker 1: The disciples froze. There were many violent men in Judea waiting to harm them. Thomas grabbed his walking stick, sighed, and began walking after Jesus. He turned back to the others and said. 00:04:17 Speaker 2: Come on, I guess we're going to die with him. 00:04:19 Speaker 1: The men looked at each other and chuckled. They quickly gathered their things and followed Jesus to Judea. 00:04:31 Speaker 4: It is a powerfully moving thought that Jesus can relate to us completely choosing to become completely human. Jesus understands us on every level, the intricacies of our thoughts, the complexities of our emotions, even the depths of our heartache. As a man, Jesus empathizes with us. As God he seeks to empower us. You're listening to the Jesus Podcast. I hear a story showcasing the depth of christ love and the glory of God's truth. I'm Zach, your host from pray dot Com, and I'm really glad to be with you here today. Take a secon and follow the podcast as we finished with our last episode of Miracles of the Messiah. This is part two on the event of Lazarus being risen from the dead. Two days after Jesus hears his dear friend Lazarus is sick. Can the Disciples travel to Bethany, the small town outside Jerusalem. There he'll meet with Marian Mortham. Our story today is a heart wrenching account placing us in the middle of the loss of a loved one. Many of us know that incredible pain, confusion, and emotional turmoil associated with this kind of suffering, But nobody knows it better than Jesus, the giver of life. When Jesus spoke the word into existence, when Jesus spoke the world into existence, all things fell in glad submission to its creator. But through the sin of man came brokenness in all things, even life itself. Though death is what we consider to be a natural part of life, it was never God's intended plan. The story of Lazarus highlights God's tender mercy, his heart for compassion, and ultimately, his desire to conquer sin and death while giving life to all those who believe in him. 00:06:01 Speaker 1: Thunder rumbled in the distance. The tall grass on the hills swayed in every direction. Jesus and the Disciples camped on the outskirts of Bethany. Jesus sent John to tell Martha and Mary he had arrived. Martha summited the hill with John. She wore black garments. Her eyes were swollen from tears. She marched up the hill with angry force. John was behind her, giving Jesus a worried look. Jesus stood to his feet and clenched his mouth. He sighed and walked over to Martha. 00:06:45 Speaker 3: Martha ay. 00:06:48 Speaker 5: We sent word to you. 00:06:50 Speaker 1: She interrupted. Her body was shaking with grief. 00:06:54 Speaker 5: We told you he was sick, and you did nothing. 00:06:58 Speaker 1: The wind blew between them. Martha's cold and callous tone matched the chill in the air. 00:07:06 Speaker 5: If you had been here, Lazarus would still be alive. 00:07:10 Speaker 1: Thunder billowed again in the distance. Martha's brow turned upward and her face released a river of tears. She fell to the ground and sobbed. Jesus stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. She cried into his shoulder. 00:07:31 Speaker 4: He's gone, Jesus, he's gone. 00:07:36 Speaker 3: My baby brother is dead. 00:07:41 Speaker 1: Jesus hushed and gently rocked Martha. He said nothing. The other men watched helplessly. Death was a cruel and unforgiving thief. Martha wiped her eyes and looked up at him. 00:08:01 Speaker 5: Even still, I know that God will do whatever you ask. 00:08:05 Speaker 1: Jesus voice was soft, tender and reassuring. 00:08:10 Speaker 3: Your brother will rise again. 00:08:13 Speaker 1: Martha composed herself and drew a deep breath. 00:08:18 Speaker 5: I know he will rise again on the final day. Knowing that we will all be together again one day brings some comfort. 00:08:26 Speaker 1: Jesus stood and helped Martha to her feet. His eyes looked down the hill. The wind picked up and blew downward where lazarus tomb was. He clenched his jaw and turned to Martha. 00:08:41 Speaker 3: I am the Resurrection and Life. 00:08:45 Speaker 1: Lightning struck behind him, illuminating his intense gaze. All the disciples looked at him with awe and curiosity. What was he about to do? The rain finally fell, drenching the earth below. 00:09:02 Speaker 2: Who Ever believes in me, even though he may die, will have eternal life. 00:09:08 Speaker 3: Do you believe this? 00:09:10 Speaker 5: Yes? 00:09:11 Speaker 1: Lord, Martha replied with a gentle breath. 00:09:14 Speaker 5: I know you are the Messiah, the son of the Living God, the one who has come to save the world. 00:09:22 Speaker 1: Jesus turned his face from the hill and looked at Martha. 00:09:26 Speaker 3: Go get Mary. 00:09:27 Speaker 1: Mary looked out the window, watching the fallen rain form small streams down the dirt path outside her house. Tears slowly fell down her face and on to the edge of the window sill. Soon her tears would be enough to join the streams outside. The door behind her creaked open. Martha entered gently. She whispered softly, the. 00:09:55 Speaker 5: Teacher is here, Mary. Jesus yes, and asked for you. He's on the hilltop just outside town. 00:10:03 Speaker 1: Mary wasted no time. She wrapped herself up and bolted out the door. Some Jewish mourners and local rabbis sprang up when they had noticed how quickly she had left. They supposed she was going to the tomb, not fathoming that Jesus would be foolish enough to return to Judea. They followed Mary and Martha up the muddy hills to where Jesus was. The rain fell sideways into her face. She tripped in the mud on the way. When she finally reached the top, she fell into Jesus' arms. 00:10:44 Speaker 5: Master, if you had been here, my brother wouldn't have died. 00:10:48 Speaker 1: When Jesus saw Mary's tears, he couldn't help but show his sorrow. He looked at the procession of hired mourners and officials. They were surprised to see Jesus. One of them had already left down the hill to tell the Pharisees. Deeply troubled and grieved, Jesus asked, where have you laid him? They led him down the muddy path leading to lazarus tomb. A large crowd formed behind them, Mary, Martha, the Twelve, and the smattering of other Jewish officials and hired mourners descended down the path in the rain. Jesus stepped forward and touched the large stone blocking the entrance. His hand quivered as he felt it. His jaw shook, and tears appeared in the corners of his eyes. He slammed his fist against the dark stone and let out a cry. Jesus wept. The thunder beat in tandem with his sorrowful laments. Jesus looked up to Heaven, connecting with the heart of his father. 00:12:04 Speaker 3: This is not supposed to happen. 00:12:07 Speaker 1: Jesus whispered. God was the creator of life, not death. Death was the true and final enemy, the enemy Jesus was determined to defeat. 00:12:22 Speaker 3: Look at how much he loved him. 00:12:24 Speaker 1: Some Jews said to each other. 00:12:26 Speaker 3: He could heal the blind, what couldn't save his closest friend. 00:12:30 Speaker 1: The rain was beating down relentlessly. The earth seemed to be in unity with the heart of Jesus. Creation wept with him. Still facing the tomb, he yelled. 00:12:44 Speaker 2: Peter Andrew everyone, come roll away the stone. 00:12:50 Speaker 5: Lord, He's been dead for four days. The odor will be horrendous. 00:12:55 Speaker 1: Jesus turned, with intensity in his voice. 00:12:58 Speaker 2: Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God. 00:13:03 Speaker 1: His eyes were filled with holy fire. The twelve stepped forward, trudging through the mud, and began pushing the stone. It ground against the floor, slowly opening. A crippling odor seeped through the tomb entrance. The disciples and others covered their noses and retreated. Jesus looked at the dark entrance of the tomb, then up to Heaven, the showers washing over his face. Jesus raised his voice against the rain and thunder. 00:13:40 Speaker 2: Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me. This has all been for the benefit of those standing here today. 00:13:52 Speaker 3: This is so they would all believe that you have sent me. 00:13:56 Speaker 1: Lightning struck again over the tomb under clapped. Seconds later, as the Son of God stepped through the mire, Jesus roared toward the tomb, louder than the rolling thunder and more powerful than the wind. 00:14:12 Speaker 3: Lazarus come out. 00:14:16 Speaker 1: The wind shifted east to west, blowing away from Jesus toward the tomb. Then in an instant, the rain ceased and all was still. A sliver of light cracked through the darkened skies. Jesus gaze didn't leave the grave. The others watched with bated breath, still silent, Then slicing the silence, they heard a stirring from within, first a groan huh, then a sigh of relief. Gasps echoed through the hillside, followed by shrieks from the women. Lazarus stepped into the light, uncoiling his bandages from around his arms and face. He blinked in the sunlight like a newborn. His arms and legs were solid and sturdy, but still bound. He could barely take a step, like Adams so many generations ago. The breath of life raised Lazarus from the ground. Mazrous, Mary and Martha ran to him. Master Mary, the two women leaped into their brother's arms. He fell into the mud immediately. His legs were still bound in grave clothes. The three laughed like they were children again. Lazarus saw Jesus standing, soaked from the rain, but beaming ear to ear. 00:16:01 Speaker 3: Jesus, let's get these clothes off you. They meant for a dead man. 00:16:06 Speaker 1: For thousands of generations, death had had the final word. Jesus would no longer allow death to rob the joy of his creation, he saw death as an unworthy adversary. From that day forth, he set his gaze on Jerusalem. Death was awaiting its challenger. 00:16:34 Speaker 4: In the second part of the story of Lazarus, we get to witness one of the few miracles of Jesus raising someone from the dead as a whole. Lazarus's resurrection is a perfect example of the gospel the good News of life in Jesus. It's a reminder that good news is only good because it's preceded by bad news. But if we keep our eyes on Jesus, we can take even our most dire and bleak circumstances and use them as a display for his glory and a picture of how life flourishes in his presence. When Jesus arrives in Bethany, Mary and Martha are still overwhelmed by the bad news that Lazarus has died. To them, Jesus was too late, and he had promised to come. It's this pain that causes both Mary and Martha to meet Jesus on the edge of town and cry out in anguish. Mary has a certain reaction coming to him in despair, Martha has a more bitter tone to her. This tender moment between Jesus and his friends should help settle our hearts in our grief, as it reminds us that even though God sees the bigger picture in our circumstances, He's still willing to take the time to comfort us in our pain and our despair and in our doubt. Even when we are angry at God himself, he is present, he is moving, and his arms are open wide. I often feel this way with my toddler. My toddler throws a lot of temperatatrums. He doesn't always understand what I'm trying to do for him. However, even in his anger, my arms are open wide for him. He might be mad at me because I took something away, or mad at me as I'm trying to teach him a lesson, But in it all I still have tender love towards him. In fact, this whole situation has been engineered for him and for his good. God does not hold our bitterness and our anger in our resentment against us. He wants to meet us exactly where we are. The question for us is whether we're going to run into his arms or not. He doesn't take it personally, as long as you continue to depend on him. Be a peace in your weakness by bringing it to God. He will continue to remind you of his promises. David's words in Psalm one nineteen come to mind, remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope my comfort in my suffering. Is this your promise preserves my life. I want to empathize with that last part of David's psalm, your promise preserves my life. When we're suffering, it's important to remember exactly what God has promised for us. From Mary and Martha, it was that their brother's illness wouldn't lead to death. However, when Jesus tells Martha that her brother would rise again, she responds in a self comforting way by reminding herself that Lazarus indeed would arrest again in the residrection in the last days. But this wasn't a promise Jesus had given to her. He had promised that the illness would not end in death. It can be easy to comfort ourselves by trying to rationalize what God is doing, but sometimes the work God is doing to fulfill his promises isn't rational at all. We have to hold on to a God actually promises us, rather than trying to fit his plan into our own mental boxes. To do so might give us momentary reprieve from our afflictions, but it doesn't provide any sense of comfort that will last. Remember, if God has promised to do something, he will do exactly what he says. We just need to believe. This is what Jesus asks of Martha when he meets her on that hill. He needs to get her into a place of belief before she's able to fully comprehend Jesus's power over death. Even though Martha is struggling to believe, Jesus is willing to meet her in her heartache, and he's willing to do the same for us. The Gospel tells us that Jesus is the resurrection in the life, and we can find new life in him if we just believe in him and call upon him as our savior. What an incredible promise this is to us, one we can hold on to with full assurance of hope. But for some of us we may feel weary from the weight of this world. And you're not alone. What happens next in our story holds some of the most emotional impact in the shortest verse in all scripture. After Jesus speaks with Mary and comforts her in her grief, he asks where Lazarus has been laid, and as they make their way to his tomb, we're told in Luke eleven thirty two, Jesus wept only two words, the shortest passage in all of scripture. The god of the universe, who holds all things in his hands, was filled with sadness to the point of tears as he grappled with the darkest part of sin. Sting death. Jesus knows that creation was never meant to be this way. He's not a removed god who looks at our brokenness with pity. He enters into our hurt and mourns with us. He weeps with us. As much as we hate the effects of sin, God hates it even more, so much so that he was willing to do anything to fix it, even die himself. When Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, he's not only bringing comfort to his friends, he's foreshadowing the events that would soon transpire in Jerusalem. When Jesus dies, is buried in the grave, and then rises again. During his ministry, he performed so many spectacular miracles that inspired faith, stirred up hearts for worship, and brought people unimaginable transformation. But he performed the greatest miracle of all when he conquered sin, defeated death, and rose to new life. And all he calls us to do to experience these same miracles is believe in him and have faith. Thanks again for listening to the Jesus Podcast. That concludes our mini series on the Miracles of the Messiah. In our next episode, we're going to begin an entirely new series focusing on the Sermon on the Mount. We'll take the truth that Jesus preached on the Sermon on the Mount and then will connect it to some Old Testament stories or some stories from the Book of Acts. We are going to show that each Bible story is a thread in a grand tapestry communicating the greatness of Jesus and the King of God. You're also going to meet a friend of mine, Ethan, another host from pray dot Com. I'm sure you're going to love him, but take heart, Zach's not going anywhere. I'm gonna still be here in the background, writing these stories and riding the wave with you. It's been a pleasure