ALL ABOUT YOU: GIDEON, CHAPTER 37LAZARUS COME FORTH06-27-04 THE NEEDFUL THING (Luke
10:38-42) Now it came to pass, as
they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister
called Mary, which also sat
at Jesus' feet [i.e. humility: honor, praise, worship], and heard his word [i.e.
study] [GOOD GROUND]. But Martha was cumbered [to
drag all around, (fig.) to distract (with care)] about much serving [AMONG
THE THORNS], and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my
sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha,
Martha, thou art careful [anxious
about: take thought] and troubled
about many things: But one
thing is needful [necessary]:
and Mary hath chosen that
good part, which shall not be taken away from her. GOD’S PURPOSE IN THE LIFE OF LAZARUS (the example) (John
11:1-4) Now a certain man was
sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany [date-house],
the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment [John
12:1-3], and wiped his feet with
her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent
unto him [sent a servant unto Jesus],
saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he
said, This sickness is not unto death,
but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. 1.
glorified = Gk: to render (or esteem) glorious (in a wide
application):--(make) glorify (-ious), full of (have) glory, honour, magnify. FEAR NOT (John
11:5-10) Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard
therefore that he was sick, he abode two
days still in the same place where he was [Why?]. Then after that [two
days] saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. His disciples
say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee [John
10:31-39 (teaching in the porch of the temple)]; and goest thou thither
again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in
the day, he stumbleth not, because he
seeth the light [to shine or make
manifest, espec. by rays] of this
world [kosmos]. But if a man walk in
the night, he stumbleth [to trip up],
because there is no light in him. 1.
(John 9:4,5) I must work the
works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no
man can work. As long as I am in the world, I
am the light of the world. 2.
night = Heb: a twist (away of the light), i.e. night; fig.
adversity. THOMAS (the wavering believer – vacillating –
partially convinced) (John
11:11-16) These things said he: and
after that he saith unto them, Our friend
Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his
disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of
his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in
sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus
is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to
the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. Then said Thomas
[the twin], which is called Didymus [double, i.e. twin], unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that
we may die with him. 1.
(James 1:8) A double minded [two-spirited,
i.e. vacillating (in opinion or purpose)] man is unstable
in all his ways [i.e. soulical and
spiritual – a carnal Christian (fleshly Christian)]. MARTHA (the unstudious believer – convinced – but
among the thorns) (John
11:17-27) Then when Jesus came, he
found that he had lain in the grave four
days already. Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen
furlongs off [about 2 miles]: And many
of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their
brother. Then Martha, as soon as
she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in
the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord,
if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now,
whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy
brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise
again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I
am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were
dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never
die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou
art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. MARY (the studious believer – convinced – on good
ground) (John
11:28-35) And when she had so said,
she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly [privately],
saying, The Master [Teacher]
is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she
arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town,
but was in that place where Martha met him. The Jews then which were with her in
the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and
went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet,
saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been
here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping,
and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he
groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him?
They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus
wept. THE JEWS (the unbelievers – totally unconvinced –
by the way side) (John
11:36,37) Then said the Jews, Behold
how he loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, which
opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have
died? THE CAVE (“six waterpots of stone” John 2:6) (John
11:38-42) Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave,
and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone.
Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he
stinketh: for he hath been dead four
days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest
believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the
stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and
said, 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. 1.
(Mat 12:40) For as Jonah was
three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be
three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE (“the water that was
made wine” John 2:9) (John
11:43-46) And when he thus had
spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus
[i.e. wine], come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and
foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin.
Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let
him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the
things which Jesus did, believed on
him. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told
them what things Jesus had done. 1.
(John 3:18-21) He that
believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned
already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of
God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and
men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For
every one that doeth evil hateth the
light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved
[rebuked, i.e. hidden sin]. But
he that doeth truth cometh to the
light, that his deeds may be made manifest [rendered
apparent], that they are wrought in God. 2.
(John 5:25) Verily, verily,
I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead [Lazarus] shall hear the
voice of the Son of God: and they that
hear shall live. Amen
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