Hello, friend and
welcome to a visit--
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visit where we going
spend a few minutes with Jesus.
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I am Don Pate for
"Between the Lines"
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and it's my distinct privilege
to spend time with you.
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Looking at some
of the Gospel events
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where we can come
to know Jesus better
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than may be we have before.
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And start to get
even better taste
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what would be to
be with Him forever.
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What a joy? What a hope?
What a blessed hope we have.
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And so as we begin to look
at a very famous Gospel event.
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I would invite you
to the pray with me
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that may be the Holy Spirit
will find a way to peel back
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a page that
we've not seen before.
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To bring it into a
fresh reality for us today.
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Let's pray, Lord,
thank you so much today
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for our precious
privilege of having the word
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and having the opportunity
to spend time in the word.
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We would ask you to
teach us to grow us,
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to mature us more
toward the stature of Jesus.
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This is our prayer
in Christ name, Amen.
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Id' like first to spend
time looking at an event
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that is so well
known within Christianity
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that some has would
become just casual with it,
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that it would
become a somewhat content
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with the fact they well.
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I know that story and as result,
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you remember the
old phrase in English
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familiarity breeds contempt.
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And we--we get
to know as so well
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that it loses it's
power, it loses it's bite.
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I'd like first to spend time
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with an event
recorded in the Gospel of John.
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John Chapter 11, now
soon as I say John Chapter 11
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you're probably way
ahead and you say okay John--
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John 11:35 Jesus wept.
There you have it, okay.
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We're going to spend time
with Lazarus story. It's true.
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And yet I have a feeling my
friend that there is something
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that we yet had to
discover in this passage.
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That will make a difference in,
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how I live my
life this afternoon.
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Tomorrow morning,
middle of next week,
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if I allow the
Holy Spirit to teach me,
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and so I do invite
you to take your Bible
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and turn to the fourth
Gospel of New Testament.
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To the Gospel of
John we're gonna spend
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a few minutes with Jesus.
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And I have a feeling
that you're not gonna invest
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yourself in anything
better in the next few minutes
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then spend a time with Jesus.
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So I invite you
turn to John Chapter 11,
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now you remember
how the story starts,
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It says that, "there
was certain man" verse one.
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"There is a
certain man who was sick,
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named Lazarus, of Bethany,
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the town of Mary
and her sister Martha."
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Now it was that same
Mary who anointed the Lord
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with ointment and wipe
His feet with her hair,
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whose brother Lazarus was sick.
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Now that's very important that
this definition of focusing down
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on the fact that would this
is the Mary we're talking about.
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We're not talking
about any of the other three
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or four, five Mary's
available in the New Testament.
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By the way just
little Bible trivia here,
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Mary is not the most
common name of the Bible.
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There are more
women named something else
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then Mary and
that may surprise you.
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And when I tell you unless
you're a real Bible student
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you will know this.
When I tell what it is,
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you'll go, "Oh, really".
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I never would have
guessed it's the name Makkah.
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There are more women name Makkah
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in the bible than
Mary" but certainly
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when you get in
the New Testament
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they're seems to
be this competition
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of the dueling
Mary's-- Mary this, Mary that
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and sometimes we
tend to get confuse
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what's wonderful
about those first two verses
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is the john is doing something.
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That probably caused some
of the early Christians to go
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"Excuse me, John did you just
say what I thought you said?"
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You see John was
the last Gospel written.
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And he by his own confession
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especially at
the end of the book.
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He by his own confession
as look my intention in--
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in giving you the stories
is to fill in the blanks.
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That you had for a long time,
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some sense of Jesus did
this and he also did this
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and oh! Yes, he did this
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but he said there are stories
in between the gaps there.
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You never heard because he said,
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"I--I saw when Matthew
said, and I saw when Mark said,
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and I saw and reported
and I saw Luke when reported.
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And they're good. It's
great but it's not enough.
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I need to give you more,
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of course when you
come to the end of the book.
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Jesus, I give up, I quit.
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You know, if I feel the whole
sky with the stories of Jesus.
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You know, we can just
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keep going and going
that'll have to be enough.
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That's obviously still
more of modern paraphrase
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of how John describes it.
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But He is very clearly
shares that his intention
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is going to be that he
is going to give stories
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and insights that you
wouldn't have discovered
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if you only read
Matthew, Mark and Luke.
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Now one of the
few Gospel stories
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that is told in all
four of the Gospels,
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one of the few is
the story of a woman,
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a fallen woman who
washes the feet of Jesus.
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And--and wipes
that up with her hair.
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It's very interesting
that the first three gospels
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the ones that written
Matthew, Mark and Luke.
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They didn't say
who the woman was?
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And they just said, "you
know, this woman a notoriously,
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you know woman of ill
repute refuge, you know.
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And that she did this act
and it was embarrassing and--
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You know, but Jesus said,
it's a great sweet Gospel story.
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And that we are
to tell the story
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where of the gospel goes forward
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Jesus commanded
the story to--to go on.
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He wanted the
story of this anointing
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perpetuated to the end of time.
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John must have
nearly strip the gears
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of some of the early Christian
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because John written
may be 15, 18 or 20 years
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after the other three
Gospels were already finished
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and being disseminated
around among the followers.
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John suddenly
starts write the stories
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and this is all by the way,
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this is all tell you the story
about the reason of Lazarus
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and about his
sister, whose name was Martha
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and her sister
whose name was Mary.
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And but he says,
oh, we remember Mary,
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Martha sweet wonderful saints.
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Oh, just grate
ladies of the Lord.
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And John says, oh, by the way
Mary was also the fallen woman.
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He was the one who revealed
the identity of the woman,
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who was the women of ill
repute at the feet of Jesus.
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Now how could he get away
with that why would He do it,
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that--it's very
simple most people believe it
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because Mary probably
was not alive anymore.
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That this Gospel was
written 15, 18, 20 years
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after the others and
when Mark reported it
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as he heard from
Peter, he probably said,
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ah, this is great
story and Jesus said,
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we got a tell a story but
I can't tell you who it was?
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And I would just
the names irrelevant
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because Mary was still alive
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and you know why
should we embarrass her,
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but when she is dead,
what harms are going to do?
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And how it must of just shaken
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the foundations
of the early church
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when they read
this and they said,
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"Mary fallen woman, it
saintly Mary what your kidding?
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When He reveals the identity
of the woman in this passage,
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it just--just a
wonderful insight,
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Lazarus is very
sick and the sisters
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verse three, they sent a
messenger up to find Jesus.
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But Jesus was not
right there and the Bethany
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is just a half skip on a
jump over the mount of olives.
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Now the mount of
olives, is not much,
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it is in even
the biggest mountain
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around Jerusalem by the way.
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It's just a decent hill at best.
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I live in the Phoenix,
Arizona area and you know,
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we've got some mountains
in the middle of the town
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that a whole lot
more of the mountain.
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I mean right in
the middle a town,
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we've got mounts are
whole a lot more of the mountain
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the mount of olives.
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And just over that little ridge
was the village of Bethany,
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it was suburb of Jerusalem.
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Whenever Jesus came down into
Jerusalem as we see in the story
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he would make himself at
home in Lazarus's dwelling.
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And you know, that's like,
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there are certain
people let you just know,
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you go to their
house, you can just crash.
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You can just relax, you
can kick off your shoes.
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You can help
yourself to their food.
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You can turn on their
music, you didn't pet their dog
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or you can ignore their dog.
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There are certain places
where you can just feel at home
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because there people have
this wonderful gift hospitality.
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The place where you know,
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in our vernacular we say
you can let your hair down.
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You don't have to
always been impressing them
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and be correct,
you can be yourself.
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It's a wonderful
thing to have people,
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they've friends like that.
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And certainly we
see in the text here.
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That apparently was
the-- the safety zone,
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that apparently was the
area of retreat for Jesus
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when he went to
Jerusalem because anytime
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you got near the
city, thanks got explosive.
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That extremely controversial
keeps always guarding himself
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and waiting for the next attack,
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how are they gonna come
to get me this time when,
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what are they gonna
accuse me up this time.
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What are we going to you know,
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find is--is the trick
where they gonna trick us up?
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And Jesus always
sensing this around Jerusalem.
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But if you just got
across the Kidron valley
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and one up the little
slope of the mount of olives
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just over the ridge
there and went to Bethany
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when he got there to safe.
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It was place of sanctuary
form of place of refuge.
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As result when
Lazarus goes ill Mary
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and Martha immediately it says,
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verse they send a
messenger why-- why not.
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I mean Jesus has gone up
and down the cost of Israel
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resolving the problems of
sick people and hurting people
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and here Lazarus, their brother,
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who was a good man number one,
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number two, he
doesn't deserve this.
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Number three more
than that Jesus owes him
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and we think about it.
00:10:00.62\00:10:02.00
Jesus had taken advantage
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of the hospitality
of Lazarus many times.
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And doesn't you know,
Jesus kind a owe Lazarus.
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If I was one of the
sisters that probably
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would have gone through my mind.
00:10:13.66\00:10:15.13
As soon as Jesus
hears the Lazarus sick,
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he is going be here right now.
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He isn't gonna
delay a moment to get here
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because this is His
Friend, more than that.
00:10:21.74\00:10:23.22
He owes Lazarus
and how incredible
00:10:23.25\00:10:27.76
at must have
been when Jesus heard,
00:10:27.79\00:10:30.25
he looked at his
disciple's verse 4,
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He heard about
the--the sickness,
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the illnes of Lazarus?
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And He says, it's
not unto to death.
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Oh, it isn't. I
think it is, isn't Jesus.
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I mean doesn't he die?
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Jesus is obviously dealing
with bigger picture here.
00:10:44.94\00:10:48.86
He's obviously
dealing with something larger
00:10:48.89\00:10:50.87
than just falling a sleep
for a brief amount of time.
00:10:50.90\00:10:55.78
When he's taken about
the issue of really dying,
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the separation from God.
00:11:00.72\00:11:03.47
That Jesus is not taken about
just this time out of death
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which is resolve with
resurrection this rest.
00:11:09.08\00:11:14.67
As Jesus said, "look we're
not talking about a problem
00:11:14.70\00:11:18.21
there is un-resolvable here.
00:11:18.24\00:11:20.19
This story, it's
not gonna end in death.
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A granted there will be a little
bit of death hear so what?
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Death's noting.
00:11:27.73\00:11:31.25
I have many senior citizen
members just few months ago,
00:11:31.28\00:11:36.45
I had 12, 11, 11 memorial
funeral services in 13 weeks.
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It's been a whole new
world for me to deal with people
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as they are
coming to be end of life.
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To help people die well
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and it's not a
bad ministry actually.
00:11:50.41\00:11:52.56
I have skin my knees a few times
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and I've had
some lessons to learn
00:11:54.55\00:11:56.05
but for me to face having the
memorial services not uncommon,
00:11:56.08\00:12:00.80
I have another one in two days.
00:12:00.83\00:12:02.90
That I'll be the privilege to
minister to a family that way.
00:12:02.93\00:12:07.67
And those of us who
believe in the resurrection,
00:12:07.70\00:12:10.19
those of us who know that Jesus
00:12:10.22\00:12:12.33
had the problem
of death resolved,
00:12:12.36\00:12:14.29
it's not big
deal to his followers.
00:12:14.32\00:12:17.58
It's a little inconvenience.
00:12:17.61\00:12:19.51
It's a little separation
time from with the loved ones
00:12:19.54\00:12:23.75
where we grieve not
as those who have no hope
00:12:23.78\00:12:25.96
Paul says, in I Thessalonians.
00:12:25.99\00:12:28.61
We grieve because we're
gonna missed their presence,
00:12:28.64\00:12:32.24
we're gonna
missed their friendship
00:12:32.27\00:12:33.64
but it's not un-resolvable
00:12:33.67\00:12:35.31
we don't grieve is
those who have no hope,
00:12:35.34\00:12:37.20
this things isn't
gonna end in death.
00:12:37.23\00:12:40.77
But that God and the son
of God might be glorified
00:12:40.80\00:12:45.88
that Jesus
response and He so delays.
00:12:45.91\00:12:48.93
And the messenger that was sent
back to Bethany empty-handed
00:12:48.96\00:12:53.27
Jesus was not in tow.
Jesus wasn't come along.
00:12:53.30\00:12:56.99
Imagine Mary and
Martha looking down the path,
00:12:57.02\00:13:00.86
just waiting for Jesus.
00:13:00.89\00:13:02.47
Boy soon as gets here
this all of our fear and our--
00:13:02.50\00:13:05.23
the lost that were
going to experience here,
00:13:05.26\00:13:06.93
our brother, I mean
you know we're woman
00:13:06.96\00:13:08.51
how we gonna make in
the world without him
00:13:08.54\00:13:09.98
and he is been our protector
and defender and on and on.
00:13:10.01\00:13:12.66
All of the in security
could be gone just like that.
00:13:12.69\00:13:15.11
When Jesus shows
up they looked out
00:13:15.14\00:13:18.94
and Jesus didn't
return with the messenger.
00:13:18.97\00:13:21.57
Can you put
yourself back in those days,
00:13:21.60\00:13:23.17
can you put yourself into
the sandals in Mary and Martha
00:13:23.20\00:13:25.51
standing and looking at
this messenger coming back.
00:13:25.54\00:13:28.56
Did you find
Jesus? Oh, yes, I did.
00:13:28.59\00:13:31.00
Oh, he did and you told
him, what was we said, yes.
00:13:31.03\00:13:32.98
Told him the Lazarus--
this isn't messing around,
00:13:33.01\00:13:35.23
this is serious sick.
00:13:35.26\00:13:36.63
Yeah I told him,
he is very-very ill,
00:13:36.66\00:13:38.03
I mean this is
a great situation.
00:13:38.06\00:13:39.99
And is he coming?
00:13:40.02\00:13:41.45
The messenger probably shrugs
his shoulders that I don't know.
00:13:41.48\00:13:45.81
I tried, imagine what
they did those two sisters.
00:13:45.84\00:13:51.83
What a frustration
that must have been to them.
00:13:51.86\00:13:55.50
Jesus in verse 5
before we get away from
00:13:55.53\00:13:58.67
and it says, Now
Jesus loved Martha,
00:13:58.70\00:14:01.20
and her sister and Lazarus."
00:14:01.23\00:14:06.15
I feel loved him so much
00:14:06.18\00:14:08.30
then why is he
putting them through this?
00:14:08.33\00:14:11.52
He obviously has a much
larger agenda in the story
00:14:11.55\00:14:16.62
and obviously we're
going see how it plays out.
00:14:16.65\00:14:19.01
But I tell you
when you're on this edge
00:14:19.04\00:14:21.29
of it looking into the unknown,
00:14:21.32\00:14:24.12
it's hard to see the
love of God behind back.
00:14:24.15\00:14:27.50
It's hard to see
the love of Christ
00:14:27.53\00:14:29.01
when you staying right
at the edge of the cliff
00:14:29.04\00:14:30.67
and everything is unknown
and need to step forward.
00:14:30.70\00:14:33.25
It's hard to see that.
00:14:33.28\00:14:35.06
Jesus stayed
where He was verse 6,
00:14:35.09\00:14:38.34
is He stayed for two
more days after that.
00:14:38.37\00:14:41.08
And then finally, he
said to His follower,
00:14:41.11\00:14:43.55
let's head on down to Judaea.
00:14:43.58\00:14:45.52
And the disciples
said, verse 8 because there--
00:14:45.55\00:14:48.53
you know they kind of forgotten
00:14:48.56\00:14:49.96
about this Lazarus
thing may be, I don't know.
00:14:49.99\00:14:51.95
May be not, may be they're
just scratching their head
00:14:51.98\00:14:54.33
they don't understand Jesus.
00:14:54.36\00:14:55.73
But the
disciple said, but master
00:14:55.76\00:14:57.13
whenever we get
around Jerusalem anymore,
00:14:57.16\00:14:59.90
I mean things gets serious.
00:14:59.96\00:15:01.33
Things get
really-really intense.
00:15:01.36\00:15:02.73
Master you can't us to
go down to Jerusalem easily.
00:15:02.76\00:15:04.55
You know, may
be we ought not to.
00:15:04.58\00:15:06.00
And Jesus said, "come
on, there is a time for this
00:15:06.03\00:15:09.29
and the time for
that, verse 9 he says,
00:15:09.32\00:15:10.85
Are there not
twelve hours in the day?
00:15:10.88\00:15:13.03
If any man walk in
the day, he stumbleth not,
00:15:13.06\00:15:15.57
when you walk in
the timing of heaven
00:15:15.60\00:15:17.82
everything is gonna be fine.
00:15:17.85\00:15:19.47
If you walk in the
time mean of heaven"
00:15:19.50\00:15:22.60
and he said, verse 11,
"Our friend Lazarus sleeps.
00:15:22.63\00:15:27.28
And I am going, that I
may awake him out of sleep."
00:15:27.31\00:15:31.32
The Granath, you know,
he's out, he's unconscious.
00:15:31.35\00:15:34.27
He is oblivious, he is gone,
00:15:34.30\00:15:35.67
you know, but
it's not unsolvable.
00:15:35.70\00:15:37.83
And of course, they heard
sleep, oh--oh, no big deal,
00:15:37.86\00:15:39.96
the fever is gonna break.
00:15:39.99\00:15:41.36
Is gonna feel but Jesus said,
you're not listening verse 14,
00:15:41.39\00:15:44.48
"Lazarus is dead."
00:15:44.51\00:15:46.53
You know, I called it
sleep and I meant sleep
00:15:46.56\00:15:49.64
but normally you
would use the term "dead."
00:15:49.67\00:15:52.78
There is no
messing around with this.
00:15:52.81\00:15:54.68
And in verse 15,
this is so powerful,
00:15:54.71\00:15:56.70
"I am glad for your
sakes that I was not there,
00:15:56.73\00:15:59.53
"I am glad for your
sakes that I was not there,
00:15:59.56\00:16:01.68
to the intent that
you might believe."
00:16:01.71\00:16:03.44
If I would been
there with Lazarus
00:16:03.47\00:16:07.24
this would not have happened.
00:16:07.27\00:16:09.36
And I am grateful that
I wasn't there, wow! Lord.
00:16:09.39\00:16:13.72
And I love the next
verse. This is so great.
00:16:13.75\00:16:16.29
Thomas, Thomas steps forward,
you know, doubting Thomas.
00:16:16.32\00:16:21.09
I mean, if he is doubting Thomas
00:16:21.12\00:16:23.28
and never doesn't
anything right, right?
00:16:23.31\00:16:24.68
Wrong, doubting Thomas.
00:16:24.71\00:16:27.96
It is so sweet, he is first
one to step up and he says,
00:16:27.99\00:16:30.36
wait a minute Jesus, if you're
going to Jerusalem to die,
00:16:30.39\00:16:32.98
I am going with you to die.
00:16:33.01\00:16:34.80
That doesn't sound
like doubting Thomas to me,
00:16:34.83\00:16:38.77
that sounds like
a man who is God,
00:16:38.80\00:16:40.61
an incredible
passion and faith in Jesus.
00:16:40.64\00:16:43.56
Let's go that we die
with him, that's one Thomas.
00:16:43.59\00:16:48.87
At verse 16, "So after
four days of being dead"
00:16:48.90\00:16:53.60
verse 17, Jesus
finally gets to Bethany.
00:16:53.63\00:16:56.85
Noticed what happens in
the story verse 20 and onward.
00:16:56.88\00:17:01.47
Then Martha, as
soon as she hears
00:17:01.50\00:17:05.47
that Jesus was coming
over the brow the hill,
00:17:05.50\00:17:08.51
Martha went out meet him,
00:17:08.54\00:17:11.46
but not Mary and sits
Mary stayed in the house.
00:17:11.49\00:17:16.31
Oh, you've to know why?
00:17:16.34\00:17:17.85
Martha, you
remember in the story
00:17:17.88\00:17:19.87
that often she was proper one.
00:17:19.90\00:17:21.73
Ahe was the one who had
always do things correctly.
00:17:21.76\00:17:24.49
She would take
care of the kitchen.
00:17:24.52\00:17:26.52
She do the right thing even
if it killed her, even if hurt.
00:17:26.55\00:17:29.52
She do the right thing.
00:17:29.55\00:17:31.01
And the right thing
was to come out to Jesus
00:17:31.04\00:17:33.14
and be gracious as
much as she probably
00:17:33.17\00:17:35.13
wanted to scream at Him.
00:17:35.16\00:17:37.70
It was the right
thing to do and Martha
00:17:37.73\00:17:39.99
that she was
the appropriate one.
00:17:40.02\00:17:41.91
But Mary you're not gonna
confused Mary and Martha ever.
00:17:41.94\00:17:45.84
Mary is not
gonna play that game.
00:17:45.87\00:17:47.33
Mary is not
gonna be appropriate.
00:17:47.36\00:17:48.73
She is just gonna let
her emotions hang out there.
00:17:48.76\00:17:51.25
I can imagine that
Martha may have gone
00:17:51.28\00:17:53.13
and then said, you know,
Jesus is coming over the hill
00:17:53.16\00:17:55.31
there we better
go greet Him because
00:17:55.34\00:17:56.71
and that's the right
thing to do and almost here,
00:17:56.74\00:17:59.78
Mary looking at her sister and
saying, you go if you want to,
00:17:59.81\00:18:02.72
I am not getting
anywhere near Him.
00:18:02.75\00:18:04.48
When we needed
Him, he didn't come.
00:18:04.51\00:18:06.43
Here my brother is our
brother our is given Him so much
00:18:06.46\00:18:08.72
and he didn't show up. I
don't need a man like that.
00:18:08.75\00:18:14.39
I--I thought he was different.
00:18:14.42\00:18:16.30
I thought that he
would be the kind of man,
00:18:16.33\00:18:19.64
who would be there, you know,
00:18:19.67\00:18:21.48
exactly the way,
I think I need Him.
00:18:21.51\00:18:23.60
And--and I knew
how I needed him now.
00:18:23.63\00:18:25.93
And He doesn't show up
what kind a man is this?
00:18:25.96\00:18:28.85
I am not going out
and like a petulant child,
00:18:28.88\00:18:31.23
you get the sense that,
00:18:31.26\00:18:32.63
It's almost like Mary
just storms a little feet
00:18:32.66\00:18:35.33
and she sticks out
her little leg and she--
00:18:35.36\00:18:37.14
I am not gonna do it.
She is hurting so badly.
00:18:37.17\00:18:40.70
And she doesn't
have the appropriate
00:18:40.73\00:18:44.46
self control of
her correct sister.
00:18:44.49\00:18:50.07
Martha came out
verse 21, it is so sweet
00:18:50.10\00:18:55.35
Lord if you'd been
here, this wouldn't happen,
00:18:55.38\00:19:01.37
my brother would not died.
00:19:01.40\00:19:06.05
By the way when
you get to verse 32,
00:19:06.08\00:19:08.22
when Mary finally breaks and
approaches and come to Jesus,
00:19:08.25\00:19:14.55
she says exactly the same thing.
00:19:14.63\00:19:17.62
Lord if you'd been
here, this wouldn't happen.
00:19:17.65\00:19:21.80
I've already confess to you that
00:19:21.83\00:19:23.55
I have more funerals
more memorial services
00:19:23.58\00:19:27.74
than the average pastor.
00:19:27.77\00:19:31.14
Wow! I don't think
I've had a service that
00:19:31.17\00:19:34.70
I haven't thought for a
moment somewhere in the service.
00:19:34.73\00:19:38.11
Jesus if you'd been here,
00:19:38.14\00:19:39.78
we wouldn't having
this funeral today.
00:19:39.81\00:19:43.51
Jesus, if would
have already come,
00:19:43.54\00:19:45.08
we wouldn't having
this memorial service.
00:19:45.11\00:19:46.65
Jesus if you'd been here,
00:19:46.68\00:19:48.05
I won't be standing here looking
00:19:48.08\00:19:49.45
that this widow
going through her loss.
00:19:49.48\00:19:51.55
Jesus if you'd been
here, I think that often,
00:19:51.58\00:19:55.21
which is exactly
what the two sisters say,
00:19:55.24\00:19:57.73
they both say
the same thing Him.
00:19:57.76\00:19:59.14
Lord if you'd been
here, this wouldn't happen.
00:19:59.17\00:20:01.32
And the truth is
Jesus confesses, I know.
00:20:01.35\00:20:04.16
He know, he already
told His disciples that,
00:20:04.19\00:20:05.56
I am decidedly not
going for a purpose.
00:20:05.59\00:20:08.12
It's for a greater
glory, if I was there,
00:20:08.15\00:20:12.64
this would never happen.
00:20:12.67\00:20:15.87
It shows you why it
so good the Jesus is?
00:20:15.90\00:20:18.50
You know, Lord, I am not.
00:20:18.53\00:20:20.64
I don't run in this foot
prints of heaven very well
00:20:20.67\00:20:26.02
often tend to run ahead of God,
00:20:26.05\00:20:27.61
and that's personality some
people tend to line behind God.
00:20:27.64\00:20:30.37
I tend to gonna run ahead
of God to learn the footsteps
00:20:30.40\00:20:34.39
in the time of
heaven it's so important.
00:20:34.42\00:20:36.48
I did a series on
"Between The Lines"
00:20:36.51\00:20:38.49
while I go call
the Methodical Messiah.
00:20:38.52\00:20:42.37
Is it ever crushed your
mind Jesus was never in a hurry.
00:20:42.40\00:20:46.61
He had a world to save
and He was never in a hurry.
00:20:46.64\00:20:52.17
He never ran anywhere.
00:20:52.20\00:20:55.19
Because he walking the
perfect timing of His father.
00:20:55.22\00:20:59.03
Some of us that's a
lesson we need to learn.
00:20:59.06\00:21:03.25
I certainly I --I don't run
in been in Bethany you know,
00:21:03.28\00:21:06.98
right, I'd solved that out
00:21:07.01\00:21:08.38
and fixed at all
that would have been me,
00:21:08.41\00:21:10.34
that been my personality.
00:21:10.37\00:21:11.74
Jesus had a bigger picture.
00:21:11.77\00:21:13.94
Lord, if you had been
here, this wouldn't happen.
00:21:13.97\00:21:15.38
I know, do you believe that
your brother will rise again
00:21:15.41\00:21:19.78
Jesus asked to
Martha in verse 23
00:21:19.81\00:21:22.16
and she is oh! Yeah,
00:21:22.19\00:21:23.56
at the end of time
it's all gone get resolved
00:21:23.59\00:21:24.96
and Jesus said, "You
don't understand verse 25,
00:21:24.99\00:21:27.20
"I am the
resurrection, and the life,
00:21:27.23\00:21:30.27
whoever believes
on me even if he died,
00:21:30.30\00:21:33.82
it's irrelevant death is
a not a permanent problem
00:21:33.85\00:21:37.92
to those who
believe in Jesus Christ.
00:21:37.95\00:21:41.17
Yet shall he live, verse 27,
00:21:41.20\00:21:43.65
oh! I believe that
thou art the Christ,
00:21:43.68\00:21:46.74
the Son of God, who
should come into the world."
00:21:46.77\00:21:50.02
That I do believe, I know that.
00:21:50.05\00:21:51.77
I don't understand all the rests
00:21:51.80\00:21:53.17
of what happened
in the last week here.
00:21:53.20\00:21:54.57
Jesus, but I do know
that. Go get your sister Mary
00:21:54.60\00:21:59.38
verse 28, and of course,
00:21:59.41\00:22:00.78
Mary comes out heart broken.
00:22:00.81\00:22:02.98
And Jesus
interacts with her verse 33,
00:22:03.01\00:22:06.57
it said, "He
groaned in His Spirit.
00:22:06.60\00:22:09.87
Something happen inside of
Jesus and when I was young.
00:22:09.90\00:22:14.22
One day it struck
me. What is Jesus doing,
00:22:14.25\00:22:19.28
weeping John 11:35, Jesus wept.
00:22:19.31\00:22:22.03
Why does he do cry. He's
already told his disciples
00:22:22.06\00:22:26.35
I am going to
resolve this thing.
00:22:26.38\00:22:28.91
He has already we have
affirm to Mary and Martha,
00:22:28.94\00:22:31.22
this is no big deal you know,
00:22:31.25\00:22:32.62
I know you hurting
that is so big deal.
00:22:32.65\00:22:34.14
Jesus, he-- he is already there,
00:22:34.17\00:22:36.69
knowing what he's going to do?
00:22:36.72\00:22:38.09
So what's He crying about?
00:22:38.12\00:22:39.49
One day that bother me so much,
00:22:39.52\00:22:41.16
I've decided I was
gonna spent sometime think
00:22:41.19\00:22:43.68
it about and I actually
turn to "Desire of Ages"
00:22:43.71\00:22:45.99
to Ellen White to see if
she had any insights of it
00:22:46.02\00:22:48.83
and when you know
what, in "Desire of Ages"
00:22:48.86\00:22:50.69
there was a
wonderful reference to this
00:22:50.72\00:22:52.59
and explanation
and it's so good.
00:22:52.62\00:22:54.86
It's so logical. I
think why didn't I--
00:22:54.89\00:22:56.69
why didn't I think of this.
00:22:56.72\00:22:58.09
You know, and the
Lord, this is so good.
00:22:58.12\00:22:59.96
Number one Jesus
wept because he was sorry
00:22:59.99\00:23:06.33
for the pain of Mary and Martha,
00:23:06.36\00:23:08.24
for what they gone through.
00:23:08.27\00:23:09.64
I mean this has
been anguishing for them
00:23:09.67\00:23:11.80
and it hurt him that
this children had been hurt.
00:23:11.83\00:23:15.56
Number two and this is
simple logic, Jesus wept.
00:23:15.59\00:23:21.87
Because, he looked
down the span of time
00:23:21.90\00:23:25.57
and he saw all the sisters at
the grave's of their brothers.
00:23:25.60\00:23:30.60
He saw all the parents of
the grave's of their children.
00:23:30.63\00:23:33.15
He saw, yes, eventually
Jesus is gonna resolve this
00:23:33.18\00:23:36.01
all with
resurrection in second coming.
00:23:36.04\00:23:37.91
He's gonna resolved
with all but until then
00:23:37.94\00:23:39.72
we're going to have
moment where we grieve.
00:23:39.75\00:23:43.00
0Not as those who have no hope,
00:23:43.03\00:23:44.40
but we will
grieve and that hurt Him.
00:23:44.43\00:23:46.34
Because he had a
reason to allow it to happen
00:23:46.37\00:23:49.98
but he doesn't
enjoyed. And the third reason
00:23:50.01\00:23:52.36
that Jesus wept is,
00:23:52.39\00:23:53.76
I am sure he stood
in front of that grave
00:23:53.79\00:23:55.16
and thought you know
there are going to be graves
00:23:55.19\00:23:56.83
that I am not going to be open.
00:23:56.86\00:23:58.86
Not opening with--with joy.
00:23:58.89\00:24:02.93
I am not going to be able
to call him forth with joy.
00:24:02.96\00:24:07.70
And there must
been painful to him.
00:24:07.73\00:24:09.97
He groaned in
himself in his spirit.
00:24:10.00\00:24:12.26
His spirit was
trouble, Jesus wept.
00:24:12.29\00:24:15.48
And then as there is a Greek
idiomatic expressions here,
00:24:15.51\00:24:19.24
actually it's my understanding,
00:24:19.27\00:24:20.64
I aa not a great Greek scholar
but I understand that Jesus,
00:24:20.67\00:24:23.63
it's--it's like he was a horse,
00:24:23.66\00:24:25.54
a mustang with His herd His
flock and nostrils was flurry.
00:24:25.57\00:24:30.60
That's the
description actually here.
00:24:30.63\00:24:32.45
That-- that Jesus was tensed
and ready His muscles tensed
00:24:32.48\00:24:36.67
when it because He was
ready to take on the devil
00:24:36.70\00:24:38.64
right there and
Jesus was gone a win.
00:24:38.67\00:24:41.84
And He knew it.
00:24:41.87\00:24:43.24
And he couldn't wait
to spring in the action
00:24:43.27\00:24:45.11
with His nostrils flurrying.
00:24:45.14\00:24:49.62
Could not this man who
open the eyes of the blind
00:24:49.65\00:24:52.28
verse 37, couldn't
He stop this and Jesus
00:24:52.31\00:24:55.10
verse 38, groaned in Himself
00:24:55.13\00:24:57.20
because there is
a big picture here.
00:24:57.23\00:24:58.64
My children eventually
you got to begin to catch on.
00:24:58.67\00:25:02.36
He groaned within
Himself and He said, verse 39,
00:25:02.39\00:25:05.62
take away the
stone, I've got a plan.
00:25:05.65\00:25:07.75
I've got a plan here today.
00:25:07.78\00:25:09.16
Today, I am taking
on the host of evil,
00:25:09.19\00:25:12.55
myself again stole
of them right here.
00:25:12.58\00:25:14.76
And you all gonna see it today
I am going to reveal to you
00:25:14.79\00:25:19.27
just a fraction of
the big picture today.
00:25:19.30\00:25:23.45
Take away the
stone. Oh! Lord, don't do
00:25:23.48\00:25:25.30
that I don't the last
sense of my brother to be,
00:25:25.33\00:25:27.63
you know, what he
look like in a casket.
00:25:27.66\00:25:29.27
I don't want to last
view my brother to be,
00:25:29.30\00:25:31.20
I don't want the last
sense of my brother to be.
00:25:31.23\00:25:32.79
Lord, don't that and
Jesus said, "No take it away.
00:25:32.82\00:25:36.35
If you believe,
you're see the glory of God,
00:25:36.38\00:25:39.45
that's verse 40, and so
they took the stone away
00:25:39.48\00:25:42.39
and verse 43, Jesus
stood back and He shouted in
00:25:42.42\00:25:46.45
and dead ear's
heard. And can you imagine,
00:25:46.48\00:25:50.84
I can't sense of the
Jesus began to laugh.
00:25:50.87\00:25:54.47
I mean, you know,
here comes this body
00:25:54.50\00:25:57.83
all wrapped up and round up
00:25:57.86\00:26:00.15
and this kind of
thing and people stand going
00:26:00.18\00:26:01.55
and Jesus, you
know, starting laughing.
00:26:01.58\00:26:03.45
He says, folks are
you live him like that.
00:26:03.48\00:26:05.14
You know, unwind
him, let them him free,
00:26:05.17\00:26:08.01
I mean come on, you
know, it's not appropriate firm
00:26:08.04\00:26:09.93
to be standing all
their bound up very close,
00:26:09.96\00:26:11.47
I mean he is
obviously not dead anymore
00:26:11.50\00:26:13.22
and so they
unbound him. Loose him
00:26:13.25\00:26:16.54
and let him go and
Lazarus came back to life
00:26:16.57\00:26:19.86
probably stood round thought.
00:26:19.89\00:26:21.26
You know this is a
very strange event here.
00:26:21.29\00:26:24.93
I missing something,
00:26:24.96\00:26:27.38
I think because he
stepped out from death.
00:26:27.41\00:26:30.11
To see his own funeral
have you ever speculated
00:26:30.14\00:26:33.55
down the line 12 years later,
00:26:33.58\00:26:35.29
17 years later
have you ever speculated
00:26:35.32\00:26:36.99
what a potential
second funeral for Lazarus.
00:26:37.02\00:26:39.59
What have been like.
00:26:39.62\00:26:41.09
May be Mary and
Martha out live him again
00:26:41.12\00:26:43.82
0may be and they sit
around at the second funeral
00:26:43.85\00:26:46.29
the talk about
it and they contrast
00:26:46.32\00:26:49.24
the second funeral
to the first funeral.
00:26:49.27\00:26:51.10
When you have a
true perception of Jesus
00:26:51.13\00:26:53.76
as Lord and that even
death itself is not big deal.
00:26:53.79\00:26:58.26
It's--it's just a
little inconvenience
00:26:58.29\00:26:59.96
that when you come to understand
00:26:59.99\00:27:02.16
that Jesus is the resurrection
00:27:02.19\00:27:04.08
in the life and there
is nothing in your life
00:27:04.11\00:27:05.92
or your
experience even your death
00:27:05.95\00:27:08.22
that is going to handcuff
him, is going to paralyzed him,
00:27:08.25\00:27:11.96
he's got this whole
thing under control.
00:27:11.99\00:27:14.02
And in His good time,
00:27:14.05\00:27:16.26
He is going to
bring it all to resolution
00:27:16.29\00:27:18.20
when you and I come to the
place with me understand that.
00:27:18.23\00:27:21.88
Then, the big
picture takes a hold us
00:27:21.91\00:27:26.67
and we look at the
petty inconveniences of life
00:27:26.70\00:27:29.55
and even the
painful things we say look,
00:27:29.58\00:27:31.22
"God's in control"
and I will let Him be God
00:27:31.25\00:27:34.88
because through
the Lord Jesus Christ
00:27:34.91\00:27:37.14
and the power
of this resurrected
00:27:37.17\00:27:39.26
Jesus everything is
going to be resolved.
00:27:39.29\00:27:41.81
Everything is to be
going to be resolved
00:27:41.84\00:27:43.51
and I am just
hang on till that day.
00:27:43.54\00:27:45.64
These two sisters
learnt that lesson
00:27:45.67\00:27:48.26
and can you
contrast the second funeral
00:27:48.29\00:27:50.45
to the first funeral of the day
00:27:50.48\00:27:52.79
when Jesus resolves
it forever. Even for you.
00:27:52.82\00:27:57.18