Reflections on the Resurrection-3

Focus: The love of the resurrection.

Jesus is the Lord of Resurrection power:

Romans 1:4 (NASB95) [tells us Jesus… ] … was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, …

Oh that we would know the truth of Ephesians 1:19–23 (NASB95) [that speaks of … the working of the strength of [God’s] might 20 which [the Father] brought about in Christ, when He raised [Jesus] from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And [God the Father has] put all things in subjection under [Jesus, Messiah’s] feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

So remember…

As Romans 8:11–14 (NLT) [says. If… ] The Spirit of God, [the Holy Spirit], who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. … just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. 12 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

THAT is the difference resurrection power makes in our lives!

The RESURRECTION power we saw 2 weeks ago in Ezekiel 37 that can:

Put dead and scattered pieces of our lives back to together again.

Resurrection power can breathe new life into things you may have thought long-dead — hopes, dreams — the purposes of God.

It is resurrection power that opens our graves and enables us to walk out — alive in the resurrection power of God.

That gives us a place — a place in the Presence and glory of Jesus.

That tells us, and all the world, that we serve a powerful, death-defeating Lord.

Last week we saw that Resurrection power is also a HEALING power.

In Mark 5 last week, we …

First saw Jesus heal a woman who had some sort of bleeding disorder for 12 years.

AND THEN, He raised a 12 year-old little girl back to life.

Resurrection power that, yes, raises the dead but will also heal our sick bodies.

This morning my desire is what the Apostle Paul expressed in:

Ephesians 3:14–19 (NASB95) [Paul said] For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Paul prayed, and I pray with him, that God would grant you a little glimpse so that you would know of a certainty that Jesus loves you.

That your knowledge of the love of Christ would surpass earthly knowledge so that you would be filled with the fullness of God.

As the hymn said that we sang this morning:

That Love would lifted us

That the Love of Christ would lift us up into all the fullness of God.

And it is the resurrection power of Jesus, working in us, that will root and ground us in love.

Love that Jesus Himself demonstrated when He raised Lazarus from the dead.

I pray that we will see the motivation of resurrection power — the love of God that surpasses understanding.

John 11:17–44 (NASB95) So when Jesus came, He found that [Lazarus] had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off; 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. 20 Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house. 21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 “Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” 23 Jesus [makes a statement of resurrection power when He] said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. [Martha] Do you believe this?” 27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” 28 When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, 34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?” 38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 “I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” 44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Summary: In this passage, Jesus showcases His profound love by raising Lazarus from the dead,

demonstrating His power over death

revealing the hope that exists in Him, even in the midst of sorrow and despair.

I believe that Jesus demonstrated more His love for Lazarus’ sisters — Not for Lazarus.

Lazarus had gone through the pain of death — he was in Abraham’s bosom — Lazarus was in a place of perfect peace and rest.

Jesus loved Lazarus, too, in that He allowed Lazarus to be the conduit of God’s power so that God would be glorified.

That is the highest aim of the child of God — that we would bring glory to God.

This scripture also helps us realize that we can always find comfort in God's love during our struggles

It reminds us that Jesus' empathy and power can transform our challenges.

By understanding His love, believers can support one another through grief and loss, reflecting His love in their lives.

In our grief, we can trust in the depth of God's love, which brings hope and transformation through Christ's empathetic presence and victorious power over death.

Promises in Pain

John 11:17–27

As we look at verse 17-27 we see Jesus responding to Martha and Mary’s grief.

He reaches out to each of them with compassion

while at the same time challenging Martha, in particular, in her time of grief,

Jesus attempts to reassure Martha by reaffirming the promise of the resurrection — that, in fact, HE IS the Resurrection and LIFE.

According to the CBL:

In Scripture the Greek word tranlsted “life”, zōē, expresses all the highest and best that God has given His people… [and]… , while zōē is used in connection with temporal and physical life, it is primarily used in a spiritual sense to express the highest good of salvation, i.e., the eternal, blessed life available to all who are a part of the kingdom of God.

Jesus was trying to impart to Martha, and to us, the understanding of what it means that He is the 'Resurrection and the Life'

Such an understanding offers hope beyond present grief.

That even in our darkest moments, acknowledging Jesus's identity as “the Resurrection and the Life” brings transformative comfort.

Focusing on this one of the 7 “I am” statements in the Gospel of John might be beneficial in helping us challenge our concept of life and death, deeply rooting hope in His presence.

His declaration 'I am the resurrection and the life' provides hope and assurance even when facing great loss.

As we see this interaction between Jesus and Martha and Mary, I pray that we reminded of the importance of trusting in God's promises during times of personal struggle.

Presence of Empathy

John 11:28–37

As we look further in verses 28-37 we will see the empathy Jesus displays as He weeps with those who mourn.

Christ's tears demonstrate a divine love that is deeply personal and invested in human suffering.

Emphasizing this profound empathy could encourage believers to find comfort in knowing that God genuinely cares about and shares their sorrows.

Look at how Jesus enters into OUR grief, showing His compassion as He weeps with Mary and the others.

This emphasizes that Jesus is not distant from our suffering but intimately involved.

He is a relatable and comforting Savior who understands our pain and loss.

Power of Hope

John 11:38–44

But the Resurrection power of Jesus KNOWS that death does NOT have the final word.

Jesus' actions in raising Lazarus underscore His victorious power over death.

Jesus SPEAKS resurrection power into Lazarus’ corpse, and calls him back from the dead

By commanding Lazarus to come out, Jesus manifests divine authority and reinforces hope that transcends earthly grief.

This powerful act invites the faithful, invites US, to embrace God's transformative love, even in the face of death.

This astonishing miracle not only emphasizes Jesus's authority over death but also foreshadows His own resurrection.

This passage should encourage us to trust in the life-giving power of Jesus.

It should encourage a renewed hope and reliance on His promises.

That according to the Phillips translation of…

2 Corinthians 1:20 Every promise of God finds its affirmative in [Jesus], and through Him can be said the final amen, to the glory of God.

Love in Our Rough Times

Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, demonstrating His authority over death and foreshadowing His own resurrection.

That tells us there is hope for those who have faced or are facing the loss of loved ones.

For those dealing with grief.

Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead emphasizing the ultimate victory of life over death through faith in Him.

This account teaches us that God's love is present in the midst of pain and suffering.

It emphasizes that Jesus understands our grief and has the power to bring life and hope, challenging us to comprehend the fullness of His love even when circumstances are difficult.

In the verses before the scripture that I read we see Jesus’ love mentioned over and over.

In verse 3 we read that Martha and Mary send word to Jesus, telling Him, “the one you LOVE is sick.”

In verse 5 the scripture tells us that Jesus loves Lazarus, Martha and Mary, but incomprehensibly, verse 6 tells us He waits 2 more days before He goes to them.

And yet His divine delay does not negate His love.

As the worship team comes…

Realize that even when Jesus doesn’t manifest His power immediately in our circumstances, it doesn’t mean He doesn’t love us.

It means He has a divine timetable that will release the most good in our lives and in the lives of others.

That’s hard to understand —

but Jesus doesn’t ask for our understanding in all His ways.

Isaiah 55:8–9 (NASB95) “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Rather…

Jeremiah 17:7 (NLT) “But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.

So, let this passage reveal Christ as the embodiment of divine love and the source of life

as it connects the Old Testament promises of hope and resurrection

with the New Testament fulfillment through Jesus,

pointing to His sacrificial love and ultimate resurrection power.

Believe that Resurrection power is the transformative power of Jesus, who not only has dominion over physical death but also offers spiritual resurrection and eternal life to all who believe in Him.

In Christ, we find not only hope in our current struggles with death but the promise of eternal life, rooting our faith in the love of His resurrection power.

Altar:

Maybe you are struggling with the circumstances of your life.

Let the Holy Spirit renew a confidence in the love of His Resurrection power.