I Believe in Miracles

How many still believe in miracles? This is a challenge today because the world have you believe that miracles don’t happen anymore. What is a miracle? A miracle is a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences or an amazing product or achievement, or an outstanding example of something.

For the next three Sundays if the Lord’s is willing I want to look at miracles of Jesus. It will be the understanding the events around these miracles that should help us believe in miracles today.

In today’s text Jesus ask the question of Martha Believest thou this? In English terms Do you believe this?

This is the question today Do you believe this? Now its easy to say yes but in order to really believe you have to put aside probability and expect extraordinary!

Jesus ask Martha to believe beyond evidence and what your understanding would predict should happen. That’s what the song suggest when we hear Whitney Houston and Miriah Carey belt out those notes From the Movie Prince of Egypt

Many nights we prayed With no proof, anyone could hear In our hearts a hopeful song We barely understood Now, we are not afraid Although we know there's much to fear We were moving mountains Long before we knew we could, whoa, yes

There can be miracles When you believe Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill Who knows what miracles you can achieve? When you believe, somehow you will You will when you believe

We must believe in miracles today. God is the same yesterday, Today and forever more.

Today’s miracle is likely Jesus’ greatest miracle. It comes at the end of his earthy ministry. His good friend Lazarus is dead.

This miracle unfolds at the beginning of John 11. We learn that a certain man was ill, Lazarus. We know that Lazarus is the brother of Mary and Martha. We know that Jesus had frequented Matha and Mary house. Its in Luke 10 when Jesus paid a visit to their house that Martha got frustrated with her sister because burden with preparing and serving while her sister Mary sat at Jesus feet. Now many today have a problem with that situation because they still cant understand how Mary at Jesus feet was the good portion. They favorable position. That’s another sermon but I rather be at Jesus feet.

So back to this account. Jesus learns his friend is sick.

The first thing i learned from this text is if a miracle is to happen you have first need know how to reach Jesus

it is upon his illness that Martha and Mary send for Jesus. It is evident that their relationship with with Jesus was intimate enough for them to know where Jesus is. Verse 3 says 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” (Jn 11:3). Do you know how to reach Jesus in time of an emergency? Is your relationship close enough that you have realistic expectations that Jesus will respond when he gets the word? Martha and Mary sent word to Jesus because they had a real relationship with him.

What a friend we have in Jesus All our sins and griefs to bear What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer

Oh, what peace we often forfeit Oh, what needless pain we bear All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer

Yes Jesus is a prayer away but will you request fall on death ears because he has not heard from you in awhile.

I stay in constant contact with the Lord. I reach out to him with the expectancy that i mean something to the Lord and he means something to me. Did you notice that John identifies Mary as the one who anointed The Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair. Her worship gesture will be a lasting testament of he love for Christ! This gesture is so important that John inserts it here before it chronologically happens. Its in the next chapter that it happens.

Secondly we need to listen to the words of Jesus Verse 2 we see Jesus say 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

(Jn 11:4). Here it is. It may look bad. It may be grave. It may have others convinced its over. Its in those times we have to hear the voice of Jesus. This illness does not lead to death. There are some illness that should have taken you out. As a matter of fact some people have clothes their eyes due to the same diagnosis. But God spoke to you saying this illness does not lead to death. It was or will be for a testimony. Your moment is a BUT GOD moment. I had cancer BUT GOD, I Had heart disease, BUT GOD, I had COVID, BUT GOD, I had HIV, BUT GOD! Fill in the blank BUT GOD

What has taken some out has become your testimony!

Its interesting that John slide a verse for us to ponder on 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

(Jn 11:5–6). So Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus. He loved them. So when he heard he was ill he stayed two days longer. We can never equate delay with lake of love. The love Jesus has for us does not change. Yes Jesus loves me for the Bible tells me so. We must have the resolve that while i wait on the Lord he loves me and is acquainted with my griefs, pain and suffering.

Its a old saying worth repeating, He may not come when you want him but he always on time.

Now in this case on time is after the fact.

After Jesus decides its time to go to check on Lazarus He informs his disciples Our friend Lazarus has fallen to sleep but I go to wake him. When Jesus realized his disciples did not grasp the gravity of his statement he made it plain Lazarus is Dead! Lazarus is dead.

15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.( Jn 11:14–15).

When Jesus reaches Bethany Lazarus has been dead 4 days. The ancients believed the soul leaves the body three days after death, which meant that resurrection was no longer possible.

By portraying Jesus as waiting until four days had passed, and by having Martha emphasize this in John 11:39, the author of John’s Gospel wanted to demonstrate that Jesus was not limited by this consideration.

When Jesus arrives he meets her and a confrontational conversation occurs. In her disappointment there is still hope but can hear Jesus? There we many mourners who had come to comfort Martha and Mary but Jesus was who they were waiting for. The hope they had for their brothers healing has diminished. He is dead and dead for 4 days.

Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee (Jn 11:21–22). Martha hopes have faded but she is leaving the door open to a miracle. Whatsoever you ask of God he will give you! We are the same way in our darkest moment we must maintain hope.

Thirdly we must believe Jesus can

Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (Jn 11:23–26).

Martha said Yes Lord I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God. Its that confession that lest us know we have talked to God. When Peter said the same thing Jesus told Peter , For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. (Mt 16:17).

We know how this unfolds. Jesus is met by Mary who falls at his feet. She was a worshipper. She said the same thing as Martha. If you had been here my brother would not have died! She was weeping the crowd is weeping. The level of grieving moves Jesus to weep also. Even though Jesus knows he is about to perform a miracle to bring Lazarus back to life he is still connected to the pain of the people. They are hurting!

He approaches the grave still deeply moved and commands they take the stone away. Martha not knowing what will happen confirms the body will be stinking at this point. Jesus reminds her of what he already said, Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

Jesus talks to God and thank him for the Miracle that is about to happen. He confirms his relationship with the Father!

Yes Jesus cries out LAZARUS COME FORTH!

John said Lazarus came out with his grave clothes on bound. Jesus said loose him!

The clothes that had him bound in death are no longer needed. He is alive. He LOOSE HIM. Literally UNBIND HIM and LET HIM GO!

Jesus had done that for many of us. Call us out of death into life. He did say I come to give you life and life more abundantly. He reminds us in John 14 I am the way the truth and the Life. I can hear him say loose her or loose him! Unbind him! Set him free. We have moved from death to life! Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty!

If they had recorded Lazarus words I can hear him singing

Praise the Lord, I'm free. No longer bound. No more chains holding me. My soul is resting. It's just a blessing. Praise the Lord, hallelujah, I'm free.

I Am Free

The question is do you believe in miracles? See there are miracles in te house today! Singing I m free! Miracles