Month: February 2017

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The 6 Last Days

3rd February

“The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the One who comes in the Name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!””

John 12:12-13

Interestingly, from John chapter 12 until the end of the book, the writers focus is on Jesus’ last 6 days before His crucifixion and His resurrection and ascension. It is an interesting fact, because it is almost half of the Gospel of John. This tells us that John obviously wanted his readers to fully understand Jesus’ last days, His last words and last miracles as a matter of utter importance.

He starts with mentioning the Passover, which we now know was when Jesus was crucified. This is an important fact, as it shows us why so many were in town (Jerusalem). Another reason why there was a lot of people in the crowds was because “many…. had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and….were telling others about it” (John 12:17). Jesus, as we know from the other gospels came into the city riding on a donkey; a direct fulfilment of scripture. The crowds were full of jubilation for Jesus, so much so they were venerating Him as the ‘King of Israel’, the ‘One who comes in the Name of the Lord!’ Yet these very same people, 5 or 6 days later, were the ones shouting ‘Crucify Him’ to Pilate when he asked the crowds what to do to with Jesus.

This presents us with a clear and provoking challenge. There is no doubt that Jesus’ miracles are amazing, wonderful and attract us to the person of Jesus. Yet unless you encounter Jesus for yourself, like Mary and Martha, whose lives were completely changed by being with Jesus, you will just be like a crowd goer, attracted by the waves of wonder, but soon drown in the sea of disbelief when the storm comes. Don’t be a person who gets caught up in the crowds but be a follower of Jesus because you have personally been changed by Him. Let your foundation be Jesus Himself.

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Lazarus’ Miracle Greater Than We Think

2nd February

“When all the people heard of Jesus’ arrival, they flocked to see Him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus raised from the dead. Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too, for it was because of Him that many believed in Jesus.”

John 12:9-11

In John chapters 11 and 12, the writer twice comments on the fact that many people started following Jesus because of the miracle of Lazarus’ resurrection. Was this simply because they were attracted to Jesus’ miraculous power? Perhaps. But maybe a more reasonable argument would be because they simply witnessed an incredible miracle, that could only have been performed by someone of divine nature. Yet, seemingly so, the Pharisees completely missed the point of this great miracle, as if blinded by their selfish concerns of how many people are following Jesus and not them. Not only did they choose to not believe and not follow Jesus, but they wanted to destroy the evidence of Jesus’ great miracle, Lazarus.

We too are surrounded by people making excuses and trying to disprove the existence of God, and the evidence that we so clearly see all around us. Some argue following Jesus is just escapism, giving hope to a hopeless world. Some argue that Christianity is a made up religion, that tries to appeal to the weak and the helpless. Yet we are gifted with a clear and undeniable defence of God’s existence. Creation. His Word, the Bible. His tangible presence. His miracles NOW. His voice. The difference is, you have to open your eyes to see it. Many people came wanting to see the resurrected Lazarus, and those people believed. The Pharisees saw, yet chose not to believe, because in fact, their eyes were still shut. Today’s challenge is to truly open your eyes and see the resurrected King and the evidence of His works. May the Holy Spirit ‘open the eyes of your heart, so that your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you’1!!!

1Ephesians 1:18 paraphrased

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The Resurrector Of Life

1st February

“Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, Come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!””

John 11:43-44

Wouldn’t you have loved to be there when Jesus shouted these words to the brother of Mary and Martha, Lazarus. The man Jesus dearly loved had been dead for 4 days. Yet when he heard the words of Jesus, he arose from ‘death’ and walked out of the tomb as if he had merely awoken from sleep. Can you imagine the sight of that? In front of your eyes, a man, being raised from the dead, simply by the words and authority of Jesus Christ?! No life support machine, no medicine, no long prayers or rituals. Just the 3 words, ‘Lazarus, come out!’, spoken by the Creator of life. Surely seeing that would lead you to put your trust in Jesus.

Today, that very same power lives in all of us. We have access and authority to speak life to death, because Jesus lives in us. When we pray in the Name of Jesus, the very same power that rose Lazarus from the dead, will flow through us, because it lives in us. That power is Jesus Christ. Yet we do not only have this power so that we can pray for others, but also so that we too might be changed and healed. Jesus’ power does not just flow out of us, but in us and through us; so we might change to be the change. Let the Jesus of the Bible, be as real for you as it was for those who witnessed this marvellous miracle.