JESUS NOTE

Friends

A "JESUS NOTE" is encouragement for you as if Jesus Christ Himself was speaking.  You'll find both Scripture and a message about that Scripture.  These "Jesus Notes" are meant to give you insight into His Heart, how He thinks, and how He feels about you.  Let this encouragement begin to dwell deep within you!

 
Now a man named Lazarus was sick.  He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha …so the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness will not end in death.  No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”  Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

… Jesus went on to tell (his disciples), “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”  His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.”  Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.”

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.  Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.  When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed home.

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”  Martha answered, “I know he will rise again at the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?”  “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”

And after she had said this, she went back and called Mary aside.  “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.”  When Mary heard this, she quickly got up and went to him.  Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him.  When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.  “Where have you laid him?” he asked.  “Come and see, Lord.” they replied.

Jesus wept.

Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of a blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb.  It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.

“Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

So they took away the stone.  Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.  I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

When he had said this, Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 

The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

JOHN 11:1-6, 11-44 (NIV)


Permit me to share with you three truths to strengthen you.

First, be sure you read and understand that I was emotionally and personally involved with my friends, Martha, Mary and Lazarus.  I didn’t love them from a distance; I cared deeply about their daily lives and their long-term welfare.  Perhaps the worst lie you can believe is that I am distant, just an observer, a keeper of records.  That I created the universe and then just sat back and watched what would happen.  Go back and read how much I loved them so dearly!   I wept at the pain of my friends.  Let this fact about me settle deeply within you!

Next, be sure you see how I treated Martha differently from Mary.  With Martha, I could discuss the deepest spiritual truths, about life and death and eternal life.  With Mary, she just collapsed in front in me in a pool of tears.  She need not, nor could at that time, focus on anything other than how much she needed me.  Two sisters, different personalities, and I spoke to each one individually in a way that would mean the most to them.  You are not made like the person next door; you are unique and special, and I think of you, and speak to you, in such a way that is most personal for you.

Finally, there are two exclamation points in the above story.  Read it again and find them.  The first emphasizes my deep love for all of them; the second underscores my authority in raising Lazarus from the dead.  I can act for you, and speak to you, with the same kind of love and authority.

I will be in your town shortly.  I love you the same unfailing way I did these three friends, and my goal is to set you free and untie your grave clothes.  Let me give you eternal life!

I really like you, and I really love you!


At the end of various readings in Comfort.Guide, we will have a "Pause", "Reflect" and "Receive" section.  The purpose of this exercise is to help you better understand and to personally absorb the encouragement Comfort.Guide offers.  If you would like, visit the "HOW TO USE" page for a review of "Pause, Reflect and Receive".


PAUSE … Invite Him to be with you; let Him quiet you with His Love.


REFLECT… What is God saying to you?

1) Can you appreciate the depth of God’s love for you, yes you?

2) Do you believe God knows you inside and out, and that He would act and speak to you in very personal ways?

3) Do you have some grave clothes that have to be peeled away?


RECEIVE ... The same Jesus who wanted no part of the "grave clothes" feels that way about you and I!  Can we agree to let these go?


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