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6 Application Points From the Story of Lazarus | a peek into my Bible study notes!


I haven't written a post like this often, but tonight's Bible study notes were too good to not share, and I'm honestly really excited about it. God always finds a way to hit so close to home just when I need it, and I'm so thankful for that. Today's post is going to be kind of like a Bible study with me, so if you want, I'd love for you to pray and open up your Bible with me as we see what God wants to teach us. :) My notes and inspirations have come from the Enduring Word Commentary, which I have talked about a bunch here on the blog! 


Today's reading is John 11:38-44. (Yes, this is your sign that it is totally okay to not read a full chapter every night. Short is just as sweet as long.)


'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 believe, you will 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 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 11:38-44


  1. If we don't believe, we will never see the glory of God. We can see the end result and be happy in that, but we will miss the glory of working together with God for the fulfillment of His plan.


I have been seeing this show up in my life so many times. I'm going strong trusting God, enjoying the journey with Him, and then after a while, my faith begins to shake. I'm not leaning on God as firmly anymore, and I miss a view of what He's doing. I miss out on so much of the blessing of being in communion with God in the less than comfortable times because I’m not walking in faith. 


Jesus told Martha to believe, and then she will see the glory of God. We must do the same. We must choose to walk in a radical, bold faith, so that we can witness the extraordinary works of our Father. If we don't believe, if we don't trust, then God won’t necessarily take away our blessing, but we’ll steal it from ourselves. We won’t get the opportunity to be in His presence before the promise arrives. I don't know about you, but I don't want to miss out on that.


  1. Jesus dealt with Martha according to steps deliberately intended to stretch and build her faith. 


I am confident that Jesus will not push us to our breaking point, but He will challenge and stretch us. I’ve noticed in my own life that He likes to have me wait just until I begin to feel desperate or challenge me just a step outside of my comfort zone to strengthen my faith. He’s not doing that to be mean, but to help us experience a greater, more radical faith, so that we can join with Him in His work. I’m trying to train myself to lean into the Holy Spirit even more when I begin to feel uncomfortable, instead of allowing myself to question if Jesus has abandoned me. Being tested or challenged does not mean Jesus doesn’t love me anymore, but instead it means that He loves me enough to want me to experience Him in a greater and deeper level. 


This also ties into the first point - when Jesus is stretching our faith, it’s an invitation for us to walk alongside Him and know His presence beyond just when life is sunshine and rainbows. He welcomes us into the uncomfortable because that is when we know Him truly and genuinely, instead of having a surface level, comfortable faith. That’s not always what we want to hear, but it’s the truth, and I think that as Christians, we need to practice to embrace the situations that are less than ideal because God likely has a wonderful plan to redeem it. 


  1. The power of prayer was rooted in the private prayer times of Jesus. Jesus didn't pray a particularly passionate or desperate prayer, but a simple prayer of thanksgiving. 


There are two really important messages that I want to touch on in this point. One, the power of our prayer is really dependent on our private prayer times. If we are not connected to Jesus in the secret place, our prayers will lack authority because we are praying in accordance with our desires, not His. Jesus continually stepped away, especially in the height of His ministry, because He knew the importance of getting His strength and sustenance from the Father. We too must prioritize private prayer, intentional communication with God, to cultivate that relationship and to be able to pray powerfully. 


The second part of this point is that Jesus didn’t pray a fancy, sophisticated prayer. It wasn’t even emotionally charged with passion or desperation. It was simply thankful. I have found myself, more often than I’d like to admit, neglecting the thankful prayers. My prayer is usually more about me, what I need and want. But Jesus has demonstrated that a thankful prayer is so powerful and important. God deserves our thanksgiving and gratitude. He deserves to know that we recognize what He’s doing for us and how He’s moving on our behalf. And so, before Jesus’ prayer raised Lazarus from the dead, He thanked God.


What a beautiful picture that is. Our prayers of gratitude can raise the dead back to life. 


I wonder what kind of miracles we’re missing out on because we forget to simply thank God. 


  1. Jesus is God, who gives life to the dead. He told death that He would soon conquer it completely. 


Jesus is the life, and He is one with God. He is unique and separate from the Father, but they are one in nature. I love that, and I love how big of a statement this miracle was. I believe that Lazarus rising from the dead was perfectly timed and situated in the course of eternity. Jesus was humble, quiet, and gentle, but He was not a pushover. In this miracle, Jesus warned death that He would soon conquer its chains, once and for all, in His final resurrection. 


Jesus is fully human, but He is also all powerful. I never want to cease being in awe of His glory, majesty, and authority. He is so strong, and even death buckles under His name.  


  1. Jesus did what only God could do, and then looked for man's cooperation for the completion of Lazarus' deliverance. 


One of my favorite parts about Jesus and the miracles He makes happen is how often He looks to include people in His work. Jesus loves to involve us in His work, from turning water to wine, to feeding 5,000, to raising Lazarus from the dead. By asking people to fill up jars with water, bring the food they have, roll the stone away, or assist the dead with their grave clothes, Jesus is proving how much He values our help and our relationship. He loves working together with us, hand in hand, accomplishing His plan. I think that is such a beautiful picture and it makes me so grateful to serve a God who doesn’t want me to watch His glory, but to participate in it. 


  1. Lazarus was raised but still walking in grave clothes. Are you?

     

I want to leave you with this final point to reflect and pray over. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, giving him new life. But he still had his grave clothes on, evidence that he once was dead. He had to peel away the pieces of his old life, the death he once encountered, so that he can see and fully experience the new life Jesus bought for him. 


Jesus too has given us new life, but we can still be covered in grave clothes. We can still be walking around blinded by the death and old life we once lived. Shame covers us, sin traps us, doubts consume us. All the parts of the person we used to be still cling to the cleansed, holy skin that Jesus washed for us, but we have to do our part by taking it off. Jesus gave us new life, now we have to choose to walk in it. 

I really loved this Bible study, so much so that I wanted to bring it to the blog! I find it so amazing how sometimes God connects Scripture so deeply with our life and exactly what we’re walking through. These few verses felt so personal and applicable, and I’m so thankful that God allowed me to read it on that day. God is always teaching and speaking, but it’s up to us to be listening and receiving. It’s my prayer that what I learned was impactful and encouraging to you, and that maybe God was able to speak to you in a new, different way too. If He did, or you have other observations, drop them in the comments below, and I’d love to learn alongside you! 


 
 
 

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