John 11

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Releasing Our Grief

August 13, 2023 | Matthew 5:4, John 11:17-44 | beatitudes, grief, recovery

For many of us, we don’t know how to grieve. We don’t know how to mourn. So, we just bottle it up. We deny it. Or we try to medicate it with booze, or pills, or overeating, or over-working, or materialism or… But the pain remains. Unresolved grief can cause us to give up on happiness.

The blessed life, the supremely happy life, is ours when we are willing to admit that we’re powerless to change, to overcome our hurts, habits, and hangups. And that we need to mourn, grieve, and trust Jesus as the only One truly able to comfort and heal us. In the gospel of John, Jesus called those who were grieving the death of Lazarus to believe in Him as the only One who could truly comfort their grief and turn their mourning into blessing. We can release our grief to Jesus to receive His comfort.

NEW LIFE, NEW CLOTHES!

May 20, 2023

‘Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”‘ (John 11:43-44 NLT). When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He instructed his family and friends to help him out of

“It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, and many people from all over the country arrived in Jerusalem several days early so they could go through the purification ceremony before Passover began” (John 11:55 NLT).

May 21, 2022

CHRIST IS OUR PURIFICATION Over 100 purification pools or “mikvehs” have been discovered in the ruins surrounding the Temple Mount. The Jewish pilgrims who came from all over the Roman Empire for Passover would arrive early to bathe in one of these mikvehs, cleansing themselves and putting on clean clothes before entering the Temple. Yet,

‘Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”’ (John 11:43 NLT).

May 20, 2022

THE WORD THAT RAISES THE DEAD The One who had said, “Let there be light,” later entered into this sin darkened world to bring light once again. He spoke resurrection life to a four-days-dead man, shouting, “Lazarus, come forth!” He called to him specifically because otherwise all the dead on planet earth would have burst

Jesus said to them, “Loose him and let him go”‘ (John 11:44 HCSB).

May 20, 2021

NEW LIFE, NEW CLOTHES! When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He instructed his family and friends to help him out of his graveclothes. Surely the clothes must have smelled of death just as Martha had warned, for Lazarus had been dead for four days. The dead man Lazarus was raised to life by the

“Lazarus, come forth!” (John 11:43 NKJV).

May 20, 2020

JESUS IS THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE The One who had said, “Let there be light,” now entered into His fallen creation, speaking resurrection life to those dead in their sins. He called to “Lazarus” specifically because otherwise every dead body on planet earth would have burst forth from the grave at His command, “Come

‘Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”’ (John 11:43 NLT).

May 20, 2019

DO YOU KNOW THE ONE WHO CAN COMMAND THE DEAD TO RISE? The One who had said, “Let there be light,” later entered into this sin darkened world to bring light once again. He spoke resurrection life to a four-days-dead man, shouting, “Lazarus, come forth!” He called to him specifically because otherwise all the dead

“It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, and many people from all over the country arrived in Jerusalem several days early so they could go through the purification ceremony before Passover began” (John 11:55 NLT).

May 21, 2018

NO FURTHER NEED FOR RITUAL PURIFICATION
Over 100 purification pools or “mikvehs” have been discovered in the ruins surrounding the Temple Mount. The Jewish pilgrims who came from all over the Roman Empire for Passover would arrive early to bathe in one of these mikvehs, cleansing themselves and putting on clean clothes before entering the Temple. Yet, the Passover week that John wrote of would change everything. For by the end of that week, Jesus would offer His blood for the purification of sin to all those who would believe.

As we read in the book of Hebrews, “Dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:19-22).

There is no further need of ritual cleansing. Jesus is our spiritual mikveh.

‘Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” (John 11:43-44 NLT).

May 20, 2018

PUT OFF THE OLD GRAVECLOTHES!
When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He instructed his family and friends to help him out of his graveclothes. Surely the clothes must have smelled of death just as Martha had warned, for Lazarus had been dead four days. Yet, the man Lazarus was raised to life by the call of Jesus. A new man needs new clothes.

The apostle Paul wrote, “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” (Eph. 4:21-22, 24).

When we are born again, we must put off the old graveclothes of our former lives and put on the new clothes of the new nature. This is an action taken in the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet, just as Lazarus needed help to get out of his graveclothes, so we need the community of believers to help us with ours. After all, isn’t it our family and friends that let us know when we stink?

So, get out of those stinky graveclothes and clothe yourselves in Christ’s clothes of righteousness.

Easter Means…Life

April 3, 2016 | John 11:17-44 | easter, gospel

Are you feeling a sense of having no purpose, like life just has little meaning right now? Are you feeling grief from a loss, perhaps the loss of a family member or the loss of a relationship? Is life just feeling too brief or too mundane? We need to hear that there is something more eternal and more abundant. In the gospel of John, Christ called Martha to believe that He was the resurrection and the life. We can receive the resurrection life of Christ by believing in Him.