WTTW: GOD'S WORD

SUNDAY

“Believe, Follow & Glorify”

Psalm 95:6

Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;

GOD'S WORD: John 11: 1-16

Paraphrase

As Lazarus lay sick in Bethany his sisters Mary and Martha sent word of this to Jesus. When their message arrived, although he loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus, Jesus didn’t immediately leave for Bethany telling his disciples that Larazus’ illness wouldn’t end in death and instead would glorify both God and His Son.

Two days later Jesus told his disciples to get ready to leave for Judea. When his disciples reminded him how recently the Jews had tried stoning him for calling them hired hands and wolves, Jesus told them they have nothing to fear when they are walking in the light within God’s will as opposed to walking in the dark out of step with God’s will and purpose.

When Jesus told his disciples that Lazarus was sleeping and he was going to Bethany to wake him up, the disciples took him literally, thinking he meant Lazarus was naturally asleep instead of figuratively asleep as in being dead and so they told Jesus that sleep was good for Lazarus and would restore him to health.

Jesus cleared up the disciple’s confusion by telling them Lazarus was dead dead and that what’s more he was glad he wasn’t present when Lazarus died so that they too would believe He was the Son of God. Thomas told the rest of the disciples they should all follow Jesus to Judea and be ready to meet the fate that awaits him there – death.

Principles

Central Idea of the Text (CIT)
Interrogatory (INT)
Answer (ANS)


A. Meaning for 1st Century Readers

I. CIT: John told his 1st Century Readers that Jesus’ delayed response to Lazarus’ illness would glorify God and His Son.

II. INT: How would Jesus’ delayed response to Lazarus’ illness glorify God and His Son?

III. ANS: Jesus’ delayed response to Lazarus’ illness would glorify God and His Son through the:

1. Sisters’ Belief vv 1-6

2. Son following the Father vv 7-10

3. Disciples’ Belief vv 11-15

4. Disciples following the Son v 16


B. Meaning for 21st Century Readers


I. CIT: John tells his us today that Jesus’ delayed response to a Brother’s illness glorifies God and His Son.

II. INT: How will Jesus’ delayed response to a Brother’s illness glorify God and His Son?

III. ANS: Jesus’ delayed response to a Brother’s illness glorifies God and His Son through the:

1. Family’s Faith

2. Son’s Obedience -> UNTO DEATH

3. Church’s Faith

4. Church’s Obedience


Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, we thank you for your son who followed your will and was obedient unto death, even death on a cross.

We praise you Father for your power, your might, your strength that in overcoming death you can overcome any problem we face in life.

We honor you Father for our belief and our faith and it strengthening and growing as we see you at work in this world and in our life and in the lives of others.

We see your power and might at work in the life of Lazarus years ago - all that was overcome for your son to safely travel back to Judea where they had tried to stone him and his revealing your power in returning days after Lazarus had been ill and had died to speak your words of life to him.

We thank you for being able to obey you, to walk in your will and your ways, as your son has and to know that you are always with us.

Praise be to you Lord for allowing us to see you at work, for not allowing us to think we can control you by having you respond to everything we ask for when we want it but to leave open the door of faith knowing that you act within your will and for your purposes with the assurance that you love us and want what is best for us.

Lord we ask all of this and whatever else is silently on our heart today in the name of your son, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.