And It Came to Pass

(John 11:45 NIV)  Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in Him.

This morning we continue this mini-series  “Lessons from Lazarus” and we are a day away from wrapping it up.  By this point we have walked through the entire Lazarus account.  It started off with Jesus receiving word that Lazarus was sick.  Jesus saw the end of the matter in the Spirit, before he uttered a word.  After receiving revelation He spoke the language of faith and declared that both He and God the Father would be glorified through it.  Yesterday we read how the family’s breakthrough finally came, after the situation had been dead and stinking, and how Lazarus was brought back to life.  After his resurrection experience Lazarus was then liberated from his grave clothes.  This morning’s text highlights the fact that God got the glory out of the entire situation as people put their faith in Jesus.  In other words, what Jesus said came to pass.

My good friend Pastor Jonathan Bryant has reminded me over the years of the power of five little words found all throughout scripture.  The words are, “And it came to pass.”  These words are a reminder that God did what He said He would do.  In other words, He meant what He said and He said what He meant.  He backed His Word and He ensured that what He said would come to pass.  Moses said it this way in Numbers 23:19 (Message Bible), “God is not man, one given to lies, and not a son of man changing his mind.  Does he speak and not do what he says?  Does he promise and not come through?”  God will always come through and He will always do what He says.  His timing might not be our timing, but He always makes His word good.  Our text for this morning does not include those ‘five little words’ that I enjoy, but it just as easily could.  It could read, “and it came to pass just as Jesus said, many of the Jews… put their faith in Him.”  Whether the words are there are not, what Jesus said about the situation came to pass and every promise in the Word will also come to pass in our lives if we receive them by faith, embrace them in our Spirit, and then exercise the patience required to endure the space between the promise and the performance, no matter how long it is.

So what does this mean to you today? A few things:

1.  God is not obligated to perform your word, but He is obligated to perform His.

2.  God will bring to pass everything He declared that He would.

3.  The promises of God are available to every Born-Again believer, but only the truth that you know and receive will make a difference in your life (John 8:31, 32).

4.  No matter how mind-blowing the promises may seem, we should never stagger at the promises of God in unbelief, but we must rather remain strong in faith (Rom 4:20).

5.  We must be fully convinced that God will make good on what He said (Rom 4:21).

6.  If we remain strong in faith and not doubt, we too will be able to say, “And it came to Pass!”

Closing Confession:  Father, I stand on Your Word and Your promises.  Your Word is more real to me than my circumstances.  I stagger not at Your promises through unbelief.  I cast not away my confidence, because I know my reward is connected to it.  I stand firm in the Word through faith.  I do not allow what I see to change what I say.  I am fully convinced that You will make good on Your Word in my life.  I declare, by faith, that what You have spoken to me: through Your Word, other people, and by Your Spirit, will come to pass in my life.  I enter this day with great expectations!  You are a promise keeper and Your faithfulness to Your Word helps me build my confidence in You for today and every day.  I shall be able to say: “And It Came To Pass” in my life!  In Jesus’ name.  Amen!

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper!