Read John 11:1-16
This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Year of Supernatural Manifestation”, with our mini-series on “The Miracles of Jesus.” Let’s continue with the story of Lazarus.
When the sisters received word that Jesus was coming they went out to meet him. Mary and Martha met Jesus at different times. Over the next few days we will take a look at how each one responded to and interacted with Jesus. Although WHAT they said to Jesus was identical, HOW that said it was very different and because the HOW was different, the results were different.
Martha left behind a house full of mourning people. I am sure many were still in tears. She came out to meet Jesus with with her heart hurt and her feelings on her sleeve. As soon as she saw Jesus she said, “Lord, if you have been here, my brother would not have died.” Martha was open and honest about her feelings. She expressed her disappointment. She was giving out feelings, but Jesus was looking for faith.
Martha had sent word for Jesus while Lazarus was still alive, but for reasons unbeknownst to her, Jesus decided to show up after Lazarus had been dead for four days. Her pain and frustration were understandable. Death is never easy to deal with; especially when you believe it was avoidable or when the timing was not right. Martha’s pain flowed from the entirely of her person (spirit, soul, and body). I can just imagine her telling Lazarus, while he was on his sick bed, “Don’t worry. We have sent word to Jesus. Jesus is on the way. Jesus will fix it. You will get better. Just hold on.” But then, He didn’t come. Lazarus had not gotten better. As a matter of fact, he had gotten worse. Lazarus died, and her hope died with him.
I believe we can all identify with her pain when she said, “Lord, if you have been here, my brother would not have died.” But she also said, “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Wait a minute. That sounds like faith. That sounds like hope. That sounds like belief. That sounds like Martha was ready for Jesus to do something about her brother’s situation. Even though he had been dead for four days, it sounded like she still believed Jesus could raise him up. But did she really? Was she really ready or was she just speaking religious jargon? Was she just saying what sounded good?
Jesus was ready, even if Martha was not. Jesus said, “Your brother will rise again!” He was bringing hope into seemingly dead situation. The God of Hope was now on the scene. Beyond the hurt, beyond the pain, beyond the past, HOPE was standing right in front of her and hope-Himself had just said that her brother would rise again! If she were truly in-faith, she would have started praising God right then and there. If she truly believed, she would have told everyone to get ready for a resurrection. But she was not ready. She was not hopeful. We will stop here for today.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
- It is OK to be real with God. God is never upset when we express our true feelings to Him. Martha wanted to release her frustration and that was OK with Jesus.
- Don’t allow your feelings to ruin your faith. While I believe God is okay with us getting our ‘feelings’ out, if we ‘feel’ like we need to, when the venting is over, He is still looking for faith. Jesus wanted faith from Martha and all she was providing was feelings. Feelings will get you nowhere we God. We are called to live by faith and not by feelings.
- Empty words are unproductive. Martha said the right thing, but she only said it because she thought it was the right things to say. She did not believe what she said. Saying the right thing out of protocol or routine means nothing if you don’t believe what you are saying.
- Be open to the supernatural. This is the point of this series. God wants your heart open to His power, now matter how bad a situation may seem. We serve a God that can do exceedingly and abundantly above anything we can ask, think or imagine (Eph 3:20). When Jesus told Martha that her brother would rise again, she was not ready for it. Are you? Can you stand for God to do MORE than you were expecting? Are you ready for God to move in your life in ways that exceed human power, ability and strength? Are you truly ready for the supernatural?
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I will experience You in ways I never have. You have called me to walk by faith and not by feelings. So after I get my feelings out, my heart is always ready to operate in faith. I am always ready for the supernatural. I don’t speak empty words out of tradition. I speak faith-filled words from a believing heart. And when You are ready to exceed my expectations, my heart is ready to believe and receive! I welcome You to do it. I am ready for the supernatural. I am ready for Your power to be manifested in my life, this year, like never before! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
