Eternal Hope in Jesus Christ

In today's devotion, we will talk about the famous story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. We will learn the humanity of Jesus regarding those who are suffering because of their loss. How did the Lord comfort Martha in times of her grief? Are you grieving? Are you hurting? Does Jesus care? Today’s devotional meditation will answer these questions. I pray that you will be enlightened and be convicted of the truth that our Lord assured on Martha regarding death.

Gospel in the Air is a podcast ministry of Cornerstone Christian Church. We are located in Maui, Hawaii, USA. Our number is (808) 463-8859. You can also visit our website at www.cornerstonemaui.org or you can send your email to danibanggo@gmail.com.

Transcript

Episode 24 
Eternal Hope in Jesus Christ
Text: John 11:17-40  

From Maui Hawaii, I greet you with a warm Aloha! How are you today? I hope you are great under His grace. It’s another week gone by and I am inviting you to join me in this short devotional meditation.

For today’s lesson we will dive into the eternal hope that Jesus offers to those that put their trust in Him. I pray that you will be inspired and encouraged and challenged in your daily walk with the Lord.  

Our text is based on the book of John 11:17 - 40. But the emphasis is on verses 25 and 26. I will read the following verses to you:

Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die, and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

According to Ronald Nickelson, “Death is the end of our hopes and dreams in this world. It is the final and unavoidable end to every plan and purpose.”[1] But for the faithful disciple of Christ, it is only the beginning of eternal joy in heaven with God. In the eyes of faith, how comforting it is to know that even though we die physically, we will live forever spiritually. David attests to this truth when he wrote, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Ps.116: 15).

Jesus and his disciples have just returned in Judea after leaving to minister on the eastern side of the Jordan River (Jn.10:40). According to the synoptic Gospels, the chief priests and teachers of the Law wanted to kill Jesus for confronting them, challenging the power among the priestly aristocracy of their Jewish religion. This happened when he went into the Temple and drove out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice and knocking over the tables and chairs of the money changers and sellers of doves. He sharply rebuked everyone to their face at the sight of the priests and religious leaders for turning the Temple of God into a den of thieves. In other words, they desecrated the house of God which is holy and sacred for worldly business. 

Our Lord declared resoundingly that God’s Temple is a place of prayer. (Mt. 21:12-13). His act of cleansing the temple does not only pose as a threat to the religious hierarchy but a blatant challenge to the integrity and authority of their leadership.[2] He knows from the very start that such confrontational and radical ideology would lead to His arrest and even to His death on the cross. In the narrative of John, they also wanted to kill him for raising Lazarus back to life (Jn.11:45-53). 

How disheartening for this people not to believe Jesus despite being firsthand eyewitnesses to his miraculous account of raising Lazarus back to life who has been in the grave for four days! How unfortunate for them to miss out their greatest opportunity of having eternal hope and joy had they believed Jesus who is the author of life. But what else can we expect since it is also happening today. Despite God’s offer of grace of forgiveness and salvation still many people choose not to commit their hearts to Jesus. Yet, despite our stubbornness, the Bible says that the Lord does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent. Indeed, the Lord is so patient in waiting for anyone to turn to him. (2 Pet.3:9).

The sisters, Martha and Mary, sent note to Jesus about Lazarus, their brother’s serious health condition, but he purposely delayed his coming so that he can use this occasion to reveal his glory he had with the Father before the world began (Jn.11: 4; cf. 17:5). 

4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” (Jn. 11:4)

5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. (Jn. 17:5)

Jesus could have healed Lazarus miraculously via long distance as he did to the centurion’s servant. This account is found in the narrative of Matthew 8:5-13 wherein the centurion humbly asked him “…only say the word, and my servant will be healed… Immediately the servant was healed at that very hour.” But Jesus chose not to do the same. He allowed Lazarus to die so that people can witness how he will raise him to life. Martha is overwhelmed by emotion as any normal person would have experienced in such a situation. Her mind is blank with the loss of her brother. It is hard for her to know or discern the greater plan of the Lord for her and her family. She is grieving and she needs to be comforted. 

From this story, there are fundamental truths that I want to share with you regarding the hope we have in Jesus Christ despite the certainty of our physical death. Someday, somehow, we will certainly leave this place and be gone. Although we can postpone death, it will surely happen to all of us in our own appointed time. No one will be able to escape death. Death will come to all without exception no matter our status in life. There are no rich or poor, healthy or sickly, powerful or weak. Death is not a respecter of any person. It does not show favoritism. Death is certain to anyone in its appointed time. But how did the Lord comfort Martha in times of her grief? I pray that you will be enlightened and be convicted of the fundamental truth that our Lord assured on Martha regarding death. We will also learn the humanity of Jesus regarding those who are suffering and in pain because of their loss. Are you grieving? Are you hurting? Does Jesus Care? Today’s devotional meditation will answer these questions. 

Despite the certainty of death there is the Assurance of eternal life (vv.23-26)
The Lord said to her “Your brother will rise again.” (v.23) And Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (v.24). Martha was thinking about the future. And she was right, but she did not know that the Lord was not referring to the resurrection that will happen in the future, but right now, today! He said to her: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (v.25).

The Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection (Mk.12: 18-27) but other Jews like the Pharisees believe that the righteous will rise to eternal life at the end of time (Acts 23:8; cf. Dan.12:2). What a comforting word coming from the Lord himself, who is the source of life, telling Martha “Your brother will rise again,” because “I am the resurrection and the life.” Jesus does not only have the power to raise Lazarus to life, but he is the resurrection himself! (Jn. 2:19; 10:18) All the prophets combined from the OT to the NT including the apostles had ever claimed what Jesus testified about himself: “I am the resurrection and the life!”  

In Jn. 5:24 Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” This simply means that eternal life does not begin after we die.[3]  Accordingly, eternal life begins at the moment we are born again (spiritual rebirth). We “passed” or changed place” from death to life. It is available right now through Jesus Christ and it continues into eternity after we die.[4] In short, we have hope in Jesus Christ that goes beyond the grave! The Lord himself affirmed this to Martha when he asked her “Do you believe this?” Do you believe that even though you die you will continue to live spiritually. 

Let us be firm  on this truth: already we passed from death to eternal life because of Jesus Christ who is the only source of our eternal hope. Our life does not end here on earth it will continue after the grave which is eternity in heaven with God! Indeed, Martha is a model of a living faith in the face of loss. She did not allow her sorrow to beset her but managed herself to turn to Jesus with faith and trust, believing that God has everything under control. Perhaps you are in the midst of storm right now. You are battered with relentless waves. And you’re about to sink. Hold on and tighten your grip of faith. Look at Martha how she entrusted her pain to Jesus. She was cheered up, delivered and restored. The peace of God sustained her faith in Jesus.

Earlier before Jesus and his apostles went to Bethany in the place of Martha and Mary where Lazarus their brother was buried four days ago one of the apostles whose name was Thomas warned his fellow apostles that going to Bethany is very dangerous because Jesus will be exposing himself to the public. The religious leaders in Judea are hostile to him, and they wanted him dead because he claimed to be God. Jesus told them that even before the days of the patriarch Abraham he already existed. In other words, he preexisted Abraham long before the great patriarch was born! (See Jn.8: 57-59). Jesus became the most wanted blasphemer by the religious leaders to be stoned to death. Hence, Thomas was so afraid that they might find him, and they will kill him including them all. (Jn. 11: 16). But the Lord insisted that they must go because Lazarus is dead. Jesus will take this occasion to reveal himself to his disciples so that they will believe him (Jn.11: 14-15). 

When Jesus saw how Mary was desperately weeping, he was deeply moved that he also wept (Lk. 11:35). This is the shortest verse in the Bible, yet it is profound. It tells the true humanity of the Lord. In Isa.52: 3 it says, “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”  

Jesus wept for their agony
For those who have experienced the loss of a loved one it is very hard. Behind their smile you could just imagine the suffering and pain in their hearts. This is what death of Lazarus brought to her sisters Martha and Mary. When my father died it took me some time to overcome my pain and sorrow despite knowing very well the promise of the Lord found in Psalm 116:15 which says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servant.”  I know he is now enjoying the comfort and eternal bliss with the saints in the presence of God in heaven but during those trying times in my life I was deeply hurt and struggling especially when I missed him the most. Those who have lost their loved ones know and understand what I am saying.

Jesus empathized with Mary and Martha for losing their brother, Lazarus. He cried in silence because he felt their pain and sorrow. This is what genuine love is all about (agape). It cares for the hurting. When your friend is hurt, you hurt. This is the love of God has for all humankind through Jesus Christ (Jn.3: 16). God is so loving and caring. 

He wept for their lack of faith
In Luke 19: 41-44 we can see that Jesus also wept. But this is different. He wept because people were lost. They rejected him. Their hearts were hardened! In less than 40 years after he left for heaven more than one million Jews died! That was in A. D. 70 when Emperor Titus attacked and burned Jerusalem and destroyed the temple.[5]  How pitiful it was for anyone that rejected the grace of salvation. 

Earlier Martha expressed her frustrations and lack of faith in Jesus by saying, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died” (21). This is exactly what Mary also told Jesus when she met him outside, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died” (32). In other words, they blame Jesus for not coming on time so that he could have healed their brother and spared his life.  But Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days now and was probably starting to stink (39). This is how people would react who lack faith in the Lord. They focused on Jesus for not coming on time as well as the fact that Lazarus was probably starting to smell. This is what makes Jesus wept because people failed to see all the answers of their needs when in fact everything they wish for was right in front of them. Yet they missed Jesus and what he can offer. They lacked faith! The author of the book of Hebrews writes: “And without faith, it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Heb. 11:6). Despite Jesus’ promise of eternal life, they mourned like the rest of men who have no hope (cf. 1 Thes.4: 13). “But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.”

He wept for the Cross he must bear for our sake
The death and resurrection of Lazarus foretold of his suffering, death, and resurrection. Jesus wept for our misery because of sin that resulted into our death. He wept because of the sadness and darkness of the present world.[6] Jesus took all our infirmities so that one day we do not have to suffer and cry. (cf. Rev. 21: 4) “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.

How many times have you doubted the Lord and took Him for granted? It is like the people of Gadara (Mt.8: 28-34) who drove away the Lord instead of welcoming him to their place and would have received far greater blessings and favor than what they have lost from their pigs that were drowned. But their carnal mind due to their lust for wealth and riches caused them to lose even more for rejecting the author of life. What a loss indeed! Accordingly, Jesus is the radiance of the Father’s care and love for us (Heb.1: 3). This is the reason why he sent Him to us (Jn.3: 16). This gives us the assurance that no matter the storms of life we face, Jesus is right here with us and for us. He is always there to meet us in our pain and suffering. 

Are you hurting? Are you suffering? Our lesson prods us to trust Jesus no matter the circumstance of life we face even though we don’t understand them because He is in control of everything.  He feels our cry and knows our longing. Yes, Jesus wept because those he loved wept.

Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life…. Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" Jesus is the only source of our eternal hope. In his humanity, Jesus lived like anyone us and experienced the same kind of life we normally have. No wonder he can identify himself with the pain and suffering of his friends. We can therefore approach him to obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need.

Today, if you haven’t received yet Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I invite you to accept Him by faith and to Him alone you will entrust your life.  

It is my prayer that you have been blessed today. Please continue to stay tuned and share it with your family and friends. May you be strengthened and encouraged in your journey of faith. Thank you for the privilege of your time. This is your host, Brother Dani Marantan Banggo saying, keep punching the good fight of faith. Until next time. Mahalo!

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[1] Ronald L. Nickelson, Editor and Jonathan Underwood, Senior Editor, NIV Standard Lesson Commentary 2011-2012 Volume 18 (Standard Publishing: Cincinnati, Ohio, 2011), p.322.
[2] Ibid.
[3] “Passed” (G. mӗtabainō) means “to change place.” James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Thomas Nelson Publishers: TN, 1995), Greek Appendix, p. 57 (3327).
[4] Ronald L. Nickelson, Editor and Jonathan Underwood, Senior Editor, NIV Standard Lesson Commentary 2011-2012 Volume 18 (Standard Publishing: Cincinnati, Ohio, 2011), p. 325.
[5] gotquestions.org.
[6] George R. Beasley – Murray, World Biblical Commentary: John, Volume 36 (Word Books Publishers: Waco, Texas, 1987), p. 193.