I am writing this blog with an aching heart, wiping away tears as I write. My best friend from back home, Joel, who has been like a brother to me for years, his dad died last week.
Joel: I love you so much brother. I was loved by and loved your father. I consider your mom a mother to me and your brothers like my own family. I miss you bro. I will continue praying for you.
John 11:35 "Jesus wept."
In this John passage we see the beauty that was our Lord Jesus. He was a man with emotions like our own.
Jesus is weeping over His friend who has just died a few days earlier. Lazarus was loved by Jesus and His heart hurt over the death of His friend; so much so that He broke down and cried, weeping that His friend had to experience death.
As of yet, Jesus had not yet finished His work on earth. Death still had power over man because He had not taken on the sins of the world, freeing us from the sting of death.
Those of you who are familiar with this account know that after He cried, He went and called Lazarus from the dead. How does He do this? You just read that He was a man and, as of yet, had not taken away mans sin. So how could He command death to flee from Lazarus?
Here is what I have come too:
1. Jesus was bringing glory to the Father.
Right before He calls Lazarus from the dead, John 11:39-40, "Jesus said, "take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her,"Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?""
Like I said in my blog Gods Glory, He does everything to bring Himself the glory He is due. As He should.
2. He was walking in the anointing that was given to Him when He received the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3:16 "When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him."
He had the Spirit of God in Him and was without sin. He worked to do one primary thing.
3. He was bringing what He saw in heaven to what is on earth.
Luke 11:2 "He said to them, "When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven….""
This is the kingdom gospel. To bring the reality of heaven to earth.
This is the model that Christ set up for us to folllow. Bring glory to the Father. We do that by walking in His Spirit because of the blood of the cross washing away our sin, preaching that Christ has restored the demonion of the earth back to man through the Man Jesus Christ. The King who's dominion knows no end.
Joel if you read this man I love you so much. I will be praying for you and the rest of your family.
God bless, Mark
