The Devotional – Your brother will rise again

The Devotional – Your brother will rise again

Comment: Israel, if you care to read the Old Testament history of the nation, was and is at this time, rebellious toward God who chose the man Abraham and through him formed the nation of Israel. The detail of this history is far too large to place on paper this morning, but beginning with Genesis 11:27 through Malachi 4:6 you will find, God’s love, His mercy, His chastisement and judgment over His nation. If you study this section of the Holy Bible you will see that God not only owns the nation of Israel, but He also owns ALL NATIONS and moves them according to His Will. Rebellious and unsaved people reject the thought that God owns it all, thus they seek to usurp His protective Mercy, ignore His promised Grace and being full of pride fail to see His Love. This same thought or parallels the condition of the United States of America TODAY! 

Devotional: John 11:17–27 – After the death of Lazarus who was a friend of Jesus and while the family and other friends of Lazarus were still in mourning, Jesus came to the tomb. Lazarus had been dead four days and when Martha a sister of Lazarus saw Jesus coming, she ran up to meet Him on the road, but Mary the other sister remained in the house.

Lazarus, Martha and Mary spent many days with the LORD Jesus, they had sat with Him and His disciples on many occasions listening to the LORD’s teaching and conversation about the kingdom of Heaven. Thus Martha understood that if Jesus were to help them in these days of sorrow that He would. Notice: John 11:21-22 – Now Martha said to Jesus, “LORD, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

The LORD’s reply to Martha is: “Your brother will rise again.” Verse 23. Martha understood the teaching of Jesus in the past about the resurrection of the last day. Yet like so many today she did not know at this point that Jesus is speaking to her about a different resurrection; the Light of the gospel. Jesus now clarifies that this resurrection is more than a future event in history. That the Frist Resurrection is in a Person of whom we all can believe in. 

Jesus explains these WONDERFUL WORDS to Martha “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ John 11:25-26. Martha’s reply is a vital expression of faith and it is vital message to all of us as well since we must all answer the question that Jesus asked Martha.

“DO YOU BELIEVE IN ME” The resurrection and the life is through the LORD Jesus Christ by FAITH alone, “but to as many as received Him, to them He gave the right (authority) to become the children of God, to those who believe in His Name; who were born (spiritual birth), not of blood (physical birth), nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man (physical will and conception), but of God (Sacrifice; John 3:16).