Signposts, Part 7

The story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead teaches us that God is always at work in our turning points—both the joyful and the painful—inviting us to trust Him even when we don’t understand. Through this miracle, Jesus declares that He is the resurrection and the life, showing us that true life is found in Him, both now and for eternity.

Alive
Hillsong Young and Free

Everlasting God
William Murphy

Doxologly/Good Plans
Red Rocks Worship

In reference to our turning points, both good and bad, what are we going to do with them and in the aftermath of them?

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Signposts In John
1. Changing water into wine (John 2:1-12)
2. Healing the Royal Official’s Son (John 4:46-54)
3. Healing the man at the pool who had been an invalid for 38 years (John 5:1-11)
4. Feeding of the 5000 (John 6:1-15)
5. Walking on the Water (John 6:16-21)
6. Healing a man that was born blind (John 9:1-12)
7. Raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11)

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John 11:1-3
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

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John 11:4
‘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.”

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Truth #1
Jesus is aware of your turning points before they happen and, whether they are joyful or painful, they are intended for our benefit and His glory.

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John 11:17-21
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two mile from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

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Truth #2
Jesus can be trusted with your turning point, whether you question it, doubt it, understand it, or agree with it.

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John 11:23-27
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “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?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

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Truth #3
Jesus, through the turning point of the Cross and Resurrection, brings life to the fullest now AND into the future.

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John 11:33-42
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

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John 12:1-11
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

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