This is the first part of my two entries regarding the preaching last Sunday and I would also like to acknowledge my hubby, Reuel, for his contributions on this writings.
October 26 was the Lord’s Day, Sunday, and it also happened that same date was Gabee’s second birthday (this would be another entry). Sunday is usually the busiest day of the week as we need to get up early to prepare ourselves for the whole day service for the Lord. And when I say getting up early, it’s like doing a very difficult task in a matter of seconds. Do you get how challenging it is for us? We are always struggling just to be on time in the morning service but we always ended up late. However, last Sunday is not the usual Sunday because we got there even before Pastor Bong (our mission pastor) started his preaching. Here it goes:
The title of the message --- WILL YOU COME TO JESUS TODAY? This question is basically for everybody to answer. The first verse which was mentioned speaks of how Jesus Christ is encouraging people to come unto Him.
Matthew 11:28 (KJV):“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Jesus also expressed in another passage that whosoever will come and follow him shall have the light of life.
John 8:12 (KJV):
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
Above verses are just citations of how our Lord Jesus Christ is inviting people to come to him. Only Jesus can give the comfort that we are looking if we just come to him and faithfully believe in all of His words. As our Pastor goes along with his message, I noticed that the focus was shifted on the story of the three siblings Mary, Martha and Lazarus whom Jesus Christ loved as what the Bible is saying. Let us read the story from the bible:
John 11:1-7 (KJV):“Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.”
The first seven verses in the book of John chapter 11 speak of how these three siblings: Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, are very dear to Jesus. And they are also full of faith that they even seek Jesus for the healing of their sick brother named Lazarus. But when Jesus heard about it, he told them “This sickness is not unto death”. Because of these words, we can assume that Mary and Martha trust the Lord and might believe that their brother will not die due to the said sickness. But Lazarus died and, Martha and Mary were in great grief.
John 11:19-21 (KJV):
“And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”
John 11:28-32 (KJV):“And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”
If you are in the shoes of Mary and Martha, what will you feel provided that Jesus did not visit Lazarus when he was sick and even told them that his sickness is not unto death? Will you still come to Jesus? Or will you still believe on what he has said?
Though Mary and Martha thought that Lazarus had not died if only Jesus were there, they did not blame Jesus and even walk away from Him. Instead, they immediately come unto him to get comforted. Most people like us tend to draw away from God if we think God did not even responded in times of our need. But we should not draw away from Him and not even blame Him for what had happened because He always knows everything. He might not respond immediately but He always has plans. And His plans are not based on our terms. It is solely based on what will glorify Him in return. Do you think Jesus does not know what had happened?
John 11:11-14 (KJV):“These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.”
Jesus already knows what had happened even before he came on the place where Lazarus had died. And also, you might think that Jesus had mistakenly spoke that Lazarus will not die as he said “This sickness is not unto death”. Well, He is right after all because His plan is to raise Lazarus again to life. Let us examine again what the Lord had spoken:
John 11:4 (KJV):“When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”
On the verse above, we can realize that the whole matter is after all “for the glory of God”. He allowed Lazarus death to be witnessed by everybody so that they can also witness that Jesus Christ has the power to conquer death as He is the resurrection and the life.
John 11:25-26 (KJV):“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
God always do things in His own terms so that His name will be magnified in our lives. But the striking question from Lord is “Believest thou this?” If we have to come to Jesus Christ, we should always believe everything he says. We may sometimes not understand the ways of the Lord in our lives but be assured that His words will always be true. Just like I mentioned, Martha and Mary never blamed Jesus for what happened and as they immediately come to Jesus, the Lord had encouraged them to believe on everything He said.
When is the time we need to come to Jesus?
1. Come to Him in times of grief and agony.
Jesus understands everything we feel. As it was mentioned on the Bible that Jesus even wept and so did God for Jesus Christ is the express image and ultimate manifestation of God the Father.
John 11:33-35 (KJV):“When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept.”
Isaiah 63:9 (KJV):“In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.”
Even if God also feel our suffering, He still knows everything. And, He knows when will be the best time to respond to our prayers and supplications. Instead of looking for comfort from other people, we should always go to Him in prayer because He is the only one who can truly comfort us.
Mary and Martha knew this as well that’s why when they heard Jesus had come, they immediately come unto Him even there were already other Jews comforting them.
John 11:19-29 (KJV):“And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.”
2. Come to Him in times of hopelessness.
Based on the story, Mary and Martha wholly know that Jesus Christ is their only hope as we can feel them say, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”
John 11:21 (KJV):“Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”
John 11:32 (KJV):“Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”
Jesus gives hope not only in this life but way beyond after this life. We only think of what we are hoping to achieve in this life but Jesus sees beyond that. And because of that hope that God has given us even after this life, we are not miserable.
1 Corinthians 15:19 (KJV):“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”
Jesus is actually our “blessed hope” because the hope of eternal life is in Him.
Titus 2:13 (KJV):“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”
1 John 5:11-15 (KJV):“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”
What we have to do? We should come to Jesus and believe on his name. In this way, we will not be hopeless anymore.
3. Come to Him by faith.
Now if we believe that Jesus will give us comfort and hope then let’s hold on to that belief in faith. Faith is actually --- “believing without seeing”.
When Martha was asked by Jesus, “Believest thou this?” then Martha immediately express her belief that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God. And only through faith we can say such claims.
John 11:25-27 (KJV):“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”
Matthew 8:13 (KJV):
“And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.”
Acts 16:30-31 (KJV):“…Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
