Ripples on the Shore of Your Life - Part One

Posted 10/16/14 by Donald Barnhouse
SCRIPTURE
John 11:1-16
 
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
LESSON
 
One Sunday morning, one of the elders in our service prayed, "Lord, we thank Thee that Thou art the God of the storm." That very weekend, a great thunderstorm had hit Philadelphia, and it had been followed by one of the most beautiful sunsets we had ever seen, with the lovely calm weather that often comes after a storm. So we understood what that elder meant when he said, "Lord, we thank Thee that Thou art the God of the storm in our lives, for it turns our thought to Thee."
 
This message has to do with how the storm affects our lives and the lives of those around us. In the eleventh chapter of John is the great story of Mary and Martha and the resurrection of Lazarus. I want you to note the effect of the death of Lazarus on different groups of people. Like a stone dropped in the water it began to ripple farther and farther and farther. Its effect went far beyond Lazarus, to his family, the household, and even into heaven itself.
 
First of all, let us remember the background. The sisters thought they had a right to expect help from the Lord. When Lazarus was sick, they sent a messenger who came to Jesus with the words, "Lord, he whom thou lovest is sick." They were claiming the help of Christ. A claim upon the power of Christ is the right of everyone of His children. Once we have been redeemed by Him, we belong to Him. An old man was once asked what he did when he was in trouble. He said, "I say, Lord, your property is in danger." It is a great thing to have just that simple faith: "Lord, your property is in danger." I belong to Him. I have been redeemed." "You are not your own, you are bought with a price," Paul said. Well then, do you think that the one who bought you does not have the responsibility for you? Of course, He has the responsibility. When the Lord Jesus died, He brought us out of the horrible pit. He set our feet upon the rock. He put a new song in our mouth. He established our goings. And if I may say it very reverently, it's up to Him to take us through. Certainly we cannot take ourselves through. I am as incapable of continuing my way to heaven as I was to start it in the first place. It is all of absolute sovereign grace.
 
When Lazarus was sick, there was first of all a tremendous effect upon himself. Naturally, when a man comes to the place where he is going to die, it has an effect on him. And afterwards, when he came out of the tomb, he was sitting at the dinner table, and though he didn't say a word, yet it says, "many people believed because of Lazarus." He just sat there and was the living witness to the power of God. And you may be absolutely sure that when you have passed through death and resurrection-I don't mean in the future, the death of the body and resurrection to heaven-when you have passed through the death that comes from the reality of, "I am crucified with Christ," and enter into the resurrection that is spoken of, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above," people will believe in Jesus because of you.

STUDY QUESTIONS

  • How does our union with Christ help us understand the trials we might go through?
  • What does it mean that we are raised with Christ? How does this change our lives?