Jesus’ prayer precedes God’s power in the raising of Lazarus. John 11: 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will …
The struggle with unbelief is common both in Jesus’ time and today, providing insight into people’s hearts. When Jesus was brought to the temple in Jerusalem as an infant for the purification offering, an elderly man named Simeon met them. As he held the child in his arms, he spoke prophetic words about His future. …
The story of the raising of Lazarus illustrates Jesus’ anger and sorrow at death. John 11: 33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled.. 35 Then Jesus wept.[1] The crowd surrounding the grieving sisters and Jesus assumed that Jesus …
Burial is not the end for believers; this is wonderful news for everyone who places their faith in Jesus as their Savior. Genesis 23:1When Sarah was 127 years old, 2 she died at Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron) in the land of Canaan. There Abraham mourned and wept for her. [1] Shortly after her death, Abraham bought …
Abraham had to buy a burial plot for Sarah. This cave became the purchased place of rest and future hope. We understand a burial plot to be a resting place, but how could it be a future hope? We must understand the burial practices of the day to begin to see how there could be …
The high cost of integrity distinguishes people on both sides of the aisle. Some may yield because the price is too high, while others are prepared to make significant sacrifices to uphold their integrity. Like temptation, tests of integrity can arise unexpectedly, and our reactions are often determined long before we encounter them. Abraham was …
Abraham is a model of how to live a life that testifies to God. His wife, Sarah, had just died, and Abraham needed a place to bury her. His neighbors were Hittites who did not follow the true God. Yet, it seems that they have great respect for Abraham and his life lived in service …
God’s people are strangers and pilgrims in this world because there is more to life than our physical existence in this lifetime. When Abraham’s wife Sarah died, they were not living in their homeland. They were living in the land that the Lord would give to Abraham’s descendants, but He would fulfill that years later. …
Navigating the tears of grief stems from loving someone and experiencing the loss when they pass into eternity. Unfortunately, no one is immune to grief, not even great people of faith like Abraham, who experienced sorrow when his wife Sarah died. This is the first time in the Bible that the word “wept” is mentioned, …
A message of life and death sounds extreme, yet we all must ponder this. Isn’t this the core of evangelism? We go from life to death as we place our faith in the good news of Jesus. John 5:I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent …