God reframed the disciples’ expectations as Jesus answered their questions before His ascension. Acts 1:6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” 7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they …
Jesus had predicted a triumph over the grave when He told the disciples that Lazarus’ illness would not result in death. The disciples must have been confused when they arrived at Lazarus’ home, as he had been in the grave for four days. But that wasn’t the end. When Jesus went to visit Lazarus’ tomb, …
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 …
‘I am the resurrection and the life’ are some of the most comforting words for a believer written in the Scriptures. Jesus spoke these words of comfort to Martha, the sister of Lazarus, before He raised him from the dead. John 11:23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise …
Has God let me down? Perhaps it’s something you’re currently struggling with or have struggled with in the past. When life goes sideways, we sometimes wonder, “God, where were You?” As the story of Lazarus’s death unfolds, you can feel the pain of his sisters, Mary and Martha, as they speak to Jesus after he …
Jesus has a divine timetable. When I began to realize that the Lord operates on a divine timetable in both His ministry on earth and in my life, it was like a light turning on. Suddenly, the Scriptures and Jesus’ ministry took on a greater perspective. Have you ever struggled with God’s timing, especially when …
Praise is contagious. As Simeon was praising God for the birth of the Messiah, Anna joined him. Luke 2: 38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem. [1] Both …
We don’t know when David wrote Psalm 13, but we know that David had some dashed expectations. The prophet Samuel had called David from the sheep pasture to anoint him to be the next king of Israel. He was probably about 12 at the time. David seemed to be on the fast track to kingship …