John 11:27

Who do you believe Jesus is? This is an important question for all people. There is a trend among many people to pull Jesus down and make Him a man just like other great men of history. What you believe about Jesus is crucial to your salvation. If He is nothing more than another Socrates, Plato, Gandhi, or Mother Teresa in your thinking, you are missing who He really is!

Martha does not miss who Jesus is. He is the Christ, the Anointed one of God! He is God the Son. Martha’s eyes are not open to all He is doing, but she knows Jesus is the Savior of the World.

Do you know this truth? Do you know Jesus as the Christ? Do you know Him as Son of God and Lord of all? If He is just another great man, we are all doomed! If Martha is correct (and she is), then Jesus is who He says He is!

Consider: Colossians 1:15-20

John 11:23-24

 In the Gospel of John, Jesus is quoted several times saying, “I am.” These “I am” statements are significant passages about who Christ is and what is His mission for His church. Here Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” It is in Jesus that we find the person to bring the dead to life. The key thing we see in His statement is that it is for those who believe. Faith is key. You must believe in Jesus. It is not by your work, your effort, or your background that you are saved. It is by faith in Jesus.

We see hope for those who have passed. Those who have died believing in Jesus shall live. Those who live shall never die.  This does not mean they will not  physically die, but rather they will not have a spiritual death.

Jesus is straightforward with Martha, “Do you believe this?” He is straightforward with you, “Do you believe this?”

Consider: 1 Corinthians 15:12-17

John 11:23-24

 Jesus is clear with Martha. He is about to raise Lazarus from the dead. Martha is not sure what Jesus means. She believes in the general resurrection from the dead on the last day, but she does not understand what Jesus is about to do in raising Lazarus from the dead. Again we see this idea of belief mingled with either doubt or a lack of understanding.

What is clear here is that Jesus has power to raise the dead. This is not a figurative power, but a literal power to raise what is dead to life. He will do it with Lazarus! He will do it with Himself after three days dead. He will do it for you on the great last day.

Understand the power of your God. He can raise you from the dead. He will raise you and all people from the dead. Do you believe this promise?

Consider: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

John 11:18-22

We see the stage is being  set for this great miracle of Christ. Bethany was close to Jerusalem. The Jews had come to mourn with the sisters. This important custom meant that Jesus’ great miracle and the teachings that went with it would be observed by the Jews.

Martha presents us with a study in both faith and blindness. She is to be commended for her belief in the power of Jesus- “If You had only been here.” However, He could have spoken from where He was and Lazarus would not have died. It was not due to location.

J. C. Ryle says that all Christians have doubts and blindness. We all struggle to see clearly. What we need is a clear and growing picture of Jesus Christ. Here is our hope. When we doubt, we must pray, “I believe. Help my   unbelief.”

Consider: Mark 9:24

John 11:17

           

It is very significant that Lazarus has been dead for four days. In a time before advancements in medical knowledge and abilities, it was hard to know when someone had passed away. Breathing could be shallow and heartbeats faint, but after four days there were signs of death and decay. The point of saying Lazarus had been dead four days is that there was no room for doubt; he was truly, really, and clearly dead!

Why does that matter? It goes to show that Jesus has power over death. Lazarus was not in a coma. He was dead, and Jesus brought him to life again.

Do you believe in the power of Jesus to bring you back to life in the great resurrection from the dead? Do you believe in His power to bring you out from under the power of death now? If Jesus is who He says He is, He had the power to raise Lazarus, and He has the power to raise you too!

Consider:  Ephesians 2:4-9

John 11:16

 Thomas is often called “Doubting Thomas” by the church. He doubted that Christ had risen from the dead. He said, “Unless I see and touch, I will not believe.” In John 14, Jesus tells them they know the way. Thomas replies, “We do not know the way.” Here again we see that Thomas does not get it. He thinks the return to Judea is a death warrant for them.

Remember that Thomas is a Christian! His “doubts” act as a foil to the plot and help glorify God. Jesus shows Thomas the nail scarred hands. Jesus  responds to Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me.” Here in verse 16 John sets up Jesus’ greatest miracle to date; the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead.

J. C. Ryle says, “...show us that the grace of God in conversion does not so remould a man as to leave no trace of his natural bend of character.” The key is not that we are all alike, but that God uses our natural tendency and personality for His glory. The key is that we know Christ as Lord and Savior.

Consider: John 14:1-6

John 11:9-15

Jesus says that Lazarus had fallen asleep. This was His way of saying that Lazarus had died. He is not saying that his soul was asleep, but only his body. When we die as Christians, Ryle says, “It is sleep, and not annihilation.” We pass into glory. Final victory is won for the believer and they enter paradise. Jesus would later tell the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Christians have nothing to fear in death. It is our great enemy that Christ has conquered by His death and resurrection from the dead.

The disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying, so He tells them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.” He alludes that He is going to do a work that will help them believe.

Are you scared of death? Do you know that Jesus won your victory over death?

Consider: 1 Corinthians 15:56-58

John 11:6-8

Jesus loves Lazarus and his family, so He tells the disciples that they were going to Judea again. This surprised the disciples since they just left there not long ago because the Jews had tried to stone Jesus. Now they are going back. They object to His decision because they are afraid.

God teaches us that His ways are sometimes a mystery to us but that His plan is perfect. We must see that even though He leads us into danger He is with us and His purpose is good.

This is why we must have coaches in sports. They push us beyond the easy road we would take. J. C. Ryle says, ”If Christians were allowed to choose their own course in life, they would never learn hundreds of lessons about Christ and His grace, which they are now taught in God’s ways.”

Consider: Psalm 4:8

John 11:1-4

 John continues to build on the supernatural power of Jesus by next giving the account of Lazarus being raised from the dead. Lazarus and his friends were very special to Jesus. He was the brother to Martha and Mary. Mary is the one who poured out a bottle of expensive perfume and wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair. These were people Jesus loved and cared for.

It might strike us as odd that Jesus does not rush to Lazarus when He hears that he is ill, but Jesus is aware of what will take place. It will be another sign that will bring glory to His calling, power, and purpose on earth.

Do you trust God with His plan? All things are working for good according to the Bible. Do you trust that God will work for His glory and your good in your life?

Consider: Romans 8:28

John 10:40-42

God had given clear evidence about who Jesus was. We saw His works as evidence, but Jesus did not just appear all of a sudden. God had called John to prepare the way for Him. It was John who was preaching in the wilderness.    After a long silence without a prophet, John starts to speak the truth of God. It would be John who acknowledges Jesus and baptizes Him.

We see here the people remembering John and that He did no signs, yet all he taught about Jesus was true. Many believed because of this. God has surrounded us with many witnesses that He is there and is true. The Psalmist (Psalm 19) says nature itself declares the glory of God. How much more the Word of God declares who Jesus is and what He did for sinners like us.

Do you believe what you see, hear, and read? Do you believe in Jesus?

Consider: Isaiah 40:3

John 10:36-39

The proof is in the pudding. If Jesus says He is “The Son of God”, then He better be able to prove it. Jesus is not afraid to challenge them. He has been doing    supernatural works. He has healed the blind, the sick, the lame. He has fed thousands with just a little food. He has spoken truth. These works were given so that people might believe that “He is in the Father and the Father is in Him.”

Even today, folks attack these miracles as not being possible. They want to take away all of God’s supernatural power. They say it doesn’t correspond with what we know in our enlightened scientific age, yet God made the world and it runs by His rule. He can and does work by His own power to do His will.

As you read the Gospel of John, do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe in the works He did? Do you believe He is the Son of God?

Consider: John 15:24

John 10:34-35

Jesus appeals to the Scriptures in His defense. This is not the first time we see Him do this. Jesus has a high regard for the Word of God. He teaches them from the very thing they are appealing to in justifying their wanting to stone Jesus. Not only do these men not understand who Jesus is, they also do not understand the law in which they are supposed to be experts.

The Scriptures cannot be broken. This is important for us. God speaks to us by His Word. It is by the Word that we have knowledge of who God is and what God has done for us. We know what God wants us to believe and what duty we have to God as His people. It is not enough to know the Word of God. You must also believe it, trust it, and live it. 

The Word of God is how God speaks to us today. Are you listening to God speak in the Word? Are you reading it daily? Are you trusting in it? Do you believe it cannot be broken? Jesus says it. Are we believing it? If you are not reading your Bible daily, then start. Start in Mark, read a chapter a day, and pray as you read that God will show you the truth of His Word.

Consider: Psalm 33:4

John 10:31-33

The Religious leaders did not like Jesus because He did good works, especially on the Sabbath, and claimed to be the Son of God. They became so  focused on what they wanted they failed to see what God was doing. Jesus had healed many and fed thousands of people  by His miraculous power. He was   doing good. He was in line with the Word of God. Yet at this point, they pick up stones to kill Him.

Jesus points out their error. He asked them for which of his good works were they going to stone him? They said it was because He as a man claimed to be God. Yet this is who Jesus came to be: the God-Man. He was eternally part of the Trinity. But in His birth He became man to save man. Christ is 100% man and 100% God. These are two natures in one person. They are not mixed, confused, conflated, or changed.

The lesson for us is not to turn Jesus into who we think He should be. We should love, worship, and obey Him for who He is.

Consider: Hebrews 4:6-7

John 10:30

How can Jesus and the Father be one? What does Jesus mean when He says this? Jesus is actually speaking truth to the religious leaders. It will be another example of them not seeing the truth in Jesus. It will be the reason they crucify Jesus; He claimed to be the Son of God (John 5:18).

             

 So how is Jesus one with the Father? The Westminster Shorter Catechism says “there are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and in glory.” Jesus and the Father are one because they are one God.

The Doctrine of the Trinity is to large and complicated to try and explain in a short devotional. However, it is something that we should seek to understand as Christians. The early church saw the importance of this doctrine and it is in the early creeds. Heresies throughout the church age often deal with some misunderstanding of who Christ is in relation to His being God or man.

Here the problem is simple unbelief. The religious leaders had gone so far away from true religion they could not see their God even when He was right in front of them. It is important that in all we do with church and religion that we never lose Christ!

Consider: Deuteronomy 6

John 10:29

If you thought it was great to be in Jesus’ hand, how much more secure are you now in the Father’s hand? There are some who oppose the idea of eternal security or the doctrine of Persecution of the Saints. Some think that  telling someone they are secure right now gives people false hope or leads to laziness in the Christian life.

             

One of the great comforts is that we have a salvation that is given and   ensured by God. We cannot be snatched out of either Christ’s hand or the Father’s. We cannot fall out of their hands either. The same Gospel that initially saves us brings us all the way home to God and eternal life. Paul says in Romans 8 that God’s people are called and justified and will be glorified. We have the spirit! We have union with Christ! We have God and salvation forever and ever; Praise God!

Deuteronomy 32:39

John 10:27-28

Jesus picks up the theme from last week. All who are God’s people hear His voice. They recognize it as a voice of hope and safety and follow it. Christians are not saved by their works, but we respond to the gift of salvation by doing what God has commanded. Jesus says that if we love Him we will keep His commands. This is evidence that we are truly saved, that the spirit is transforming us and leading us to be more like Jesus Christ. You cannot believe and not be changed.

The promise of eternal life is given. Christians are given this promise at the beginning of their Christian walk. There are no degrees or levels to earn or obtain. Christ has paid it all. He freely gives you new life now and eternal life to come. Strong words: “They will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand”. This is true eternal security- if you know Christ!

Consider: 1 John 2:25

John 10:22-26

Why do some like Peter and Andrew believe immediately, leaving their nets behind, and others who should know the Christ miss Him even when He is right in front of them? This is an important question that has to be answered. Why did the majority of Israel not believe in the Christ when He appeared? Paul answers this in Romans chapters 9-11. Jesus answers it more pointedly here, “I have told you and you do not believe”. How can so many see and these Jews do not see? It is because they are not part of Christ’s flock.

When we go out and tell people the Gospel, we just need to tell them the simple truths of the  faith. God’s people will hear His voice, see His work in us, and believe. How wonderful when we see Jesus as the Christ! How wonderful when we see works in our lives. What hope we have for any and all, that they too might be called by God!

Consider: Matthew 7:21-23

John 10:1-21

                 Look back over this whole section of Scripture. See how Jesus is teaching us about Himself. He is the Good Shepherd! See the intimate and personal nature of our relationship with Christ. We are united to Him by the power of the Holy Spirit. He knows us fully and we know our God because of Him. We hear His voice and He knows ours.

Here are some questions to consider:

Do I comprehend that Jesus is a Good Shepherd to me?

Which side do I stand on, those who have found peace in Him or strife in Him?

Do I grasp the closeness of Jesus to His people?

Consider: Psalm 146

John 10:19-21

                The Gospel brings peace between God and those who believe. The Gospel also brings strife and conflict with those who do not believe. We see this in our passage today. Jesus speaks and they are divided on what He has said. One group says that He is mad, that He has a demon and is insane. The other side sees that Jesus is special. He has healed a man that was blind. How can an insane man or one possessed of a demon do that? Neither see the truth.

     We should not be surprised when, in our day and in our ministry, the world  reacts with strife and conflict toward us and our message. Sinful men still do not believe and do not want to have anything to do with the Gospel.

     In some places this persecution is hard. It effects almost every area of life. For others it is just an inconvenience. However, let us make no mistake; it is there. We must not think of the Gospel ministry as having no cost. Living and standing for Jesus will cost you. It may cost you friends, family, opportunities, or even your life. But it is the most precious thing in the world. Pray for those who are persecuted! Pray that you will stand firm with Jesus if you find yourself persecuted for Him.

Consider: 1 Peter 3:14-22

John 10:17-18

                 The death and resurrection of Jesus is the central theme of the Gospel. The Good News or Gospel is about what God has done to save His people. At the heart of this work is His death and rising from the dead.

                In dying He paid the price of our sin. In rising from the dead, Christ became the firstborn of the Resurrection from the dead. Our hope for eternal life rests in the fact that Christ was once dead and, by His power, rose from the dead. The authority to lay down and take His life back up is rooted in the fact that He is not just a man, but also 100% God. He has come from the Father with authority and a charge to do this work to save His people.

     Sometimes we can feel unwanted or unloved. In this world human relationships can be rough and easily broken. Look to Jesus, the God who knows you. He died and arose for you. He did that because He loves you and you are His. How great is this love? It is without measure!

Consider: 2 Corinthians 8:9

John 10:16

                Jesus came to call the whole world to repentance, not just the Jews. The message of the Gospel is to be preached to all people regardless of who they are. The book of Acts shows how the disciples first went to Jerusalem and then to the world.

                 Jesus is giving testimony that He is true. Even when the large majority of Israel rejects Him, the Gentiles will be saved and declare Him the Messiah. The Church of Christ will be one people, Jew and Gentile, with one shepherd. The doctrine that is imported from these words is called the doctrine of the universal church. It is what we mean in the Apostle’s Creed when we say, “One Catholic Church”. All true believers are part of one true church. Jesus is the one head of this, His church.

     This is why we can be, and even should be, involved with other churches. We should pray for and work with other churches so we can further the work of the one true church.

Consider: Galatians 3:25-29

John 10:15

How close are we to Jesus? We are known and know Him just as He and the Father know each other. We are united to Christ. John 15 illustrates this union with Christ. He is the vine and we are the branches. We should always take great encouragement in the strong and close relationship that Jesus has with us his people. 

Jesus gives a foreshadowing of His death to come on the cross. Jesus came to be the Good Shepherd and He came to die on the cross. Why does Jesus lay down His life for us? It was because our sins demanded it. The only way for our sins to be paid was for Christ to come and to die for us. 

This is why we want the lost to find Jesus. We do not want them to be better people. We do not want them to try harder. We want them to find Jesus because He is their only hope of salvation. He is your only hope. Only through the blood of Jesus does salvation come to man. He is the only way! 

Consider: Acts 17:26-27 

John 10:14

It is an amazing and true fact that you are known by God and can know God. Let that sink in for a moment. We must not think that God is far off, unengaged, and uninterested. The Truth is that God is ever present and always engaged with His people. 

God knows you. It has been said that we are all three people. The person we think we are, the person others think we are, and the person we really are. It is God who knows us as the person we really are; that is how well He knows us. God knows us better than we even know ourselves. 

You can know God. You can interact with Him. It is not a matter of knowing about Him like you might know about a famous person. You can really know God, but you cannot know Him fully like He knows you. We are not able to understand the full depth and width of our God. We are finite and He is infinite. We can have a clear picture of his character and His work. Do you know this God? Are you known by our God? 

Consider: 2 Timothy 2:19 

John 10:11-13

              Do you know why Jesus died on the cross? He gives us a foreshadowing of His death in this passage. He has said that He is the good shepherd. Now He says that the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. This was God’s plan. Jesus came and died for His flock to save them. Again Jesus contrasts Himself from the false teachers. They flee like hirelings at danger. Jesus willingly went to death for His people.

              Do you see the love of God for you in the cross? There are some that say they do not want a religion where Jesus dies or where we need His blood. If you take away the death and blood of Jesus, we are not saved. He died a real death and suffered to pay the price of our sin. This He did so that the promise of John 10:28 would be true. Jesus died to pay for your sins. He arose to give you hope of eternal life. Jesus is truly the good shepherd. Believe in Him!

Consider: Hebrews 13:20-21

John 10:9-10

              Jesus tells them again that He is the door. He explains this further. It is through Jesus that you are saved, come into the church, and find spiritual food. The false teachers just come to use you. Jesus comes that you might have life. Not just life, but even abundant life in Him.

              We see here Jesus contrasting Himself as a true teacher against the false teachers. The difference is not just in theory or thought, but in the practical and  experiential results of faith. False teachers leave you used and abused and still dead in yourself, but Jesus brings you real life. He feeds you so you grow into  abundant life.

              Do you have this life in Jesus? Are you being fed in Jesus? Are you having abundant life in Him? Jesus the Good Shepherd protects, feeds, and causes His flock to have abundant life. The place we experience this is within the local church. It is in local congregations that Jesus cares for His people. For this reason, you need to belong to a local church and be active. It is a blessing from God.

Consider: Jeremiah 23:1-8

John 10:8

             

              Who are the “all who came before” on verse 8? Jesus is referring to false           messiahs and false teachers. This would include the Pharisees and Sadducees. These false shepherds worked not for the good of the sheep, but for their own power, own glory, and own benefit.

              Now consider Jesus Christ. All He did was for the benefit of His people. He left the glory of heaven. He was born one of us. He knew hunger, pain, suffering, temptation, death and even God’s wrath. Here is our perfect picture of love. He is neither thief nor robber. He came to give Himself as a sacrifice for sinners like you.

              Do not let the devil or the world make you start to doubt the goodness of Jesus. Look at what Paul writes in Philippians 2 about Jesus. He talks about how Jesus humbled Himself for us. Jesus Christ gave Himself for the church!

Consider: Ezekiel 34:2-3