Raising of Lazarus....John 11:1-44
Rembrandt's mind's eye of the moment. (I am still looking for where the stone could be rolled aside heh heh)...but man old Laz looks like he has a crick in his neck, ha ha ha. (and I might add does look pissed off from having to come back to this world, ha ha)
(you can click on the picture to see a larger pic of the painting)
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NLT John 11:1 A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 2 This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. 3 So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, "Lord, your dear friend is very sick." 4 But when Jesus heard about it he said, "Lazarus's sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this." 5 So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, 6 he stayed where he was for the next two days. 7 Finally, he said to his disciples, "Let's go back to Judea." 8 But his disciples objected. "Rabbi," they said, "only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?" 9 Jesus replied, "There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. 10 But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light." 11 Then he said, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up." 12 The disciples said, "Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!" 13 They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. 14 So he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. 15 And for your sakes, I'm glad I wasn't there, for now you will really believe. Come, let's go see him." 16 Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let's go, too-- and die with Jesus." 17 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 18 Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, 19 and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask." 23 Jesus told her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 "Yes," Martha said, "he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day." 25 Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?" 27 "Yes, Lord," she told him. "I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God." 28 Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, "The Teacher is here and wants to see you." 29 So Mary immediately went to him. 30 Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. 31 When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus's grave to weep. So they followed her there. 32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died." 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. 34 "Where have you put him?" he asked them.They told him, "Lord, come and see." 35 Then Jesus wept. 36 The people who were standing nearby said, "See how much he loved him!" 37 But some said, "This man healed a blind man. Couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying?" 38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. 39 "Roll the stone aside," Jesus told them.But Martha, the dead man's sister, protested, "Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible." 40 Jesus responded, "Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe?" 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 believe you sent me." 43 Then Jesus shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him go!"
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Hey everyone, here is the scripture from last week have fun with the discussion...oh and here are the links to the funny Sarcastic videos of Jesus (how most normal people probably think of Jesus)
www.vintage21.com
Directions to get to the Jesus videos:
1. Click the link above (you have to have flash to view the site!)
2. Click the projector at the top left of the page (media)
3. Click the "Videos" button
4. In the new window click the number 2 to go to the second page to find the Jesus videos.
5. Watch them as you please...they really are funny, and might be a great way to discuss Jess with any of your normal friends.
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Ok happy discussion...oh and don't forget the sample Seder Meal @ my house this Thursday night @ 6:00 pm! There will be Lamb, potatoes, flat bread, and veggies to go around for everyone! Also, feel free to bring any side dishes, deserts, or drinks! Can't wait to have yall over...and we might even clean the house! woo hoo! And adjust your calendars to reflect that there will be no gathering this Friday because the meal is filling in for it.
If you need another set of directions that I sent via email just let me know and Iwill send more.
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Oh and don't forget to leave any comments if you would like to keep discussing resurrection, sleep, and even predeterminism (sp?), heh heh! Take care and God bless yall! KUTPs!!!!
In Trinity,
D.G.
10 Comments:
The first post should have come from my personal account. Sorry.
Yeah I think that probably it is because the transulation I put up here on the blog is New Living Transulation, but it does provide a few different words that give a different insight than the typical NIV transulations.
This is what John was suggesting @ the OG that Jesus cryed out of frustration, and maybe not possibly out of compassion.
I think it is so funny how we have these preconcieved ideas of who Jesus is and was (super peaceful, loving, filled with kindness, etc....and then when you watch the videos (that were supposed to be a sarcastic, to show how some of the rest of the world sees Jesus...angry, vengeful, judging, etc...) It is very interesting to see if there can be a healthy balance between both groups in Th3 Waters OGs.
But it is clear here that this anger is present and can be translated that way.
Right. I'm glad John pointed that out. I must admit. I have always read it, that he cried out of compassion. It makes more sense that he cried for other reasons. One of the things I've been trying to do is change how I read the bible. I need to determine what the author is trying to convey before I extract personal application from it. Or inject what I would like it to say. Humm sounds like a paradigm shift. Maybe I have more in common with the Pharasees than I thought. Thanks ya'll for making me think.
Which is what keeps we awake at night. Since I'm a "co-facilitator" in my Sunday school class.
I think that we are experiencing the importance of communial discussion of the Bible. Now can you imagine what the discussion will be like when we have normal people a part of the community? Imagain ehow they would read the text and bring new and different insight into the inspired word of God.
First things first - the Cubs beat the Reds 16-7. Six more months until we can say this phrase together - "Chicago Cubs, 2006 World Series Champions!"
Onto something more serious - one of the big paradigm shifts that I've experienced is being able to accept multiple meanings of a text. The whole bit of Jesus being angry is a possible translation of the Greek, but not the only one...(which makes translations so much fun). So maybe the author is being intentionally ambiguous - trying to keep the reader guessing - why is Jesus angry? Why is he crying?
A fascinating aspect of talking about these texts with others is the amount of personal interaction that happens, alot of times on a subsconscious level. I've never beeen to a funeral of a person that I was realy close to; but when I read this passage with people who have lost loved ones, I see an entirely different connection between text and reader that adds a valuable element to the story.
Now I've said too much.
Yeah, right, the Cubs will win!!! Is that kinda like you won a million dollars????
You know, I have actually thought a lot about John's insight into why Jesus was crying, and it is very interesting to look at how differently you read this event, you know? It changes it entirely from the view point of Jesus. Wow.
I think the way that I have been the most challeged is that ok, if I read that Jesus wept because he was sad, then I will go one way with applying this passage (especially as a youth minister)....but think of the different 'flavor' that this application takes if we do read it that Jesus was crying out of frustation that they just weren't getting it. Wow. that is really amazing. Thank you, John, yes....you really are amazing and challenge me to really think about stuff. Man, I love this whole Waters thing!!!!
Thanks John and Tiffany!
The lesson I learn over and over again from John's miracles is how Jesus plays against people's expectations. The picture of Jesus we see again and again it that he is not limited to what the people can conceive.
I wonder how we can apply this to our lives? (But not just by wondering about all the extra stuff that Jesus can give me...know what I mean Vern?)
John, you rock. Thanks for loaning me your Greek grammar and bible.
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