Gospel of John

We are on Lesson 19. Did I? Well, maybe I'll do it. Did I read the? Yeah, you did before. I think I did. So we're all familiar with that, the passage 1 through 20, or yeah, John 11, 1 through 29. That's what these questions will go. So we've read that at the end of the class last week. Alright, question one.

What emotion does the appeal from Martha and Mary come from? What emotion? Panic. No. Human affections. Human affections. Yeah. What did he say? His love for Lazarus. What's that? His love for Lazarus. His love for Martha. Yeah, so in verse 3, so the sisters sent word to him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick. So the appeal was based on the fact that Jesus loved Lazarus. Do we sometimes do that too? Never. Never. Never do that. You know, I started to think about this as I was preparing this. I thought, yeah, boy, we do that all the time.

Gary and surgery, you know all the it's just all the things we prayed for You know, I think sometimes even more, you know, I thought about it with you know, how But you know, here's a great man who just Exemplifies your love life the Lord Jesus great teacher Lord the one whom you love why I? I think we do it all the time. We do the very same thing. But it's based out of, I think, the same thing.

The love of the Lord. A lot of times, many times, we have no clue why. I think even in the Grace series with listening to Chester McCauley and seeing what a great teacher Chester McCauley was, And in fact, it was kind of an eerie lead. I was listening to one of his things that was going through the Grace messages again the other day and I heard, you know, he said in the tape, he said, you know, I forget what it was.

Something says, well, I'm only whatever. So I'm only halfway through my life. And he was like 50 or 51 or whatever, whenever he said this. So I'll be 102. Yeah. And how old was he when he died? Late 60s. But I mean, you know, it's kind of, You know, the Lord has reasons for these things.

And there are going to be a lot of questions, maybe, I doubt it, when we get to heaven, we'll want to be focused on Him. You know, I always think that when I get to heaven, I'm going to ask Him these questions. You know, when I get to heaven, I'm not going to care about these questions. You know, even with that, what is important, what is the important point that Mary and Martha raise? It's about the love.

And you don't have to look at it, but in John 4.10, I think, is the important verse.

And this is for life. And this is love. Not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. You know, and I think Mike has that curve, that circle, you know, how first, the very first thing is God loved us. That's the starting point of the curve that goes around. And, you know, here he expresses that. He says, Lazarus, the one whom you loved. So they bring out this emotion. That's what their appeal is based on.

Another interesting part actually, when I was reading Ironside, in the very first verse I think it says, it's interesting, in Bethany, there were only two people who were called out. And now a certain man was sick, Lazarus and Bethany. The village of Mary and her sister Martha. It's only the village of Mary and Martha? It's kind of interesting, he points out those two. Again, the love of two who were devoted, I think.

Because you'll see how Mary and Martha respond. and Mary, and it's kind of interesting, and the whole town, it wasn't Bethany and the whole town or whatever, but it was Mary and Martha's village. So again, just the intimacy, direct love from Jesus to Mary and Martha too. So this principle keeps on going, and again, something that we can rest in too, that the love of the Lord and to us, Again, the thing too with the love of the Lord is, in any circumstances, in bypass surgery, in whatever you're going through, the blessings or the trials, and we'll see that as we get into some of these verses, does the love change? No. Question two, we have seen this phrase by the Lord in verse 4. before and verse 4 is, but when Jesus heard this he said, this sickness is not to end in death but for the glory of God so that the Son of God may be glorified by it. Where have we seen that before? That same principle or same statement. We found it in 9.3. Do you want to read that or do you have that? And John, read from 1 through 3. John 9, 1 through 3. As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind? Jesus answered, it was neither this man's sin nor his parents.

There we go, that last part of the phrase, but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. You know, they're trying to figure out all the reasons and rationale on why this was going on with the blind. You know, oh, it's got to be his parents, it's got to be him, he did something, but the purpose was for Jesus, or the works of God may be displayed in him, or as we see in verse 4, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it. That's the purpose. And when we look at all these circumstances, what we go through, Is that what He uses some of our circumstances for? I look at certain things that happen. I never understand, but there's a purpose. I rest in the fact that there's a purpose.

And it's always to glorify the Father, to glorify Him. And so whatever happens, I'm resting in the fact that somehow God is using it in our lives, but also to glorify Him. So, when you go through the trials, you go through these things, even though it's not easy sometimes, rest in that fact. And does his love change? You know, God loved us first. So remember that through all that, you know, anything that you're going through, that never changes. All right, number three.

What did he mean by, what did he mean, this sickness is not under death? Did he mean spiritual death? Did he mean that he had mastery over death? What did he mean? Lazarus' physical death. Physical death? Okay. It's not going to end in permanent death. Right. One person that I read said that death will not make its final claim on Lazarus. Jesus is going to claim him. Yes. Okay, other thoughts? So it's over. Did he mean spiritual death? No. I have from William Kelly too.

And here we begin with that which was most of all characteristic of our gospel. His divine sonship displayed in resurrection power. So this is the beginning and resurrection. It is one of the key things displayed in Lazarus and we'll see some of the others too. The power over death. Alright, any questions? Alright, number four.

Would you say his delay was cruel? Was Jesus just doing this to test Mary and Martha's faith? No. Think so? No? Why? Mary and Martha expected healing and the Lord is trying to show them that he came to He came for the purpose of bestowing life. And they figured, if he's sick, the Lord can heal him, but if he dies, we don't have any revenue for that. The Lord thinks, no, you've got it. And I am it. There's a lot wrapped up in this actually.

I actually looked at some of Mike's notes and looked at some of the others. I'm kind of vacillating a little bit in this one. There's a whole lot wrapped up. Yeah, I kind of was like... The same thing is true with you and I. If we don't die, we're not going to have life. And it's different, I think, in believers too. I mean, there's a whole bunch in here that You can parse and change. Mike can give me some of his notes. So I have a little bit left and right here. Do you think that the restoration of Lazarus from the dead after four days is going to display the glory of God a lot more than if he had arrived and cured him of his illness?

Absolutely. Absolutely. You know, I think that goes to the point of what resurrection, you know, the displaying of giving life, that is much more than I think. than, you know, healing a blind man or something. That's very, very powerful. But I think giving life, and especially in the Jewish culture and some of those things, I think, well, in ours, I mean, resurrection, you know, that is amazing. I mean, that is something that I think when you see in here, it is definitely, you are the son of God, you know, it displays. This is his greatest miracle.

Yeah, I think so. Go ahead. But also, you know, the Jews as a nation have been set aside and Christ is now, he hasn't gone back to the temple. He's gone back to where John was baptizing, to the remnant of believers in Israel, and this is what he's showing them, that I have come that you might have life. This is huge. I think it's very, very big.

And again, instead of just healing him from being sick, I think four days, which that's kind of past what three days I think the body begins decomposition so it wasn't that he came on the third day and you know or you know right yes on the third day decomposition so it's four days so and that's when Mary Martha you know who don't open the stone it's gonna stink in there you know so they know he's he's not just you know kind of conked out and unconscious he's dead and it's gonna stink in there so this is a big a big thing You know, one, I thought, was this James 1, 2, and 3?

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that testing your faith produces endurance, and let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Was he testing their faith? No, I think he was. Yes? I'm waiting for your response.

I think the overriding issue here is that he had a greater purpose than just healing. In the demonstration of the glory of God. Plus, if you look at all the miracles leading up to this one, none of them are as dramatic as this one. And so, not that he is insensitive to the principles that are involved in something like this. educational to Martha and Mary and the Jews that were around, but the primary purpose was that God was going to be glorified in an event that was actually, even when it happened, it was beyond their understanding.

Yeah, I think we'll get into it a little bit more in the other questions, because I kind of varied a little bit from, I think, some of your notes, and I saw some differences in the commentaries. And it will come out a little bit more in the other questions.

I guess some of the other questions they had was, was Jesus indifferent to their request? No. He already said he loved them, so how could he be indifferent to this request? Was Jesus still interested in them? Sure. Of course he was. So I mean, these are questions that, you know, when you look at it, you know, no he wasn't. He's still interested, he still loved them, all these things. Was Jesus doing this just to teach him a lesson?

Kind of the James. I think somewhat in the testing, I think, for their faith, you know? Because I think when Martha comes out, I think you see something. And that's where my difference comes, I think, in what she was looking for. And I think you said it, and it's kind of a... I kind of look at it a little differently. So, one of the things, you know, the answer may be found in David's declaration in Psalm 62. I'll read it.

1 and 2, my soul waits in silence for God only. From Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation. My stronghold I shall not be greatly shaken. And then in verse 5, my soul waits in silence for God only. For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold. I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rests. The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people. Pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us." I think that's where Mary and Martha, I mean, you're the only one. You're the one who loves, and she comes out, and by her responses, she's a little shaken, like, first thing, why didn't you come? But then immediately is, I trust you.

So, yes? The one guy that it might have been cruel to was Lazarus. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I'm still, you know, that always comes out. You know, he's dragging his, you know, with all the Barrow clothings and I'm going, what? Yeah, I got to do this again. I got to go through this again. So yeah, I think he's definitely going to get the short stick on this one.

The two sisters were probably waiting hour by hour for at least a message from the Lord, but nothing came and their brother died. Their thoughts must be that Jesus was not interested or concerned with the gravity of their brother's illness. The real purpose, we'll see, is answered in the next question.

But I'm sure, you know, because they knew he loved them and they give this request, you know, I'm sure they're going, you know, he'll send at least a response by, you know, I'm waiting, is that the FedEx? Well, he's only two miles away. It is as if he's two miles away. Well, and then, and they're going, you know, I'm sure they're just waiting, you know, they know, they know he's the son of God.

The request will come. Here comes the FedEx man with the answer, you know, it's something, but nothing comes. And then Lazarus dies. You know, and they're going, you know, wow. I mean, he loved him. We know the message got to him. You know, they've got to be kind of thinking, you know, what's happening here? You know, Darby makes a nice observation about this.

Israel has just been set aside. Yeah. Yeah, at this point, right. And he's talking, this is kind of an allegory or not, the nation of Israel will rise again. Spiritually, figuratively, they're dead, but God isn't finished. He will cause them to... Right, the last chapter is when basically he's done dealing with the Jews basically at that point.

All right, number five, and I think it should be, and I think I ran this by Mike, why didn't Jesus go immediately when he heard Lazarus was sick in question five? Why didn't he go down? He was just being cruel, right? He was indifferent. It wasn't the right time. It wasn't the right time?

And in verse 19, because of the delay, a lot of the Jewish people had come out from Jerusalem. to mourn with Mary and Martha, do you think that they wanted them to be there to see the display of God's glory? There is so much. That's the ultimate. It's to show His glory. And by delaying, yeah, more people came out. They were coming out to meet Jesus. Later, they're all mourning. And you see It'll be in the next set of questions, you know, where Jesus shows a bit of the humanity and the love, where the shortest verse, Jesus wept.

You know, we'll see all this. There's so much wrapped up in what he did. You know, we look at it and we try and compartmentalize it. We try and, you know, do... He has huge purposes. You know, that's what I think in any of our lives, too. I think, you know, I was down at camp yesterday, or camp that I'm involved with, You know, I was praying for the staff, and a lot of it, you don't know your little part in life and what God is using you doing. You may not even see what God's doing with it. You may not know who you impacted, who impacted, who impacted, who impacted, who impacted. You know, and I just, I look at that and I think, you know, many times we think, well, I'm just a, you know, a fly on the wall.

You know, but God has purposes for you. God's given you a gift. God loves you. And there's a purpose. And so, in all circumstances, God has a purpose and God's in control. Jesus knew what God was doing in regards to Israel. Yeah, and he knew that it wasn't his time, but I think the more important thing is it was going to glorify him. What is the most powerful thing?

The resurrection. And this points to the power of resurrection, which will be pointing to his resurrection. These are not precursors, but showing how dramatic resurrection is when we come to the Lord's resurrection and what that means. I think these are demonstrations of God's glory, but how much more is He pointing to His own resurrection and what that means?

In verse 4, but when Jesus heard this, he said, the sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God. So what? That the son of God may be glorified by it. So again, you know, he didn't immediately go down because it wasn't his time and it was to glorify the son of God.

And that this is also declared in Romans 1, 4, who was declared the son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead. Again, demonstrating his power through the resurrection of the dead. It's interesting to say that in that verse in Romans 1-4, the word for dead there is plural. So, you know, through the resurrection of dead persons, the resurrection of power is unique to God. And so it was basically, how many resurrections besides the Lord do we have? Anybody? Just Lazarus? No, it was that boy. Yep, that's one. Are there others? And if it's Jonah, what? Well, Jonah being what, out of the belly? Yeah, he wasn't dead, he was just kind of... He was squished in a fish. Peter's mother-in-law. Wasn't it Peter's mother-in-law that Peter raised from the dead? I don't know if it was his mother-in-law. The ones that I have was the daughter of Jairus. He was an official at synagogue. And that you can look in Luke 8, 41 through 55. And then the son of the widow of Nain. And that's in Luke 7, 11 through 15. So those are the two others. So there are...

So the one fell out of the window? Was he dead? Eutychus? No, I don't think so. And he fell asleep and he fell out. I don't think he died. I don't know. Did he die? But he wasn't resurrected yet. Yeah, I mean... Anyway, there were others. Believers. What? Believers? Well, yeah. Yeah, when he... Is that right? The one that fell out? Yeah. Died and then... I don't know what to say. He fell three stories or something. I didn't find that when I was searching, but I'll have to take a look at that. Yeah, when he fell out of the window. It's not really resurrection, it's just restoration, isn't it? No. Well, you know, yeah, but the resurrection is from death. back to life.

And that was what this was, you know, and Lazarus was dead. And, you know, four days, it wasn't, you know, that was the whole thing was four days in the tomb. And, you know, that's when you see later, like I said, they thought it was going to stink in there. And he, you know, comes out in burial clothes and he was dead. So he was brought back to life. From William Kelly, he has this.

Resurrection displays the glorious power of God beyond all else. It arrests and is intended to arrest man who knows too well what sickness is and how hopeless death severs him from all his activities. The sickness of Lazarus then, just because it ran up into death, was about to furnish a meat occasion for God's glory, and this too in the glorifying of his son thereby." So again, one of the most powerful messages is this resurrection. As we get closer to the Lord's resurrection, I think again, this is pointing them to ultimately His resurrection, what the power is of that resurrection. Since the Lord hasn't died and resurrected, when these people are resurrected, It is not new creation.

No. And again, this is over physical death. Yeah. But it's the power over death. At this point, there's only one kind of life. Yeah, right. According to Eutychus, the thing is an axe 20 versus 7. And it does say he died? Okay, I'll have to look at that and see what that axe 20... Alright, I'm trying to think about that one. Alright, question six.

And I think it means, were the disciples afraid to go to Bethany and why? They were afraid it was going to be stoning, verse eight. Yeah, in verse seven. Then after this, he said to the disciples, let us go to Judea again. Verse 8, the disciples said to him, Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you and you're going to go there again?

What were you thinking? I don't know if it's two miles, I thought it was two days away. I thought it was two days away. It was a two day deal. Yeah, I think it's two days. Want to check it, but I think it said he was two day a two-day journey away Yeah, I when I was looking at some it said it was whatever it was it was a two-day Yeah This is over 20 of them. Yeah, when I was looking at Ironside and others, it said it was a two-day journey. And that's why he could have made it in time. So made it two-mile, two-day. He said he could have made it in time before Lazarus.

And that, like I said, they were waiting. They were waiting for the answer, the response. Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, done. I guess, how would you have reacted when you said, let's go to Judea again? What would your thoughts have been? Probably the same way. I'm busy. I've got a phone call I've got to make. I've got to see you. I think your reaction would be pretty much the same.

Although, you know, I think about this and He had just, you know, and that kind of, I marveled at that, you know, after all the things and they, they, he's in the midst of the crowd. Miraculously, he gets out. All the disciples too. Why did they doubt him? They couldn't do that again. You know, I'm sitting there going, you just saw him do this, you know, walk through the crowd. They're going to stone him and somehow you and, and the Lord walk right out from him.

You just saw it. You know, so I'm a little bit of like, you know, would we have done the same? Probably. But I'm also kind of amazed that, you know, you just saw it happen. All these miracles. And you saw him just walk through the crowd. Escape. But you're afraid to go down again? Again, were they doubting that he was the Son of God again? They still have that little shade of doubt. Question 7.

Explain the answer Jesus gives to their fears. In verse 9, Jesus answered in chapter 11, 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 the world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. What does this mean?

And should the disciples have known what he was saying? I think the disciples should have, but they probably wouldn't have. Well, you know, I think they're still worried. We're going down to be stoned. But should they have known this? And what he was talking about? Yeah.

Has Jesus said he was a light before? Yeah, John 8, 12. So not too far in the past he did this. Jesus again spoke to him saying, I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Even closer, John 9, 4 and 5. We must work the works of him who sent me, as long as it is day.

Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world. Okay? It was day. It was day. So he is saying he is the light. He's told him that repeatedly. So again, he's again equating Son of God, he's the light of the world, and he's just kind of hammering it back into him again. Do you have something? You look like you have a question.

No, I was reading the commentary of Edwin Bloom, and he says, Jesus spoke in a veiled way that it would not be too dangerous to go to Bethany. In one sense, he was speaking of walking or living in physical light or darkness. In the spiritual realm, when one lives by the will of God, he is safe. Living in the realm of evil is dangerous. As long as Jesus followed God's plan, no harm would come till the appointed time. Applied to people, then, they should have responded to Jesus while he was in the world as its light. Soon he would be gone, and so would this unique opportunity. Yeah, I mean I think that's great. He was commenting on these two verses. But, you know, he says they were talking in veiled, you know.

But you don't see it that way. I mean, you know, in 8 and 9, which is not too distant past, he's told them on the light. And, you know, and then, you know, if anyone walks in there, he stumbles because the light is not in him. I mean, And maybe, I guess I make the supposition that the disciples heard this. So, I mean, they can't say I wasn't there on Friday when you said, you know, they were with him. So, you know, I think they should have known.

But again, you know, he does speak in, not directly, although like last time, plainly, I am the Son of God. You know, that was last week's message. You know, after all that, he comes to finally, I am the Son of God. So, here again, somewhat veiled, but he has told them at least two times in the recent past that he's the light of the world.

I also think this is a an example that John uses a lot because in the chapter 1 he talked about yeah, the light has come in the world and and then in John's first epistle he says This is the message which we have heard of him and declared to you that God is light And in him there's no darkness at all and if we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not practice the truth, but if we walk in the light and As He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another in the blood of Jesus Christ. His Son cleanses us from all sin. So I think that what Christ is saying to these Jews is, look, I'm the light, and the focus of your faith needs to be in me personally. And if it is that way, you'll be in the light, you won't stumble, and you'll be protected, like that comment says. If you don't, if you believe the circumstances, you will stumble. from John 1 through, he's told them this.

And that's why I think he keeps drawing him to himself. That's his whole purpose, is to draw him to himself, that he is the light. And from William Kelly, too, if it is the will of the Father, it was day. And as Jesus was not only sent by the living Father, but lived on account of him, so for the disciple he is in the light and the food and the motive. The known will and word of God is the light of day. To be without it is to walk in the night, and stumbling is the sheer consequence. If Christ be before us, the light will be in us, and we stumble not. Question 8. The Lord used the term Lazarus is sleeping to mean that he was dead. What did he mean?

The spirit was separated from the body? Okay, spirit separated from the body. Well, it's a metaphor that was used about 15 times for this sort of thing. Yeah, for this type sleeping, referring to death. Is it a different Greek word? I mean, we don't refer to sleeping as dead. in English? I didn't look that up, but I could here. Well, Paul uses that word a lot. Yeah, he uses it a lot, but I didn't look up the Greek word for it. Yeah, for sleep. I looked that up in Vines.

And what was it? Sleep is usually said of the body. Yeah. Not spiritual. Yeah, I was just wondering what the actual word was, whether it was sleep. Just a minute. Sleep, if he's... Kamaizo is the word. Yeah, Kika. I think it's Kamaizo. You have to use the physical sleep elsewhere in scripture.

Luke, in the Deciphering of Yosemite in Acts 12.6. of pure imprisonment. Yeah, ecomayo, and it's to put into sleep, i.e. passively or reflexively to slumber, figuratively to decease. So it can be used either way actually, sleep, most of the time it is sleep like slumber, but it can be used as decease.

So it can be either way. So how do we know that Jesus meant Because he said it plainly. Yeah, he said it plainly. Yeah, if you look right after. Jesus knew that Lazarus would be resurrected and he would not remain dead, therefore he was referring to Lazarus just as sleeping. What are some of the things that this shows? Well, that word komizo, it shows that sleep isn't a permanent thing. It's temporary. In this instance, it's not permanent. What are some of the things that this shows?

Did you want to say something? As long as you're not throwing tears, I'm okay. Jesus knew the Father's will so that the Son of God may be glorified. that he would only do that of the Father's will, even though Lazarus was a friend of Martin and Mary, that he knew what was going to occur, and that he had mastery over death, he had resurrection power, and that it also showed that he was the Son of God. You know, there's a lot wrapped up into it.

What did they think he meant? Well, when he used the word komizo, It's not permanent. It's like you and I sleeping. Yeah, well, in verse 12, the disciples said to him, Lord, if he's fallen asleep, he will recover. So the disciples are thinking that if Lazarus only, well, this is what I put too, this is, remember, we're going where? We're going where? So these guys are going yippee-yi-oh. The disciples are thinking that if Lazarus is only sleeping, why do they need to go to Judea again, where the Jews are ready to stone and possibly kill him? If Lazarus was only ill and was bedridden, they're thinking, we don't need to go into this danger, he'll get better. A few Tylenol and he'll be better. Wouldn't the disciples have been friends with them as well?

Oh yeah, absolutely. But what is the overriding factor in their minds? He's a really good guy, but do I want to walk back into where they were stoning him? Self-preservation. Yeah, I mean it is. They're basically going, man if it's only sleeping. Do we really need to go down there?

And, you know, this fear is shown in verse 16 when Thomas tells his disciples that they will go to Judea with Jesus in verse 16. Therefore, Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, let us go so that we may die with him. So, we'll get into a little bit of that a little bit later. But, you know, it basically, you know, what does that show? Well, we'll get into it in another one. It's kind of, you know, Okay, we'll all go down and die with you. Is he thinking, you know, we'll be protected, it's time, and all this kind of stuff. So there's a lot in Thomas' statement.

Question nine, who does Lazarus represent here? The verse was Hebrews 9, 27. Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, after this comes judgment. So who does Lazarus represent? Man and Israel? Other thoughts? Yeah, all mankind and the Jews in their position of death. They are all dead because of sin. All men are under the power of death.

So, you know, this is kind of interesting. One of the commentators had looked up with Matthew Henry's commentary on this and I read it and I thought, well, that sounds good. So I did it and then after I wrote it down, I thought, So I'll read it to you, see if you have the same thing. This was in Matthew Henry's commentary on this.

First he calls a believer his friend. Our friend Lazarus. Note one. There is a covenant of friendship between Christ and believers, and a friendly affection and communion pursuant to it. You're already grunting. Which is why after I did it, I did the same thing.

Which our Lord Jesus will own and not be ashamed of. His secret is with the righteous. Those whom Christ is pleased to own as his friends, all his disciples should take up for theirs. Christ speaks of Lazarus as their common friend, our friend. Death itself does not break the bond of friendship between Christ and a believer. Lazarus is dead, and yet he is still our friend. What's wrong about these statements? Take Matthew Henry and put him downstairs in the basement. I looked at some of the things he has, it's okay, but what's wrong with this one? Why were you moaning?

Because I heard the word covenant. Covenant, number one. Covenant. There's another one that got me. Covenant obviously flags you, but what else? This is kind of a tangent. I'm brought on by myself, so I'm sorry. What about friend? What about that? Well, there is that transition. Well, he's our friend, but I think when you hear that, they're bringing Christ to their level of not giving him rightful, you know, as Lord, but when you talk about he's my friend, in a sense, it's like bringing him to our human level and understanding instead of who he really is.

Yeah, and that's kind of getting to where I had the problem. Mine was, he's our very life. Yeah, exactly. You know, that's our friend. It's kind of like, OK, back to the identification. Old Adam's going to be polished up and he's my buddy now. He can now allow me to do all this stuff. Like, what would you do? Yeah, I mean, he's our very life. He is our life.

So I think this brought into kind of the minus the identification truth. Sorry, that was kind of a weird tangent. As I looked up that, I thought, sounded good, you know, that showed that he was still his friend when he was dead. But then I thought, friend? Friend? There's also a transition in the Gospel of John from friend to disciple to brothers. And the Lord Jesus brings them along that way. To demonstrate the intimacy as they go forward. Alright, question 10. Why did Jesus say what he did in verse 15? In verse 15 it says, And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe, but let us go to him.

Well, he knows what's going to happen. Yeah. So he knew, and remember what What was the purpose of this? To glorify Him. He was basically showing this was to glorify Him, He was going to use this, all these different things. And I think it also says that they prepare Him adequately for the shock of His coming crucifixion and for the resurrection. It's pointing all to that point. But it's also that He is the power that overcomes death. Yeah, He. Right. And again, glorifying the Son of God. The power over death. Power over death, mastery over it, right? Yeah.

I think there's another issue here, and that is that He's trying to educate them about that they're to function by faith, that they're to believe in Him and what He says, and not the circumstances. Because he says, for your sakes, that I was not there that you may believe. In other words, you need to believe what I'm saying to you, rather than what the circumstances tell you. Right. And I think that was what I was getting to. It's to look at their faith through all this stuff. Do you believe? Do you believe? And I think a lot of times they keep getting shaken up by, well, sort of. Sort of, maybe.

Question 11, what is Thomas' motive for going with the Jews? This is where we get back to that one. Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, let us also go so that we may die with him. Martyr. He loved the Lord very dearly. And he was ready to go die with him. You know, but... Who is the him? What? Who is the him?

See, I'm kind of leaning that way. I mean, I kind of get this thing, well, if we're all going to die, we'll go with you, and sure, yeah, we'll do it. Yeah, we couldn't persuade him not to go. Yeah, yeah. I get more of that in there. There's kind of this pessimistic view.

We're going to die, so well, we might as well die with you. You know, it's kind of, it wasn't, I didn't get that sincere love that you may have seen. I got it more, well, if we're going to go die, if you're going to go die with, well, we'll show our love for you. We'll go die with you.

I don't think it was a real love for him. It's like, yeah, we couldn't persuade you. He's sleeping. He's only sleeping. We don't need to go. They try everything for not going down there, because they're afraid they're going to die. So I think he's, well, if you're going to go down, we'll do it too. So I didn't get the love in that one. I think they did love him, but I think the proof of their inability to follow him comes in just a week or so from after this when they all abandon him when he's arrested.

Right. But again, it's kind of okay. If we haven't talked you out of it, we'll go with you. All right, in 12, we're almost going to do this. What is the best Judaism in the world can offer at the time of death? Grief. Grief. Healing. Healing. Yeah, I mean, what does it offer? Not a whole lot. We'll grieve with you, we'll come and we'll weep with you, we'll do whatever, but that's just about it. There isn't a whole lot of other solutions. Thirteen.

When Jesus came, Martha went to him. How far does her faith extend? And I think this is where I differed from you on this one. Martha, therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet him. But Mary stayed at the house. Martha then said to Jesus, Lord, if you'd been there, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you. OK. Mike, your answer was?

My answer was that she only, her faith went to him. went to the fact that Jesus had the capacity to heal her. But the next verse would indicate that she probably had greater faith than that. Yeah, that's right. I looked at your notes, only healing. I had a lot more. Because when you get to verse 22, that's the one that flips me. At first, she's kind of saying, well, you could have healed him. You could have healed him. And some of the commentaries say the same thing, that even in the response in 22, that it's more on the healing side.

And I think, Jack, you were kind of going that way earlier. Maybe we'll start just a little bit next. This one I flipped a little bit. This is where it's different from what some of the commentaries might. I think it's more than that, because of verse 22 and what she says in that one. And really, the key one is even now, I think that's where I can now she's saying doesn't matter what what time wherever right now whatever you ask I think I think that gets beyond the healing part so anyway let's close and we will we'll get a little bit that I'll give you a question sheet 20 will finish up the last couple of these they should go pretty quick but I didn't want to touch on this one because I think it does have differences a little bit on on what this shows of Martha All right, let's close.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for this time. Father, we thank You for any time we can just get into Your Word. We thank You just for Your love, Your grace. And Father, we just thank You that You're intimately involved in each and every one of us. We just rest in that fact. And Father, we just pray for the meeting coming up with Vern, that You will just speak clearly through him Your Word and prepare our hearts to receive it. And Father, we just commit this day to You. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.