Latest / Scripture Central / Come Follow Me Insights (May 1 - May 7)Luke 12–17; John 11

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Come Follow Me Insights (May 1 - May 7)Luke 12–17; John 11 · Scripture Central

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Hello everyone. Thanks for listening to come.
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Follow me, insights with Taylor and Tyler, presented by
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scripture Central. We use a lot of visuals in our
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videos. So, if you want to see the
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visuals, we invite you to find us on YouTube.
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Thanks for listening and enjoy. I'm Taylor and I'm Tyler.
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This is scripture Central's. Come follow me insights this
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week. Luke chapters 12 through 17 and
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John 11. So for this first episode, we're
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actually going to speed run. We're going to do an end around
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here and just go into Luke chapter 15 because there are
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three amazing Parable parables in this one chapter and
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everything that's in Luke 12, 13 and 14 is is covered in other
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sections of the gospels. And so we're going to just jump
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right to the good. Good stuff in Luke 15, these
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three Parables of the lost and found.
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And I say that because often when we refer to them we just
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stopped at The Parables of the Lost.
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I love the fact that in all three cases that which was lost
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is found. So I love calling him.
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The three Parables of the lost and found the second episode
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will cover Luke chapter 17 and John chapter 11 because those
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two chapters go. So beautifully together with
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fascinating, the way Jesus shared these stories in quick
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succession. He begins with 101.
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Think it's lost and found he was all the way down to 10.
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Ten and one of those items gets lost and then found in the last
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story is just two and one gets lost and found.
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It's almost as if Jesus is trying to point out that it
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doesn't matter. The number he focuses on the one
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in significantly. The very last story is about
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humans. That's that's fascinating that
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the first ones about sheep and then coins and then two sons.
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So we'll get to that before we dive in to Parable.
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Number one, remember we've mentioned it before, but now I
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want to read you. The exact quote, this comes from
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the Joseph Smith papers and if you look at his history on
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January, 29th, 1843. So he's about Year and a half
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away from his martyrdom. He's in Nauvoo.
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And he's giving this this talk, this speech about some Parables,
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listen to this. What is the rule of
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interpretation? Just no interpretation at all.
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Understand a precisely as it reads.
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I have a key by which I understand the scriptures, I
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inquire. What was the question?
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Which Drew out the answer or cause Jesus to utter the
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parable. So he saying, Stop trying to get
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fancy in your interpretation. Just look at the setting and
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unfortunately in some of the Parables we don't always get the
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precursor the setting. Sometimes it just launches into
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a parable. But in this case with these
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three Parables, we do get the setting.
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So before we even talk about one of the sheep out of the fold of
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100 getting lost, let's look at the the setting.
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Verse 1, then Drew near unto him, all the publicans and
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sinners for to hear him. You can you can picture this
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setting, Jesus surrounded by publicans and sinners publicans
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of the tax collector collectors. Everyone's favorite profession.
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They hate these guys. The, the Jewish leadership hates
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them. Not just because they're paying
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tribute to them, but because As they see it, as a form of
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supporting idol worship ultimately, they feel like this
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is a, this is a real Conflict for them, because they feel like
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these in many cases these Jewish publicans, not all publicans
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were Jewish but the ones were talking about here, clearly seem
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to be of the House of Israel who have now sold out to the Romans
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and they're collecting money from the Jews in order to send
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it to Rome and support. Idol worship building of temples
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and worship of false gods. Don't know what Tyler said, we
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know the Jewish temple. This is a seat and power place
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of their power of worship. The Jews already pay taxes to
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support the temple. The Jewish temple.
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Why would you go support Pagan efforts?
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The fact that Jesus is hanging out with these people causes
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concern among some of the Jewish leaders.
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So, look at verse to the Pharisees and scribes murmured.
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Can you see the the instantaneous judgment going on
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Pharisees and scribes coming to this setting, they see, Jesus
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sitting with publicans and Sinners and instantly.
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There's a judgment being made. We are holier than they are.
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We are more righteous than they are.
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We are clean as far as ritual Purity is And as far as keeping
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the law of Moses and they're clearly not and Jesus is hanging
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out with them. So, look at the wording here.
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He was not just receiving Sinners, but he also Edith with
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them. That's what they're saying.
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He has table fellowship with known, Sinners and publicans, he
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either is blind or is completely oblivious to the fact that these
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people are who they really are. So notice, what happens next,
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verse 3 and he spoke this Parable unto them, M saying, and
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now we launched in the first Parable instead of Jesus looking
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at them saying you think you're so righteous instead of just
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saying it directly to them. He says I have a story for you,
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then he begins what man of you having a hundred sheep.
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If he lose one of them does not leave the ninety and nine in the
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wilderness and go after that which is lost until he find it.
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Man in the footnote for a Joseph Smith translation, says and go
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into the Wilderness after that, which is lost until he find it.
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Now, a first pass I have to, I have to be honest with you, with
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this particular Parable when I was in seminary as a young man
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of middle teenager age, 16, I remember covering this story in
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in class and it bothered me because I thought this doesn't
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sound like a very Good Shepherd if I have a hundred sheep and
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one of them wanders off into the Wilderness, I would never leave
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90 and 92 go and find the one for fear that.
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By the time I found the one and returned, I'd now have only 38
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sheep because all the others, you know, most, the others had
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wandered away and I remember my Seminary teacher said, no,
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Tyler, he would have left the 99 in charge of of some hirelings
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or some other Shepherds to take care of them.
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He would Just left them and I thought to myself that's still
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not very satisfying for me because it seems to me like a
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Good Shepherd would stick with the bulk of his flock to protect
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them and send one of those hirelings or one of those under
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Shepherds to go out into the Wilderness and find the lost
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sheep but that just seemed really logical in my little 16
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year old brain, my way of thinking, without your
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shepherding experience. Yes.
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Yes. Because I was so, so experienced
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with With pastoral care here was Far cheaper concerned.
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And then right before, leaving into the mission field, a couple
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years later, I was reading the book, the teachings of the
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Prophet Joseph Smith compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith, and I
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read something in there that made my jaw drop regarding this
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particular Parable. And since then, if we now go to
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the Joseph Smith papers version, which takes us back to the
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original rather than an edited version of his words once again,
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January 29th. That same talk, notice what he
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says here, the hundred sheep represent 100 Sadducees and
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Pharisees, as though Jesus had said, if you should Sadducees
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and Pharisees. Pharisees are in the Sheepfold.
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I have no mission for you. I am sent to look up sheep that
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are lost. And when I have found them, I
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will back them up and make joy in heaven.
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This represents hunting after a few individuals or one poor
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Publican which the Pharisees and Sadducees despised.
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Did you catch that? The ninety and nine are the
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people who are saying to each other.
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We're so good. We're not lost.
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Jesus spending all this time with these dirty people and
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these Sinners. And Jesus say, yep.
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That's who I came to save because they know they're lost.
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These sheep here with me that table they know that they're in
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the wilderness and that they need a Good Shepherd to come and
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find them and bring them back to the fold.
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And for the first time in my life, I was reading this
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thinking that makes sense. I love how this goes on and he
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says and we had when he had found it he layeth it on his
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shoulders rejoicing. Now let's think about this
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sheep, have four legs and they can use all of them to follow
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the chef But the shepherd is so excited to bring that shit back
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in the fold, he carries that sheep.
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Have you ever been a moment in your life where you have felt
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Jesus carry you through some Challenge and you were able to
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get through that and felt a deeper sense of his love and
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joy. Imagine his joy and rejoicing at
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the able to carry you. But he is always wanted to do is
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to carry us along where necessary Terry.
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It's one of my favorite purses, I love that because so many of
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us we love to be the fixer. We love to be The Rescuer, we
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love to be the one out on those missions to lift up people and
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find them and bring them home. But if we're honest with with
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ourselves, there are plenty of times when you've been out there
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and maybe it's not because of sin.
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Maybe you've been out in the wilderness feeling all alone,
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vulnerable knowing the sun's going to set and the Predators
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Are going to be out looking for you and you feel that loving
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support that comes in a way that only Heaven Can manifest that
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Mercy in that Grace, where the Savior picks you up and says,
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I'm going to carry you for a season here, I'm going to take
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you back into my fold and it could be from the death of a
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loved one. It could be.
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As you come home from a diagnosis being delivered to you
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at the hospital for you or a loved one.
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And you feel like you have no idea what's going to happen.
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And he finds a way to carry you in his bosom, it could be with a
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loved one, who is going through struggles, that, that might be
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spiritual or mental or emotional, or in prison or the
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list goes on and on and on where we realize.
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We're lost and we need help. I love that that Good Shepherd,
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feeling of allowing us to be found and to be carried by the
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Lord, instead of running further away from him, he's the only one
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who can ultimately offer that that kind of relief and then
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what a privilege it is to be on the giving end of that when you
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can to, to be a good shepherd to help people feel of the savior's
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love for them. So notice in verse 7 as he comes
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home. He says, I see and you likewise
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Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than
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over ninety and nine just persons which need no
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repentance. I could be wrong, but I think
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Jesus is speaking in a little bit of hyperbole here because
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the reality is, there is no such thing as ninety nine.
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Just persons, which need no repentance There's only 99
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people who think they don't need repentance.
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Which now brings us to the second of our Parables.
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And this one is totally different, but it's exactly the
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same. Why?
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Because in this case it's a woman now she has 10 pieces of
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silver and if she lose one piece, does she not light a
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candle and sweep the house and seek diligently till she find it
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and when she hath found it she call with her friends and her
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neighbors together saying Rejoice with me for I have found
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the piece which I had lost. A piece of silver is a big deal
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to this woman and she lost 10%. She found it particularly to a
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woman. Most women Ancient lie in the
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ancient Israelite world did not have economic freedom.
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They were typically economically connected to a father, a
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husband, or a son, and for her to have any form of her own
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wealth, and lose, 10% of. It is a really big deal.
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Nobody wants to lose 10%, but the fact that Jesus uses a
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female character here, makes the story that much more poignant
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that the listeners are going to stand like, this is a big deal
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for this woman. Yeah.
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So just pause for a minute and let's look at this.
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You have a hundred sheep, you have 10 coins.
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How does a sheep get lost? Do you think that sheep woke up
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that morning? And said I've had it with the
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flock, I've had it with the shepherd and I'm just going to
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kind of work my way to the edge of the fold.
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And I'm going to keep an eye on him and when he He's distracted.
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I'm making a bolt for the hills. I'm out of here.
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I'm done with this, I guess that's possible.
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But more likely scenario would be, that sheep was just eating.
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And the Sheep is following its nose eating eating eating, and
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it just keeps eating and it keeps going.
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So this sheep seems to wander off its wandered away from the
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fold and now, it realizes Has that it's lost and it has no
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idea how to get back to the fold and the more it tries to get
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back to the fold. Chances are it's just going to
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get more lost. How does a coin get lost, does
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the coin wander away? Does the coin wake up in the
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morning and say I've had it in this pocket or this purse and
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I'm going to figure a way to get out of this person roll under a
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couch. A coin doesn't do anything to
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get itself. Lost a coin, gets lost out of
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somebody else's neglect, or misplacement or mistreatment.
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So, something happened that wasn't the coins fault, and it
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ends up being lost. We could say, out of neglect,
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So, it doesn't matter whether you wander off or whether you're
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neglected by somebody else. The reality is, is you you both
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end up in the same condition you're lost.
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And you need somebody to come and find you.
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The coin can't find itself and the Sheep can't return to the
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fold by itself. They both need somebody to come
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and help them. which now leads us to Parable number three which
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if you look at just the sheer versus and thus the column space
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from Luke's perspective here you get seven verses for the first
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Parable and then you get eight, nine, ten three verses for the
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second Parable and then we get 11 through 32 for the third
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Parable, totally dominates by two times more than the other
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two Parables combined. It might tell us that there's
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more involved when we're talking about son's here two sons one,
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father and the stories about unfolds here.
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So there's a lot happening here. Let's set the stage in verse 11
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and he said, a certain man had two sons.
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Now, we have to push pause, we have to take a time out here.
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Say what is Jesus doing? He's already told two stories to
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these Pharisees and scribes back in verse 1 and 2 who are kind of
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inwardly mocking him for spending time with publicans and
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sinners. He's already proved a point but
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he's going to tell it a third way from a different angle that
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is really powerful. And so he he really cuts to the
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heart here, a certain man had Had two sons.
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This is going to hit a little closer to home.
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It's easier for them to feel more removed from a shepherd
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with a hundred sheep because none of these Pharisees were
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going to be Shepherds. That's a lowly servant and none
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of these Pharisees are scribes is going to really directly
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relate to a woman who loses one piece of silver out of ten.
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Most of them are probably fairly rich and I it's not a big deal.
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but now, when you start talking about a father with two sons,
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most of them will probably be able to directly relate to this
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story in a more personal way either has fathers or sons and
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Jesus goes on and says and the younger of the two sons said to
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his father, father, give me the portion of goods that father to
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me and the father divided unto the two sons his living So
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basically this boy, the younger son went up to Dad and in a
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first-century Jewish context, said to his dad, dad you're dead
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to me. I'd rather have you dead because
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I just want my inheritance. You don't usually get
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inheritance until your parents have passed on and then that
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inherent inheritance is divided up.
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But this kid is saying, I want it now.
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This is significant because his dad's fairly Rich we find out in
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this story. And so he divided up his
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inheritance, the data actually did it, he gave this this young
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son one, we would assume roughly one third of everything that he
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owns a summary like wait, he has two kids so he should have given
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half. Keep in mind, mind under a law
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of Moses context. The older son gets a double
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portion and then remaining Sons get a single portion.
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So if they're only Only two sons that means you divide into
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three. The older son gets a double
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portion. So this is a son who only gets
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one third, but that's a lot from his dad.
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And what does he do? Verse 13, says not many days
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after the younger son gathered, all together and took his
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journey into a far country which to the Pharisees and scribes
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listening would have implied. They would have heard, oh, he
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went into Gentile lands because the Jewish lands the house of
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Israel among your family and Kindred lands where it's safe
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clean ritually. Pure kinds of places.
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None of them are far countries. So if this kid went to a far
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country, that means he's now among the Gentiles and there, he
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wasted his substance with riotous living.
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So he's, did you catch this? He's taking that which he had
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not earned hadn't worked for. He was born into this and he
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took it. Prematurely went into this far
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country and he wasted it with riotous living among the
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Gentiles. And I have to be honest again
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when I when I was back in seminary with this Parable, it
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kind of drove me crazy because I thought what is wrong with this
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Dad? Why did he first give that money
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and secondly, why didn't he follow the kid into this far
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country and spy him out and go and rescue him?
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When he had only spent the first few days worth of the wealth on
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riotous living and come to him and say, oh my son.
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Son, I found you. Let's Rejoice like the Good
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Shepherd. Go find your son and bring him
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home, carry him if you need to bring him home.
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There's a problem on the problem is, how did this boy get lost?
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Did he wander? Was he neglected?
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Or was there something else going on?
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Did he willingly and knowingly? Choose to Rebel?
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He made a conscientious set of decisions that put him on this
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path to take him away from his father and squander.
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This it was a known Rebellion, it wasn't wandering, and it
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wasn't neglect. And if it's a known Rebellion,
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what happens? If Dad shows up a few days into
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his riotous living as the kid going to say, oh good dad you
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found me. I'm so glad thank you for coming
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to save me, I could be wrong but I think the young lad would have
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been extremely angry and embarrassed and gotten up in a
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huff and gone into an even further country apart and tried
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to cover his tracks better. Sure.
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So that his dad couldn't track him down because he's making a
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free will Choice here to do this.
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So if you look at these three Parables, we talked about how
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she may have wander off, it's also possible the sheep and the
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coin, didn't know they were lost and when somebody is in
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Rebellion, they also may not know that they're lost in all
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these cases. God goes out and finds those who
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are lost, whether they know it or not.
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In this case, we see something interesting, the sun has to
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learn that he has lost its interesting.
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The father allows the Sun Bowl agency to fully experience the
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consequences of life and didn't we fight a big battle in heaven?
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Over this to get agency. We won as a father.
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It'd be really difficult for me to watch a child.
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Make those decisions fact, I've been in life circumstances where
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people close to to me made decisions that were very
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problematic for them impacted them and other people and me.
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And guess what I want to do, I want to stop them.
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I wanted to use my agency to compromise their agency and I
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learned a very difficult, very powerful lesson that I could
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love and invite. I could love them and invite
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them to do what was right at all.
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My agency could do. And I think some of that might
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be going on here where the father still loves, and we'll
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see some invitation, but before we get to that point, the
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rebellious son has to come to his senses.
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So let's get him there right verse 14, when he had spent all
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there arose, a mighty feminine, the land and he began to be in
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want understatement brothers and sisters.
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Verse 14 is the ultimate understatement in the law of the
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Harvest context. You reap, what you sow.
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You cannot plant seeds of wickedness, and hope to produce
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and enjoy fruits of righteousness and wickedness.
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Never, ever, ever was happiness, it always leads to a person
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feeling empty and want Hollow And it that process might take
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days, it might take weeks, it might take months or years or
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decades and it might even take a lifetime but eventually people
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in this category realize oh I'm in want and he went and joined
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himself to a citizen of that country implication being, it's
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a gentile. He's now going to go work for a
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gentile, a citizen of that country and he sent him into his
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fields to feed. Feed swine.
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Now, if you're one of the Pharisees and scribes standing,
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there is Jesus telling the story.
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You have probably a visual reaction.
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You're going to revolt at this part of the story, who you're
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with Gentiles and with pigs, which are against the law of
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Moses and you're feeding them. I mean, you it cannot get worse
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than this. It's almost as if the sun has
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become a swine himself or could it get worse As he reached the
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bottom of the barrel yet, look at verse 16 and he would Fain
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have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat and
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no man gave unto him. Oh my goodness.
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If you've never watched pigs eat slop out of a trough before.
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It's it's revolting, it's nauseating.
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And here's this this lad, he's feeding the swine and he's
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looking at the Food. They're eating wishing.
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He could eat it with them but they won't let him eat it
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because it's for the pigs. It's not for him.
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That should tell us something about the condition of this lad.
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He's working basically, as a servant from these people,
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probably not making very much money.
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They aren't even feeding him appropriately.
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To the point where he's wanting to eat pig slop, which tells you
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he's probably not very healthy. Now, if you could make in your
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in your mind's eye, if you could just see a list of potential
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attributes of this boy right now, how would you describe him?
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What are some of the words you'd put on a list in your mind?
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What does he look like? What does he smell?
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Like, what would he feel? Like this kid is not in a good
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place. And now Watch What Happens.
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Verse 17. And when he came to himself, did
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you catch that Taylor introduced this earlier?
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You can't go on pull a rebel out and say you will come back home
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because I found you. They have to work through some
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processes on their own. It seems he came to himself and
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his conclude, what is his conclusion?
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You can picture him out there in this, in this pig.
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Trough And he kind of wakes up, he comes to himself, says wait a
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minute. I'm sitting here and how many of
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my hired Servants of my father. Have bread enough, and to spare
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and I perish with hunger. And now, this beautiful Turning
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Point Verse 18, I will arise and go to my father and I will say
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unto him. Father, I have sinned against
28:28
heaven, and before thee, and I am no more worthy to be called
28:30
thy son make me as one of they hired servants.
28:35
So, that's his plan. He's, I'm gonna go home.
28:37
I'm gonna beg dad who I can no longer really called Dad because
28:42
of what I've done. I'm going to beg him to be one
28:45
of his hired. Instead at least I'll have a
28:48
roof over my head and bread to eat.
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And so now he begins this long journey, home verse 20, and he
28:57
arose and came to his father. You remember in your mind?
29:03
How you pictured what that young man looked like out with those
29:06
pigs? He's probably pretty skinny.
29:09
Probably pretty amazing hated. Actually not healthy smelled,
29:13
terrible. And now he's come home on a very
29:17
long journey with with, no means no wealth to pay for nice
29:23
lodging and, and nice appointments for his body, and
29:28
nice food for his belly and nice drink.
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By the time, he gets home from a long journey.
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Whatever you pictured him like in the pigs sty, he's going to
29:37
be way worse. By the time, he gets back home
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and then this next part is, Amazing.
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But when he was yet a great way off his father, saw him and had
29:55
compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
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You have some options here, Jesus doesn't tell you.
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It's a parable, it's a story to teach a principal.
30:04
One of the options is Dad came out of his house that morning
30:08
and was walking out to the barn and he glances Down The Long
30:11
Lane out to the main road and he sees a care.
30:14
You're coming from a long way off.
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And he says, who that kid looks like, he's walking like my son,
30:21
it is my son, and he just happened to see him a right at
30:25
that moment. That's, that's an option.
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But I think a far more likely scenario is that Dad has been
30:34
doing what a father of a rebellious, son can do, which is
30:41
to pray. And to hold on to hope and faith
30:47
that someday, my boys going to come home.
30:50
I love him and someday he's going to return to me, which
30:54
means the father is probably looking down that road watching
31:01
that road that empty road for days weeks months, maybe years
31:06
or decades waiting for the first sign that his boy has decided to
31:11
come home at which Each point the dad runs down the lane
31:17
towards the boy. Can you picture that little
31:19
moment key picture that son seeing Dad running towards him
31:25
and he's got his speech all prepared.
31:28
Dad, I've totally messed up. I'm not worthy to be called your
31:33
son anymore. I just want to be one of your
31:35
servants. He doesn't get a chance to
31:38
deliver his his lung prepared speech because Dad comes up, And
31:43
he grabs that boy. Now, I don't know about you, but
31:47
our human tendency might be to come a little closer and see him
31:51
and think. Oh, ah, you're looking rough.
31:55
Very unkempt, very dirty, and who you don't smell very good
32:01
and you don't look very healthy. I'm not sure if you have
32:03
diseases. Let's go home and get you
32:06
cleaned up, and then I'm going to give you a hug.
32:10
I love the father in this Parable because he doesn't seem
32:14
to smell the stench. It doesn't seem to be focusing
32:17
on the dirt and the grime and the pig slop.
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He's not looking at the emaciated state of this boy who
32:26
has made so many poor decisions. He's looking beneath all of that
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and underneath all of that soil, and that stain, he sees his son.
32:39
And he loves that boy and he grabs that boy and pulls him
32:43
into an Embrace and he doesn't just hug him.
32:46
He kisses him all that slime and smelling us, he's not even
32:51
worried. The father is not even worried,
32:54
not worried about germs. Not worried about being
32:55
infected. His sons home.
32:58
He's willing to give that kiss of welcome.
33:04
Now, at that point, the boy is feeling a little overwhelmed and
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now he gives his speech, the son said unto him, father, I have
33:11
sinned against heaven and in thy sight and I'm no more worthy to
33:15
be called thy son. And I love the fact that Dad at
33:19
this point doesn't say, oh, really you mean?
33:22
You don't have all that money? I gave you and it's gone and you
33:25
squander you you lived a riotous lifestyle, well then, okay, yeah
33:31
you're no longer my son that doesn't do that.
33:36
He calls for his other servants come and bring forth the best
33:41
robe. And put it on him.
33:47
Anytime in the New Testament, when you're being closed or
33:50
things are being put on somebody, there's an allusion to
33:54
that Greek word, and Duo to endow, to put on a robe, or a
34:00
garment, a sacred clothing, a covering.
34:03
There's Something Beautiful about this that in exchange, for
34:07
all this terrible stuff, he's he's not turned into a servant.
34:12
He's treated with a royal homecoming with a row.
34:16
Uber and a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet.
34:21
He's being clothed and dressed as if he were royalty, as if he
34:26
were a prince. And then bring hither the
34:30
fatted, calf and kill it and let us eat and be merry for this.
34:34
My son was dead and is alive again.
34:36
He was lost and is found and they began to be merry.
34:39
You would only throw a feast of that size?
34:42
If you have somebody have considerable honor in your
34:45
presence. I mean the best calf, otherwise
34:49
you might just get him some bread.
34:50
So this shows the enormous, love the enduring, love that the
34:55
father had for the son. And those listening to the
34:59
story, should be able to understand that.
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God, the father has this kind of enduring love for us and yet
35:05
there's a few there's a plot twist in here.
35:08
In all of Luke 15, there's one person who's upset angry at the
35:17
return, or the finding of that, which is lost and it starts in
35:22
verse 25. Now, his Elder son was in the
35:25
field as he came and Drew nigh to the house.
35:27
He heard music and dancing, and he called one of the servants
35:30
and asked what these things meant.
35:31
And he said unto him, thy Brother's come.
35:33
And my father has killed the fattened calf because he hath
35:36
received him safe and sound. And he was angry and would not
35:43
go in there for came his father out and entreated him.
35:48
And then you get this interesting discussion where the
35:51
father is trying to help this older, son, understand.
35:56
But first, this the younger, the older son says, lo these many
36:01
years, do I serve thee, neither trans done Trent transgressed.
36:04
I at any time thy commandment pause.
36:11
Take a timeout. Which of the two sons, am I?
36:18
Which of the two sons are you? You see how easy it is to read
36:22
this? Parable from a safe distance and
36:25
talk about the young son as if he's the other.
36:29
It's not me because I've not committed any of these serious
36:33
kinds of sins. I've never had to come home
36:36
saying I'm not worthy anymore, even be called your son, can I
36:40
just be your servant? Can I at least be included with
36:45
with the servant quarters? Most people when they read this
36:49
Parable, they love to associate with the older, son the group
36:54
that says, hey we're good. We've never, we've never
36:56
committed serious sin since it's a parable, your freedom to apply
37:01
it in whatever way works for you.
37:05
But I would remind us of Joseph, Smith's key for unlocking
37:10
meaning in The Parables. Remember he says the hundred
37:16
sheep represent Sadducees and Pharisees.
37:20
The, in this case, the one who says, to the Lord, I've always
37:27
done everything you've ever asked me to do.
37:29
I've never transgressed at any time thy commandment That
37:35
doesn't sound possible. Doesn't sound like somebody.
37:39
Who is anything more than just, a self.
37:41
Righteous person saying, I've been perfect.
37:44
I've never done this. And in that setting with Jesus,
37:48
eating with, with publicans and sinners with the Pharisees and
37:51
scribes judging them. There's a very clear allusion to
37:56
which group is which sun. And look at this next part.
38:02
Verse 30. As soon as this dice Was come,
38:05
which hath devoured thy living? With harlots thou has killed for
38:09
him? The fatted calf.
38:11
And the father says son thou art ever with me and all that I have
38:16
is thine. I don't know what that means
38:18
exactly in this world back, then with Jesus talking to these
38:23
Pharisees and scribes, they are the recipients of this Parable,
38:27
as the publicans and sinners, get to overhear it.
38:30
But using Joseph Smith key, I think he might be saying to The
38:34
Pharisees and scribes. You've always been with with the
38:38
law of Moses. You've always had access to
38:40
these scriptures. Everything that I've had is
38:43
yours free for the taking. Look at verse 32, it was meet
38:48
that we should make Merry and be glad for this thy brother was
38:51
dead and is alive again and was lost.
38:56
Now, can you picture him looking at the crowd around the table
38:59
with him? and is found earlier than
39:04
sisters as we come to the close of this episode with Luke 15 and
39:09
these three Parables of the Lost and the found the reality is
39:16
There are times in everybody's life, when we're like the Sheep
39:21
because we've wandered carelessly, there are times when
39:25
we get lost out of neglect, there are times when it's
39:29
really, not your fault, but you are lost and you need help.
39:33
And there are times when we like this young lad out in the
39:37
Gentile lands, feeding swine have to come to ourselves and
39:42
make a realization that, you know what, I knew better.
39:47
And I still chose to squander. This this inheritance from
39:51
heaven and I need to arise and go to my father, So, as we dive
39:59
into this miracle in chapter 17, let's start in verse 11 and it
40:03
came to pass. As he went to Jerusalem that he
40:05
passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee just
40:12
geographically. Speaking, if you look at the lay
40:16
of the land here, here's Jerusalem.
40:18
The capital city. Here's Capernaum.
40:20
And all of these Villages that are largely Jewish up in the
40:24
Galilee, the tradition, the The long-standing tradition is that
40:31
they would have taken the longer route down into the Jordan River
40:35
Valley to Jericho, and then up the Steep Mountain up to
40:40
Jerusalem, which takes a lot longer, six, seven, eight days,
40:45
depending on the weather and the traveling conditions and there
40:49
are a couple of times where you see this direct route through
40:54
Samaria. That Jesus is taking Okay.
40:58
He did it back in John chapter 4.
41:00
He's now doing it here in Luke chapter 11, the idea being Jesus
41:06
isn't afraid of those cultural norms if they existed widespread
41:11
and nobody ever wanted to come this route because Jesus is
41:16
doing it a few times. And in this case as we're coming
41:19
through Samaria is says in verse 12, as he entered into a certain
41:23
Village there met him ten men that were lepers which stood
41:28
Would a far-off they're being good citizens because lepers
41:33
aren't supposed to come into, the villages are supposed to
41:36
stay away. Stay apart so verse 13 and they
41:39
lifted up their voices and said Jesus Master have mercy on us.
41:47
And when he saw them, he said unto them, go show yourselves
41:51
unto the priests. Pause, right there.
41:55
If you're one of the ten lepers and you've just shouted to him,
41:59
you recognize who it is. Because Jesus has been through
42:02
Samaria before he's performed Miracles.
42:06
We know the name. Jesus means something to these
42:10
people in this community and so they've asked him to be healed
42:14
and he says go show yourself to the priest.
42:19
That could be a little problematic.
42:23
Because we're still leprous. Look at the next line.
42:28
As says as they went, they were cleansed.
42:35
So it wasn't a, you're healed now.
42:39
Go see the priest. It was, they had to turn and
42:44
take steps of Faith to head to the priests when everything in
42:50
their culture and Society said, don't you dare go near the
42:53
priest but because these are Samaritans, they Have their own
42:57
religion. It's very similar to the Judaism
42:59
but they have their own way of doing things and best.
43:03
That what we can tell Jesus is encouraging them to go.
43:06
See the Jewish priests not the Samaritan priest.
43:10
No, we're not exactly sure about that.
43:12
But if the Jewish priests, it's even more of an act of faith for
43:15
them to have to travel. Who knows how long a couple of
43:18
days down to the Jewish temple? Or if there's a Jewish priest,
43:23
they can find somewhere nearby. This is a serious Act of Faith,
43:27
it got Jesus is asking them. We I want you to act before you
43:32
see the miracle. So it says and one of them when
43:37
he saw that he was healed turned back and with a loud voice
43:43
glorified God, I love this. There were, There Were Ten who
43:49
were cleansed. If you look at that word at the
43:51
bottom of verse 14, 10 lepers. Walked away this day.
43:57
Cleansed, they're no longer ritually unclean and one of them
44:02
seems to More than just the cleansing.
44:06
He's now glorifying. God and he fell down on his face
44:10
at his feet giving him thanks and he was a Samaritan.
44:15
Luke is reminding you yet again. Oh, in case, if you forgot from
44:19
verse 11, this guy's a Samaritan.
44:22
But now he's okay to come up to Jesus and his Apostles and those
44:27
traveling with them because he's cleansed, but he still a
44:31
Samaritan, he's still an outsider's.
44:33
As far as the Jews are concerned and Jesus responds in verse 17
44:38
is were there. Not ten cleansed but where are
44:42
the nine? There are not found that
44:46
returned to give glory to God. Save this stranger and he said
44:51
unto him, arise go thy way thy faith.
44:56
Hath made thee whole notice. Notice the difference between
45:03
verse 18 and verse 19, 10 lepers were cleansed, but one leper was
45:13
made whole Complete. The, the miracle is now complete
45:22
and there are nine of them who, for whatever reason they and we
45:27
can't blame them. We're not here.
45:29
Pointing fingers of scorn at the 9th.
45:31
We're here to celebrate with the one who came back and
45:36
recognized. Wow, what a privilege.
45:39
I have a new life now and he comes back and glorifies God.
45:45
It's to me. This is a powerful example of
45:49
ever moving forward too far without acknowledging.
45:56
What was done, you'll notice human tendency.
46:00
We all experience this to one degree or another where you're
46:03
in a moment of need and you desperately call out for help
46:08
and often when that help comes we're like whoo good.
46:12
I got the help. I need it and we move on.
46:15
I love this guy because he reminds me that I should
46:19
probably put just as much energy into my gratitude and meekness
46:24
and humility and going back to glorify God for these blessings
46:29
that I received as I did, when I was pleading for the blessing to
46:32
be given its, it's just a beautiful concept that I learned
46:36
from this unnamed Samaritan leper, who was made whole, I
46:42
learned this from my wife, she's dealt with quite a fair Share of
46:45
medical issues. I sometimes joke that she
46:48
single-handedly keeping the medical industry alive with all
46:52
her payments, but she was doing some serious medical issues some
46:57
time ago. And we did a lot of prayer and
46:59
fasting and working with doctors but prayer and fasting.
47:02
That God would deliver her and kill her body and he did.
47:07
What's interesting is that my wife came to me and said, fast,
47:09
Sunday's coming up. We've been doing these fast for
47:12
my health. I think we should fast in
47:14
gratitude. Dude, kind of interesting like,
47:17
wait, why would I give up food? When I can get something from
47:20
God, like, what should we be asking?
47:22
God for things, and was a very powerful lesson.
47:26
My wife taught me about that. We can pray and fast, not only
47:30
to receive, but also to give back and to give thanks to God.
47:34
What an amazing difference that would make for everybody.
47:36
President Russell and Milson back when covid-19 on, you'll
47:41
remember some of you when he did a special Little broadcast a
47:47
video and send it out to the world.
47:49
Saying I have something that will make a difference and
47:53
everybody was waiting. Oh what is it going to be?
47:56
And his answer was Express more gratitude find more ways to
48:01
think the Lord count your many blessings be more thankful, be
48:06
more grateful and what a difference that makes when we
48:09
return to God with with absolute gratitude, And meekness, let's
48:18
shift over to John chapter 11. John chapter 11 is one of these
48:22
sweet moments in the savior's ministry as we get closer to the
48:29
end of his life. So just for context of time,
48:33
we're in chapter 11 and if you turn the page over to chapter
48:35
12, you'll notice that's where John's gospel gives the
48:40
triumphal entry. And you get the anointing.
48:46
This is this is right towards the end of his life and Jesus is
48:52
up in Galilee and it says in verse 1, a certain man was sick
48:56
named Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary, and her sister
49:00
Martha. So once again it's down in Judea
49:04
just up and over the Mount of Olives from Jerusalem on to the
49:09
Eastern. Slope that now heads down
49:11
towards Jericho down, The Jordan River Valley, it was that Mary
49:16
which anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with
49:20
her hair whose brother Lazarus was sick.
49:23
So in verse 3 it says therefore his sister sent unto him saying,
49:26
Lord behold, he whom thou lovest is sick so they sent word to him
49:32
if you look back in 10:40 and went to go away again Beyond
49:38
Jordan into the place where John at first baptized and there he
49:41
Abode. So he's on the other side of the
49:43
river down that steep climb from Bethany down past Jericho to the
49:50
Jordan River, and to the other side, he's in Jordan, in their
49:53
Abode. So, in John's context, it looks
49:56
like that's where Jesus is staying and it's only probably,
49:59
if you're walking fast, it's a one-day journey into Bethany a
50:02
very heavy Journey. So the sister sending word
50:06
Lazarus is sick, if Jesus is really motivated to help
50:10
Lazarus, he could be there. Really but he waits verse 6 when
50:16
he had heard therefore that he was sick, he Abode two days.
50:20
Still in the same place where he was and then after that saith,
50:25
he to his disciples. Let us go into Judea again.
50:28
So we're going to leave Jordan and going to Judea again his
50:33
disciples say unto him Master, the Jews of late sought to
50:35
Stone. The and go south is er again.
50:38
And so as part of Jesus's answer here towards the end in verse
50:41
11, he says Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that, I may
50:47
awake him out of sleep at which point Peter, and the other
50:51
Apostles are looking at him saying, wait, wait a minute, no
50:55
Lord. If he sleep, he shall do well.
50:57
In other words in our day and age, if somebody's sick, the
51:02
best thing for them is to sleep because rest can rejuvenate,
51:06
don't wake him up, that'll make him worse.
51:08
But even after all this time, the disciples with Jesus.
51:12
Everything, totally literally. It's like he has to tell them
51:18
how be a Jesus spake of his death, but they thought that he
51:21
had spoken of taking a rest and sleep.
51:24
So, verse 14 and Jesus said unto them.
51:26
Plainly Lazarus is dead. Oh, but then he says verse 15.
51:33
I'm glad for your sakes that I was not there to the intent that
51:36
ye may believe nevertheless. Let us go on to him.
51:41
So now we're going to go. Keep in mind, he got word, he's
51:46
waited two days. Now, they're going to go, he's
51:49
delayed long enough. That this death has really
51:54
become a reality for everybody in this Jewish first century
51:58
context and we'll talk about that when we get to it.
52:00
Look at verse 16, then said, Thomas, which is called didymus
52:06
The word didymus, just it's the Greek word for twin.
52:10
So, Thomas, one of his 12 Apostles seems to be a twin.
52:15
So they, they're walking and Thomas.
52:18
The twin says, under his fellow disciples, let us go up that we
52:23
may die with him and then Joseph Smith ads for.
52:27
They, feared lest the Jews should take Jesus and put him to
52:30
death for as yet. They did not understand the
52:32
power of God. Most of you when you think about
52:37
Thomas, the Apostle, most of us inherently jump to his
52:44
experience. Post Resurrection, when the 10
52:48
Apostles taking Judas out of the mix and Thomas was gone, when
52:53
Jesus appeared to them, post Resurrection, they've all born
52:56
testimony to him and he says, I won't believe unless I can touch
53:01
the wounds myself and see for myself and then I'll know and
53:04
Then I'll believe and because of that people today put this
53:10
terrible label on him of doubting Thomas.
53:14
I don't know about you but if I were him over on the other side
53:17
of the veil, I wouldn't love being referred to as the doubter
53:22
or doubting Thomas or people come up to you in the spirit.
53:25
Hey you're doubting Thomas so good to meet you.
53:30
I wouldn't like being defined by that kind of a moment in life.
53:35
So rather than that, what if instead we called him let us go.
53:42
Let us also go that we may die with him.
53:44
Thomas. Let's to find him by that moment
53:48
like Peter. He's actually energetically
53:51
zealous to support the Lord. We lived we look at Peter who
53:54
seems to be like so energetic around supporting Jesus.
53:59
Almost Think about Thomas and same way and yet this phrase we
54:03
hear from Thomas you could easily put on the lips of Peter
54:06
and everyone say that absolutely sounds like the pure the
54:08
character of Peter and yet we have Thomas as well.
54:12
So Jesus actually chose his disciples.
54:13
Well he chose people who are energetically disposed to
54:17
support his cause and jumping ahead, some chapters.
54:22
It isn't wrong for Thomas, wanting his own witness, but God
54:27
ultimately does ask all of us to gain our own personal Witness.
54:31
So then we jump up to the the rest of the story here in
54:35
Bethany which is a major climb out of the Jordan River Valley.
54:41
Then when Jesus came, he found that he had been heard that he
54:45
had Lain in the grave. Four days already.
54:47
Joe Smith changes this to say when he came to Bethany to
54:51
Martha's House. Lazarus had already been in the
54:54
grave for days. So it's almost as if Joseph is
54:59
changing this verse to say Jesus, purposefully waited so
55:04
that Lazarus could be in the grave for Daisy, doesn't arrive
55:07
and find out. Oh, what he's been in the grief
55:09
for four days, which is how it sounds in, in verse 17 of the
55:13
King James version. Now, verse 19 says, and many of
55:18
the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning,
55:21
their brother. Can I just pause here and ask a
55:24
simple question, knowing what, you know about Mary and Martha
55:29
from Luke chapter 10 from that experience that we had in
55:32
Martha's house with her serving and Mary sitting at the feet of
55:35
Jesus. Can you just anticipate or guess
55:39
which of the two would be, the most likely to recognize that
55:44
Jesus had come into the village? It was somewhere in the
55:46
neighborhood, Mary or Martha, it seems that the one who's up and
55:51
about and doing and serving and taking care of people, you can
55:55
picture this house. Full of Jews who have come to
55:57
mourn with them. And Martha's personality type,
56:01
you can picture her actually serving them and taking care of
56:05
them. And, and she's she's doing what
56:09
she does very well. And oh, how we love her for
56:13
that, and she's the first one. To recognize that Jesus is in
56:17
the neighborhood. Notice, it says then Martha as
56:20
soon as she heard that Jesus was coming went and met him, but
56:25
Mary sat still in the house. This is fitting what we saw back
56:31
in Luke chapter 10. Now watch this interchange out
56:35
with Jesus, Martha comes to him in verse 21.
56:39
And she says Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not
56:44
died. That is a beautiful expression
56:47
of faith and testimony. Jesus, we sent you word, and if
56:50
you had come, we know our brother would still be alive.
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But I know that even now whatsoever thou will ask God God
56:59
will give it thee and Jesus saith unto her thy brother shall
57:04
rise again. So in verse 24, Martha said unto
57:07
him. I know that he shall rise again
57:10
in the resurrection at the last day, there's this beautiful
57:14
expression of faith in Christ and his power of the
57:18
Resurrection, but then Jesus gives this beautiful teaching in
57:22
verse 25. Jesus said unto her eye I am the
57:26
resurrection and the life. Did you catch what just
57:30
happened? She's referring to the
57:34
resurrection at the last day as an event way down, the road down
57:38
the quarter of time and Jesus is saying time out Martha stop.
57:43
Hold on a minute. I am the resurrection and the
57:48
life, don't look for this event down the road.
57:51
It will happen. Look to me and live.
57:56
I am the resurrection and the life.
57:58
He that believeth in me, though, he were dead.
58:01
Dead yet. Shall he live?
58:05
And then notice verse 27, she saith unto him, ye Lord, I
58:10
believe that thou art the Christ, the son of God, which
58:13
should come into the world. I love that verse because to me,
58:20
that is this beautiful corollary to Peters testimony in caesarea.
58:25
Philippi Thou Art the Christ, the son of the Living God.
58:28
And here, you get Martha saying a very similar thing.
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Thou Art the Christ, the son of God, which should come into the
58:34
world, powerful testimony. And when she had so said she
58:41
went her way and called marry her sister.
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Secretly saying the master is come and call us for thee at
58:51
which point can you picture Mary gets up off of the couch, or
58:55
whatever, whatever she's doing there?
58:56
What? And she comes out, she comes to
59:00
Jesus. It says verse 30.
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Now Jesus was not yet, come into the town, but was in that place
59:06
where Martha met him the Jews then, which were with her in the
59:10
house and comforted her when they saw Mary that she rose up
59:13
hastily and went out. Followed her saying she go with
59:16
unto the grave to weep there, they've drawn their conclusion.
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Then when Mary was come where Jesus was and she saw him, she
59:26
fell down at his feet. Saying unto him, Lord.
59:31
If thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
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Did you notice this contrast and similarity between these
59:41
sisters? When Martha came out?
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She came to Jesus, there's no mention of her falling to the
59:48
ground in front of Jesus. But when Mary is says, she came
59:56
out, she fell down at at his feet.
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Now, look at the similarity, her words were Lord.
1:00:02
If thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
1:00:05
Look, back at verse 21. Martha's words were Lord.
1:00:09
If thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
1:00:13
Their testimony is exactly the same but it's being shared and
1:00:19
manifested, not just with words, but with other personality
1:00:23
traits and and characteristics Martha is Handing, their seems
1:00:30
wanting to have a conversation with Jesus.
1:00:32
She wants to talk through this. Mary on the other hand comes out
1:00:37
and falls to the ground at his feet.
1:00:41
And she says, the exact same words and then notice verse 33,
1:00:45
when Jesus, therefore saw her weeping and the Jews also
1:00:50
weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit and was
1:00:54
troubled. This is an interesting
1:00:57
underlying Greek word. The word is to be moved with.
1:01:01
It can be translated in a variety of ways.
1:01:03
And I want to be careful because we don't want to Say that Jesus
1:01:06
was angry but one of those is to be moved with anger or to
1:01:10
admonish sternly. That's how it's often used.
1:01:13
They can also mean to be just deeply emotionally impacted to
1:01:17
the point not losing control of just being so deeply impacted by
1:01:22
emotion. And this is a deeply emotional
1:01:26
experience. In fact, if you want, you can go
1:01:28
through this chapter and circle the X where the word love shows
1:01:32
up. These are some of Jesus's Best
1:01:36
friends and he sees their suffering and it impacts him
1:01:40
deeply. Can we pause here and just
1:01:45
mention the fact that Jesus doesn't look down at Mary
1:01:50
Weeping at his feet on the ground.
1:01:53
Having said the exact same words as Martha to begin the
1:01:55
conversation, then she breaks into tears.
1:01:58
He doesn't say to her Mary get up, be more like Martha.
1:02:05
He doesn't do that and he didn't say to Martha Martha.
1:02:09
You should be falling to the ground and crying right now.
1:02:11
You should, you should be expressing more emotion of the
1:02:14
loss of your brother. We shouldn't be having this
1:02:16
conversation. He didn't do that, because
1:02:20
Martha needed to talk it through and Mary needs to cry.
1:02:25
Weep it through. She's to cry with him and watch
1:02:30
this next Set. Set set of 2 verses.
1:02:34
He said Where have you laid him? And they said unto him, Lord,
1:02:37
come and see. And then you get John 11:35,
1:02:42
which is the shortest. Verse of all scripture verses in
1:02:46
our Cannon, it's two words long, Jesus wept.
1:02:52
Now, if you look at the word wept right there, the question I
1:02:56
would ask is, do you think Jesus is weeping because he misses
1:03:03
Lazarus? Because he said the Lazarus is
1:03:06
dead. Jesus knows he's going is seams,
1:03:10
where have you laid him, it implies that he knows he's going
1:03:14
to raise Lazarus from the dead. I could be totally wrong on
1:03:19
this. But to me, this is the shortest
1:03:23
verse in words. And one of the longest verses in
1:03:27
depth of meaning, it shows us a window into the, the pure love
1:03:33
of Jesus Christ, for individuals.
1:03:37
Is it possible that those tears in verse 35, could be connected
1:03:42
to the tears in verse 33? that when he sees Mary weeping
1:03:47
and the Jews that are with her weeping, That it causes, this
1:03:52
overwhelming feeling of Jesus to weep in compassion and love
1:03:58
almost. As if to say we're under
1:04:01
Covenant obligation to mourn with those that mourn.
1:04:07
And sometimes people just need you to weep with them and
1:04:11
sometimes people need you to talk with them.
1:04:15
I love the fact that Jesus gives to these two sisters.
1:04:20
Exactly what both sisters independently needed from each
1:04:26
other. He doesn't treat them the same.
1:04:28
It's not a one-size-fits-all, he knows his sheep and he gives
1:04:33
them exactly what they need. I love that and it's inspiring
1:04:37
to me to try to slow down a little bit and get to know
1:04:41
people a little better before just jumping in and giving them
1:04:46
the treatment. Whatever the treatment may be.
1:04:49
This is one of my favorite verses.
1:04:51
There's two words that we are quite familiar with an English
1:04:54
compassion and empathy. Turns out the word empathy, or
1:05:04
pathy, comes from the same word as passion, and it means feeling
1:05:08
or emotion and the comb means with and the m means like in.
1:05:14
And so you're feeling with people, you're feeling in side.
1:05:18
What they're feeling, let's just build them as just a bit more.
1:05:22
Jesus knows everything. He knows he's about to Anastasia
1:05:26
anesthesiology, he's going to uplift and raised Lazarus from
1:05:29
the dead. He knows that he doesn't Tell
1:05:32
anybody who's weeping would you guys all just calm down and
1:05:35
watch this amazing miracle. He instead Embraces the moment
1:05:40
and has total compassion and empathy.
1:05:45
He's crying with them even though he knows within two
1:05:48
minutes. Their tears will be gone and
1:05:52
it's interesting, the two different forms of weeping that
1:05:56
are used in the Greek. The Weeping of verse 33 is loud.
1:06:00
Groaning audible weeping And yet, the Weeping, the underlying
1:06:05
Greek word in verse 35 is a different word, and it means to
1:06:12
shed, quiet tears. So, we're not trying to just say
1:06:18
that. Well, Jesus can't ever weep out
1:06:20
loud. But you have these really loud.
1:06:24
Audible groaning weeping from the people and Mary, and Jesus
1:06:29
who's just quietly feeling with full compassion empathy.
1:06:33
What these people are experiencing and yet, he also
1:06:36
knows that the sun is about to rise on this very dark moment.
1:06:44
One thing I love about scripture study is when you learn a new
1:06:49
layer or a new definition, or A New Perspective.
1:06:55
It doesn't mean that you've arrived, you can keep digging,
1:06:59
there's more to discover over time.
1:07:02
So, for instance, in this context, verse 35, Jesus wept.
1:07:06
Rather than just saying, oh, it's just because she and
1:07:09
they're weeping loudly. So he he is quietly weeping with
1:07:13
them that could be, but there could be a lot of additional
1:07:18
reasons why Jesus is weeping. Is it possible?
1:07:23
That Jesus is looking at this group of people and realizing
1:07:27
that his time is very near when he is going to be crucified and
1:07:34
laid in a tomb. And these, his dear friends are
1:07:38
going to be gathered at his tomb, is it possible that some
1:07:42
of those tears are shed because of his love for these people and
1:07:48
knowing that they're going to be hurt?
1:07:51
And they're going to be confused and they're going to feel lost
1:07:56
at his own death, in a matter of days.
1:07:59
Maybe weeks of the very most from this point and how he loves
1:08:04
them. And as he's looking at this
1:08:05
group that they're, there are a lot of layers to this very short
1:08:12
verse Jesus wept. And we've just talked through a
1:08:15
couple of options and then how did the Jews respond?
1:08:18
They see Jesus. And they say verse 36.
1:08:22
Behold how he loved him now. There's a couple of there's four
1:08:26
different words in Greek for love and there's two of those
1:08:29
that show up in this chapter. Now we only have one word just
1:08:34
l-o-v-e love. So right here it's Philea like
1:08:37
the word Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love.
1:08:41
And so this is a type of Love among friends.
1:08:43
And brothers people who are closely knit with one another,
1:08:47
but earlier in verse 5, for example, you have the word a
1:08:51
god. I pay.
1:08:52
And this is a kind of love, that's more enduring and it's
1:08:55
more relation on the sense that people are committed to one
1:08:58
another and they prefer one another.
1:09:01
And so, both of these are actually used in this chapter
1:09:04
and encompasses the kind of love that.
1:09:06
Jesus invites, all of us into Well in the midst of all that
1:09:10
love, you still get people questioning his love and his
1:09:13
motives in that setting verse 37 and some of them said could not
1:09:18
this man which opened the eyes of the blind have caused that
1:09:21
even this man should not have died.
1:09:23
Why didn't he prevent this? Then verse 38 says Jesus.
1:09:28
Therefore again groaning in himself comes to the Grave.
1:09:32
It was a cave and a stone lay upon it.
1:09:35
Keep in mind, Lazarus has been laying in the grave for four.
1:09:39
He's already there's a tradition that after three days, the
1:09:45
spirit is completely left, the vicinity of the body.
1:09:50
Jesus intentionally, waited those two extra days to make it
1:09:54
so that nobody could claim. Well, you know, Lazarus just
1:09:57
went into a state of a coma and he wasn't really dead.
1:10:01
For days, the body has begun to break down at that point and the
1:10:06
underlying Greek word of he has already died.
1:10:09
Is a very intensive past complete action.
1:10:14
It's a, it's as complete of a past event, as it can be.
1:10:18
Meaning, there is no coming back from this event.
1:10:20
It is fully done and that there's a Greek word that
1:10:24
expresses that a Greek tense. We don't even have our in our
1:10:27
own English. Yeah, so the Greeks try makes it
1:10:29
very clear. This guy is is gone verse 39.
1:10:34
Jesus said, take away the stone at that point which of the Two
1:10:40
Sisters you think might be the most active in the conversation.
1:10:44
Say uh, not a good idea, don't do that.
1:10:47
Well, it's Martha. Who steps forward and says Lord.
1:10:51
By this time, he stinketh for he hath been dead for days, he's in
1:10:58
the grave, four days, the word dead is italicized.
1:11:00
King James. Leaders are added that.
1:11:02
So her statement he has been four days implies back to verse
1:11:07
17 that he's been in the grave for days already.
1:11:12
And by the way, they don't wait to bury people in the first
1:11:16
century. Once they're dead, you try to
1:11:19
bury them quickly and complete that within three days.
1:11:25
So you can seal up the tomb. So Jesus said, To her said, I
1:11:30
not unto thee that if thou wouldst believe thou should see
1:11:33
the glory of God. Then they took away the Stone
1:11:36
from the place where the dead was laid in.
1:11:37
Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, father, I thank thee.
1:11:43
That thou Hast. Heard me.
1:11:45
I know in verse 42, he continues his prayer and I knew that thou
1:11:50
hearest me always. But because of the people, which
1:11:52
stand by, I said it that they may believe that thou Hast sent
1:11:57
me. Here's John's theme of sent me.
1:12:00
It keeps coming up and when he had thus spoken, he cried with a
1:12:04
loud voice. Lazarus come forth.
1:12:08
Can you imagine that moment in that setting with all the people
1:12:12
gathered around, he just called for Lazarus ticket, he's talking
1:12:15
to lazarus's if he's alive, but he's been dead for days and then
1:12:20
this beautiful moment and he that was dead.
1:12:24
Came forth bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face
1:12:29
was bound about with a napkin and Jesus said unto them loose
1:12:32
him and let him go to the Also a symbol of being loose from the
1:12:37
bands of death, which can you picture the the incredible
1:12:40
symbolism here of Jesus performing this miracle to this
1:12:46
huge level probably the biggest Miracle.
1:12:48
He's performed up to this point as far as impossible for days in
1:12:54
the grave and now he's coming out and you can picture Lazarus
1:12:58
in these burial clothes, with the napkin about his head this
1:13:01
foreshadowing for when Jesus himself.
1:13:04
Itself would come out of a tomb triumphant over death, but not
1:13:10
just raised from the dead into mortality.
1:13:13
But raised from the dead into a resurrected Immortal form.
1:13:19
So, verse 45 says, then many of the Jews, which came to Mary and
1:13:24
had seen the things which Jesus did believed on him.
1:13:27
So this miracle convinces them, many of them.
1:13:32
But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees.
1:13:35
And told them, what? Things Jesus had done, you got
1:13:38
problems. Let me tell you what just
1:13:40
happened over there in Bethany and then gathered the chief
1:13:43
priests and the Pharisees in Council.
1:13:45
And they says, what do we do for this, man?
1:13:47
Do with many miracles. How about we believe him and
1:13:51
follow him. But rather than that, look at
1:13:55
the response. If we let him thus alone, all
1:13:58
men will believe on him and the Romans shall come and take away
1:14:01
both our place and Nation. Then verse 53 says then from
1:14:06
that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to
1:14:10
death. It seems that they've now had
1:14:13
their legal proceedings as far as they're concerned to say
1:14:17
we're done. We've got to put him to death.
1:14:20
Death. We've, if we let him go, we're
1:14:22
going to lose our nation and our place.
1:14:25
Within this leadership structure, we've got to find a
1:14:28
way to kill him, and that way is going to be opened up in chapter
1:14:34
12, through one of his Apostles, and we'll cover that in a future
1:14:39
episode. So as we come to the close of
1:14:41
this episode, it is our testimony.
1:14:45
That Jesus has power. Not just over things like
1:14:49
leprosy in Luke chapter 17 but over death and over all these
1:14:56
things associated with our mortality.
1:14:59
If will trust in him come to him and put our full faith in him,
1:15:04
he is the resurrection and the life, not some future event,
1:15:10
it's him that we should be looking to and we leave that
1:15:14
with you. You in the name of Jesus Christ.
1:15:16
Amen. Know that you're loved and
1:15:19
spread light and goodness.