So Much More: Moving Beyond Kingdom Principles to Kingdom Power by Todd Hudson Page B
Book: So Much More: Moving Beyond Kingdom Principles to Kingdom Power by Todd Hudson
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Authors: Todd Hudson
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Am I the problem? Is it You? What’s wrong with this picture? Why haven’t I gotten the miracle I wanted? Lord, where were You when my loved one died? Where were You when my marriage dissolved? Where were You when my parents divorced? Where we You when my job ended? Why didn’t You intervene in this situation before it was too late?” Those are questions that have come to many of our minds when we don’t understand.
Something worth noticing in this story is that Jesus didn’t correct or rebuke Martha for what she said. He could have said, “Martha, why are you talking to Me like that? Don’t be disrespecting Me, Martha.” I think He didn’t correct her because it was good that she was talking to Him. When something happens that doesn’t make sense, don’t run from God, run to God. You might think if you go to Him and tell Him what you really think He might not like what you have to say. But notice that Martha was honest with Jesus about her feelings. I believe He wants us to be honest with Him well.
Lazarus had been dead for four days. Now there is dead and then there is really dead, and Lazarus was really dead. Some of the rabbis of Jesus’ day taught that a person was not really dead until after three days. The general thinking was that for the first three days the soul would hover over the body intending to reenter it. After three days, death was considered irreversible.
One of my favorite television shows in recent years was “24.” If you watched that show, you know that every time you think Jack Bauer is dead, he was never really dead. You always knew that somehow, someway he would get a shot, or something would happen that allowed him to get back up and start fighting the bad guys again. You thought he was dead, but he wasn’t really dead.
Well four days dead is pretty dead, even according to the rabbis. Martha heard that Jesus had arrived, and she left the house to come out to meet Him. The disappointment in her voice is unmistakable, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Lord, I asked You to do a miracle. We called on You to do a miracle, but You took Your sweet time getting here and now it’s too late for a miracle. My brother is dead.” She was disappointed. But then notice the next verse. Even though she was disappointed, she hadn’t lost faith in Jesus.
“But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
—J OHN 11:22–27
Mary and Martha needed a miracle. They asked Jesus to do a miracle and heal their brother, but it didn’t happen. It would have been very easy for them to lose faith in Jesus, but that didn’t happen; and in the end, they were going to witness a greater, more powerful miracle than they could have ever asked for or imagined.
And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
—J OHN 11:28–32
Notice Mary said the very same thing her sister said. “Lord, we asked You to do a miracle. We wanted You to heal our
Something worth noticing in this story is that Jesus didn’t correct or rebuke Martha for what she said. He could have said, “Martha, why are you talking to Me like that? Don’t be disrespecting Me, Martha.” I think He didn’t correct her because it was good that she was talking to Him. When something happens that doesn’t make sense, don’t run from God, run to God. You might think if you go to Him and tell Him what you really think He might not like what you have to say. But notice that Martha was honest with Jesus about her feelings. I believe He wants us to be honest with Him well.
Lazarus had been dead for four days. Now there is dead and then there is really dead, and Lazarus was really dead. Some of the rabbis of Jesus’ day taught that a person was not really dead until after three days. The general thinking was that for the first three days the soul would hover over the body intending to reenter it. After three days, death was considered irreversible.
One of my favorite television shows in recent years was “24.” If you watched that show, you know that every time you think Jack Bauer is dead, he was never really dead. You always knew that somehow, someway he would get a shot, or something would happen that allowed him to get back up and start fighting the bad guys again. You thought he was dead, but he wasn’t really dead.
Well four days dead is pretty dead, even according to the rabbis. Martha heard that Jesus had arrived, and she left the house to come out to meet Him. The disappointment in her voice is unmistakable, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Lord, I asked You to do a miracle. We called on You to do a miracle, but You took Your sweet time getting here and now it’s too late for a miracle. My brother is dead.” She was disappointed. But then notice the next verse. Even though she was disappointed, she hadn’t lost faith in Jesus.
“But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
—J OHN 11:22–27
Mary and Martha needed a miracle. They asked Jesus to do a miracle and heal their brother, but it didn’t happen. It would have been very easy for them to lose faith in Jesus, but that didn’t happen; and in the end, they were going to witness a greater, more powerful miracle than they could have ever asked for or imagined.
And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
—J OHN 11:28–32
Notice Mary said the very same thing her sister said. “Lord, we asked You to do a miracle. We wanted You to heal our