Listen for the message behind the words of the Scripture. Who is speaking and to whom? Abraham received imputed righteousness because of his actions.
Why would Jesus apologize for praying in public? Why do we think its fine. Jesus was grieved that his people did not know him. Lazarus was healed to die again - not resurrected. Jesus' crowd had mixed appreciation.
Resuscitation of Lazarus was not a resurrection. The writers of Scriptures were intentional. Grace defined as unmerited favor (now the traditional meaning); is not based on Scripture.
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77: Jesus Raises Lazarus From The Dead
John 11:1-53
Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, whose home was in Bethany, was sick. The sisters sent a message to Jesus, saying:
“Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.”
When the word concerning Lazarus reached Jesus, he said:
“This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”
Jesus remained where he was for two days, and at the end of that time said to his disciples:
“Let us go into Judea again.”
His disciples replied:
“Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee. And goest thou thither again?”
Jesus answered his disciples, saying:
“Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of the world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.”
Then Jesus told his disciples why he wanted to go into Judea, saying:
“Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.”
The disciples, not knowing that Jesus meant that Lazarus was dead, thought only that he was resting in sleep. They said to Jesus:
“Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.”
Then Jesus spoke plainly, saying to them:
“Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.”
Thomas, the disciple who was called Didymus, said:
“Let us go, that we may die with him.”
When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he found that Lazarus was dead and had been in his grave four days.
Because Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs away, many Jews from that city had come to comfort Martha and Mary. When Martha heard that Jesus was approaching, she went out to meet him while Mary remained at home. She said:
“Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know that, even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.”
Jesus told Martha:
“Thy brother shall rise again.”
Martha said:
“I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Jesus said to her:
“I am the resurrection, and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
Martha replied:
“Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.”
Then Martha returned to her house and told her sister, Mary, secretly:
“The Master is come, and calleth for thee.”
As soon as Mary heard that, she arose quickly and met Jesus at the same place where Martha had left him. She fell at his feet and said tearfully:
“Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”
When the Jews who had been in the house comforting Mary saw her rise hastily and leave, they followed her, saying:
“She goeth unto the grave to weep there.”
When Jesus saw Mary weeping and the Jews also in tears, he was sad and troubled. He asked:
“Where have ye laid him?”
They answered Jesus:
“Come and see.”
Jesus wept. And when the friends saw this they said:
“Behold how he loved him!”
Some of them said:
“Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?”
Jesus and the others came to a cave with a stone upon it. It was the grave. Jesus said:
“Take ye away the stone.”
Martha replied:
“Lord, by this time he hath been dead four days.”
Jesus said to her:
“Said I not unto thee that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?”
Then the stone was removed from the grave. Jesus lifted up his eyes and said:
“Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always. But because of the people which stand by, I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.”
Then Jesus cried out in a loud voice:
“Lazarus, come forth.”
At that command the dead Lazarus issued from the grave. He was bound hand and foot with graveclothes. A napkin was wrapped about his face:
Jesus said to the people:
“Loose him, and let him go.”
Because of this, many of the Jews believed in Jesus. But others went to the Pharisees and related what Jesus had done.
Thereupon the chief priests and Pharisees called together a council and said:
“What do we? For this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe in him, and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.”
One member of the council, Caiaphas, the high priest, said to the others:
“Ye know nothing at all. Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.”
Thus did the high priest prophesy that Jesus should die for the nation. But he was to die, not for the nation alone, but that he should gather together the children of God who were scattered abroad.
From that day the priests and Pharisees planned to put Jesus to death.
