[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":84},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Ftoo-late-for-the-late-mr-lazarus":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Ftoo-late-for-the-late-mr-lazarus-surround":73},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":13,"columnName":56,"date":57,"description":19,"extension":58,"image":59,"meta":60,"minRead":61,"navigation":62,"path":63,"postType":64,"publication":65,"publicationUrl":59,"seo":66,"stem":67,"topics":68,"__hash__":72},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Ftoo-late-for-the-late-mr-lazarus.md","Too Late for the Late Mr. Lazarus?",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9,10,11,12],"Mark","John","Psalms","Colossians",{"type":14,"value":15,"toc":52},"minimark",[16,20,23,26,29,37,40,43,46,49],[17,18,19],"p",{},"Some of Jesus' statements seem puzzling at first glance. When he spoke about \"the yeast of the Pharisees,\" his disciples took him literally. They thought he was talking about yeast because they had no bread (Mark 8:15-17), but Jesus meant it figuratively. Yeast was a picture of corrupt leaders and their evil influence.",[17,21,22],{},"Coming down from the mountain where he was transfigured, Jesus instructed his disciples not to tell anyone what they had seen until he had risen from the dead. Perplexed, they debated what \"rising from the dead\" meant (Mark 9:10). This time the Lord meant it literally, but they found the miracle of resurrection hard to grasp.",[17,24,25],{},"One of Jesus' most baffling comments appears in John chapter 11. When his friends Mary and Martha sent word that their brother Lazarus was sick, Jesus said reassuringly, \"This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it\" (v. 4). Surprisingly, though, he delayed going to visit his friends and stayed where he was for two more days. By the time Jesus finally arrived on the scene, the late Mr. Lazarus had been dead four days, and it looked like Jesus was the one who was late.",[17,27,28],{},"How confused the disciples must have been! Jesus had plainly promised, \"This sickness will not end in death,\" but now Lazarus was dead and his body was decaying in the grave. Mary and Martha couldn't understand why the Lord had let them down. Bewildered and frustrated, each of them individually told Jesus, \"Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died\" (vv. 21, 32). Even Jesus himself was moved to tears.",[17,30,31,32,36],{},"But his puzzling promise eventually came true. Lazarus' sickness did not ",[33,34,35],"em",{},"end"," in death. With a few simple words (\"Lazarus, come out!\"), Jesus raised his friend from the dead. Later, Mary and Martha threw a dinner party in Jesus' honor, and \"Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him\" (12:2). Astonished dinner guests rubbed shoulders with a living, breathing miracle as they passed the bread to their formerly deceased friend.",[17,38,39],{},"In an ironic twist, Jesus' enemies \"made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him\" (vv. 10, 11). The poor man had already died once, and now there was a contract out on his life to kill him. I doubt Lazarus worried much about the death plot, though. Being raised from the dead would tend to make you a pretty confident guy. If Jesus could raise him once, surely he could do it again.",[17,41,42],{},"And the same is true of us. Do you realize that if you are a Christian you have something in common with Lazarus? Previously dead in sin, you have been resurrected—\"buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead\" (Colossians 2:12).",[17,44,45],{},"Since death has no final claim on us, why should we live in fear? The Lord always keeps his promises—just not on our timetable. He's seldom early, never late.",[17,47,48],{},"In between the promises and their final fulfillment, we're tempted to share Mary and Martha's disappointment. Afraid and confused, we ask the Lord, \"Where were you when I needed you?\" But it's just a matter of timing. In Christ, the story never ends in death.",[17,50,51],{},"'The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?' (Psalm 27:1).",{"title":53,"searchDepth":54,"depth":54,"links":55},"",2,[],"First Look","2008-12-28","md",null,{},3,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Ftoo-late-for-the-late-mr-lazarus","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":19},"articles\u002Ftoo-late-for-the-late-mr-lazarus",[69,70,71],"Biblical Theology","Holy Week and Resurrection","Spiritual Formation","67I2poJxgD5dgrikZTplJz3G_2pdC1v-qr6mrGyEB98",[74,79],{"title":75,"path":76,"stem":77,"description":78,"children":-1},"Too Good to Be True","\u002Farticles\u002Ftoo-good-to-be-true","articles\u002Ftoo-good-to-be-true","A letter arrives in your mailbox with exciting news: You may have won a million-dollar sweepstakes! A telemarketer phones during your dinner hour with some more good news: You are qualified to win an all-expenses paid trip to Hawaii. A street vendor selling jewelry from a folding table offers you a watch for $35. \"It's a genuine Rolex,\" he assures you. An advertisement pops up on your computer monitor while you're on-line, offering you a fabulous deal. All you have to do is submit your credit card information.",{"title":80,"path":81,"stem":82,"description":83,"children":-1},"Too Much Attention","\u002Farticles\u002Ftoo-much-attention","articles\u002Ftoo-much-attention","Have you ever experienced too much of a good thing?",1790466189173]