27th Mar 26 | 16:08
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03 Acts 09 32-43 THE MINISTRY OF PETER 13 Acts 09 37-38 Jesus is resurrection
📖 Acts 09:32-43
13 – Mon10Jun2024 – *Jesus is the resurrection* - _Acts 09:32-43_ – THE MINISTRY OF PETER – _John 11:25-26_
_Acts 9:37-38 But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. (38) And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them._
Tabitha became sick and she died. We see a parallel in Lazarus. _John 11:1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha._
His sisters sent word to Jesus that their brother Lazarus was sick and that He should come and heal him. _John 11:3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."_
Look at the Lord’s response. _John 11:4-7 When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." (5) Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. (6) So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. (7) Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."_
When the Lord heard that Lazarus, who was beloved to Him, was sick, He stayed two more days and then decided to go to Bethany in Judea.
We live in a world where there is sickness. God created a beautiful world and He said that it is very good. _Genesis 1:31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day._
We experience sickness and death because of our sin of rebellion and refusal to be under the authority of God. We have sought independence from God and the result is that we have become the prisoners of the devil who has the power of death. _Hebrews 2:14-15 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, *that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, (15) and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage*._
The wages of sin is death. _Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord._
We all suffer from sickness and death due to the cumulative effect of our sin of rebellion against God. The Lord does intervene in our situation and He gives us healing from sickness and gives us an extension of life. This does not always happen. There are occasions when healing does not take place though we as the church have prayed for healing.
There is, nevertheless, the ultimate victory of Jesus for He is the resurrection and the life. The devil and death have been defeated by Jesus. _I Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ._
*This victory over death by Jesus is what the church must affirm and live by.* Knowing that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, we use our time here on earth for good works. _I Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, *always abounding in the work of the Lord*, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord._
The Lord told the disciples that they were going to Bethany to wake up Lazarus from his sleep. _John 11:11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up."_
_John 11:13-15 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. (14) Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. (15) And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him."_
The Lord’s purpose is for all to believe that He is the resurrection and the life. This is the core message that the church must embrace. When embraced, this message will transform and release us to be fruit-bearing.
When Jesus arrived at Bethany, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. This tells us that it was, probably, six days from the time Jesus came to know that Lazarus was sick to the time of His reaching Bethany.
This delay of Jesus to come to them is what the sisters of Lazarus could not understand. _John 11:21 Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died._ *Martha knew that Jesus could have reached them as soon as the message of the sickness of Lazarus was made known to Him.*
We operate in our human thinking but *the Lord is teaching us to live by Truth and not facts*. _John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. (26) And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"_
Lazarus was raised to life and so was Tabitha but that is not the resurrection that matters because both of them physically, in due course, died. *We are raised with Jesus to live victoriously both in the present as well as in eternity.* This is the Truth that the church must grasp.