Tehillah Generation Chapel
Daily Manna | Saturday, January 27, 2018 | Reading: Exodus 33:1-11, Exodus 4, Gen 3:1-21
Topic: The Tabernacle of God 342
Scripture: But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say not of this building. (Heb 9:11)
Note: 2Cor 5:1, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” The resurrection of Lazarus from the dead after four days in the tomb, was a perfect audition that defied the power and stranglehold of death, in demonstrating that Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life. There couldn’t have been a better stage for this spectacular demonstration than this miracle, that had in attendance the detractors of Jesus, who were purposely present to see what Jesus was going to do with a stinking, decomposing body. Jesus would have made their day, were they to have the rare benefit to report any anticipated failure of the day’s event to their paymasters.
Jesus had a special battle to overcome; if ever He was to be given the unlikely opportunity to see the body of Lazarus in dissolution due to the traditional mindset of the people. Nobody believed in the ability of Jesus to salvage dead Lazarus; not even His closest friends, Mary and Martha; siblings of Lazarus. The crazy suggestion from Jesus to have the stone covering the tomb rolled away must have triggered immediate chuckles of laughter from His detractors and naysayers. Martha, the audacious, activity minded sister of Lazarus, must have stepped in as a timely intervention to minimize the looming embarrassment that could be awaiting Jesus, by kindly reminding Jesus that “Lord, by this time he will be stinking, for he had been dead for four days.”
Martha stepped in with all the right goodwill and intention to avert a public embarrassment and mockery of Jesus. Martha knew that the problem at hand was beyond the capability of man, Jesus not an exception. He had been late in coming, and now things are completely gone out of hand beyond any human intervention. “If only you had been early in coming when you were told of the sickness, my brother would not have died.” John 11:21. Martha spoke her frustrations and regret to Jesus.
What Martha, Mary and the rest of the mourners didn’t know or could appreciate about Jesus was that the limitations of time and distance, coupled with the discouraging stage of any sickness or the longevity in the time of death and its attendant biochemical, biological and chemical reactions, do not have the power or the capacity to impose limitations or any form of inhibition on the ability, capability and capacity of Jesus to turn impossible situations around for our good.
Food for thought: Even in the grave Jesus is Lord.
Declaration: Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40
©Author: Rev Fred Aboe
