A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES 

                                           A FAVOURED HOME PART XI

"I, Jesus, am in Bethany with My twelve disciples.... We arrived earlier today...In this villlage live our close friends Martha, Mary and Lazarus....I have just met with Martha and Mary.... It was not a happy occasion... Their brother Lazarus had become ill and had died.... As a matter of fact, he has been in the tomb for four days already.... Both sisters were upset when they saw Me... They had expected Me to come to Bethany earlier... But I know that I am here at the perfect time as directed by My heavenly Father,,, He is never too early or too late.... He is always on time.... And I am always on time as well.... We have just gone to the tomb... It is time for the stone in front of the tomb to be removed.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that Jesus has gone to the tomb where Lazarus' body has been laid...

 

               ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                           A FAVOURED HOME PART XI

Mary's grief moves the Lord to tears. Afterwards He goes to the tomb where Lazarus' body has been laid. At His arrival he tells the people to remove the stone as you can read in John 11:38-39a

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. "Take away the stone," he said.

When Jesus arrives at the tomb, He has an unusual request.Everyone who has gone to the graveside with Him will have looked at Him with questioning eyes for they do not understand why He would want the gravestone removed.

 

 

         

 

                          A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                          A FAVOURED HOME PART X

"I, Mary, am living in Bethany.... I live here with my sister Martha and my brother Lazarus.... We have a very special Friend .... His Name is Jesus... He often comes over for a meal with His twelve disciples.... We love to see them.... .Not too long ago our brother Lazarus became ill.... We were confident that Jesus would come to us to heal him....But He did not do so.... Lazarus then died.... We had to bury him.... Friends came over to comfort us in our loss... They told us Jesus had finally arrived just outside Bethany.... Martha went to see Him... When she returned she told me Jesus wanted to see me....So I got up and went to meet Him.... The moment I saw Jesus I fell at His feet.... My tears started to roll down my cheeks... I told Jesus of my pain that Lazarus would have still been alive if He had been here.... Jesus understood my pain... He wept with me."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn of Mary's encounter with Jesus...

             ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                       A FAVOURED HOME PART X

When Mary sees Jesus, she shows Him her grief using the exact same words her sister Martha used earlier on, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."

However, she does not say these words to tell Jesus off, she says these words to share her deep felt pain with the Lord as you can read in John 11:32-27

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." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled."Where have you laid him?" He asked. "Come and see, Lord,"they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not He who opened the eyes of the blind man kept this man from dying?"

Martha's words did not move Jesus to tears but Mary's words cause Him to weep with her.

 

                              A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                           A FAVOURED HOME PART IX 

"I, Mary, live in Bethany.... I live together with my sister Martha and my brother Lazarus.... We have a very special Friend.... His Name is Jesus..... He likes to come over for a meal with His twelve disciples.... We love to see them.... I love listening to Jesus..... Martha sometimes gets a little upset with me for not being helpful enough in the kitchen.... Recently, our brother Lazarus got ill.... Martha and I sent a message to Jesus asking Him to come over.... We just knew He would do so right away....But to our shock He did not come.... Our brother died... We were heartbroken.... I did not understand why Jesus had not come to heal him... I knew that He loved Lazarus....Jesus finally arrived in Bethany... Martha went to see Him.... But I could not... So I stayed home.... However, when Martha came back she told me Jesus wanted to speak with me..... I then got up and went to the place where Jesus was just outside Bethany... Our friends who had come over to mourn with us joined me... They thought I was on my way to my brother's tomb."... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that Martha tells her sister Mary Jesus would like to see her....

                  ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                                 A FAVOURED HOME PART IX

Jesus' words to Martha bring her a measure of comfort so she goes home to tell her sister Mary that Jesus has arrived in the village and would like to see her as you can read in John 11:28-31

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.

Mary decides to go and see Jesus as well when she learns from Martha that Jesus is looking for her.

 

                                 A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                              A FAVOURED HOME PART VIII

"I, Martha, am living in Bethany.... I live here with my sister Mary and my brother Lazarus.... We have a very special Friend.... His Name is Jesus... He often comes over for a meal with His twelve disciples.... Recently, our brother Lazarus got ill....Mary and I asked Jesus to come over to heal him.... We were convinced He would do so.... But He did not!!.... Our brother then died!!... We had to bury him.... That should not have happened!1.... Our brother should not have died.... He should still be alive.... I could not really believe that Lazarus was no longer with us.... Everything in the house reminded me of him.... His seat at the dinner table... I could not stop crying.... But I had to.... There were chores to be done.... Meals to be cooked... We had many friends come over to share in our mourning.... I had to provide them with some nourishment... Some of them had, in fact, come over to tell us that Jesus had finally arrived in Bethany.... Jesus had arrived in Bethany!!... I knew I needed to see Him for I needed to let Him know how I felt about the fact that He had come too late even though I know that He is the Son of God.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn of Jesus' arrival in Bethany when Martha goes to see Him....

                     ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                                    A FAVOURED HOME PART VIII

The ever practical Martha decides that she needs to tell Jesus off for not coming any sooner as you can read in John 11:20-27

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him, but Mary stayed at home. "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "If You had been here my brother would not have died. 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. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies.; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" "Yes, Lord," she told Him, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

Having poured out her heart to Jesus, Martha is then ready to acknowledge that Jesus is none other than the Son of God.

 

                             A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                         A FAVOURED HOME PART VII 

"I, Martha, am living in Bethany... I live together with my sister Mary and my brother Lazarus.... We have a very special Friend.... His Name is Jesus.... He often comes over for a meal with His twelve disciples.... We always love to see them.... The other day our brother Lazarus became ill.... Mary and I sent a message to Jesus straight away.... We were expecting Jesus to come to us as soon as possible... In fact, we were absolutely confident He would do so.... But He did not!! And our brother got more and more ill.... Then the unthinkable happened!!... He died!!.... We had to bury him that same day.... That is  four days ago.... Many of our friends have come to mourn with us... No one dares to mention the Name of Jesus.... Like us, they do not understand why He has not come to us when we needed Him to.... If Jesus were to come now, it would be too late.... There really is no point for Him to come now.... What good could He do if He came now?.... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that by the time Jesus comes to Bethany, Lazarus has been dead for four days already....

                   ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                             A FAVOURED HOME PART VII

By the time that Jesus arrives in Bethany it  looks like He has come too late as you can read in John 11:17-19

On His arrival Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem and many Jews had  come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.

Lazarus has been dead for four days when Jesus comes to Bethany so there is not really any point to His visit it seems.

 

 

 

Wishing all of you

 

                                 

 

                                    A MERRY CHRISTMAS  AND

                         GOD'S BLESSINGS FOR 2021

 

 

 

P.S. I will take a short break from blogging but will post again on Monday 4 January 2021.

 

                          A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                          A FAVOURED HOME PART VI 

"I, Thomas, am one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.... I have been travelling with Him throughout the country.... Whenever we are in Bethany we will visit the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus.... We love to spend time with them.... A few days ago Jesus received a message from Martha and Mary... He told us that Lazarus had become ill.... We looked at Jesus.... Was He planning to travel back to Bethany?.... That might not be safe to do.... But He did not say anything.... Instead, we stayed where we were two more days.... He then told us to get ready to go back to Judea.... We were somewhat worried about returning there.... But Jesus then told us that He would be waking up Lazarus.... We though Jesus meant he was recovering from his illness... However, Jesus told us he had, in fact, died.... Jesus told us as well that He was glad we were not there when that happened... We did not quite understand why that was the case.... Anyway, I suggested to the other disciples that we should go back to Bethany with Jesus no matter what may happen to us... So we prepared to leave.".... Please read the typed out attachment when you will learn that Jesus stayed two more days where He was after He received Martha's and Mary's message....

                ATTACHMENT A PURPOSEFUL LIFE; NEW TESTAMENT STORIES

                                              A FAVOURED HOME PART VI

However, things do not happen as Lazarus' sisters expect as you can read in John 11:5-16

Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet, when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days. Then He said to His disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone You, and yet You are going back there?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light." After He had said this, He went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up." His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get better." Jesus had been speaking of his death, but His disciples thought He meant natural sleep. So then He told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake, I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us to go to him." Then Thoman (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disicples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."

It seems Jesus takes no notice of the urgent request of Lazarus' sisters to come for He makes no move to leave the place where He is. Finally, after two days He and His twelve disciples decide to go to Bethany where Lazarus, Martha and Mary live.