Schemes of Satan-12

Why is the ‘church’ silent on the evil in our day and how Satan is deceiving the world? We need to know our High Priest and King and also our enemies. Too many are truly ignorant of his schemes but also ignorant about his evil nature. More on the nature of Satan at some future time. We are now entering Jesus’ last days before His crucifixion. This account of Lazarus is very revealing or should be.

John 11:1  Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 11:2  It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 11:3  So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." 

Clearly, this family knew Jesus well. John even reveals a level of intimacy that suggests a very special relationship. Also, Mary and Martha knew where to find Jesus!

11:4  But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it." 11:5  Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 

Two things stand out! First, some sickness and all of His miracles are for the glory of God. Now they also relieve much pain and suffering, but that needs to be secondary to God’s glory. Second, once again we read of Jesus loving this family. No other family received this type of recognition.

11:6  So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. 

How merciful and compassionate is this? He stayed for another two days and then had to walk to Bethany! Was He not concerned about the suffering Mary and Martha were experiencing as their dear brother died?

11:7  Then after this He *said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." 11:8  The disciples *said to Him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?" 

Just a few verses earlier, the ‘Jews’ picked up stones to stone Jesus! The disciples were very aware to the danger to Jesus and to themselves. They did not realize that Jesus was totally in charge of His life and theirs.

11:9  Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 11:10  "But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." 

Jesus, as the the light of the world, was referring to Himself. He was emphasizing the importance of His remaining few days with them. Being in the dark is never a good thing. You can get lost, stumble and fall, run into dangerous animals or people or fall into a trap.

11:11  This He said, and after that He *said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep." 11:12  The disciples then said to Him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover." 11:13  Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. 11:14  So Jesus then said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 11:15  and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him." 

Jesus knew exactly when Lazarus died. He also knew that this soon coming miracle was needed by many, including His disciples. Jesus had raised people from the dead before, but His disciples still couldn’t quite understand what all of His miracles and teachings actually meant!

11:16  Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, so that we may die with Him." 

Thomas, as with all of the disciples, had an unrealistic view of their own faith. They easily said they would not desert Jesus, even if it meant their own death. But, what did they eventually in the garden, at His trial, at His death, and after His death. They fled and hid in fear!

In that way we may also suffer from the same false assumptions of our own faith. Many of us are actually more like these disciples and ,therefore, unprepared for perceution from the forces and schemes of Satan.

More next Saturday!