John 11:39-44 gives us the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead!
39 Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of the dead man, exclaimed, But Lord, by this time he [is decaying and] throws off an offensive odor, for he has been dead four days! 40 Jesus said to her, Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God? 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 Yes, I know You always hear and listen to Me, but I have said this on account of and for the benefit of the people standing around, so that they may believe that You did send Me [that You have made Me Your Messenger]. 43 When He had said this, He shouted with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! 44 And out walked the man who had been dead, his hands and feet wrapped in burial cloths (linen strips), and with a [burial] napkin bound around his face. Jesus said to them, Free him of the burial wrappings and let him go.
This had never before happened in their lifetime! A man who had been dead and buried for four days was raised to life again! What would you expect the response of the people to be? Joyous rejoicing, amazement, excitement, enthusiasm, expectancy? All of those and more is what I would expect! Here is the actual response of the people who had just witnessed a never-before-seen miracle! Verses 45-46:
45 Upon seeing what Jesus had done, many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Him. [They trusted in Him and adhered to Him and relied on Him.] 46 But some of them went back to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
SOME people put there trust and confidence in Jesus that He truly was Who He said He was! Others, for only God knows what reason, went and reported to the Pharisees. What was THEIR response? They SHOULD have welcomed Him as the Son of God and the promised Messiah! Instead, they did this in verses 47-48 & 53:
47 So the chief priests and Pharisees called a meeting of the council (the Sanhedrin) and said, What are we to do? For this Man performs many signs (evidences, miracles). 48 If we let Him alone to go on like this, everyone will believe in Him and adhere to Him, and the Romans will come and suppress and destroy and take away our [holy] place and our nation our temple and city and our civil organization]. 53 So from that day on they took counsel and plotted together how they might put Him to death.
They decided to put to death this miracle working Man Who spoke and acted on the Word of God with definite results that THEY had never seen! They were so concerned for their public positions and reputations that they didn't even acknowledge that THIS was GOD Himself! Even though Caiaphas actually declared the purpose for which Jesus ultimately came, he did not speak this from his own understanding, but by the Spirit of God! Verses 49-52:
49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year, declared, You know nothing at all! 50 Nor do you understand or reason out that it is expedient and better for your own welfare that one man should die on behalf of the people than that the whole nation should perish (be destroyed, ruined). 51 Now he did not say this simply of his own accord [he was not self-moved]; but being the high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was to die for the nation, 52 And not only for the nation but also for the purpose of uniting into one body the children of God who have been scattered far and wide.
Refuse to be discouraged when people seem to reject the Good News of the Gospel! Even Jesus was not accepted by all! Realize that every time you share the Gospel, you plant seeds of the Word in the hearts of the people (Mark 4:14)! HE watches over His Word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12)! The Spirit of God will continue to bring that Word to their remembrance and at some point in time, they WILL make a decision! Pray over the seed that you sow and for the hearts of the people that their decision will be the LIFE one! AMEN! Here is Hillsong with "Tell The World", which is really all that we are called to do!
Shalom in Him!
