CFM Week 10

We've been looking into God's character through Old Testament passages as well as the teachings of and personal encounters with Jesus.  For the next 2 weeks, we'll read passages of scripture where we find Jesus in places that we don't necessarily expect Him.  Remember, Jesus instructed the disciples (and us) to "Follow Me".  Our goal as believers is to become an imitator of Christ.  Where did Jesus go?  What were His thoughts?  With whom did He spend His time?  If we are to imitate Him, we must know Him.  If we are to know Him, we need to study Him.

Week 10 - Unlikely Places 1

Have you esteemed others worthy of your love and service?  In studying this week, did it occur to you what the human soul is worth to God?  Consider what it cost God to redeem the human soul.  God views each person as valuable.  What is your view of others?

John 11:1-16 (NASB)

¹ Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.  ² It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.  ³ So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”  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.”
⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  ⁶ So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.  ⁷ Then after this He *said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
⁸ The disciples *said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?”  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.  ¹⁰ But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”  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.”  ¹² The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”  ¹³ Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep.  ¹⁴ So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵ and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.”  ¹⁶ Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”

 

Where was Jesus when his good friend needed Him?  He was somewhere else.  Lazarus was ill, and Jesus was far away.  Doesn’t God promise to never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6)?  Why was He not where He was needed?  Jesus’ statement to the disciples about His absence is even more intriguing.  ‘I’m glad I wasn’t there so that you may believe.’  Did Jesus just say that He was glad that He wasn’t there to rescue Lazarus?  What is He talking about? 

Ultimately our existence on this planet is to glorify God.  God was present when Lazarus died.  As Jesus stated, ‘Lazarus will not die except for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.’ 

   

 

 

 

Week 10 Daily Readings

Monday

 

Read Luke 2:1-20.  No one expected the Messiah to come in such an humble manner.  The Jews expected Him to show up on the scene in a noble house.  Other earthly kings would have expected him to be of royal decent.  That was not God’s plan.  Just like in Joshua 6 when God laid out the battle plan for the conquer of the city of Jericho by telling Joshua that the band would lead the way or in Judges 6-7 when He chose Gideon, the youngest son of the least family (Joash) of the smallest tribe (Manasseh) to lead only 300 men to defeat the Midianites, God has chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).  Are you willing to listen to God’s voice and obey His direction even when it may not be logical?

Tuesday

Read Luke 2:41-52.  Jesus was in the temple.  That doesn’t seem so unlikely since He is God.  We expect God to be in the temple.  However, the Pharisees were amazed at the level of understanding that Jesus had at such a young age.  He was 12 at this point, and yet He understood the heart of the Law and the scriptures.  Yes, He was God, and since He invented the Law, we expect Him to fully grasp it at any time, but the question is, are you willing to listen to His words no matter who is speaking?  The Pharisees were being instructed by a boy.  Later when He spoke, they became indignant and rejected Him.  It is easy to hear the words of God, but it is not as easy to embrace them and apply them to your life.  We must listen to so-called preachers of the gospel, evaluate their messages against the Bible, and determine if they are leading us to Christ-likeness or leading us astray.  Even Paul tells us in Galatians 1:6-10, that no matter who comes and preaches, if the message is contrary to the gospel, it is false.  Inundate yourself with God’s word, so that you can differentiate the Godly from the wicked.

Wednesday

Read Luke 19:1-10.  You probably thought of the old song about Zaccheus when reading this passage.  We’re not focused as much however about Zaccheus, the man, in this case.  What is of interest to us is what he represents.  Jesus invested His time, attention, and energy in Zaccheus, the sinner.  When the Messiah came, He was expected to conquer Rome and set up an earthly kingdom.  Jesus was not at all what the Jews expected.  Since Jesus had set himself up to be some sort of a teacher with authority, He would either have to hob-knob with the Pharisees, or they would view Him as a threat.  Since Jesus spent His time criticizing the Pharisees and blessing the commoners and sinners, it is obvious which He was to become.  In our lives, are we more apt to spend time with those who look good or those who clearly need to meet the Savior?  Jesus said, that the well do not need a doctor (Mark 2:17); are you willing to take the message of the cross to the dying?

Thursday

Read John 4.  This is one of the most interesting encounters with Jesus presented in the gospels.  The Samaritan woman that Jesus meets at the well, was there at an uncommon time of day.  Jesus, by divine appointment, also happened to be there.  As strange as it is that Jesus would talk to a Samaritan woman, she was also not a member of society in high standing.  Didn’t Jesus have more important things to do?  Wasn’t He busy on His way to do something else?  Sure.  Jesus was always busy, but He also knew that the people He met were in need, and He was willing to engage them for the sake of eternity.  Are you annoyed by these types of interruptions in your life or do you embrace them and engage the lost people God puts in your path?

Friday

Read John 11:1-16.  Consider the disciples’ words to Jesus about His intent to return to Judea.  How likely would you be to return to a city where there are people who want to kill you?  Jesus, however, knows what is important in life.  He knows His destiny.  He knows that God’s will is what should drive us - not fear.  How about you?  Are you willing to follow God even if it seems illogical, unsafe, or undesirable?