THE GLORY OF GOD – THE SON GLORIFIED
Friday – July 5, 2019, Tamuz 2, 5779
Greetings precious children of God, sons and daughters of the Most High God, the only living God and welcome back to this powerful Bible Study of the Book of John. The featured pictures this week are of a recent visit to Peaks Island. This particular picture is a selfie of my newly minted bride and myself. If you are reading this on Facebook please take a moment to hit the “like” and “share” buttons to expand the reach of this Ministry, the gospel, the good news. Thank you so much for liking and sharing. Now let’s move to our primary Bible text for today and read it aloud.
John 11:3-7 (KJV)
3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
7 Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.
As we move into the fourth verse, we find Jesus’ response to this news concerning His friend and as we will soon find out also one whom He also loved. As we have discussed the last few days Jesus loved (agape) all persons alike just as our Father God loves all peoples alike. However, Jesus and Father God are not friends (phileō) with all persons. The key is in the definitions as outlined the last few days. The Spiritual Laws of God, the Covenant and the consequences of rejecting the Covenant, the love of God, the selflessness of God are applied to saint and sinner alike. Each of us choose Heaven or Hell, we choose scarcity or abundance, we choose sickness or health, it all has to do with what we believe, our true thoughts, our love (motivations), and obedience to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. All of this is a little sobering but it is the Truth and not all the poppycock about suffering bringing glory to God and some are chosen to suffer or be poor and so on.
Now, let’s turn our attention to how Jesus responded to the news that Lazarus is sick. He tells the disciples and others I suppose that this sickness is not unto death but God is going to show His goodness out of this illness and the goodness of Jesus will be shown as well. Now, God did not make this man sick so He could heal him. The man is sick because of the curse in the earth. The word ‘glory’ or ‘glorified’ is always the manifested goodness of God, something for all to see who care to look. An example would be an obvious miracle like an arm regrows but it can also be more subtle like being healed of Migraine Headaches. That is not subtle to the sufferer but to the outside observer it can only be manifest over time by not seeing the person take medicine or being in bed or at the doctor’s office for treatments.
As we continue with this account of Lazarus, we know that he in fact does die very soon after the news comes to Jesus that he is sick. So did Jesus miss it so to speak or are we misunderstanding exactly what He is saying. I am going to go with we are missing something and not Him. Just saying. To reiterate the context of Jesus’ statement let me say again, this man was not made sick by God so God could demonstrate that He could heal him. On the other hand, the man, Lazarus, was allowed by God to become sick as a result of the curse. Spiritual laws of the curse and blessing were operating and still are and God guarantees that they work the same for everyone, that is justice. It is my understanding in Hebrew culture, religious culture, that if God allows something it is the same as God doing the thing. Therefore, in the Old Testament (written in Hebrew) it is not uncommon to see that God did this or that when the reality is that He allowed it as a result of the persons choices. People in general like the “suffering theology” because it lifts all responsibility off of us and places it on God. So, we can just say “I don’t understand this but it must be the will of God and He is getting glory and I will persevere”. There are several problems with this, first poverty and illness are never the will of God, period. Not understanding is a choice, we have the mind of Christ, and He will reveal all things to us. The goodness of God is never manifest by poverty, or sickness. Abundance and healing are a demonstration of the glory, the manifested goodness, of God. So, we know that as this account plays out in this study over the next few weeks that there is going to be a manifested goodness of God and it will come through Jesus, “the Son of God” as a result His goodness will be manifest as well.
Until our next publication, as a Bible Teacher and Prophetic Voice I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it by faith in Jesus name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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