THE TRIAL OF BROTHER LAZZIE 2

TRIAL OF BROTHER LAZZIE 2

Secondly, Lazarus was The One Jesus Loves.

Okay let us establish that.
You will see in John 11:5 that Jesus loved the three siblings.

John 11:5 KJV
Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

But let us hear from the two sisters themselves in verse 3.

John 11:3 KJV
Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

Laughs.
So when you say 'God loves every body' just know that everybody knows who God loves when they see him.

Take note also, that the writer of the account is John. John is called 'the Beloved'. He used to refer to himself as 'the one whom Jesus loves'.

John 13:23-25 KJV
Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. [24] Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. [25] He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? .

John 21:7 KJV
Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord...

John 21:20 KJV
Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

Even Peter (with the other disciples) knew the one Jesus loved.

Did Jacob not have 11 sons? How come the 10 knew the one Jacob loved?

Genesis 37:3 KJV
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children...

Well, God indeed loves all of us. But, all of us indeed do not believe it.

John later went on to exclaim to anyone that could dare receive it;

1 John 3:1 KJV
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us...

Picture a roundtable gathering (make sure there is food, anyway) where Jesus, John and Lazarus  were present. Okay, it is not hard to find Jesus; He will be at the center. It should not be hard to find John, it was said that '... he then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him... ' (John 13:25). So who do you think will be on the other breast? Lazzie of course! Maybe I am wrong, but that is what my sanctified imagination tells  me. Okay.

I know you want to say God loves you and you receive His love. Let me give you a simple test. Ready?
This is the test;

God loves you the way He loves Jesus Christ.

Cut!
Stand Still!

I just took a snap shot of your mind.

What did I find there?

'How can God love me like He loves Jesus? Jesus is the first and only begotten of the Father; I am adopted'
Or

'What did I do to merit His love? Jesus died for the world'
Or

'Heresy! Jesus did no sin. What is my own basis for such love?'

Okay. So you see yourself?

One of the best songs of my generation is 'I don't know why... He loves me so... I don't know why...'

But people should sing it like this 'I don't know why... I can't take it... I don't know why...'

You won't be the first to question or doubt God's great love. See this;

Malachi 1:2a KJV
I have loved you, saith the Lord . Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us?

What is in man that can't absorb such great love from God? Ephesians 1:5-6 KJV says
'Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, [6] To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved'.

This means our love was predestinated. Long before we came, back in eternity, He loved us. Maybe you will get it with the Story of the Twins; Esau and Jacob.

Romans 9:11-13 KJV
(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) [12] It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. [13] As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

See the full version of the scripture we quoted earlier.

Malachi 1:2 KJV
I have loved you, saith the Lord . Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord : yet I loved Jacob,

This manner of love is called 'Election by Grace'.He chose to love you that much! Simple. And you can choose to refuse it! Simple.

Lazarus was loved. Loved by Jesus. And He received every bit of it.

Well, let me not push you beyond limits. I know the part you like. You want to love Jesus. That's okay.

Did you notice it was Peter that Jesus asked to love Him not John? See their conversation.

John 21:17 KJV
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

There is a reward for lovers of Jesus of course. And all of us should love Jesus. See the reward.

Romans 8:28 KJV
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

We should all love God, I insist.
But I dare you to be the one that Jesus loves. Or to be one who opens up to take it all. Here is the reward for that.

Jeremiah 29:11 KJV
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord , thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Those that love God have all things work together for THE (not their) good.
Those that God loves, God thinks about them and GIVE them an expected end.

One is better, you decide.

Did I pitch God loves you VS You love God?

If that is how you understand it, I have offended you and I am sorry.

Anyway, Lazarus was the one Jesus so loved.

But wait. Is that another reason that guy was lazy? Oh sorry. He was not lazy. He was just one to whom God would give an expected end; that which everyone else work everything else together for.

Let me divide a scripture without breaking it.

Philippians 2:12-13 KJV
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. [13] For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

They that love God dwell in verse 12. They work our this salvation. They work out the answer.
Those that God loves dwell in verse 13. They are given the answer. They do all of God's will yet so so effortlessly. The enjoy so much pleasure in God's will. But the Verse 12 believers love to sweat it out. They find so much pain in God's will.

While Peter denied Jesus and even fled. John was the one at the foot of the Cross to whom Jesus committed His mother. Those that receive God's love end up loving God most.

John 19:26-27 KJV
When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! [27] Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

If you thought I am saying 'Don't love God, just accept His love', I lost you since. But if you got it that we can only love Him acceptably if we accept His love, you got it.

1 John 4:19 KJV
We love him, because he first loved us.

Let us conclude now.

Did I talk about Lazarus today? I doubt it. I talked about the One Whom Jesus Loved. Lazarus was one. John was another. Adeolu is another. Okay.

But here is the part I dread about this Brother Lazarus's story. The part of his trial. The Paradox of Love. The Conflict of our Faith.

John 11:3 KJV
Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

The One Whom Jesus Loves? Sick? How?

Then the One Whom Jesus Loved even died of that sickness.

No. I can't take that now.

Let's make it another date.

- Adeolu Olumodeji