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Sketched VIII Day 6 Lazarus

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 11
2 Kings 4:8-37
John 12:1-11
Psalm 145:1-7
Revelation 1:1-18

Sketched VIII, Day 6

The glory of the LORD used to fill the tabernacle (2 Chronicles 5:14),
but now God’s glory walked among us in Jesus (Hebrews 1:3).

I know this because I was dead, but Jesus called me back to life. But let me not get ahead. This story is too important to rush.

My sister, Martha, invited a great Teacher to our home. My other sister, Mary, sat at His feet and soaked up His words. I also listened intently. He was different from any other teacher or Rabbi I’d ever heard. He spoke and taught with such authority; I now understand His authority came from Yahweh (John 17:1-2). I could never have dreamed of the Messiah, in our home. But there He sat, befriending us.

Sometime later, I fell ill, but my sisters were not worried. They assured me, “We’ll call Jesus. He will take care of you.”

Our ancestor David wrote, “Put your hope in the LORD, both now and forever.” (Psalm 131:3)

So we did. My sisters sent for Jesus (John 11:3), believing if anyone could save me, He could. But as we waited, I felt my life slipping away. I hoped my sisters’ faith would survive my death. At the time, I couldn’t foresee His plan, but it turns out, He was working something far greater than my immediate healing.

My sisters tell me they were in great despair, wondering why Jesus had not come right away. I grappled with the same questions as I took my last breaths, until I remembered the words of the prophet Isaiah,

“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
and your ways are not my ways.’
This is the Lord’s declaration.” (Isaiah 55:8)

In my final moments, these words brought me peace.
On the fourth day after my death, Jesus finally arrived and made the most curious statement to Martha.

“I am the resurrection and the life.
The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live.” (John 11:25)

You see, around this time, Sadducees in my town were bickering with everyone, especially Jesus, about the impossibility of resurrection. (Mark 12:18-27) Yet, in blatant contradiction to their assertions, Jesus declared not only is there a resurrection, but the resurrection is Him!

I’m told He continued to surprise my sisters and their many comforters by weeping
in front of everyone, alongside them in their grief.
Imagine the Messiah
weeping
for my death.
I am still moved to tears just thinking about it.

Jesus instructed them to roll the stone away and proceeded to pray for the people watching to believe Yahweh sent Him. Then, He called me to arise.

I know, it sounds crazy. But if Elisha, a prophet, could receive power from God to raise the Shunamite’s son from the dead, why should we doubt the power of the Son of God to raise me? (2 Kings 4:8-37)

Through the darkness, I clearly heard Jesus, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43)

At His words, I awakened to find myself wrapped in grave clothes with strips of linen over my eyes. Despite my bindings, I moved toward His voice, longing to see His face again.

I walked into the bright light and heard Jesus’ command, “Unwrap him and let him go”.
So my life began again!

By His words, I was resurrected. The One Who is the Resurrection spoke me into life; in that moment, I became a living testimony to the glory of God: a proclamation of His power, greatness, and wondrous works. (Psalm 145:3-6)

My testimony came at a cost. Because He displayed His great power, many of the leaders wanted to kill Jesus. They also plotted against me, because my resurrected life inspired many to believe in Jesus, the Messiah (John 12:9-11)

In fact, the new life He gave me accelerated His death. Just before Passover, my sister Mary anointed His feet with expensive perfume and, to our confusion, He indicated it was for His burial. (John 12:1-7) Six days later, I realized it was the beginning of His journey to the cross.

I despised that cross at first. My testimony pointed to His glory, but in the wake of His death, my new life seemed empty and pointless.

But on the third day after He died,
His gravestone was also rolled away.
He was also resurrected.
But He needed no one to call Him out of the grave.
God Incarnate raised Himself from death to life.

He was dead, then alive forever, holding the keys to death and Hades. (Revelation 1:18)
My resurrection had been a small foreshadow of His.
Jesus was truly, “The First and the Last, and the Living One”. (Revelation 1:17)

My brokenness made whole, gave others the chance to live forever with Him. It can do the same for you if you believe in Him, the Resurrection and the Life.
My sisters, believe, and live forever!

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A Note About Sketched
In this series, we are stepping into the shoes of various characters throughout history. Some are biblical, some are well-known in modern day times, and some are people our writers know personally. We do our best to research the culture and times surrounding these individuals to give an accurate representation of their first-person perspectives on life and the world, but we can’t be 100% accurate. “Sketched” is our best interpretation of how these characters view(ed) God, themselves, and the world around them. Our hope is that by stepping into their everyday, we will see our own lives a little differently!
Enjoy!
And keep watching for Sketched Themes to pop up throughout the year!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

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Relentless Day 4 Arise And See The Glory: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Arise And See The Glory

The Questions

1) What is the significance of “unveiled faces” in this passage?

2) How can we be transformed into the image of the Lord?

3) What does “from glory to glory” mean in this verse?

2 Corinthians 3:18

We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Original Intent

1) What is the significance of “unveiled faces” in this passage?
In the Old Testament book of Exodus, Moses went up to Mount Sinai to speak with the Lord and relay His commandments to the people of Israel.  When Moses came down from the mountain, his face shone brightly and it frightened the people, so he put a veil over his face. (Exodus 34:29-35)  Paul declares in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that Christians do not have veiled faces because they have an intimate relationship shared with Christ.  They have no need to fear His glory or His presence.  Author John Piper explains, “the true meaning of the law is veiled to the minds of the Jewish people (and Gentiles!)—until they turn to the Messiah.”  Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible states, “All Christians, not just one man, as in the case of Moses, behold the glory of the Lord, and no veil is required.”  Living under the New Covenant of Jesus brings open access to the Lord and relationship with the Lord to all believers.  If your heart trusts in Jesus, you have instant access to His grace and provision!

2) How can we be transformed into the image of the Lord?
The apostle Paul wrote the book of 2 Corinthians as a letter to the church in Corinth around A.D. 55.  (John Macarthur)  The church was having plenty of difficulties with false prophets who were attempting to discredit Paul and promote their own teachings.  Paul wrote to the Corinthians, asserting his authority in Christ, but also teaching about Christian ministry and the power of the Holy Spirit.  In 2 Corinthians 3:18, Paul referenced Moses and his physical transformation after being in the Lord’s presence. Moses’ face shone brightly after being with the Lord on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 34:29-35) and Paul compared it to the transformation the Christian has when seeing God’s glory. As author Richard L. Pratt, Jr. points out, “the transformation that takes place in followers of Christ has ever-increasing glory, unlike Moses’ fading glory. This expanding glory comes from the Lord, that is the Spirit.”  Paul asserted that being in the presence of God’s glory would create an ongoing, transforming work in the life of a believer.  He exhorted us to surrender to the Spirit’s work in our lives in this transformation.

3) What does “from glory to glory” mean in this verse?
The word glory comes to us from the Greek term Doxa, and it means “to give a proper opinion or estimate of something.”   In terms of the glory of the lord, author John Piper explains glory as “the infinite beauty and greatness of God’s manifold perfections.”  For one to go from “glory to glory,” as Paul states in 2 Corinthians 3:18, one will start becoming more and more like the beautiful and perfect Jesus.  Author J.R. Miller describes the phrase from glory to glory as going from “one degree of glory to another, the bondservant gradually becoming more and more like the Master.”  John Gill describes it similarly as going “from glory begun here to glory perfect hereafter; when this image [of Christ] will be completed, both in soul and body; and the saints will be as perfectly like to Christ, as they are capable of, and see him as he is.”  When Paul writes how the Holy Spirit’s power is transforming us into the image of Christ from glory to glory, (2 Corinthians 3:18), we can trust He will continue changing us to be more like Christ from the time we first trust in Him until we see Him face to face.

Everyday Application

1) What is the significance of “unveiled faces” in this passage?
I often ignore things I fear, hoping they will disappear.  That is almost never how things work out, of course.  I think the Israelites had a similar reaction when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the 10 Commandments. They couldn’t comprehend the intense joy Moses had experienced in the Lord’s presence.  They didn’t even want to hear God’s message to them, they were so caught up by fear of this glory that was beyond their control.  They just wanted Moses to hide his face so they wouldn’t have to confront the awesome, transfiguring glory of God.  My response to God is sometimes similar. I don’t want to consider that what scares me about the Lord or His plans may be the very thing God will use to make me more like Him.  I have the amazing privilege of direct communion with God through His Spirit living within me, but fear causes me to veil my face and settle for a secondhand version of His glory. I know this fear does not come from the Lord.  I praise God He has given me a spirit of power, love, and sound judgment instead. (2 Timothy 1:7)  Whenever I am afraid, I can trust in Him and give all my worries to Him. (Psalm 56:3, Psalm 55:22) If apprehension also keeps you from embracing God’s will and entering into His presence, join me in praying that the Lord will calm our fears as His peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)  May we enjoy sweeter communion with God than we have ever known before!

2) How can we be transformed into the image of the Lord?
Have you noticed you can tell a lot about a student’s social circle by their appearance and behavior?  They tend to dress and talk like their cultural heroes and other kids they hang out with.  This tendency has given us the terms goth, greaser, preppy, jock, and geek, among others.  The same phenomenon can be said of those who spend time with the Lord.  The more time we spend with God, the more we become like Him.  Author John Piper says, “we are transformed into His image by looking at His glory. You become like what you constantly behold.”  Author David Guzik concurs with, “As we behold the glory of God, we will be transformed. God will change our lives and change us from the inside out.”  To be transformed by Christ’s glory, we can spend time reading and praying Scriptures and studying the life of Jesus.  We can submit to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, allowing Him to empower us to fulfill the good works Christ has for us. (Ephesians 2:10) To be transformed into Christ’s image, we can pursue the course Andrew Murray proposes and “gaze on and adore the glory of God in Christ; you will be changed with Divine power from glory to glory; in the power of the Holy Ghost the mighty transformation will be wrought by which your desires will be fulfilled, and like Christ will be the blessed God-given experience of your life.”  The more time I spend with Him, the more I will be called “like Christ!”

3) What does “from glory to glory” mean in this verse?
When I was a little girl, there was a popular song called “He’s Still Working On Me.” (Check out the video link to see just how old I am.)  The chorus proclaimed:
He’s still working on me
To make me what I ought to be…
How loving and patient He must be
‘Cause He’s still workin’ on me.
This idea informs my concept of what “from glory to glory” means in 2 Corinthians 3:18. At the very beginning of my relationship with Jesus, around the same time I learned this song, He started to reveal His plans for my life through His Word (Psalm 119:105) and through the input of godly parents and teachers (Hebrews 13:7.) As I grew, He guided and corrected me as I made choices to obey Him or disregard His instructions. (Proverbs 3:12) I have the promise of Philippians 1:6 that God will complete the good work He began in me from now until Christ returns.  To quote another old song from way back when:
Changed into His image by the Spirit of God…
From glory to glory He is making us more holy
As we’re changed into His image by the Spirit of God.
I am so grateful for how far along He has brought me, and more thankful still that He won’t leave me where I am The Lord will continue to grow, stretch, and change me until He takes me home to be with Him!

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

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This is Relentless Week One!
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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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Relentless Day 3 Arise And See The Glory

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Judges 4-5
Judges 2:16-23
2 Corinthians 3:12-18

Relentless, Day 3

“Villages were deserted, they were deserted in Israel,
until I, Deborah, arose, a mother in Israel.”

Stop and ponder this sentence.
Villages were deserted.
Until
A mother arose.

Now I am guessing you haven’t found yourself walking through a literal ghost town in the last 24 hours, but have you walked through a lifeless void? Have you found yourself in a space where fullness of life would have required a literal resurrection of hope, faith, joy, peace, etc.?

The story of Deborah and Barak is found nestled in the book of Judges, which chronicles over 250 years of Israel’s history where no king ruled on the throne and the leadership largely came through judges. It was an era in which fullness of life failed to flourish due to years of oppression allowed by the Lord. It was only when the Israelites followed the leading of the judges, whom the Lord had appointed, they were able to experience the Lord’s compassion.

Until that obedience kicked in, the Israelites found themselves living in a veritable wasteland. In the time of Deborah, they had been experiencing oppression from King Jabin for 20 years. Proof positive that I am not the only person to be a little slow on the uptake as to the value of obeying and obeying the first time! Twenty Years!

In Judges 4, the scene opens with a description of Israel’s current context and then introduces Deborah by providing a brief resume: ruthless oppressor with 900 iron chariots on one side and a woman prophet sitting under a tree on the other. Only one of them had the backing of the Lord, and it is to this setting Barak arrives.

Deborah summons Barak and tells him the Lord is commanding him to gather warriors from two tribes of Judah for battle and the Lord will deliver King Jabin’s army and the victorious routing to Barak. Barak’s response was not a complete no, but it also lacked full, confident obedience. He said he would go, but only if Deborah accompanied him.

In Exodus, Moses says something similar to the Lord. On behalf of Israel, Moses state they would not go anywhere unless the Lord went with them.
How are these two scenarios different?
As I ponder on what it might be like to be in Barak’s shoes, I find myself echoing his thoughts in unexpected places in my own life.
I’ll obey that nudge from the Lord, if someone else has a similar nudge.
I’ll step out in faith and believe it was the Lord, if I get quick confirmation it was Him.
I’ll obey, if I can remove as much risk as possible.

However, faith does not preclude risk. In fact, sometimes faith and risk are synonymous, for it is in the risk that we make room for the glory of the Lord to shine for all to see (even if heaven ends up being the only observers).
When we risk for the Lord and see His faithfulness over time,
we will forever be changed.

Just as Moses shone after encountering the Lord on Mt. Sinai, our encounters with the Lord and seeing His glory displayed, changes our countenances too.
It’s the best beauty treatment there is. Collagen, move over!

Barak’s response did not finish the story. It did not tie the Lord’s hands or create a scenario in which Barak’s role suddenly ended. Instead, Deborah responded with a mother’s wisdom and a prophet’s insights by saying she would go, and the Lord would bring the victory through the hands of a woman.

All of which proved to be true. The army was defeated and its commander-in-chief met his demise after his encounter with Jael, a woman who used the ordinary elements of life to obey. Just like Deborah, Jael rose up and stepped out in faith for the glory of the Lord.

So today, regardless of your marital or parental status, how may you arise a wise mother in your sphere of influence? Is there a skill set or talent you can surrender to the Lord for His use? Are you feeling a nudge to obey in a particular aspect?

Darkness prevailed in Deborah’s day, but she chose to arise.
She listened for the voice of the Lord, and she followed through.

Never underestimate the impact of every day obedience.
They may very well be the crack through which the Lord shines His glory.

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Join the GT Community and share your thoughts!

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

Thanks for joining us today as we journeyed into Relentless Week One! Don’t miss out on the discussion below – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Looking for other journeys from this theme?
Here’s a link to all past studies in Relentless!