First Baptist Church of Adrian, MO

This post is part of a devotional series based on our 2019 Bible Reading Calendar.

Then a large crowd of the Jews learned Jesus was there. They came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, the one he had raised from the dead. But the chief priests had decided to kill Lazarus also, because he was the reason many of the Jews were deserting them and believing in Jesus. ~ John 12:9-11

Sin blinds us. Sin makes even intelligent people do foolish things.

The religious leaders of the Jews during Jesus’ time on earth were not dumb men. Most were well educated and knew the Torah from front to back. Yet, in their sin, they seethed with a hatred for Jesus. In their pride, they wanted to kill him because they felt he was robbing them of followers.

Yet, as John explained, they not only wanted to kill Jesus but also Lazarus.

In John 11, we are told the story of Lazarus’ death and resurrection. Though he was in the grave for four days, Jesus arrived, spoke into the darkness of the tomb, and Lazarus emerged wrapped in burial clothes but very much alive.

Because of the miracle, many among the Jews began to follow Jesus and sought him out to see Lazarus as well. (It’s not everyday, after all, that one meets a person who was days dead and then alive.)

Throughout the Gospels, we don’t read about the scribes, Pharisees, or priests denying that Jesus did miracles. Instead, they attributed them to devilish origins. The raising of Lazarus seems to be no different: They did not deny what had occurred.

But they thought of a less than brilliant plan–they would kill a person who had already been raised from the dead. Never mind the fact that if they were successful, and the Bible never tells us their plan went beyond the initial thought, then Jesus could easily just raise him from the dead again.

Sin blinds us to the obvious. This is why the Proverbs say that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The way to overcome the blindness of sin is by trusting in the God who sent Jesus to be the solution to our sin. May God be the source of our wisdom!

All Scripture quotations taken from the Christian Standard Bible.

This post is part of a devotional series based on our 2019 Bible Reading Calendar.

“I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the judgment I have executed and the hand I have laid on them.” ~ Ezekiel 39:21

There is no greater good than God. There is no greater treasure than Jesus. There is no greater sight to behold than the glory of God on display in the world.

As you read through the Bible, you realize that God is passionate about his glory. Glory is a term that means brightness or majesty. In terms of God, it speaks to his goodness and character. Glory is very much a part of the nature of God. He is light and in him there is no darkness, James tells us. And none is good but God, Jesus said. God is also all-powerful and all-pure, thus why he told Moses that no person could look upon his glory and live.

In a world that has been broken and corrupted by our sin, God puts his glory on display most fully through judgment and salvation. The closing sentences of Ezekiel 39 speak to both these realities. God declared his glory would be displayed to the nations of the earth at that time as they saw the exile of Israel due to their sin and unfaithfulness but also as they saw his love for his people and his grace upon them after the exile.

This, in part, is a picture of the greater glory we see as God saves and judges through Jesus.

God brings his wrath against sin. God also gives grace and love to sinner. When Jesus went to the cross, he took all the sins of all his people–all who will trust in him as their Savior-King. In love, Jesus willingly bore all the wrath of God for sin. In turn, he grants complete forgiveness for those all who recognize their sinfulness and rely on Jesus alone. This is the glory of God in his grace through salvation.

Yet, when Jesus returns, he will also stand as judge over the sinners who have refused God’s grace and have chosen to bear the weight of their own sin. God’s wrath against sin is described as an eternal fire. The judgment against sin is final. As perfect goodness, he will not allow evil, corruption, and rebellion remain in his creation forever. He will purify creation by removing sin from it. This is the glory of God in his righteousness through judgement.

In both cases, God puts his glory on display. The day will come where all people will see the glory of God through Jesus. The choice is ours today whether we will see that through salvation or judgment.

Scripture quotes taken from the Christian Standard Bible.