If You Believe, You Will See the Glory of God
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December 04, 2016 |
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 Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee
"Jesus said to her, 'Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?'" (John 11:40)
We can receive answers from God if we have true faith and love. As written in John 11:1-2, Lazarus had two sisters. Their names were Mary and Martha. They lived in a town called Bethany near Jerusalem. It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and wiped His feet with her hair. It was her brother, Lazarus, who was sick and died. How could the family of Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, see the glory of God?
First, they believed in the almighty God and in Jesus, whom God was with.
When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again" (John 11:6-7). When He came, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days (John 11:17).
When Jesus came, according to John 11:21-22 Martha said to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." Of course, Martha did not say what she had said because she thought Lazarus could be revived. We can see this from the fact that she said, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day," in a response to Jesus' remarks saying, "Your brother will rise again."
Martha had never heard that since the creation a dead man with foul smell rose again. Because she did not have knowledge or experience about it, she couldn't think Lazarus could come back to life. But Martha believed in Jesus from her heart. In order for her to receive the answer, Jesus still guided her to transform her fleshly faith into spiritual faith. He asked in John 11:25-27, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"
Then, she said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world."
It was such a profession of faith as this that led her to receive the answer. Furthermore, through this experience of Lazarus coming forth alive from the grave, Martha came to have firm faith in Jesus, the Son of God, who is the resurrection and life.
Our Lord has been guiding us unceasingly to have such faith. Since 1982, the church opening year, God has continually shown signs, wonders and other works of power in this church. And, because the level of power is increasing all the time, many people received answers to their problems and glorified God.
The second reason was because they loved God and the One who was sent by God.
In John 11:3 we find the sisters of Lazarus sent word to Jesus. They only said, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." Just by considering this short message, we can see how close Jesus and the family were. We also see that Jesus was like a family member to them.
The two sisters did not explain in detail about the messenger, the current situation, or what their request was. The closer friends are and the deeper the trust shared between them, they understand each other more deeply even though they don't explain everything.
Lazarus' family had this kind of relationship with Jesus. And the basis of this trust was love. Namely, the love they stored up became the basis of trust, and thanks to this love and trust, they could get an answer even to the problem of death.
Then, how did Lazarus and his family love Jesus in their lives? One of the best examples is that Lazarus' sister, Mary, anointed Jesus with perfumed oil. Pouring the oil on Jesus' head and feet and wiping His feet with her hair was not only an act of deep emotion, it was also the greatest expression of her love. Such an act did not just come out overnight. It was carried out because she loved Him passionately and served Him with her utmost all the time.
Mary and her family wanted to do anything for Jesus for they were blessed by Him. Jesus could not sleep or eat well doing His ministry. Even at night, He went to solitary places to pray alone (Matthew 8:20). It was a very physically demanding life.
Knowing this very well, Mary and her family always and desperately thought about the ways to provide Him with comfort and to please Him. Whenever Jesus came near their place, they invited Him into their house and served Him.
Luke 10:38 says, "Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home." They didn't do so expecting something in return. They just served Jesus because they loved Him so much. They believed that Jesus was a man sent by God, and at the same time, they served Him with warm love as if He were their own family. This gentle aroma of heart of Mary and her family was delivered to Jesus, and Jesus also loved this family.
Even people of flesh would want to do anything for somebody if that person is so lovely. Now, how about God, who is Love itself? How much would He want to give to those whom He loves? In John 15:7, the Lord says to those who have become united with Him in love, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."
I can boldly testify about one thing. It's that I have received so many answers and so much blessing by having a close tie of love with God and communicating in heart with Him. As my heart became one with God in love, I see all the time that He gives me everything I need even though I don't ask, or even if I just harbor it in my heart, or even if I don't even know I need it myself. How wonderful would it be, if you could also be one with God in love? Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart." I pray in the name of the Lord that this verse will be fulfilled in your life, too.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the reason this sign was made possible is because of the great power of Jesus and because the family of Lazarus showed their deeds of faith. Mary and Martha's love and faith were not shaken even when Lazarus died.
I pray in the name of the Lord that you love and trust God and the Lord completely, and thereby experience His great power and see His glory all the time.
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