The apostle John wrote after Martha and Mary the sisters of Lazarus plead to Jesus, He asked, “Where have you laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him. And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself came to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take you away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, said unto him, Lord, by this time he stinks: for he has been dead four days. Jesus said unto her, Said I not unto you, that, if you would believe, you should see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. And I knew that you hear me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that you have sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said unto them, Loose him, and let him go”, and in chapter eleven and verse forty-five of his book John shared how, “many of the Jews which came to Mary, … believed on him” where we read:
Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
The verse reads, “Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, ...” John began with the words, “then many of the Jews” which means “at that time a great number of people who belonged to the Jewish nation by birth, origin or religion” “which came to Mary” or “who arose and appeared to Mary whose name means their rebellion” did the following. John shared how a large number of the Jewish people who visited Mary to comfort her took the following action.
The verse goes on to say, “ and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.” John continued with the words, “and had seen the things” which means “and observed, noticed and perceived the acts and deeds” “which Jesus did” which means “that the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate whose name means Jehovah is Salvation made ready, performed and produced”, “believed on him” or “trusted in, relied upon, clung to and had confidence in Jesus”. John shared how the Jewish people who gathered themselves to “Mary” to console and comfort her saw how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and put their “faith and trust” in Him.
When we think through John's words in this verse, we discover the effect Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead had upon the Jewish people who came to comfort “Mary”. These people accompanied “Mary” to the “tomb” of Lazarus to “mourn and lament”, but after they watched Jesus perform the miracle of his “resurrection”, they were convinced He was indeed the “Messiah and Christ” of God. Anyone who carefully examines the powerful works that only Jesus could perform should come to the conclusion that He is the “Christ” and is worthy of “belief and trust”. Jesus works in the “spritually dead” lives of people who live in a manner that is “lifeless” toward God, and when they yield themselves to Him, He makes them “rise” to new life. Paul the apostle wrote, “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (See 2 Corinthians 5:17), and everyone who surrenders to Jesus will have their dead old life become alive unto God.
Next time John shares how, “some of them went their ways to the Pharisees ”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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