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”, and in chapter eleven and verse thirty-nine of his book John shared how Jesus said, “take away the stone” where we read:
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.
The verse reads, “Jesus said, Take you away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, said unto him, ...” John began with the words, “Jesus said” which means “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate whose name means Jehovah is Salvation uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “take you away the stone” or “remove the large rock or stone that was covering the tomb of Lazarus”. “Martha” whose name means “she was rebellious”, “the sister of him that was dead” or “the female sibling of Lazarus who was lifeless, inanimate and expired”, “said unto him” which means “uttered, declared and proclaimed” the following words “to Jesus”. John shared how Jesus instructed people who were at Lazarus' gravesite to “remove” the stone that was covering it, and “Martha” responded to Jesus' directive by saying the following words.
The verse continues, “... Lord, by this time he stinks: for he has been dead four days.” John added the word, “Lord” or “One to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, and the title give to God the Messiah”, “by this time he stinks” which means “now and already Lazarus emits a bad smell or odor from his decaying body”: “for he has been dead” or “because, since and on account that Lazarus has expired, been lifeless and inanimate for” “four days” which means “four sunrises to sunsets”. “Martha” told the “Lord Jesus” that “Lazarus' decaying body” would “emit a terrible odor” because he had been “dead” for “four days”.
When we think through John's words in this verse, we learn how “Martha” was only looking to the “physical facts” concerning Lazarus and Jesus. She knew Lazarus' body would be rotting, and the odor from it would be repulsive. Jesus, however, knew what He was going to do for “Lazarus”. God wants people to put their faith and trust in His Son Jesus, and regardless of how dire the circumstances may be, He is always in control. Those who are wise will focus on Jesus even when the situation at hand is well above their ability to manage it.
Next time John shares how Jesus asks, “said I not unto you, that, if you would believe, you should see the glory of God?”, 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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