Tag: John 10:10

Where have you laid him?

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew3 Comments

Where have you laid him? (John 11:34)

Beyond the literal nature of the question, it has a much deeper meaning. As we read further, the deeper meaning slowly gets revealed. The response to Jesus’s question is ‘Lord come and see’, and ‘Jesus began to weep’.

In this instance, we see that instead of submitting the departed to Lord, people try to bring Jesus to the departed. This is not what is expected. The response to Jesus’ question should have been, Lord, kindly receive our beloved departed.

Jesus said earlier to Martha that those who believe in him, even though they die will live (vs.25). This statement is an eternal assurance to all who follow Jesus and depart from this world. For the living, the same statement is a guideline to how one should the departed.

There is a fundamental difference between the death of God’s children and others. In fact, those who reject God are put to death whereas His children are just given another name (Isaiah 65:15b). As we read in 1 Corinthians 15:51, ‘We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed’. These verses guide us to treat our departed as living, and are just transformed from earthly realm to a divine space. Moreover, God is not a God of the dead, but of the living (Mark 12:27). Jesus said, Because I live, you shall also live’ (John 14:19). This was prophesied by Job years ago when he stated ‘I know my redeemer lives’ (Job 19:25). Unfortunately, we often fail to understand these, and are often led by the ways of the gentiles.

Lazarus was very close to Lord Jesus as evident from verse 3. Therefore, there is no need to panic or worry about Lazarus’ state of life. However, there are three contradictory situations witnessed around this incident:

1. Even before Jesus was informed about the death of Lazarus, Jesus knew that, and disclosed it to the disciples, ‘Our friend Lazarus is asleep; but I am going there to wake him up (vs.11). However, the response from the disciples reflect spiritual immaturity and ignorance, ‘Lord if he sleeps he will get better’ (vs. 12). Unfortunately, even the disciples could not differentiate between natural sleep and sleeping in Christ. Hence, Jesus had to clarify in plain language that Lazarus is dead.

This brief conversation and concluding statement that Lazarus is dead is a message for the church that it should not ignore the departed as they are precious to Jesus. If the Church had to forget the dead, Jesus would have told the disciples not to worry anymore about Lazarus as he is dead. Instead, Jesus decides to travel to Bethany with His disciples, even though it was a risky affair (see vs. 15-16). The Psalmist says, ‘Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants (Psalms 116:115).

2. We see another misunderstanding about the dead in the conversation between Martha and Jesus. Even after Jesus clearly telling Martha that her brother will rise again, her response is ‘post-dated’, ignoring the fact that Jesus was the resurrection and life (vs. 25). Whilst Martha responds to Jesus’ statement by acknowledging, ‘I know he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day’ (vs. 24), Jesus corrects her with a statement that reflects it (resurrection) is not a future event but it is NOW. Our beloved departed are not alive in this world, but are well alive and living in Christ. St. Paul explicitly states, ‘Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him’ (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). The death of God’s children is termed First death’ in Bible (Revelations 20:6), and they will not be subjected to ‘Second death’ as it is meant for the unfaithful (also see Revelations 2:11). The Second death is destined to happen at the second coming of Jesus when the dead and alive will be judged according to their deeds (Revelations 20:12; also see 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Often in our state of uncontrolled and mismanaged emotions, we go crazy and indulge in weird practices, as a demonstration of our love for our beloved departed. As a result, our focus is directed towards worldly glories, decorating the tomb, and making the burial service a show off. And, in the course of these, we forget handing over our beloved departed into the hands of Jesus, but just bury them off according to our ways, and grieve and weep without any hope . This is what Jesus witnessed at Bethany when he saw Martha, Mary and all others weeping, at which Jesus was moved in spirit and troubled (vs.33). Instead, as mentioned above, the family members are expected to be spiritually responsible in handing over the beloved departed into Lord’s hands.

3. The worst of spiritual ignorance is evident from the criticism of some of the people assembled there, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of blind man have kept this man from dying’ (vs. 37).

It is often the case, that people lack farsightedness, and are often shackled with short term gains. The people gathered in Bethany could not distinguish between life in this world and life in Christ. Such nearsightedness only expect Jesus to help and support them with their worldly needs rather than eternal ones. St. Paul instructs the Colossians to set their minds on things above, and not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2). The minds and hearts of people are often connected to Jesus through worldly things. Instead we ought to have a direct connection. If we try to connect with Lord through our personal gains only, it is selfishness. On the contrary, if we ignore our selfish desires and motives and seek Lord with a pure heart, it is true faith, and we will be able to see the glory of God (vs. 40).

In the whole episode at Bethany, the disciples represent the Church, Martha and Mary represent the family of the departed, and the people gathered represent the congregation. And we see here, Jesus clearly instructing all the three regarding the faithful departed. There is no better evidence in the Bible to demonstrate the state of departed and their status when they are removed from this world. It is only a transformation and not destruction because Jesus has come to give life in abundance; and, in fact it is Satan who comes to destroy (John 10:10).

More importantly, the responsibility of the Church, family of departed and the wider congregation is to submit the faithful departed into the hands of Jesus Christ.

Let us submit our faithful departed into Lord’s hands. Amen.

I shall not sit nor bow my head, for my lord Jesus Christ is coming soon

Fr Dr Saji K Mathew2 Comments

‘…………………stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near’ (Luke 21:28).

The above exhortation is the conclusion of Jesus Christ’s prophecy regarding His second coming.
The aim of this blog is an attempt to put on track the way one should focus on Jesus’ second coming. There is no dearth of preaching, teachings, and writings available on the second coming of Christ. In the recent past, blood moon was the subject of analysis and discussion regarding Jesus’ second coming. Interestingly, even the dates were calculated and announced about His coming. That particular date has passed in the year 2015 but the ‘second coming’ has not happened.

The above verse said by Jesus starts with ‘when these things begin to take place….’ Christian world in general has attributed this time towards the ‘second coming’. However, if we travel back through the history of this world, it would not be difficult to see the signs in the sun, moon, and stars as well as on the earth. Therefore, these phenomena have had been happening ever since. The world has been in turbulence ever since Jesus left, and even in the immediate time after He left. Saint John warned ‘Children, it is the last hour……….so now many antichrists have come’ (1 John 2:12).

Saint Peter cautioned of scoffers indulging in selfish teachings 2 Peter 3:3-4. Therefore, it is necessary to rightly understand about Jesus’ second coming. This write up is a humble attempt to look beyond words for the actual goals of Jesus’ exhortation.

As Saint John cautions, antichrists started working on earth ever since Jesus descended to save the mankind. Satan who disguised as snake in the Garden of Eden to destroy the first Adam is now dressed as antichrist to whisk away the children of second Adam (Jesus Christ) (see 1 Corinthians 15:45; Romans 5:12-19). The intention of this antichrist is to steal, kill, and destroy (the children of God) (John 10:10). Therefore, it could be discerned that end time has always been there in the lives of mankind ever since Jesus cautioned of it. Moreover, the signs listed in Luke 21:25-26 are also visible and felt from time to time, even though the degree of turbulence is increasing as we approach Jesus’ arrival.

Speculation of time about Jesus’ second coming has only led to playing into the hands of Satan’s. Though many people became more spiritual (perhaps out of fear), it soon vanished as the D-day passed without anything happening and leaving no traces of Jesus’ coming. Apparently, it affected the faith of many leading to a state that they now ignore not only about the second coming but also their core faith in Jesus Christ. This was cautioned by Jesus Christ himself (Matthew 24:23-24), later forewarned by Saint Peter as ‘scoffers out with selfish teaching’.
It appears to be a human tendency to analyse the business of the source than utilising the resource. For example, when Saint Peter asked Jesus about the future of Saint John, Lord’s reply was ‘if it is my will……….what is that to you’ (John 21: 22) In other words, Jesus’ response to Peter was ‘it is none of your business’. Similarly, about His second coming, Jesus said, ‘but about that day and hour, no one knows………………nor the Son, but only the Father’ (Matthew 24:36: Mark 13:32). Therefore, it is not our business to know about Lord’s second coming. If it is something confined to Godhead, then who is so impatient about Jesus’ second coming. Using the gift of discernment (1 Corinthians 12:8) it won’t be difficult to know it is Satan, because he is scared of his own destruction at the second coming. Therefore, Satan is trying to use humans to speculate so that he could plan and execute his destructive activities accordingly. What is important us is, ‘He will come again as He went’ (Acts 1:11: John 14:3), which also ought to be the fabric of our faith.

Yes, I believe, Jesus will come again, and when He comes (no matter when) I will be revealed with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4). But, I do not want to speculate on the time of His arrival, for that day will come like a thief, which means unannounced (2 Peter 3:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; Matthew 24:42-44). Therefore, to be in ‘His glory’, we should do what we are expected to do, which constitutes the core of our life in Christ.
The title verse of this blog points to Jesus’ exhortation: ‘stand up’ and ‘raise your heads’ (Luke 21:28).

Stand up:
One needs confidence in self to stand up; and in Christian life, it is the demonstration of our strength achieved through full faith in Jesus Christ. As a toddler fights against the gravitational force and succeeds to stand and walk, children of God get liberated from demonic forces to stand up and well. As we read, the crippled woman who was bent over was freed from the bondage of Satan, and was able to stand straight (Luke 13:13, 16). To the man lying for thirty eight years by the side of Beth-zatha pool, Jesus said, ‘stand up, take your mat and walk’ (John 5:8). In another incident, Jesus forgave the sins (liberation for demonic force/s) of a paralytic man and asked him to stand up, take his bed and walk (Matthew 9:2&6; Mark 2:5&11). Yet another example is found in Acts 3:6 where Peter asked the crippled man to ‘stand up’, and walk. Saint Paul too asked a crippled man to ‘stand upright’ and was instantly delivered from his infirmity (Acts 14:10).

Jesus, in relation to His second coming exhorts to ‘stand up’. And, the above verses suggest standing up as a spiritual sign of liberation from sin, and its perpetrator Satan, as happened to the crippled and paralytic. Therefore, ‘standing up’ should be understood as an attempt to be free from the clutches and bondage of Satan. In other words, we are to strive for a pure life, free from sins. Saint Paul exhorted Thessalonians to keep the body, soul and spirit blameless at the second coming of Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23). In order to achieve this purity, we must ‘stand’ against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). Saint Paul lists the whole armour of God to fight against the evil forces in Ephesians 6:14-17: belt of truth fastened around the waist, breastplate of righteousness, gospel of peace to protect the feet, shield of faith to quench the flaming arrows of Satan, helmet of salvation, and word of God as sword.
Lord’s children are expected to ‘stand up’. However, Satan’s mission is to woo away by making us ‘sit down’ and waste time on insignificant matters such as speculations. Remember, Jesus never asked His followers to sit down and calculate the time of His arrival. Instead, Christ asked to be ever ready (Matthew 24:44; Luke 12:40); keep awake (Matthew 25:13); and be alert (Mark 13:32).

Being ready, alert and awake is an ongoing process of standing up unblemished in our lives. Moreover, we must stand up dressed in the whole armour of God, and produce the fruits of Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22), and keep ourselves free from the snare of the devil who tries to hold his victims captive so as to execute his mission (see 2 Timothy 2:26).

It is the power of Holy Spirit that enables us to stand up and stand firm; and Lord’s mercy bestows Holy Spirit in us. Therefore, we should pray and ask for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). As tribulations are increasing in this world, it is necessary to accelerate our preparation for Jesus’ second coming. This could be achieved by seeking mercy for our brethren as well as for ourselves. It is unfortunate that we contradict Jesus’ ways and teachings when trials and tribulations increase in our lives. We wrongly think of fixing our problems before setting out to help others. Jesus Christ did not scare off the disciples by prophesying all the tribulations in store for the disciples and left to fate to fight their battle. After explaining all the forthcoming hardships that the disciples would face (John 16) Jesus is seen immediately praying to God the Father for His disciples (John 17). Following Jesus’ footsteps, instead of scaring people with speculations about the second coming, we should strengthen more and more of people to receive Jesus Christ in their lives.

Raise your heads:
Jesus also exhorts to raise our heads as preparation ahead of His second coming. Raising head is to receive the ‘king of glory’ as King David sings in Psalms 24:9. Our body, soul and spirit unify in a receptive mode when they are aligned in purity. This wholesome of our personality, filled with Holy Spirit will then groan for eternal redemption and adoption at Jesus’ second coming (see Romans 8:23). Speculation could be the result of an impatience of flesh in control by Satan as he knows about his fate at the second coming of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 8:29).
Raising heads symbolises the process of transformation which sets our life into spiritual mobility. Unlike this worldly mobility, which is a free run, spiritual mobility represents the revelation of the mystery of gospel through us (Ephesians 6:19). In other words, raising our heads enable us to act- to deliver the message of the gospel so that more and more of mankind is attracted towards the eternal glory of Christ. Jesus said, ‘look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting’ (John 4:35). There are still millions of people to whom the gospel has not yet reached reminding us that gospel field is not yet saturated; and it may never be as Jesus said, ‘you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes’ (Matthew 10:23).

Speculating on Jesus’ second coming should also be viewed as an attempt by Satan to sabotage gospel reaching the ends of the world. This is so because there are still regions in the world where the good news has either not been proclaimed or unable to be preached due to restrictions. Therefore, the time is not ripe; and premature arrival of Jesus Christ would only help demons to continue in this world using the bodies of those who have never heard about salvation. Thus Satan may be hoping for a survival as against Revelations 20:10– And the devil who had deceived them………………………will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Therefore, we should not fall into the deceptive designs of Satan. Instead, those who have found salvation in Christ are ‘ambassadors in chain’ (Ephesians 6:20) who are obligated to preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:16). It is our duty to prepare our brethren for the second coming of Christ. Our primary responsibility is not to attempt interfering in divine business but to execute divine will; and Jesus said, ‘…..this is the will of Him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day’ (John 6:39).
Evangelisation is a gaining phenomenon as opposed to losing. It is life giving and leads to eternity which is gained through Jesus Christ, whereas speculation is a kind of gambling which leads to destruction, and hence devil inspired (John 10:10). Raising our heads for the harvesting of souls reap simultaneous rejoice for the sower and the reaper, as it leads to eternal life (John 4:36). Thus, the evangelist and the evangelised both gain eternal life through evangelisation. Therefore, it is an obvious requirement to declare with our mouth that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9) which apparently is the only way to live in Christ because if we as followers of Christ keep our mouth shut, the stones will take our place (Luke 19:40).

To conclude, Jesus Christ is not asking us to remain seated nor bow our heads down without hope, and in shame. Instead He is asking us to stand up and raise our heads, both of which demonstrate confidence in Him. Standing up in our earthly lives is a preparation for Jesus’ second coming, and all our attempts and successes are getting recorded in the ‘book of life’ (see Revelations 20:12). We must be on guard against the nefarious designs of Satan who will try to weigh our hearts down with dissipation, drunkenness and worldly worries (Luke 21:34). Raising our heads is an assurance that we are accepted by Christ, and our names are written in the book. On the contrary unable to lift our heads is surrendering as Midian had to before the sons of Israel (Judges 8:28).

Waiting for you O Lord Jesus Christ.