Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1924-12-11
Lesson for December Ia
THE RAISING OF LAZARUS

LESSON TExT-John 11:1-45.
GOLDEN TEXT ana the resurrso-
ton, and the life
PRIMARY ToPIC-Jssas Comforts q
Family in Trouble.
JUNIOR TOPIC - Lazarus Raised
From the Dead.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR
TOPIC Christ's Power over Death.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Christ, the Resurrection and the Life.
|. The Revelation Of christs Love
Wv 1881
The Bethany family held a peculiar
place In the affections of Jesus When
the doors Of other homes were closed
against Him, the door of this home
flung wide open to receive Him.
J. Lazarus Sick wv. 1, y. Even
those who are in dose fellowship with
the Lord are not immune from sick
ness
2 Martha and Mary Send for Jesus
". 81.
Because they had come to know
Jesus more than mere man they
instinctively turned to Him when this
u shadow fell across their home Those
who receive Jesus into their homes.
when all are well and happy, can be
sure of His love and sympathy when
sickness and death overtake them.
3. Jesus Strange Delay tvv 4-19).
Martha and Mary sent for Jesus be-
cause He loved Lazarus Now, Jesus
"abode in the same place" because He
sToved Lazarus and his sisters" Mere
human sympathy would have moved
Him to hasten to the home of trouble,
but Divine love, which rests upon per-
feet knowledge, caused Him to tarry
4. Jesus Meets Martha and Mary
wv. 20-37).
Martha and Mary knew the peril to
which He would be exposed and there
fore did not request that He come, but
merely gave Him notice They were
willing that His coming should be left
to Him.
() Martha Met Jesus Wv. 20-27).
As He was nearing tie village, Martha,
who with her sister had passed
through the awful ordeal Of the sick
ness and death of a dear brother, met
Him with complaint for His delay.
Because of His love He ignored her
complaint and taught her concerning
the resurrection and life. Martha, like
many today, had a vague belief that
God would raise Lazarus some time in
the remote future To her came the
compelling declaration, II am the res
direction, and the life The great
truth to be appYehended is that here
and now we are united to the living
Christ, the source of life, and that
this is the pledge of bodily resurrec-
ton and eternal reunion,
90 Mary Met Jesus wv. 2s-35).
Mary came with the same words, but
with different voice and attitude.
she fell down at His feet. She had
been sitting at His feet in the days of
sunshine Therefore she knew where
to go when sorrows cast their shadows
across her path Her words were an
swered hy His tears. Jesus wept."
II. The Resurrection of Lazarus
z wv. 3S44).
The great sympathy now expresses
itself in supernatural power. Sym
patty would be valueless without its
connection with divine power. In this
stupendous miracle we see an illustra-
tion of the quickening into life of
those dead in trespasses and sin.
Observe:
/. He Was Dead. This is a type of
the sinner, dead in trespasses and
sins, even morally corrupt Eph. 2:D.
2. The Stone Must Be Rolled Away.
This is the part the human must play.
3. In Unbelief Martha Protests
Against the Stone Being Removed.
She insists that Lazarus had already
undergone putrefaction.
4. Christs Intimacy and Fellowship
With the Father as Revealed in His
Prayer.
S. His Manner of Dealing With
Lazarus. II was by call. He Is call
ing men and women today by His Spir-
it, His Word and His providence.
6. The Response of Lazarus Shows
That His Call Was With Authority
and Power With the call goes the
power to hear and obey, even though
one be dead in trespasses and sin and
therefore helpless
Z. The People Are Commanded to
Remove the Grave-Clothes and Set Him
Free They could not make Lazarus
alive, but they could remove the grave
clothes which bound the man whom
Christ made alive.
i'll The Effect Of This Miracle (vv
45-4T)
This mighty work caused division of
sentiment. Some believed on Jesus
and some went to the Pharisees with
the news.