From: "Phil Rembleski" <PHIl@rescuechurchofchrist.org>

To: "1111RESCUEMEMBERS"

Cc:

Sent: Wed, Jun 9, 2021 at 5:50 AM

Subject: 6-9-21 THOUGHTS

6-9-21 THOUGHTS

My grandchildren lost one of their grandpa’s yesterday.  He was a special man, and I learned to love him.   Bear with me as we study the emotion that surrounds death and dying. .  We see many very sad people below, our Lord being one of them.  He was sad in spite of knowing the victorious outcome beforehand.  Some of his sadness came from witnessing the sorrow of loved ones.     “He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled,”
John 11:30-44    Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him. 31  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32  Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." 33  When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, 34  and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." 35  Jesus wept. 36  So the Jews were saying, "See how He loved him!" 37  But some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?" 38  So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39  Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days." 40  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" 41  So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42  "I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me." 43  When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth."  44  The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
A few verses later Caiaphas unwittingly offered a great prophecy...
John 11:49-50    But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all,  50  nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish."
His idea and God’s PLAN were so so different.  
When we deal with death, we deal with something that GOD HAS ALREADY DEALT WITH IN CHRIST JESUS!  PRAISE THE LORD FOR THE VICTORY THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS!  
John 16:20b   you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.     [Victory in Jesus]
2Cor 1:3-4   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4  who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

My Prayer:
Father, thank you for giving us a High Priest who understands our hurts because he came and lived as we live.  Help us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.      In the name of Jesus           Amen