Psalm 137, 144; Jer. 31:27-34; Rom. 11:25-36; John 11:28-44
The Lord announces that there is going to be a different way in which He works with His people, a new covenant. No longer, He says, will one teach another to know Him, they will all know in a different way, in their hearts. He will begin to deal with them not as a nation and not generationally, but as individuals. Relationship will be the name of the game but who could possibly have truly understood this word in the way that it was fulfilled? To know God in your heart was something quite different from the way that they had been dealt with for centuries. The law was written in a book, written on their foreheads, spoken among one another and in every aspect of your life in order that it might be ingrained in their minds and now there was something new promised, that it would be written on their hearts. The only way to work with my heart is relationship.
Some remarked on Jesus’ love for Lazarus due to his tears but others only saw Him as someone who could have done something. There is a great statement of faith in that comment but they miss the relational aspect by noting this at his tears. Too often we look to Jesus as the miracle-worker rather than as a friend. Here, Mary gets both those things in her response to Jesus. We see here that Martha’s faith isn’t ready to accept that Jesus can yet do anything for her brother, she knows that in Jewish understanding her brother is beyond hope, even his soul has given up and gone, now the body is left to decay. Jesus speaks his name and Lazarus comes forth and Jesus commands the mourners to unbind him. Some have speculated that Jesus needed to speak Lazarus’ name so that only Lazarus came forth, a moving idea. Jesus Himself needed no human to unbind Him when He came forth from the tomb.
The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. What a powerful and profound statement, what blessed assurance this is to us who have known the call of God on our lives to be His children! Paul is speaking about the gift and call of God to Israel but we have been called as individuals and the call is the same and the irrevocable nature of it as well, is there anything left to do but worship? Paul has done some heavy theological lifting now for eleven chapters and as he contemplates election and God’s grace and mercy we see him explode in praise.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
"For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?"
"Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?"
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.
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