John 11

Fancy a trip through the mesmerizing narratives of the Bible with your hosts Ken and Steve? Brace yourself for an enlightening exploration as we discuss Jesus' profound affection for Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in John 11. This captivating journey will reveal the enigma behind Lazarus' illness, Jesus' delayed intervention, and the disciples' apprehensions about heading back to Judea. We promise, you're about to witness the Bible as never before.

Ever wondered how Jesus' arrival at the scene of Lazarus' death stirred emotions and expectations? As we unfold Martha and Mary’s reactions and the consequential events, get ready to be engrossed in the shortest verse in the Bible, "Jesus wept." Moreover, we'll share our awe for a friend who impressively memorized the entire book of Philippians and recited it flawlessly. But the discussions don't end here. 

Climaxing our discourse is an intriguing query: Why did Jesus cry upon hearing of Lazarus' death? Compassion, empathy, or something more profound? We're also analyzing the skepticism of Jews who challenged Jesus' identity, despite acknowledging His miraculous abilities. The finale is centered around the miraculous story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and His unwavering faith in God. So, get set to delve into the enigmatic tales of the Bible and unravel their profound relevance to our everyday lives.

Transcript

Ken 0:08

Hi, you are listening to the Regular Guys Bible Study Podcast. We are your host, Ken and Steve, and we are just Regular Guys studying the Bible.

Steve 0:21

Not theologians.

Ken 0:22

That's right. That's right. That's right, that's right. The look on your face, steve, is really priceless. Why thank you? That wasn't a good thing, but go ahead.

Steve 0:41

Yeah Well, I was going to say it's really loud today. What's loud?

Ken 0:45

My headphones, your headphones, are loud, I'm not sure why.

Steve 0:49

Well, I can turn them down, that's fine, I can turn them down. You can. I can turn them down. I Steve.

Ken 0:57

You, steve, turn them down, all right.

Steve 1:01

So let's start with the note I left from last time. You left a note. I left a note, dear Steve. It said Look up, if the Spirit is equated with God. Remember we were talking about Hall, is I am statements and we're like well, it seems pretty clear Jesus equated himself with God, but are there equivalent sort of statements of the Spirit? Oh, what did you find?

Ken 1:30

Ken, I didn't. I did not pay any attention to your note whatsoever because it was not written down.

Steve 1:37

Oh, but we said that we were going to go.

Ken 1:40

You know what I say? Lots of things, Steve. Did you look it up?

Steve 1:45

I'm sorry. Did you say something? Yes, I did so. I did attempt with you know that magnificent tool called Google.

Ken 1:57

Google.

Steve 1:59

And there's certainly not as many places as the I am statements, but there's some like in Genesis, about the Spirit over the planet, over the waters, whatever. And then there's someplace in Hebrews, but it just wasn't nearly as definitive as Jesus.

Ken 2:23

Right, and then maybe it's because there wasn't a need to equate the Spirit with God.

Steve 2:33

Maybe I mean or maybe I did understand thing deep enough right.

Ken 2:37

But it also, you know it does say baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, right, right, so that kind of that that lumps the three. It doesn't say like baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and John the Baptist. You know it doesn't like include somebody who was actually baptizing.

Steve 3:06

Well, and there was Jesus saying I must go, so that I don't remember the exact word, but so the helper.

Ken 3:18

Yeah, he calls him the helper in this case.

Steve 3:22

But you know, I probably would have looked harder if I thought you weren't going to do any more homework. The liar.

Ken 3:28

But you're lying right now, steve, you think you think it's OK to lie. Is that what you want to be considered, steve, a liar?

Steve 3:40

Don't? They make pretty good music.

Ken 3:43

It's a late. Is Adam had a? Is that called a liar?

Steve 3:47

I don't know.

Ken 3:48

I call it a harp.

Steve 3:50

You liar. I don't think you ever called it a heart.

Ken 3:55

I don't even know what it is.

Steve 3:58

It's not a heart, it's not like a guitar or a weird round. I think, well, you are wrong. You know what you are a weird round. My next, not quite that long though.

Ken 4:13

All right. Well, that was fun and interesting. It was interesting, so not as many references to equate the spirit, the Holy Spirit, with God as equating Jesus with God. All right, so now, today we are on John, chapter 11. We are For those of you, for the many of you that download our podcast weekly and listen to the Bible study. I want to apologize for being two weeks late.

Steve 4:51

Is it just?

Ken 4:52

two, it's just two weeks.

Steve 4:53

OK, but it seems like a long time.

Ken 4:55

It does seem like a long time with our Wow, good cough. Steve, it was away from the mic. Yeah, it's that loud, that's not, it doesn't matter. At any rate, I do apologize. We with Thanksgiving and other something else happened.

Steve 5:17

We had a lot going on. Oh, my family was in town.

Ken 5:20

Oh, yeah, you had. You had things that kept us from doing it, but we're back again and you know, the truth is we're probably going to have another week off coming soon, because Steve has lots of vacations that he just kind of galavance around the world.

Steve 5:39

We're good for next week, but the week after we probably have to skip.

Ken 5:42

We'll see. We'll see, steve. Well, we might make it happen. I think we can do it, I don't know. No, I think you're right, it's going to be hard because you're out for a week, we could do it. It's possible.

Steve 5:55

But two weeks from tonight would work.

Ken 5:59

Oh, it depends on what time you get in that day. All right, I don't know why we're discussing that right now because it's really interesting to our listeners. Yes, All right, well, let's start with John, chapter 11.

Ken 6:14

And I really actually love this story. Well, I'll let you read it then. Okay, I will. Well, I'm going to read the first part of it Now.

Ken 6:22

A certain man was ill, lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary, and her sister, martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with anointment and wiped his feet with her hair whose brother, lazarus, was ill. So the sisters sent to him saying Lord, he whom you love is ill. But when Jesus heard it, he said this illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so the Son of God may be glorified through it. Now, jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

Ken 7:03

So when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then, after he said to his disciples and after this, he said to his disciples let us go to Judea again. Then the disciples said to him Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you and you are going there again. Jesus answered are there not 12 hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble because he sees the light of this world, but if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles because the light is not in him.

Ken 7:41

After saying these things he said to them. Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him. The disciples said to him Lord, if he has fallen asleep he will recover. Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly Lazarus has died and for your sake, I'm glad that I was not there so that you may believe. But let us go to him. So Thomas called the twins, said to his fellow disciples let us also go, that we may die with him.

Steve 8:19

Wow, there's several things in here I'd like to point out.

Ken 8:23

All right, let's see if we have the same things that we'd like to point out.

Steve 8:27

So earlier in John we've been saying that everything is fairly chronological. But here we have him pointing out it was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair. That doesn't happen until chapter 12.

Ken 8:49

Oh, is that not? You know what? I did not even realize that we haven't already covered that in John.

Steve 8:57

We have not.

Ken 8:59

That's pretty funny.

Steve 9:00

But I'm not sure that rules out chronologicality. Oh, he could be.

Ken 9:12

He's just pointing out that it could have happened, the same Mary who later Right. That could be Okay, we don't really know.

Steve 9:22

And 12 opens up with a similar sort of reference back to Lazarus, I think.

Ken 9:28

But according to who was that, According to the guy who leads my life group. He says that John is not considered a chronological gospel, that there is only one gospel that is considered chronological and that is do you know?

Steve 9:54

Luke.

Ken 9:54

I think it's. Luke, that would be my guess, yeah because Luke is a historian and a doctor and a plumber. I don't know I just made that up because he does everything.

Steve 10:09

Well, a historian and doctor is not everything, Okay fair point.

Ken 10:17

Okay, what else? As you said, there were a couple of things, that's one.

Steve 10:25

Well, that, I think, was my only thing from the first paragraph, so I'm gonna.

Ken 10:29

Your couple of things was actually one.

Steve 10:31

Well, no, the whole section.

Ken 10:34

Oh, okay, yeah, go on to the next.

Steve 10:36

Well, I thought I was gonna let you do the first paragraph. What's your thing?

Ken 10:40

I'll talk about my things, okay. Well, on the first paragraph, he says this illness does not lead to death. He says that and but see, it's really all together. So if I'm saying it, I say it all together. That's why I wanted you to say all your stuff together.

Steve 11:03

Well, so it has been two weeks, and that did occur to me as well, but just not again tonight. I didn't take good enough notes to point that out.

Ken 11:10

That sucks, you suck Thanks.

Steve 11:14

Sure, but I think I came to resolution on that. I did too, because it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it. He temporarily died. It didn't permanently lead to death.

Ken 11:33

It's not. The permanent death is what he means. In the same way he means rest, he means death. When he says he's fallen asleep and he says it's interesting, he says this illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it. So he knows why this is being done is so that he could be glorified.

Steve 12:03

Yep, all right, but the funny thing is in the very next paragraph.

Ken 12:07

Yes.

Steve 12:09

So when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he decided to stay two days longer and let him die.

Ken 12:15

I think that's so hilarious. It even it says so In verse six. I underlined so Now, jesus loved Martha and her sister in. Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. It just doesn't make sense. It does because he needed.

Steve 12:43

He knew the purpose of it.

Ken 12:45

Yes. And it makes sense there, but the way it's worded doesn't make sense the way it's worded is very odd, but I guess you know, if he had been there and he had to wait, let's think about that. If he goes right there immediately and he has to wait for Lazarus to die, that wouldn't work, that would be very painful, because you think it's painful for him.

Ken 13:12

But everybody would be like, why don't you just heal him Right, and yeah, that just it wouldn't work and it says, because it says now, he loved them and because he loved them, he couldn't be there. That would be too painful, because for him to show who he is, he's having to let him die. Yep, all right what else? I have a big question mark on verse nine and 10. Oh yeah, I don't understand.

Steve 13:56

So I've read this enough times that I come up with something different almost every time about are there not 12 hours? Well, I'll back up, rabbi. The Jews were just now seeking to stone you and you were going there again, and Jesus answered are there not 12 hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stop, and I'm not sure if you're going to be there. If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble Because he sees the light of this world, but if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles because the light is not in him. Okay, I don't know.

Ken 14:34

What are the disciples saying to this?

Steve 14:36

It's like it's like if you were to say, let's go downtown, and I said, oh, look a squirrel. I don't quite get it.

Ken 14:51

But I think it's a little different than that. I think it's it would be more like saying squirrels live in trees.

Steve 15:00

And collect nuts during the day so that they can eat in the winter. So I've tried to reconcile this, and one thought I had was that Lazarus is no longer in the day and he's stumbling in the dark. He's dead and he needs to bring him back into the light. That was one thought. Another thought I had is that he has to go reveal himself so that people see the light of this world and don't stumble. I think I had a third thought, but I don't remember what was because I did not take very good notes this time. What are your thoughts?

Ken 16:01

You know I never came up with a good explanation, but I actually kind of like your first one because you know I was trying to relate it to what the disciples had just said about why are we going to go there? Oh well, it does say. Jesus answered. Are there not 12 hours in a day?

Steve 16:26

But after saying these things he said to them our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.

Ken 16:34

Yeah, so I'm confused now. Maybe it's related to Lazarus and not the Jews trying to kill him. Hmm, that's a good point, Steve. It might be because Lazarus is in a dark cave now. Yep, which?

Steve 17:02

we'll go into that in a minute, but yeah, he's dead.

Ken 17:06

He's dead. Yeah, I guess we don't know yet that he's in a dark cave. I know, though, because I cheated and read ahead. I think it's funny how, in my head and kind of the way I read it, jesus is kind of exasperated he's died. So, um and Thomas, it let us go that we may die with him. I was thinking originally this was well, it's saying let us die with Lazarus and Jesus.

Steve 17:44

That's what I think because, oh, I thought it meant die with Jesus.

Ken 17:48

Well, both of them. Lazarus is dead. Now we're going to go and we're also going to die. They're going to stone Jesus and we're going to get stoned as well, but let's go and be stoned and be killed with him.

Steve 18:03

Which is interesting because Thomas is better known for being the doubter.

Ken 18:09

Right. But that's about doubting that he had risen Right.

Steve 18:13

but here he's, he's all in Right. So I think he gets a bad rap sometimes for being doubting Thomas.

Ken 18:22

Oh yeah, I agree, I would be. You know what, if I were there, we'd talk about. Are you being a doubting Ken? Because I can doubt.

Steve 18:35

You can I?

Ken 18:36

can that never gets old, does it?

Steve 18:43

So going back to Lazarus being dead and in the tomb, we don't know he's in a tomb yet.

Ken 18:52

Oh, all we know is that he's died.

Steve 18:53

I was kind of moving on. Unless you had more, why don't we?

Ken 18:56

read then, or do you have something to say about those? Oh?

Steve 19:00

we haven't read this yet, no, we haven't. All right, I will read this.

Jesus' Interaction With Martha and Mary

Ken 19:04

Go for it Now.

Steve 19:06

When Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, god will give you. Jesus said to her your brother will rise again. Martha said to him I know he'll rise again in the resurrection. On the last day, jesus said to her I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die yet, shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? She said to him yes, lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.

Steve 20:06

Wow yeah that's pretty cool. I put my own little attitude onto her, but I saw that yeah.

Ken 20:14

I mean, I heard it, I saw it, because you made some facial expressions while you did it. Yeah, that's pretty cool.

Steve 20:22

But I don't think she had any expectation for him to raise him from the dead.

Ken 20:27

Well, I don't know, she does say but even now I know that whatever you ask from God, god will give you. So you know. Okay, I agree that I don't think there was an expectation. Maybe there was a little 5% hope there was a little bit of hope in there, I think, because that's I don't think she would have said that if she had zero hope.

Steve 20:54

But her response to him, saying that he'll rise again, is kind of like she's like, yeah, in the afterlife, not this life.

Ken 21:06

Yeah, she. Well, okay, I would say so too. Yeah, I agree. But let's see, what do I have here? Make him go near the juice. Oh oh, that's what I had a note here, but it didn't make any sense. So I notice here that Jesus does not go all the way to their house. Did you see that?

Steve 21:38

Yeah, instead.

Ken 21:39

Martha goes and actually Jesus never goes to their house.

Steve 21:43

That's right, because later Mary comes to him. Yep, so my go to the tomb.

Ken 21:48

Right. So Martha goes and visits him where he's at, and this is because there's a bunch of Jews mourning in their house and consoling, or you know, whatever they do, mourning not in the morning, I mean, it might be the morning, but they are sad, that's what I mean. So she goes out to him wherever he is. You know, in my head I'm imagining he's like he walks to the edge of the forest and they send somebody in, say he come out to Jesus, he's here, and they walk out to where he is and to keep him to, you know, keep from being stoned right away. That's my thoughts.

Steve 22:36

Yeah, maybe there might have been somebody there morning that knew of the demand to let them know where he is. That would have run back the two miles to say, hey, he's over here in Bethany, come get him.

Ken 22:52

Yeah. So Jesus, though, never says here I'm going to raise him from the dead right now, Right. He never says that to. Martha, nope, but you know, he kind of says he can sort of I am the resurrection in the life, so why don't we? Do you have anything else to say about that, or?

Steve 23:14

not really my. My other comments are a little more broad sweeping of various things.

Ken 23:21

Alright, then let me read this other section. When she had said this, what did? She just said yes, Lord, I believe that you're the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world. Alright, when she had said this, she went and called her sister, Mary, saying in private the teacher is here and is calling for you. And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him.

Ken 23:45

Now, Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him when the Jews who were with her in the house consoling her saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now, when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet saying to him Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said where have you laid him? They said to him Lord, come and see Jesus wept. So the Jews said see how he loved him. But some of the some of them said could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying.

Steve 24:44

Did you know that verse 35 there is the shortest verse in the Bible?

Ken 24:48

I did know that. I knew that when I was like in like second grade or something. Yeah, it's Jesus wept. That's the one I would choose to memorize.

Steve 24:58

That's right. Speaking of memorizing yes we have a friend who recited all of Philippians was it Philippians?

Ken 25:06

Yeah, this morning.

Steve 25:08

That was a crazy. I don't know how he did that.

Ken 25:12

What's amazing to me is that he memorized it, so this is part of our accountability group. He said he was going to do this thing and he was going to recite it on December 6, which is today, and he did the thing. Is he finished memorizing it back in end of October or something?

Steve 25:32

Maybe even earlier than that, and he was going on to memorize. He's starting to write something else.

Ken 25:40

But we would not let him tell it to us early because he said he was going to tell it to us on December 6. And I cannot believe he still had that in his head. That is incredible.

Steve 25:55

Yeah, really huge props to him. Yeah, it's pretty encouraging and makes me feel like a slug.

Ken 26:03

That's not what makes you look like a slug, it's your slug, life slug. Slugging this, I feel like a slug. Yeah, yeah, that was impressive. It really challenges me, I think, to you know to do it better. All right, Let me ask you a question, Steve.

Steve 26:22

Okay, Ken.

Ken 26:24

Why did Jesus cry?

Steve 26:28

I've thought about this a little. It doesn't seem to me that it was because he loved Lazarus. It seems to me that he was empathizing with those that had lost Lazarus. I mean, it could have also been because he loved Lazarus, but it, the way it reads to me, is it's more of an empathy thing than it is a. Well, what's the other word? Self, sympathy, sadness, what do you?

Ken 27:05

think you know what. I agree with you that I believe it's mainly empathy. However, one of the things you said earlier makes me wonder if there is some sadness of the pain that Lazarus might be going through during this time.

Steve 27:27

See, now we're getting back to the other thing I wanted to ask. So where was Lazarus during his four days?

Ken 27:33

Well, dead. Remember? He says up here are there not 12 hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day he does not stumble, but he who sees, because he sees the light of the world. But if anyone walks in the night he stumbles because the light is not in him. And then he says Lazarus has died, so is Lazarus. Lazarus stumbling in the dark Could be.

Steve 28:07

He could be.

Ken 28:10

This seems like a stretch to me, though, because it's to say the light is not in him. That's really we don't. We know that he knew Jesus and that he loved Jesus.

Steve 28:26

Yeah but we don't know if he accepted Jesus as Savior.

Ken 28:33

But I think we do. I think you could assume that.

Steve 28:39

But Jesus hadn't yet ascended, so he couldn't this day be with him in paradise, right.

Ken 28:46

I know that, so I don't know where Lazarus has is at this point.

Steve 28:52

Is this where the Catholics get purgatory from?

Ken 28:55

maybe so I don't know, but I think it's really about empathy, for the most part because he saw her weeping and then he saw that those who were with her also weeping. He was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. I Think you know You've, have you ever been around somebody who was extremely sad and it made you cry.

Steve 29:25

I have a hard time crying, but I know what you mean. Oh, I want to cry, but I can't oh see, I'm the time the opposite.

Ken 29:37

I don't want to cry, but I can't help but tears forming in my eyes, especially like if I get an ouchy.

Steve 29:48

It's gonna be okay, ken, I'm just a paper cut.

Ken 29:52

No, but someone who is crying about Just horrible pain and sadness. I have that empathetic tear and that's that's what I feel like Jesus here here is having. I think so. In other words, what I'm trying to say Me and Jesus are a lot alike.

Steve 30:13

That's cool.

Ken 30:14

Yeah, all right, so, all right. So some of these Jews now, so Jesus, jesus has been trying to stay away from the Jews, right, yep, but the Jews end up following Mary and they to where Jesus is, and then they say, okay, let's go to the tomb, to be fair, all of his disciples are Jews, I know, but when they come? When they say the Jews, they're talking about a different group, right?

Steve 30:47

Yeah, they also kind of ridicule him with. Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying? Like they're? They're the same as Mary and Martha, really. They're like where was he? Yeah why wasn't he here? Which means they believed he could do the miracles, but they didn't Want to believe he was who he said he was right, all right, let's go on.

Ken 31:15

You read the next section.

Steve 31:17

Then, jesus, deeply moved, again came to the tomb. It was a cave and a stone lay against it. Jesus said take away the stone. Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead for four days. Jesus said to her did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God? So they took away the stone and Jesus lifted up his eyes and said Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around that they may believe that you sent me.

Steve 31:53

When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice Lazarus, come out. The man who had died came out his hands and feet bound with linen straps, strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them unbind him and let him go. Okay, so verse 41 and 42 there, yeah, I guess it's mostly just 42. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around that they may believe that you sent me.

Ken 32:29

What is this tense?

Steve 32:31

of that sentence.

Ken 32:33

No, it wasn't a tent, steve, it was a cave tense. No, there was only one, and it was a cave present tense, past tense. What do you mean, father? I thank you that you have heard me past. I Knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around that they may believe that you sent me past, that they now and then present.

Steve 33:05

Maybe believe I knew that you always hear me is sort of a. I don't remember, I'm not good at English grammar stuff, but it's like one of those present.

Ken 33:17

Oh hold it weren't you a valedictorian in high school.

Steve 33:21

In a rural county in Ohio. I didn't have much competing against how many?

Ken 33:27

people were in your class 96. Okay, that's not small. That is not small. I think you know grammar and that seems okay to me, Steve.

Steve 33:39

Kelsey Grammer.

Ken 33:41

I knew that you always hear me. I knew that you always hear me.

Steve 33:48

You always hear me present and future.

Ken 33:52

No, that, no, that is. I know that you always hear me. I knew that you always hear me.

Steve 34:02

Wouldn't it be? I knew that you have always heard me.

Ken 34:07

No, he's saying, I knew that every time I talk you hear me.

Steve 34:13

Then it should be. I know that you always hear me, no, no.

Ken 34:17

I knew, when I said those things, that whatever I say, you hear me.

Steve 34:25

Okay, I just find the whole wording a little strange.

Ken 34:30

It is a little strange, I agree, but I think it's interesting that he says that out loud in front of them.

Steve 34:40

Well, it really is the whole point, though right. He waited a couple of days. The Lazarus would die so that he could come and reveal the glory of God.

Ken 34:49

Right and actually, no, not the glory of God, but reveal that he is the Son of God.

Steve 34:58

Right it's about, let's see yes, they may believe that you sent me yes. I think you have to go all the way back up to I am the resurrection and the life.

Ken 35:14

It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God, who is Jesus, may be glorified through it. That's verse four.

Steve 35:22

Yeah.

Ken 35:24

So it's really for Jesus' glory that this stuff is happening. Who is also God? I?

Steve 35:31

was gonna say, we just went through that.

Ken 35:33

Yeah, I know, all right, anything else to say about that? I mean, he raised him from the dead. That's pretty cool. I also think it's cool how there's a stone that has to be rolled away. It's the same kind of tomb that Jesus was put in. People had to roll that stone away.

Steve 35:55

I have trouble not seeing Lazarus sort of stumbling out, because he's all bundled up in these whatever cloth.

Ken 36:04

Yeah, I always wonder how big these caves are. Oh, have you never.

Steve 36:08

Oh, you've never been.

Ken 36:08

I've never been to is there, so I've seen some of these caves. Are they big Like? Can you stand up?

Steve 36:15

at them. Yeah, you can stand up. And then there's like cutouts in the oh, I see where they put the dead bodies and stuff I see.

Ken 36:23

Okay, I mean I don't see, but I understand.

Steve 36:26

The cutouts aren't very big, but then you do have to bend over and stuff and some of them All right.

Ken 36:34

well, let's go on and read this last section, unless you have more to say.

Steve 36:38

Well, I was just thinking I kind of picture him as a mummy coming out of there, kind of tripping over his strips around his legs. Well, you like scoop and he would have gotten away with it. Two of them had men for those darn kids.

Ken 36:56

All right, all right, let's move on to verse 45 and to the end. Many of the Jews, therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said what are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.

Ken 37:30

But one of them, caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them you know nothing at all, nor do you understand what it is that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish, he said.

Ken 37:51

He did not say this on his unaccord, but, being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples. Now, the Passover, the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before Passover to purify themselves. They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple what do you think that he will not come to the feast at all? Now, the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let him know so that they might arrest him.

Steve 38:55

So some of them had seen and believed. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what he'd done. So they saw what he did, they believed he did it, but they didn't believe. They didn't believe.

Ken 39:12

So they're I'm gonna go tell the teacher. Yeah, they said, wow, he did that. And the Pharisee, he's not supposed to be doing that, it's bad stuff. That he's probably doing it by demon or something. Yeah, that's interesting If you see someone do some incredible thing.

Steve 39:34

And your first reaction is to go get the people that wanna kill him.

Ken 39:38

Yeah, that's strange, very strange.

Steve 39:42

Although maybe they didn't know, the Pharisees wanted to kill him and they just wanted to go. Hey, guess what Pharisees? This guy has raised somebody from the dead.

Ken 39:50

No, I think they did because, remember, he's hiding. The Jews wanna stone him, and I think all of these that are there know that and some of them, even knowing that the Pharisees have wanted him to be stoned, think, oh wow, this is really the Christ. And others ran to them and said he's here again and he's doing those things that you don't like. That's what I think.

Steve 40:21

But then you've got the priests and the Pharisees and the council saying this man performs many signs Like he really does look like the Christ, but that's not their concern, they're not worried that he looks like the Christ.

Ken 40:37

And they said it with kind of a Russian accent too. They did.

Steve 40:40

It was weird. They were concerned that everyone would believe in him and the Romans will come, take away both our place and our nation.

Ken 40:49

Yeah, our place. What is our place? Our high and mighty positions.

Steve 40:56

So it's interesting this is the ESV translation, but if you go to some others it says our temple and our nation.

Ken 41:03

Ah, okay, which is a pretty big difference. That is a big difference.

Steve 41:10

This one points more toward them being concerned about their own power and influence.

Ken 41:16

Well, the place could be temple also, because it's just place.

Steve 41:21

Yeah.

Ken 41:21

The place we meet, which I can see, that I mean. In fact, the Romans end up destroying the temple, don't they? Yeah, in 70. Ad or 71 AD, something like that. So you know, I think it's interesting that God gave Caiaphas a vision. Let's see, let's see. What does he say you?

Steve 41:53

know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish. Why did the entire country perish Right.

Ken 42:08

Second problem let's see. Where does it say he had been given that vision 51. 51. Okay, yeah, he did not say this on his own accord but, being high priest that year, he had prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation.

Steve 42:25

So what's interesting is God gave this prophecy to Caiaphas and it is true Jesus will die for the nation, not true in the way he meant it, or at least the way he thinks.

Ken 42:46

Right. And he also says and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. That's all of us, it's not really just the Jews who had been scattered, it's everyone. I think that's pretty cool how God used the high priest for that year. It says, that year I didn't realize that high priest was something you hold for one year, I guess.

Ken 43:24

So, anyway, I thought that was really cool, and it really talks about how God is in control of the plan. The Pharisees were not in control of this plan. God was in control of this plan the whole time Omnipotent, yes, and sovereign, yeah. All right. So after this, though, jesus didn't really walk openly.

Steve 43:57

He had to abide his time until the Passover.

Ken 43:59

Right, which is coming right now. How many chapters are in John?

Steve 44:10

There's 21. Wow, so does he Just halfway.

Ken 44:16

Just halfway. Is this the Passover where he is crucified, or is that a later Passover?

Steve 44:22

I guess we know this. There's a lot of description in between here and the Passover.

Ken 44:28

And it's not chronological either.

Steve 44:30

Well, it breaks it down into little baby steps.

Ken 44:33

OK, all right.

Steve 44:35

Well.

Ken 44:36

I can't wait to read the rest.

Steve 44:39

Yeah.

Ken 44:41

You have anything else, Steve, I'm done. No, I think that's all I had, All right. Well, I think this is really cool. I really like how oh did have something. Well, hold on, I just really like how. I mean. To me it is so cool how God used the Pharisees and said hey, you're going to have to kill this dude, yeah.

Steve 45:04

But I kept thinking that. I don't know, maybe when I was in high school or around that age, I watched some stupid movie where they claimed Lazarus never died At least I thought that's what it was. You know, because he was raised from the dead, he never died again.

Ken 45:24

Was this the last imitation of Christ?

Steve 45:26

maybe I've never seen that which I did not see that I haven't seen or read it.

Ken 45:30

It is definitely not a Christian movie.

Steve 45:32

I looked for that and I could not find anything on the Google.

Ken 45:39

Really.

Steve 45:39

The Google didn't have it Well, so there is a movie in 2021 called Lazarus. It is not this story, but the guy does get shot to death and then comes back and more or less is a like Batman and vigilante type.

Ken 46:00

Oh yeah, I've heard of this.

Steve 46:03

It didn't get very good ratings no it's definitely not a Christian. I'm pretty sure it is not Biblically based, but I did come across an old 1960s whatever snip of a movie that did the scene and it was so realistic because everyone was white and Jesus had blue eyes.

Ken 46:29

I've heard that Jesus probably had blue eyes.

Steve 46:32

Uh-huh and probably blonde hair. It was pretty light, it wasn't quite blonde.

Ken 46:39

Or if he was like us, steve, he's probably like us even better bald.

Steve 46:46

I'm not bald. He wasn't in this movie. They took a number of artistic license as well.

Ken 46:55

Okay, it was only a 10 minute YouTube Speaking of artistic license.

Steve 47:00

It's time to go.

Ken 47:01

No, that movie we saw with our wives. That was awful Okay.

Steve 47:08

Well, first of all, it's a musical. How could it not be?

Ken 47:11

Okay, guys, listen to me. Your wife might ask you to go see a movie called Journey to Bethlehem. It first of all, it's a musical. First of all, there is a whole lot of liberties they take. It's really corny. It is corny and it's not biblically accurate, and it's just. I did not like that movie, but Steve's Steve made me go.

Steve 47:43

No, you're my wife and your wife put that together, okay.

Ken 47:48

Our wives did it and made us go and we loved every bit of it. Anyway, I'm warning you now. Find something else to do if that comes up.

Steve 47:59

Apparently, Ken thinks that Violent Night is a good movie.

Ken 48:04

Oh, that is a very good Christmas movie. You need to see Violent Night and I'm not joking. People apparently think I'm being sarcastic. I'm not being sarcastic. It is really a good movie, but not biblically based. It's a Santa movie, Steve. It's about Santa Claus.

Steve 48:26

Saint.

Ken 48:27

Nick, no, no, santa Claus. It's not a Christian movie, but it's really good. My wife loves it she's seen it twice and lots of good action. Lots of blood, gore, not gore, but there is lots of blood and action. It's really good, though I promise you. All right, okay.

Steve 48:48

Gotta go guys.

Ken 48:50

Bye.