LAZARUS  A LIVING EPISTLE
OF JESUS CHRIST


And the LORD God formed man
 of the dust of the ground,
and breathed into his nostrils
 the breath of life;
and man became a living soul.
 (Gen 2:7)
Love the Lord with all your
mind , with all your heart,
and with all your soul , and
with all your strength.
You have the Lord's breath of
life , when you love the Lord
with all your mind , with
all your heart , with all
your soul , and with all
your strength.

DEATH OF THE RICH MAN
AND THE POOR MAN
(Luke 16:19-31)
Jesus is the resurrection and
life. Jesus has the authority
and power over life and death.
Jesus is the truth about life
and death. Jesus tells us
about the rich man and the
poor Lazarus.
The Lord Jesus Christ tells
us what happens to the
believer and unbeliever.

19 There was a certain rich man,
 which was clothed in purple 
and fine linen, and fared 
sumptuously every day:
20 And there was a certain beggar
 named Lazarus, which was laid 
at his  gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with
 the crumbs which fell from the 
rich man's table: moreover the
 dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass, 
that the beggar died, and was 
carried by the angels into Abraham's
 bosom: the rich man also died,
 and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up
 his eyes, being in torments,
 and sees Abraham afar off,
 and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said,
 Father Abraham, have mercy on me,
 and send Lazarus, that he may
 dip the tip of his finger
 in water, and cool my tongue;
 for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember
 that you in your lifetime received
 your good things, and likewise
 Lazarus evil things: but now he 
is comforted, and you are tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us
 and you there is a great
 gulf fixed: so that they which
 would pass from hence to you
 cannot; neither can they pass to
 us, that would come from thence.
27 Then he said, I pray you
 therefore, father, that you would 
send him to my father's house:
28 For I have five brethren; 
that he may testify unto them, 
lest they also come into this 
place of torment.
29 Abraham said unto him, 
They have Moses and the prophets;
 let them hear them.
30 And he said, Nay, father 
Abraham: but if one went unto
 them from the dead, they will
 repent.
31 And he said unto him,
 If they hear not Moses and
 the prophets, neither will 
they be persuaded, though one
 rose from the dead.
(Luke 16:19-31)

     
THE DEATH OF LAZARUS 
 (John 11:1-16)      
Now a certain man
 was sick, named Lazarus,
 of Bethany, the town
    of Mary and her
 sister Martha.
 2 (It was that Mary which
 anointed the Lord with
 ointment, and wiped  his 
feet with her hair, whose 
brother Lazarus was sick.)
3 Therefore his sisters sent
 unto him, saying, Lord,
 behold, he whom you love
is sick.
4 When Jesus heard that, he 
said, This sickness is not
 unto death, but  for the
 glory of God, that the 
Son of God might be
    glorified thereby.
5 Now Jesus loved Martha, 
and her sister, and Lazarus.
6 When he had heard therefore
 that he was sick, he abode
two days still in the same
 place where he was.
7 Then after that said he
 to his disciples,
 Let us go into Judaea again.
8 His disciples say unto him,
 Master, the Jews of late sought
to stone you; and go you
 thither again?
9 Jesus answered, Are there
 not twelve hours in the day?
 If any man walk in the day,
 he stumbles not, because he
 sees the light of this
    world.
10 But if a man walk in 
the night, he stumbles, because
 there is no   light in him.
11 These things said he: and
 after that he said unto them,
Our friend Lazarus sleeps; 
but I go, that I may awake
 him out of sleep.
12 Then said his disciples, 
Lord, if he sleep, he shall
 do well.
13 Howbeit Jesus spoke of his
 death: but they thought that he
had spoken of taking of rest 
in sleep.
14 Then said Jesus unto them 
plainly, Lazarus is dead.
15 And I am glad for your 
sakes that I was not there, 
to the intent you may believe; 
nevertheless let us go unto him.
(John 11: 11-15)

The disciples thought that  Jesus 
had spoken of Lazarus taking  of 
rest in sleep. They did not
understand what Jesus meant when
He said that Lazarus was sleeping.
Death means separation ,
The body of the believer is at
the grave. The spirit goes 
to be with Christ.
For the believer  , to be
absent from the body is to
be present with the Lord.  
(2 Cor.5:8)
Those who do not  belong to
Christ do not have the
Spirit of Christ   residing  
in them (Romans 8:9).
Thus their bodies are not
a temple of the Holy Spirit.
Lazarus belongs to Christ.
His body is a temple of the
Holy Spirit.


16 Then said Thomas, which is 
called Didymus, unto his fellow
    disciples, Let us also go,
 that we may die with him.
(John 11:16)
Man's plans are not always
God's plan. The time and
place of death is not
man's choosing. God has
the authority and power 
over life and death.

JESUS THE RESURRECTION
AND THE LIFE
(John 11:17-45)

17 Then when Jesus came, 
he found that he had lain in 
the grave four days already.
18 Now Bethany was nigh unto
Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
19 And many of the Jews came to 
Martha and Mary, to comfort them
    concerning their brother.
20 Then Martha, as soon as she 
heard that Jesus was coming, 
went and met him: but Mary 
sat still in the house.
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, 
Lord, if you had been here, my
    brother had not died.

It is not necessary for Jesus
to be physically present with
Lazarus to save him.
Martha believed that Jesus 
has power over life and death.

 22 But I know, that even 
now, whatsoever you will ask 
of God, God  will give it you. 
23 Jesus said unto her, 
Your brother shall rise again. 
24 Martha said unto him, 
I know that he shall rise 
again in the  resurrection at
 the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, 
I am the resurrection, and 
the life: he that believes 
in me, though he were dead,
 yet shall he live;
26 And whosoever lives and 
believes in me shall never die.
 Believe  you this?
27 She said unto him, 
Yea, Lord: I believe that 
you are the Christ,
the Son of God, which should 
come into the world.
Martha believed that Jesus
is the Christ ,the son of
God, which should come into
the world.

28 And when she had so said, 
she went her way, and called
 Mary her sister secretly, saying,
 The Master is come, and calls 
for you.        
29 As soon as she heard that, 
she arose quickly, and 
came unto him.
30 Now Jesus was not yet come 
into the town, but was in 
that place where Martha 
met him.
31 The Jews then which were
 with her in the house, 
and comforted    her, when 
they saw Mary, that she 
rose up hastily and went out,
followed her, saying, She 
goes unto the grave to 
weep there.
32 Then when Mary was come 
where Jesus was, and saw him,
 she fell down at his feet, 
saying unto him, Lord, if 
you had been here, my
    brother had not died.
33 When Jesus therefore 
saw her weeping, and the
 Jews also weeping which 
came with her, he groaned 
in the spirit, and was troubled,
34 And said, Where have you
 laid him? They said unto him,
 Lord, come  and see.
 35 Jesus wept.
36 Then said the Jews, 
Behold how he loved him!
37 And some of them said,
 Could not this man, which 
opened the eyes of the blind,
 have caused that even this 
man should not have died? 
(John 11:17-37)
Jesus knows what is death.
Jesus knows the struggle of
Lazarus against death.
Jesus knows the struggle of
Lazarus against the devil.
Death is the devil's powerful
weapon against man.
The devil brings death.
God is the Giver of life.
How did God feels about the
death of man ?
How did Jesus feels about
death ?
 When Jesus therefore 
saw her weeping, and the
 Jews also weeping which 
came with her, he groaned 
in the spirit, and was 
troubled (John 11:33)

Jesus wept for Lazarus. 
Jesus feels the suffering of
Martha and Mary . Jesus feels
the suffering of the Jews.  
The people whom Jesus loves
are groaning in the spirit
to the Lord. The people whom
Jesus loves is crying to
the Lord for Lazarus. The 
Lord Jesus hears their
prayers , their mourning's ,
and their crying. The
Lord Jesus shares the sufferings
of His loved ones. When they
cry the Lord Jesus also cries.    
When they groan the Lord Jesus
also groans. The Holy Spirit
also groans and weeps.
Lazarus was dead in the body.
When a person dies , the spirit
separates from the body. 
For the believer dies, the spirit 
goes to the Lord .
Lazarus was very alive in
the spirit. The Lord Jesus
hears and feels the
groaning of the spirit of
Lazarus.

38 Jesus therefore again 
groaning in himself comes to
 the grave. It  was a cave,
 and a stone lay upon it.
39 Jesus said, Take you 
away the stone. Martha, the 
sister of him that was dead, 
said unto him, Lord, by this 
time he stinks: for he
    has been dead four days.
40 Jesus said unto her, 
Said I not unto you, that,
 if you would believe, you
 should see the glory of God?
41 Then they took away the 
stone from the place where 
the dead was laid. And Jesus
 lifted up his eyes, and said, 
Father, I thank you that you
 have heard me.
42 And I knew that you hear 
me always: but because of 
the people which stand by
 I said it, that they may 
believe that you have sent
    me.
43 And when he thus had 
spoken, he cried with a
 loud voice, Lazarus,
    come forth. 
44 And he that was dead 
came forth, bound hand and 
foot with grave clothes :
and his face was bound about 
with a napkin. Jesus
said unto them, 
Loose him, and let him go.
45 Then many of the Jews 
which came to Mary, and 
had seen the things which 
Jesus did, believed on him.
(Jn 11:1-43)

Even though Lazarus was dead
physically for four days,
Lazarus was spiritually sleeping.
Lazarus could still hear the
voice of Jesus.
Lazarus was only physically dead, 
but he was spiritually sleeping.
Jesus tells us that Lazarus was
only sleeping spiritually.
Lazarus was spiritually alive. 
Only Jesus could awake him.
This sickness of Lazarus was
not to be the spiritual death 
of Lazarus. This happened in
order to bring glory to God,
so that the Son of God is
glorified.
Jesus is the truth. Anyone who
hears our Lord's voice and
believes in Him has everlasting
life. The believer shall not 
come into condemnation , but is
past from death  into life.
Jesus is the way to life. 
Jesus is the truth. The hour
is coming and now is when the
dead shall hear the voice of
the Lord Jesus Christ. And they
who hears the voice of the
Lord Jesus Christ shall live.
And he that was dead 
came forth, bound hand and 
foot with grave clothes :
and his face was bound about 
with a napkin. Jesus
said unto them, 
Loose him, and let him go.
Lazarus , who was dead for 
four days , came out of the
tomb. The reason that Lazarus
could be  brought back to
life was because he could
still hear the voice of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Lazarus was dead on the 
physical level, but he was 
still alive spiritually. He
was asleep spiritually . The 
miracle of Lazarus shows us
that the Lord Jesus Christ 
has the authority and power 
over life and death.
The raising of Lazarus is
recorded in the Gospel of
Jesus Christ according to John
to confirm the faith of
those who already believe ,
and to strengthen faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ and to
show the glory of God in 
and through His Son.
John was concerned in describing
the growing hostility to Jesus
on the part of the religious 
people in Jerusalem.
This opposition became more 
when the miracle of
the raising of Lazarus  aroused
the crowd in Jerusalem.
The miracle was a further 
demonstration of our Lord's 
power over life and death.
Our Lord's  claims to be
the resurrection and the life
is a convincing proof in the
raising of Lazarus.
(John 1:4 ; 11:25)
 In him was life ; and the
life was the light of men.
(John 1:4)
 For as the Father raises 
up the dead, and quickens 
them; even so the Son 
quickens whom he will.
(John 5:21)
12 And there was much murmuring 
among the people concerning him:
    for  some said, He is a 
good man: others said, Nay;
 but he deceives the people.
(John 7:12)


 

THE HOME OF LAZARUS 
(John 12:1-  )


Then Jesus six days
 before the passover came
 to Bethany, where Lazarus 
was which had been dead, 
whom he raised from the
    dead.       
2 There they made him a supper
 and Martha served: but Lazarus was
    one of them that sat at the
 table with him.
(John 12:1-2)
Jesus made a visit to the home
of Lazarus , Mary , and Martha 
of Bethany. In the Gospel of 
John , Jesus opens His public 
ministry at the wedding of Cana
of Galilee. And Jesus closes
His public ministry by a visit
to this home in Bethany.
Jesus puts great importance of
the godly home , the Christian
home. God blesses marriage.

3 Then took Mary a pound of
 ointment of spikenard, very
 costly, and anointed the feet
 of Jesus, and wiped his feet
 with her hair:
    and  the house was filled with
 the odour of the ointment.
(John 12:3)
Mary gave her best to Jesus.
Mary gave her love to Jesus ,
who has given His love to
her and her family.
God's anointed should be our
anointed .God has poured on
Jesus the oil of love above 
everyone. Let us also pour
on Jesus  the ointment and 
perfume of our best affections 
and love. The anointing of
Jesus by Mary was an expression
of Mary's love for Jesus.
Messiah or Christ means the
 Anointed One 
   Mary believed in Jesus  as
the Christ who will save the 
world.
Mary had shown her faith in 
the Lord Jesus , when she 
gave the best she had to 
Jesus. Mary anointed Jesus with
the best ointment she had.
This action is an expression 
of her love for the Lord Jesus
Christ.


4 Then said one of his disciples,
 Judas Iscariot, Simon's son,
    which  should betray him,
 5 Why was not this ointment sold
 for three hundred pence, and given
    to  the poor?
6 This he said, not that he
 cared for the poor; but because
 he was a thief, and had the
 bag, and bare what was put 
therein.
(John12:4-6)
From Judas Iscariot , sin came
out with a pretense. Judas  
had become the instrument of
the devil. A person's temptation 
often come through that for
which he is most naturally fit.
A person's gifts and abilities
can become his greatest  
temptation. Judas Iscariot had
a lot of ability. The fact
that all the apostles appointed 
Judas Iscariot to be their treasurer
revealed something about his ability.
For them to put their money in
his care , Judas had to have 
admirable qualities.
He probability was an intelligent
person according to world standards.
Judas  was probability well-educated
in worldly affairs. But the
wisdom of the world is foolishness
to God.
Judas had the ability to handle
money. But Judas Iscariot's lust
for money had caused him to lose 
soul. He worshipped money
According to Judas Iscariot ,
Mary was being wasteful.
He said this not because he cared
for the poor, but because he was
a thief. Judas wanted to sell
the ointment so that he could 
steal the money himself.
But Jesus understands  Mary's
expression of love for God.

7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone:
 against the day of my burying
 has  she kept this.
8 For the poor always you have 
with you; but me you have
 not always.
(John 12:7-8)
Mary understands why Jesus
came to this world . Mary
understands why Jesus was
trying to say to everyone.
Mary had anticipated the 
death of Jesus.
Mary believed in the person
of Jesus. Jesus was real 
to her.
Jesus knows this. Mary 
believed that only Jesus 
could save her.
Mary believed the words
of Jesus concerning His work
and death. Mary knew the work 
of the Savior and His death.
Mary anointed Jesus with 
the best ointment she had
because she wished to express
her love to the Lord before
the day of his burial
This must have been what 
Mary was thinking
For the poor always you have 
with you; but Jesus you have
 not always.
Mary wanted to honor Jesus while
He is alive.
Mary honors the King of kings,
the Lord of lords with the
best she had.

9 Much people of the Jews therefore 
knew that he was there: and they
    came not for Jesus' sake only,
 but that they might see Lazarus
 also, whom he had raised from 
the dead.
10 But the chief priests consulted
 that they might put Lazarus also
    to death; 
11 Because that by reason of him
 many of the Jews went away, and
    believed on Jesus.

 (Jn 12:9-11)


What does it mean to walk with
God ?
Lazarus , in the midst of a godless
generation walked with God.
Lazarus went the same direction 
God went. Lazarus goes the 
way of Jesus. Lazarus knows 
the way of Jesus. The Lord leads
the way and Lazarus follows the Lord.
The Lord leads Lazarus in the
path of righteousness.
Satan leads to sin and  to 
unrighteousness. Satan destroys 
and wrecks human life. Satan
wants to destroy Lazarus.
God opposes that which destroys 
human life. God saves life.
Lazarus walks with God against
Satan. Lazarus  wants everlasting
life.
For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son
that whosoever believes in 
Him shall not perish but have
everlasting life.
This is God's plan for Adam's
salvation. This is God's
plan for Enoch's salvation.
This is God's plan for our
salvation. This is God's
plan for man's salvation.
Man can never save himself.
Man needs the Lord to save 
him.  
Lazarus keeps in step with God.
The Lord leads Lazarus in the
path of righteousness.
Lazarus lives on the verge of a
fall. 
The devil finds every opportunity
to destroy man. The devil
wants man to perish.
If God is not there to
support and strengthen him,
Lazarus would have fallen.
Lazarus learned to count on the
Lord to come through for him.
Lazarus depended on the Lord to
keep him steady.
When Lazarus walks with God, 
Lazarus always reached out to 
others with love.
When Lazarus  walks with God ,
Lazarus is  never satisfied to
remain in a quiet state when
people are perishing. 
Lazarus is a postman for the 
Lord. Lazarus is delivering
the good news of Jesus Christ
to the world with love.
Lazarus is a living epistle of
Jesus Christ.
Lazarus and God are in
agreement when Lazarus walks with
God.
If we are  going to walk with
God , we must agree with the
will of God.
According to the worldly
standards, Lazarus is a
poor beggar. But Lazarus is
rich and wealthy with God in
the spirit.
 This I say then,
 Walk in the Spirit,
 and you shall not fulfill
 the lust of the flesh.
(Galatians 5:16)

Jesus approves of Lazarus's love
 for Him. Jesus also approves of
his   love for Him by preaching
the good news of Jesus Christ.
When people see Lazarus ,
a living epistle of Jesus Christ ,
 they are reading the living epistle 
written by the Lord Jesus Christ. 
People see that Lazarus
loves the Lord Jesus Christ
with all his mind , with all his heart ,
 with all his soul , and with 
all his strength. 
Lazarus  gives all his heart 
to the Lord when
he tells the good news of
Jesus Christ to the people.
Lazarus a living epistle of
Jesus Christ loves his
neighbour as himself. 
 We can see the everlasting 
of love of the Lord Jesus
Christ expressed by Lazarus
Evil can not defeat evil.
Only love can defeat evil.
God is love. And
God can defeat evil Satan.
Praise the Lord. God's plan
for man's salvation through
Jesus Christ is a everlasting
truth. 
Lazarus sees God's plan for
man's salvation.
Lazarus proclaims that Jesus the
Lamb  of God  is slain from 
the foundation of the
 world.
For God so loved the
world that he gave His Only
 begotten Son  that whosoever believes
in him shall not perish
but have everlasting life .(John 3:16)
God wants not great men but humble
 common folks who will dare to prove 
the greatness of their God. Before
 God called Lazarus , he was a beggar.
  It was not by
 his own human effort that Lazarus
 became acceptable to God. Lazarus did
 not do it by his own efforts 
and works. God did it. Christ
raised up Lazarus to show the 
glory of God.
 Not by might, or by power
 but by my Spirit  Thus
 says the Lord.
 Man's very best comes far 
short of God's lowest and least
 requirements. Man can never
 save himself by his own efforts.
 Only the Lord Jesus Christ 
can save us. For God so loved
 the world that He gave His
 only begotten Son that whosoever
 believes in Him should not
 perish but have everlasting life.
 Jesus is the way, the truth,
 and the life. No man can come
 unto the Father but by the 
Lord Jesus Christ.
  God's  way is to life.
 And the devil's
 way is to death and destruction.
Lazarus choose God's way to life.
Lazarus has strong faith 
in God. Lazarus was obedient to
 God's call. But Lazarus did not
 do these mighty works with 
human strength. It was God 
who did all these wonderful
 works through Lazarus who had 
faith in God. The message 
that Lazarus is saying to us is,
 God did it.
Lazarus did it not by might
 nor by power, but by the
 Holy Spirit. Lazarus has faith
 in the Lord. Lazarus believes
 God. 
....................
Title: LAZARUS A LIVING EPISTLE OF 
        JESUS CHRIST
ISBN 13 : 978-1-928153-O5-4(PAPERBACK)
ISBN 13 : 978-1-928153-07-8(HTML)
Author: Anthony Ing
Publication Year: 2015