As Jesus came to the end of His public ministry, all things written about Him in the Old Testament were coming to a climax. The cross opens up the way of everlasting life to all people, the good news proclaimed everywhere. We hear the call only by His grace, understanding our sinfulness, repenting, and trusting in the Son who died and rose again.
As Jesus came to the end of His public ministry, all things written about Him in the Old Testament were coming to a climax. The cross opens up the way of everlasting life to all people, the good news proclaimed everywhere. We hear the call only by His grace, understanding our sinfulness, repenting, and trusting in the Son who died and rose again.
Scripture teaches, conscience testifies, and science confirms that pre-born life is human life. In every case, abortion is the intentional killing of an innocent human being. This is the battle that this generation has been called to, and we must bring forth the light of the gospel into this dark wickedness to expose it, and call for repentance.
In our day, abortion is presented as a good, positive thing, a fundamental human right. There is a reversal of God’s law and overt rebellion against it. As Christians, we recognize the value of all human life, including the pre-born, and when we see that God’s greatest and highest creation is under attack, we must stand up and fight.
Jesus never tells us simply what we want to hear, but He plainly teaches the difficult realities of the Christian life. As His people, we are called to be willing to die to ourselves and our sin, humbling ourselves, and loyally following Christ, wherever He leads. However, we are promised the fruits of following Him, His righteousness shone in us, and even sharing His inheritance of the nations.
In John 12, we see a powerful contrast between what true faith looks like and the hallmarks of a false profession. On the one side, Lazarus, Martha, and Mary display the testimony of God’s free regenerating grace, the service that we give to God, and the unashamed worship we offer. Judas on the other hand scoffs at true worship, rebukes generous service to the Lord, and displays in his heart unbelief.
To the unregenerate, the idea of free grace is terrifying because it takes control completely out of our hands. Christ’s demand is for our whole being, and that kills the autonomy we want in our rebellion. But true faith is based only on the free grace of God in Christ, and if He isn’t everything to us, then He is nothing.
Zechariah’s prophecy after John the Baptist’s birth is all centered around God’s promise to deliver His people finally being fulfilled. Our deliverance is the forgiveness of our sins, fully reconciling us to God, paying the debt that we owe. It is the incarnation that fulfills this glorious promise of God.
By the power and influence of the Hold Spirit, there is testimony of the pre-born Savior’s identity from John the Baptist, Elizabeth, and Mary herself. All of these take the focus away from themselves and onto Christ.
Jesus’s raising Lazarus from the dead was an amazing work, but it points to something even more amazing. The focus is on Christ and His power to call a dead man from the grave with a command that must be obeyed. And this is what happens spiritually to all of those whom Christ calls: we are risen from our deadness in sin and are drawn to repentance and faith by the work of the Holy Spirit.
After the death of Lazarus, Jesus interacts with Martha and Mary, dealing with the finality of death as the result of sin. In these interactions, we see clearly the deity of Christ in His claim to be the exclusive source of life, as well as His humanity in His real emotion and indignation toward death, an enemy.