Message
from the Monthly Flyer July 2024
Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus
John 11:5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister,
and Lazarus.
Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or
peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all
day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these
things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am
persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities
nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth,
nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love
of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Maybe
John felt the need of emphasizing the fact that Jesus loved Mary, Martha
and Lazarus. Especially after He decided to wait two more days before
He arrived on the scene. It would be easy for Martha and Mary to doubt
what they had believed until this point. Namely that Jesus did love
them. But after seeing He chose not to come back with the messengers,
despite the fact Lazarus was dying could very easily cause them to think
He didn’t love them. But the Bible makes it clear that it was not because
He didn’t love them, that He delayed his coming.
Sometimes it can be easy to assume Jesus doesn’t love
me, when I go through hardship in my life. When the answer seems to
delay. When it seems like Jesus doesn’t care about my pain and struggle.
But let me remind somebody today: Jesus does love you. Whatever you
go through does not mean He doesn’t love you. Hold on to your faith
in both His LOVE and His ability to change your situation. Pastor
Gøran Andreassen
Additional scriptures for further study: John 11
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