When it comes to emergencies, 'Time is of the essence!' The quicker the emergency crews can respond to the call for help, the greater the chance that life and property will be saved. But occasionally something goes wrong. The 9-1-1 system breaks down. And when it does, an investigation is launched. We want to know the cause of the delay. Jesus receives a 9-1-1 call from close friends to help a loved one in dire need of healing. And yet Jesus delays for two days before responding. Why? He does so for a number of reasons. First, to provide an opportunity for God the Father and Son to be glorified. Raising Lazarus from the dead would be a greater miracle than merely healing him. Secondly, he delays to provide an opportunity to build the disciples' faith. There were some lessons they needed to learn-- and the sickness of Lazarus, Jesus' return to Bethany, and Lazarus' death provides the backdrop for such lessons of faith. The disciples needed to understand a proper perspective on LIFE and a biblical perspective of DEATH. The length of our life is determined by God. During our lifetime, we have work to do, so we are to seize the day. And until the day of our death, we are invincible if we follow God's plan. But physical death is not something to fear, for death is like sleep. While our physical bodies will sleep in the ground, our souls, the real 'you' will be in the presence of Christ, enjoying the splendors of heaven. For a believer in Christ, to be 'absent from the body is to be present with the Lord'--and this brings us great comfort!
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