The Resurrection of Lazarus - a podcast by Lewis Marsh
from 2023-10-08T20:42:43
Revealed: the Miracles of Jesus
Part 9: The Resurrection of Lazarus
By Louie Marsh, 10-8-2023
Possible Evidence of Life After Death:
The EEG scans of more than 500 patients who had suffered cardiac arrest were studied. Sadly, most of them were unable to be revived. But 53 patients were returned to life and consciousness. Of those, nearly a dozen reported memories of a “sense” of awareness while they were dead and six reported an NDE (Near Death Experience). But if the person has expired and their brain functions have essentially ceased, how are they storing any memories, to say nothing of experiencing something? Are we looking at medical proof of an afterlife?
The few scientists who have addressed these questions previously have typically attributed these memories to random synaptic firings in the brain as it’s in the process of dying. But these results seem to suggest something more may be going on.
1) Jesus SHAPES the scene.
“5Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.””…“14Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”” (John 11:5-7;14–15, ESV)
This miracle in the story of John.
“3So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. 4And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. 5Then the word of the Lord came to me: 6“O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.” (Jeremiah 18:3–6, ESV)
“8But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8, ESV)
2) Jesus challenges us to make doctrine PERSONAL.
“23Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”” (John 11:23–27, ESV)
3) Jesus HATES death, suffering & pain.
“33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35Jesus wept. 36So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” 38Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.” (John 11:33–38, ESV)
4) Jesus covered everything in PRAYER.
“41So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I 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.”” (John 11:41–42, ESV)
5) Jesus OVERPOWERS death with three little words.
“43When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”” (John 11:43–44, ESV)
6) Jesus shapes the FUTURE.
“45Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”” (John 11:45–48, ESV)
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