Tues's Devo - Our Helper

Read John 11:1-18
Lazareth is sick. He is the brother of the Mary that anointed Jesus' feet with oils for his burial. How ironic that she prepared Jesus for burial and her brother is going to actually be buried first. The minute Jesus heard the news he prophesied Lazareth's fate: this sickness would not end in death. Through what Lazareth endures, Jesus is going to be glorified. So Jesus waits 2 days then announces to his disciples that they are going into Judea again. Wasn't this the place they kept trying to stone Jesus? Jesus response to that was vs. 9-11. In essence if you walk in the spirit there is no way the dark evil can touch you because the spirit is the light. But if you walk in fear and darkness then you need to be afraid. Then he threw in the part about Lazareth being asleep and him needing to go wake him up. Needless to say the disciples didn't understand he was talking about death. So Jesus comes out and plainly tells them that Lazareth is dead.
I love Thomas. He is so real and honest. He says, "Let's go so that we can die with him." I guess Thomas didn't understand about walking in the light because he was sure that they weren't going to get out of this one alive.
They got to Bethany and found that Lazareth had been dead for 4 days. Lazareth means helper and its root is the same one we get for the Holy Spirit who is our helper. Lazareth was a type of the Holy Spirit who had been hidden for 4,000 years. (Remember a thousand years is as a day to the Lord). Man has been on the earth for 4,000 years and the Holy Spirit is fixing to be resurrected when Jesus dies. This is a picture of that very thing. Verse 18 says that Bethany is only 15 furlongs from Jerusalem. Is that saying that this event is only 15 days from Jesus' crucifixion in Jerusalem? I bet so.
God, I am continually amazed at how calculating and planned your plan is. You have this thing orchestrated and we get to be a small part of the music you are making. Thank you for your wisdom and your great love for us. Thank you for sending Jesus down to us. May we be instruments of your glory.