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Welcome to Day 2154 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.\nThis is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom\nThe Gospel of John \u2013 22 \u2013 Back From Beyond\xa0\u2013 Daily Wisdom\nThe Gospel of John \u2013 Part 3 Authentication of the Word \u2013 Back from Beyond\nToday we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last, we saw Jesus as the good shepherd and the living door.\n\nToday, our scripture is John 11:1-46. As with our last reading, since it is a more extended passage, I will read it as we go through the message, so follow along.\n\nWe will see in today\u2019s passage that Jesus performs the greatest and most spectacular miracle of his ministry. He raised his friend Lazarus from the dead after he had been dead for four days. This miracle is undoubtedly the final catalyst that leads to His crucifixion.\n\nDeath is an inescapable fact of life. \n\nDeath is ruthless; it frequently comes without warning and strikes without mercy. Death is unrelenting; it cannot be cheated, bribed, outwitted, overcome, or eluded. Death is indiscriminate; it takes young and old, poor and rich, sick and healthy, wicked and benevolent. Death is universal; all must ultimately succumb to its darkness.\n\nDeath is a harsh reality of life\u2026but it was not always so, and it need not be the end.\n\n11:1\u20132\n\nNow a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany,\xa0the village of Mary and her sister Martha.\xa0\xa0(This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.)\xa0\n\nAfter His last encounter with the religious elite in Jerusalem, Jesus took refuge in the same wilderness that had protected John the Baptizer from their murderous intent. The Lord ministered to John\u2019s disciples there for an unknown length of time (though not more than three months) before traveling to Perea or perhaps Galilee (11:7). We know that Jesus was more than a day\u2019s walk from Bethany, the home of His friends Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, which as just two miles east of Jerusalem.\n\nJohn\u2019s editorial note about Mary\u2019s anointing of Jesus demonstrates that he assumed his audience was familiar with the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). John doesn\u2019t tell this story until 12:1\u20138.\n\n11:3\u20136\n\nSo the sisters sent word to Jesus, \u201cLord, the one you love\xa0is sick.\u201d\n\nWhen he heard this, Jesus said,\xa0\u201cThis sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God\u2019s glory\xa0so that God\u2019s Son may be glorified through it.\u201d\xa0Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.\xa0So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.\n\nLazarus was not among the twelve disciples, but the Lord loved him. The man\u2019s sisters sent a messenger to inform Jesus that His friend was near death with a serious illness. However, Jesus purposely delayed His departure, confidently declaring, \u201cThis sickness will not end in death.\u201d Depending on how far away Jesus was from Bethany, it is very likely He knew what the disciples did not realize at the time: Lazarus was already dead when he received word. Consider a possible order of events:\n\nThe first day: The messenger arrived with the news that Lazarus was ill. Jesus decided to remain where He was for two more days. (11:1\u20135)\n\nOn the second day: Jesus deliberately remained where He was. (11:6)\n\nOn the...