Consolation at the Cemetery—Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life

 Transcribed by AI

Radio Voice of Life Music

Dear listeners, greetings. You are listening to our voice from Radio Voice of Life, which is broadcast every morning on the 41-metre shortwave. Dear music listeners, here is our programme in the name of the Lord. I hope you are well and healthy. I am happy to be with you again for another programme.

Yes, dear listeners, I also want to extend my greetings to you. I am delighted to be with you once more. The topic of our lesson is gratitude, and it is about mourning, which is a series of programmes that continues. So how can we free ourselves from these sorrows and receive healing?

Indeed, that’s a very good question, dear listeners. It might be important for our audience to know how we can find relief from these sorrows. Dear listeners, we can only pray in the presence of the Lord and have true faith in Him. We should rely on the fact that it is only the Lord who takes away our sorrows. Amen.

So, dear listeners, let’s listen to an interesting story that is all for our benefit. There is a tale about a ship that was caught in storms. Of all the passengers on the ship, only one person survived, and when he was alone, he took everything that was left on the ship and went to build a poor house by the shore.

Was his house made of sand? Yes, but he always performed his tasks diligently. Every morning, he prayed for his salvation in the presence of the Lord and watched every day for a ship to pass by from that shore. One day, while returning from fishing, he saw that his house was on fire, and everything he had salvaged from that ship had turned to ashes. Yes, and the smoke had filled the entire neighbourhood.

In summary, this event, which seemed like a great calamity to humanity, was a very hard hope for this man. Yes, but the beauty is that in the word of God, in Romans chapter 8, verse 28, it says that we know that for those who love God and are called according to His purpose, all things work together for their good. In this loss and hardship, there was a divine wisdom for this man’s benefit, and as he had first prayed for his salvation with faith in the presence of God, he was indeed steadfast in prayer.

Yes, it’s interesting. The ship comes from far away, and the captain, seeing the smoke from afar, changes course and tries to reach him, thinking something must have happened to someone. He wants to hurry and reach him in time. When the ship arrives at their location, they drop anchor, and in short, this man was saved.

Yes, if this man’s house hadn’t burned down, the ship wouldn’t have come for his salvation. It could have been that another ship would never have noticed that it was coming, and this calamity saved the man.

The story you told might have been interesting for our listeners too. Truly, dear listeners, for those of us who are in despair, where we have lost all hope, it is God who once again stands with us. Through these hopes, we have a hope that we do not expect.

I am the bread of life, I am the bread of life, believe in me. I existed before Abraham was born, I am the light of the world, I am the light of the world, believe in me. I existed before Abraham was born, I am the bread of life, I am the bread of life, believe in me. I existed before Abraham was born, I am the bread of life, I am the bread of life, believe in me.

Jesus said to him, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” Then they took away the stone from the entrance of the tomb. Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

When he had said this, Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

Dear listeners, as we said in the previous programme, Jesus brought comfort with the house of sorrow, with the roads of pain, even to the grieving, He stopped and comforted him. Today, we want to think about this story and how His comfort is beside Lazarus's tomb and how He provides comfort.

Lazarus was a young man whom Jesus loved, He would come to their house, He would sit and stand with them. One day, His disciples asked Jesus, “You loved Lazarus so much, why didn’t you go sooner?” Jesus said, “Lazarus is not dead, but asleep. I am going to wake him up.”

Even the man was not afraid of Jesus, unlike how we often panic. Today, we face many such fears. We want to avoid death. But how, dear ones, is a man before Jesus like someone asleep? For those who believe in Jesus. Our bodies may die, but our spirits are in the presence of God, Jesus Christ. We physically die. But those who do not believe in Jesus will perish both physically and spiritually.

As Jesus said, what the Gospel says, what is written and recorded in the Gospel. We see that even Jesus wept for the unbelief of those who came to the tomb. Those who were present there, tears flowed. Even in our sorrows, Jesus shared in the pain. His love showed empathy with Mary and Martha. Likewise, His love for their brother Lazarus was immense. The love of Jesus is the greatest comfort. It is the greatest love that keeps us away from the fear of death.

Yes. For this reason, dear listeners, we understand this and realise that Jesus has the power of forgiveness. He also has the power over life and death. Yes, He has this power because He Himself is the Creator of life. And this Creator of life invites you today.

In truth, you are being invited. He who is life can give you new life at this moment. Yes, eternal life in that paradise you believe in. So we see, dear listeners, those who do not believe face spiritual death, which is eternal separation.

Yes. In this earthly life, they are spiritually dead. Yes. And they are on the brink of condemnation and eternal judgement. Yes. The choice is in your hands, dear listeners. Many people hear from the pulpit, from the mosque, or at the cemeteries.

But today we declare to you that without Jesus, there is no life and no salvation. The Bible teaches that all humans have sinned, but faith in Christ is the only way to salvation. It was Jesus who bore the penalty for our sins, He paid the price for our transgressions.

Amen, yes, thank you. But those who do not believe in Jesus separate themselves from the source of life. Yes. They place themselves under God’s judgement. Yes, meaning they buy their own death with their own hands. Yes. The Bible clearly states that without Christ, a person is a walking dead.

Their body may be alive, but their spirit is disconnected from God. Today, God awakens. Every person who does not accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour will not have their sins forgiven. They will not enjoy the light of divine life and will be under the judgement.

Yes. If we see, thank you. The story of Lazarus’s resurrection through Jesus Christ, which is mentioned in the Gospel of John, is one of the profound events in the Bible. Yes. This miracle is more than a historical reality; it is a spiritual message of hope for all humanity.

Yes. As we mentioned in previous programmes, there were two other people whom Jesus raised from the dead. They had died only a day earlier. But here we see Lazarus, who had been dead for four days.

Yes. Yes. We see that he brings him back to life, while even his sister thinks he has bad odour. But Jesus sees that he is asleep. Yes. And how interesting it is, dear listeners, that when Jesus says to roll away the stone, He Himself did not go to remove the stone.

He told others to roll it away. What does this mean? It means you should do your part. Yes. Today, if the stones of your heart are like a tomb that leads you to destruction and death, roll away those stones and come alive again in Jesus Christ.

We understand that our country has been struggling for years with war, hopelessness, poverty, and misery. And this story is full of power for them. It is full of hope that Jesus Christ is the Owner and Giver of life. He is the one who dies and the one who resurrects.

Yes. Just as one day He brings us into this world, one day He takes us from this world. Yes. You may feel that the conditions in our country, the future of our youth, our daughters, our children are bleak. We may feel that we have no work, no life, and we have become dark and hopeless like a tomb for four days.

Yes. Yes. But the miracle of Lazarus is for the living, for those of us who are alive today. Yes. Yes. Truly, my dear, when we read the story of Lazarus, it is a very interesting and awakening story that revives us.

Yes. In the Lord, how we must cling to Him. Truly, this world is passing; years will pass, our country will not find peace, our people will not find peace; we see everyone suffering. But how good it is that we can receive only the peace of God, the salvation of God from the living God, from Jesus Christ.

Amen. He is the source of life. He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." How wonderful it is to believe in Jesus Christ and leave this world. Whether you are two years old, one year old, or one hundred years old, God wants to make you alive. But this life is not just for this world.

Eternal life is what counts. Jesus says in this story, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though they die." We can see this in John chapter 11, verse 25. Jesus raised Lazarus again. It had been many years since Lazarus died.

But the miracle of eternal and spiritual life begins with faith in Jesus Christ. It is not like Lazarus being revived again; it is about eternity. It is forever. This message destroys the fear of physical death and gives us hope for eternity.

In summary, the resurrection of Lazarus is a message for the people of Afghanistan. It is not the end for us; death is not the end. Life is in the hands of the One who conquered death and is victorious. And this story invites you to move from this state of spiritual death and hopelessness into the light of life and freedom that Christ gives to your heart, soul, and spirit.

Yes, dear listener, our death as believers is a new beginning for us in Christ. We start anew. That life with the Lord leads us to heaven. Our death is not the end of our lives; it is simply a transition.

Even, thank you, we see that when Jesus was on the cross, the thief beside Him said, "Do not forget me." At that moment, He replied, "Today, you will be with me in paradise." Just as the thief was given hope in his last breaths, today, Jesus gives you hope too.

Jesus gave life to a man who was dead and welcomed him into paradise. Today, He offers you the same. You who are still alive, you who can still repent of your sins. You who can still worship God more and more. You have this one chance.

Yes. Just as Psalm 90 verse 15 says, "Make me glad according to the days you have afflicted me, the years I have seen evil." Today, whatever hardship and pain you have endured, may God grant you joy. And this joy is only in your heart and in your life.

Yes. And Psalm 90 says, "Be glad, my soul, for your hard days will pass, and your years of misery will pass, but eternal joy begins in your heart." The name of Jesus is associated with healing and comfort. Jesus means saviour. He is our saviour from death and mourning.

The devil today places us in mourning and sorrow. He wants us to distance ourselves from God. He does not want us to enter eternal life. But God’s promise is always life and vitality. The voice of Ezekiel the prophet in chapter 37, verse 14 says, "I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live."

And I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and I will do it. I, the Lord, have spoken. Amen. I will put my Spirit in you so that you will live.

I will put my Spirit in you so that you will live. From the darkness or hell we go through, He will save us. Yes. So today, do not be deceived by those who see nothing, even with your own beliefs. Be cautious; do not follow them.

Look to Jesus Christ, who is the Owner of life. Yes. He is the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live forever. Do you believe this?

Yes. Truly, dear listeners, what have we learned from this lesson today? We have learned one thing personally, dear listeners, that it is very good for you to remove the stones that are in your heart, that are in your soul.

Those stones that lead us to eternal death. Remove them. Distance yourself from them. Believe in Jesus Christ who is waiting for you. Believe to receive salvation from Him. There is no eternal life except in Jesus Christ.

As dear listeners, we have heard in the Psalm that the author said, "O Lord, all our years have been spent in hardship and trouble." But we ask You, O Lord, to grant us joy.

Then, dear listeners, I encourage you to read John chapter 11. You will fully understand what our programme revolves around. Until the next programme, I commend you to the Lord, goodbye.

In these hardships, I come to You when I am weak. In these hardships, I come to You like a thirsty deer in the wilderness. My soul thirsts for You, O my God, like a thirsty deer in the wilderness. My soul thirsts for You, O my God.

The joys, our healing, the forgiveness of sins is only in Jesus. My hope of salvation is only in Your name, O Jesus. The joys, our healing, the forgiveness of sins is only in Jesus. My hope of salvation is only in Your name, O Jesus.

My soul thirsts for You, and my heart longs for You in this dry and barren land. My soul thirsts for You, O God. My thirst is for You.

The joys, our healing, the forgiveness of sins is only in Jesus. My hope of salvation is only in Your name, O Jesus. My soul thirsts for You. My hope of salvation is for You. My hope of salvation.