The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

John 11:43, 45, 48, “And when He had said these things,

He cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth.’” …

45 “Many therefore of the Jews, who had come to Mary and

beheld what He had done, believed in Him… 48 “’If we let Him

go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans

will come and take away both our place and our nation.’”

When Jesus stood at Lazarus’ grave, and after He prayed

openly to His Heavenly Father, He cried aloud, “Lazarus,

come forth!” Someone has said that had Jesus not used

Lazarus’ name, all the dead would have come forth. I’m

not sure that is true, but I AM SURE that Lazarus came

forth, as Jesus had commanded. His resurrection had a

far-reaching effect: “Many…of the Jews…believed in Him.”

Many implies that not all believed, yet some did. How

could any of them not believe? Verse 48 tells us why.

Had they believed, “the Romans (would have) come and

take(n) away (their) place and nation.” In other words,

they would have lost all their position and authority.

All of this tells us that despite our best efforts in witnessing,

some will not believe. And why will they not? For much

the same reason as the Jews. They will lose their friends,

their position in life, their job –and the list goes on and on.

Jesus knew that some would not believe. Still, He continued

to share what the Father had given Him to share. So it must

be with us. Don’t get discouraged! Keep on keeping on!

It is not our job to WIN them; it is our job to WITNESS. The

LORD alone wins the lost. We are to keep on shouting:

“LAZARUS, COME FORTH!”

We rejoice in what the LORD has given each of you; and

we pray daily that you will be “to the praise of His glory!”

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”