The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

John 11:43-48, “When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth.’
44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’
45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.
46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.
47 Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, ‘What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs.
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.’”

It’s marvelous what Jesus can do! Lazarus had been dead four days, yet when Jesus cried “Lazarus, come forth!” Lazarus came forth from the tomb still wrapped in the grave clothes in which he had been buried.

It was characteristic of the Jewish people to attend and mourn when a death occurred. This resurrection, however, became an evangelistic encounter because many who came simply to mourn, witnessed Lazarus’ resurrection and believed upon Jesus!

The sore heads who greatly disliked Jesus went immediately to the priests, who, together with the Pharisees, called a council. Unless He’s stopped, they reasoned, everyone will believe in Him… But, that’s not the worst of their thinking. They reasoned that the Romans would remove them from their religious positions and even downgrade their nation!

Just imagine! It’s like someone in a church today getting upset because a lost person believed on Jesus for salvation. What will the denominational headquarters think about this? Oh, that we would rejoice that someone was saved and that Christ was glorified in that salvation! When we lose our hearts, we lose our heads as well. May God forgive us!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom