As a suc\u00adces\u00adsor, it is important to know who exact\u00adly is being fol\u00adlo\u00adwed. The aim of fol\u00adlo\u00adwing someone is always to beco\u00adme more like their role model. But what does this mean when we fol\u00adlow someone who not only says \u00abFol\u00adlow me\u00bb, but about whom it is said: \u00abThen Jesus wept\u00bb? This bibli\u00adcal pas\u00adsa\u00adge shows us a lot about the natu\u00adre of the one who says \u00abFol\u00adlow me\u00bb.<\/p>\n
Many peo\u00adp\u00adle ask them\u00adsel\u00adves what would have hap\u00adpen\u00aded if they had done this and that. I also asked mys\u00adelf. What if I had tur\u00adned up on my kin\u00adder\u00adgar\u00adten friend\u2019s wed\u00adding day with our con\u00adtract from that time and insis\u00adted that we had signed it to con\u00adfirm that we wan\u00adted to get mar\u00adried one day? What if my father had accept\u00aded the job offer in the USA<\/span> in the 1990s? Would the Ame\u00adri\u00adcan dream have come true? Would I vote for Trump now? What if I had stop\u00adped by the reti\u00adre\u00adment home on my way home from the mili\u00adta\u00adry on 1 March 2013? Would I still have seen my grand\u00admo\u00adther? What if I had\u00adn\u2019t had a hea\u00adda\u00adche in July 2017 and had the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre made the appoint\u00adment with one of my best fri\u00adends? Would I have been able to say a pro\u00adper good\u00adbye to him befo\u00adre he died in a car acci\u00addent during my holi\u00addays short\u00adly after\u00adwards? What if\u2026 \tWhat do you think of Jesus\u00bb beha\u00adviour, that he stay\u00aded two days lon\u00adger bey\u00adond the Jor\u00addan than he had to? As a suc\u00adces\u00adsor, it is important to know who exact\u00adly is being fol\u00adlo\u00adwed. The aim of fol\u00adlo\u00adwing someone is always to beco\u00adme more like their role model. But what does this mean when we fol\u00adlow someone who not only says \u00abFol\u00adlow me\u00bb, but about whom it is said: \u00abThen Jesus wept\u00bb? This bibli\u00adcal pas\u00adsa\u00adge shows us a lot about the natu\u00adre of\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":7713,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[79],"wpfc_sermon_series":[98],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":{"0":"wpfc_preacher-cedric-bruegger","1":"wpfc_sermon_series-folge-du-mir-nach","2":"wpfc-sermon-single","3":"post-7698","4":"wpfc_sermon","5":"type-wpfc_sermon","6":"status-publish","7":"has-post-thumbnail","8":"hentry","11":"wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"},"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nWhat if\u2026?
\nDo you know this ques\u00adti\u00adon? Do you ask yours\u00adelf this ques\u00adti\u00adon from time to time? We often ask our\u00adsel\u00adves the\u00adse ques\u00adti\u00adons and, on the one hand, we are glad that things did\u00adn\u2019t turn out that way. Becau\u00adse the sta\u00adtus quo is very plea\u00adsant and nice. On the other hand, we are also very sad that things did\u00adn\u2019t turn out the way they could have. At least in terms of nega\u00adti\u00adve effects. Deep down, the\u00adre is a desi\u00adre to chan\u00adge the pre\u00adsent in the past so that it has a posi\u00adti\u00adve impact on the here and now.
\nWe are at the start of the annu\u00adal the\u00adme of disci\u00adple\u00adship with the words of Jesus \u00abFol\u00adlow me\u00bb. Tog\u00ade\u00adther as a church, we are set\u00adting out to explo\u00adre the ques\u00adti\u00adon of what it means to fol\u00adlow Jesus Christ. Who is the one we are fol\u00adlo\u00adwing? What did he do, what did he think? This mor\u00adning I would like to focus on a sto\u00adry that con\u00adta\u00adins a bibli\u00adcal pas\u00adsa\u00adge that means a lot to me and has a lot to do with \u00abwhat if\u2026\u00bb.
\nJesus Christ was on the other side of the Jor\u00addan towards the end of his minis\u00adtry. A few days ear\u00adlier, he had been in Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem, whe\u00adre peo\u00adp\u00adle wan\u00adted to stone him. He now with\u00addrew the\u00adre. At this place, he recei\u00adved a mes\u00adsa\u00adge from two sis\u00adters who were his fri\u00adends. Mary and Mar\u00adtha let him know that their brot\u00adher Laza\u00adrus was very ill and that he should come as soon as pos\u00adsi\u00adble. Jesus was good fri\u00adends with the\u00adse three \u2013 nevert\u00adhel\u00adess, he stays the\u00adre for two more days. He does not appear to be in a hur\u00adry. It takes Jesus about a day to get the\u00adre on foot. The brot\u00adhers and sis\u00adters lived in Betha\u00adny. This vil\u00adla\u00adge was only a few kilo\u00adme\u00adt\u00adres from Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem and the name means \u00abhouse of the poor\u00bb. It may well be that this name was pro\u00adver\u00adbi\u00adal, becau\u00adse Jesus always had a heart for the poor and mar\u00adgi\u00adna\u00adli\u00adsed. Howe\u00adver, as I said, it was dan\u00adge\u00adrous\u00adly clo\u00adse to Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem. Ever\u00ady\u00adthing that hap\u00adpen\u00aded the\u00adre in Betha\u00adny was quick\u00adly noti\u00adced in Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem. Laza\u00adrus had alre\u00ada\u00addy been dead for four days. When Mar\u00adtha heard that Jesus was on his way to them, she hur\u00adried to meet Jesus. Her sis\u00adter Mary stay\u00aded in the house. Mar\u00adtha had always been the more acti\u00adve of the two. \u00abMar\u00adtha said to Jesus, \u00abLord, if you had been here, my brot\u00adher would not have died\u00bb \u00bb (John 11:21 NLB<\/span>). How is this state\u00adment to be unders\u00adtood? Was it a reproach to Jesus? Or does it rather speak of des\u00adpair? Or is it a state\u00adment: what if Jesus had been here? Mar\u00adtha has a per\u00adso\u00adnal encoun\u00adter with Jesus. In this con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon, he leads her from the assump\u00adti\u00adon that Jesus is an important per\u00adson to Jesus being the pro\u00admi\u00adsed Saviour of the world \u2013 the Christ. With this rea\u00adli\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon, Mar\u00adtha returns to Mary and pos\u00adsi\u00adbly also tells her about it. Mary now hur\u00adries off to Jesus. The peo\u00adp\u00adle who were with her and mour\u00adned with her fol\u00adlow her: \u00abSo when Mary came to the place whe\u00adre Jesus was and saw him, she threw hers\u00adelf at his feet and said, \u00abLord, if you had been here, my brot\u00adher would not have died\u00bb \u00bb (John 11:32 NLB<\/span>). Is this again a sign of reproach, des\u00adpair or mere\u00adly a state\u00adment? The ques\u00adti\u00adon remains as to what would have hap\u00adpen\u00aded if Jesus had come ear\u00adlier? But some\u00adthing is dif\u00adfe\u00adrent with Mary, she falls to her feet befo\u00adre Jesus. This deep sor\u00adrow mixed with trust in Jesus trig\u00adgers a reac\u00adtion. \u00abWhen Jesus saw Mary wee\u00adping and the peo\u00adp\u00adle mour\u00adning with her, he was fil\u00adled with anger and pain. \u00abWhe\u00adre have you laid him?\u00bb he asked. They repli\u00aded, \u00abLord, come and see\u00bb \u00bb (John 11:33\u201334 NLB<\/span>). Jesus was sho\u00adcked. It affec\u00adted him deep\u00adly. Anger on the one hand, pain on the other. Why was Jesus angry? He hims\u00adelf had remain\u00aded on the other side of the Jordan.
\nJesus wept
\nWe don\u2019t know the exact reason, but this is imme\u00addia\u00adte\u00adly fol\u00adlo\u00adwed by a Bible ver\u00adse that is pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly more pas\u00adto\u00adral than any other. \u00abThen Jesus wept\u00bb (John 11:35 NLB<\/span>). Jesus wept. We would like to add as quick\u00adly as pos\u00adsi\u00adble: Jesus wept becau\u00adse\u2026 I would like to pau\u00adse here and remind us of this. The one whom Chris\u00adti\u00adans fol\u00adlow was a man of tears. Nowhe\u00adre in the Bible do we read that Jesus laug\u00adhed. But we do read that he wept. This does not mean that joking is out of place. But it shows much more the cha\u00adrac\u00adter of Jesus. Back then, as today, wee\u00adping was prac\u00adti\u00adcal\u00adly unthinkable for a man \u2013 that is, for a god.
\nBut in this sto\u00adry, Jesus is not the only one who wept. We encoun\u00adter many mour\u00adning peo\u00adp\u00adle. The wee\u00adping Mary is descri\u00adbed with the Greek word \u00abklaio\u00bb. This means some\u00adthing like weeping\/crying. The noun of this means wee\u00adping. \u00abKlaio\u00bb is the usu\u00adal expres\u00adsi\u00adon of wee\u00adping. Mary wept, how\u00adled, becau\u00adse of her pain. On the other side is Jesus. Deep\u00adly affec\u00adted by her grief, he beg\u00adins to weep hims\u00adelf. Howe\u00adver, this is not the word \u00abklaio\u00bb, but the Greek word \u00abdakryo\u00bb. Alt\u00adhough this also means to weep, it has a broa\u00adder mea\u00adning. It means to weep, but it also means to burst into tears or to have one\u2019s eyes well up. It expres\u00adses com\u00adpas\u00adsi\u00adon and is only used once in the enti\u00adre New Tes\u00adta\u00adment \u2013 and that is here. Howe\u00adver, the fact that Jesus wept is not only pro\u00adof that Jesus was God, but also that he was actual\u00adly human. At the begin\u00adning of the Gos\u00adpel of John, Jesus is descri\u00adbed as the Word who beca\u00adme man (John 1:14). \u00abOnly when we put asi\u00adde our fos\u00adsi\u00adli\u00adsed noti\u00adons of God and exch\u00adan\u00adge them for images in which the Word who is God can weep with the weepers of this world will we dis\u00adco\u00adver what the word \u00abGod\u00bb tru\u00adly means\u00bb (N.T. Wright). Jesus Christ bursts into tears the moment he sees Mary and all the peo\u00adp\u00adle who were with her wee\u00adping. Jesus endu\u00adred the pre\u00addic\u00adtions of Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment scrip\u00adtures much more lite\u00adral\u00adly than is usual\u00adly thought. \u00abNevert\u00adhel\u00adess, he took our sick\u00adnes\u00adses upon hims\u00adelf and bore our pains. [\u2026]\u00bb (Isai\u00adah 53:4 NLB<\/span>).
\nAt no moment, howe\u00adver, did Jesus not know what he was doing. He alre\u00ada\u00addy knew that Laza\u00adrus was dead befo\u00adre they set off from the other side of the Jor\u00addan. \u00abThen he told them open\u00adly: \u00abLaza\u00adrus is dead. I am glad for your sake that I was not the\u00adre, becau\u00adse you will have ano\u00adther reason to belie\u00adve in me. Come, let us go to him\u00bb (John 11:14 NLB<\/span>). He knew exact\u00adly at that moment of tears that he would rai\u00adse Laza\u00adrus from the dead. \u00abSo they rol\u00adled asi\u00adde the stone. Then Jesus loo\u00adked up to hea\u00adven and said, \u00abFather, I thank you that you have heard me. I know that you always hear me, but I say this becau\u00adse of the many peo\u00adp\u00adle stan\u00adding here, so that they may belie\u00adve that you have sent me. Then he cal\u00adled out with a loud voice: \u00abLaza\u00adrus, come out!\u00bb And Laza\u00adrus came out. He was wrap\u00adped in gra\u00adve cloths and his head was cover\u00aded with a cloth. Jesus said, \u00abLoo\u00adsen the ban\u00adda\u00adges and let him go\u00bb (John 11:41\u201344 NLB<\/span>). Mar\u00adtha war\u00adned Jesus about the stench. Laza\u00adrus had alre\u00ada\u00addy been dead for four days and in the cli\u00adma\u00adte of Isra\u00adel the dead decom\u00adpo\u00adse quick\u00adly. But when we con\u00adsider Jesus, what do we think his thanks to the Father refers to? The\u00adre are some spe\u00adcu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adons that Jesus wrest\u00adled with God during the two days he wai\u00adted befo\u00adre set\u00adting off. Becau\u00adse when the tomb was ope\u00adned, the\u00adre was no odour. God had the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre heard Jesus. Jesus also knew that rai\u00adsing Laza\u00adrus from the dead would lead to his own death. This in turn refers to his own death. Jesus rose after three days, Laza\u00adrus after four. Howe\u00adver, the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment alre\u00ada\u00addy indi\u00adca\u00adted that Jesus and Laza\u00adrus did not decom\u00adpo\u00adse, i.e. that the\u00adre was no stench. \u00abFor you will not let your holy one rot in the gra\u00adve, nor will you allow your god\u00adly one to decay in the gra\u00adve\u00bb (Psalm 16:10 NLB<\/span>). The\u00adre were so many peo\u00adp\u00adle pre\u00adsent that the mira\u00adcle of Laza\u00adrus\u00bb resur\u00adrec\u00adtion spread like wild\u00adfi\u00adre. Word spread quick\u00adly and many began to belie\u00adve in Jesus becau\u00adse of this mira\u00adcle. The reli\u00adgious lea\u00adders the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre deci\u00added to kill Jesus.
\nOnce again: Jesus knew exact\u00adly what he was doing. The moment he wept, he knew that he wan\u00adted to rai\u00adse Laza\u00adrus from the dead. But this bibli\u00adcal pas\u00adsa\u00adge shows us a man of sor\u00adrows. A man who is fami\u00adli\u00adar with our grief and pain. It shows us a man who shares and bears ever\u00ady\u00adthing with us to the point of weeping.
\nCome along and see for yourself!
\nWhat does this sto\u00adry have to tell us? What does it have to do with our the\u00adme for the year? Inter\u00adwo\u00adven in this sto\u00adry, and per\u00adhaps a litt\u00adle hid\u00adden, we find a chan\u00adge of focus. What if.\u2026 What if death is not the end? When Jesus had the per\u00adso\u00adnal, pas\u00adto\u00adral con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon with Mar\u00adtha, he made the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing state\u00adment. \u00abJesus said to her: I am the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion and the life. Whoe\u00adver belie\u00adves in me will live, even if he dies\u00bb (John 11:25 NLB<\/span>). Mar\u00adtha won\u00adde\u00adred what would have hap\u00adpen\u00aded if Jesus had been the\u00adre in time, i.e. during Laza\u00adrus\u00bb life\u00adtime. Jesus\u00bb ans\u00adwer is: What if I am the resur\u00adrec\u00adtion and the life? This chan\u00adge of focus also took place with Mar\u00adtha. Ins\u00adtead of what if her good fri\u00adend Jesus had come in time, the\u00adre is a com\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsi\u00adve rea\u00adli\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon. What if Jesus is the Christ? \u00bb [\u2026] I have come to belie\u00adve that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world\u00bb (John 11:27 NLB<\/span>). Mar\u00adtha went from the nega\u00adti\u00adve what if\u2026 to the posi\u00adti\u00adve what if the last word has not yet been spo\u00adken! She came to this rea\u00adli\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon even befo\u00adre Jesus rai\u00adsed Laza\u00adrus from the dead.
\nBut we can take some\u00adthing else with us. Disci\u00adple\u00adship means imi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon. When we fol\u00adlow some\u00adthing, it deter\u00admi\u00adnes many things. From our agen\u00adda to our beha\u00adviour and way of thin\u00adking to our wal\u00adlet. In the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment, we are given advice for fol\u00adlo\u00adwers. \u00abIf other peo\u00adp\u00adle are hap\u00adpy, rejoice with them. If they are sad, accom\u00adpa\u00adny them in their sor\u00adrow\u00bb (Romans 12:15 NLB<\/span>). Our the\u00adme for the year, \u00abFol\u00adlow me\u00bb, is an invi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon to come along and see for yours\u00adelf. Jesus told a man to fol\u00adlow him (John 1:43). This man had reco\u00adg\u00adnis\u00aded that Jesus was the one announ\u00adced in the Old Tes\u00adta\u00adment. He told his fri\u00adend Natha\u00adna\u00adel that the pro\u00admi\u00adsed Saviour was Jesus from Naza\u00adreth. \u00ab \u00abFrom Naza\u00adreth!\u00bb exclai\u00admed Natha\u00adna\u00adel. \u00abCan any\u00adthing good come from Naza\u00adreth?\u00bb Phil\u00adip repli\u00aded, \u00abCome and see for yours\u00adelf\u00bb \u00bb (John 1:46 NLB<\/span>). Natha\u00adna\u00adel had clear ide\u00adas about what should hap\u00adpen and how. His \u00abwhat if the Saviour of the world comes\u00bb was cle\u00adar\u00adly defi\u00adned. His Saviour could not come from Naza\u00adreth. But now comes Philip\u2019s invi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon to \u00abcome and see for yours\u00adelf\u00bb. We are all at a dif\u00adfe\u00adrent point in fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Jesus Christ. Today the\u00adre is an invi\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon to you to \u00abCome and see for yours\u00adelf!\u00bb Get to know the one who wept becau\u00adse of the grief that sur\u00adroun\u00added him. Are you rea\u00addy to have your \u00abwhat if\u2026\u00bb redefined?
\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\nRead the Bible text: John 11, 1\u201345<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00abWhat if\u2026\u00bb Which ques\u00adti\u00adon con\u00adcerns you the most in this regard? Whe\u00adre do you have a big \u00abWhat if\u2026\u00bb ques\u00adti\u00adon? Are you rea\u00addy to be given a new perspective?
\n\t\u00abThen Jesus wept\u00bb (John 11:35 NLB<\/span>). What does this Bible pas\u00adsa\u00adge trig\u00adger in you? What does it say about Jesus? What does it say about your God when his eyes gla\u00adze over becau\u00adse of the grief he sees around him?
\n\tJesus knew exact\u00adly what he was going to do. What does this say about Jesus that he wept even though he knew that he would rai\u00adse Laza\u00adrus from the dead?
\n\tMar\u00adta went from \u00abWhat if this or that were to chan\u00adge\u00bb to \u00abWhat if Jesus is grea\u00adter than death\u00bb. What does this look like for you? Whe\u00adre would you cate\u00adgo\u00adri\u00adse yourself?
\n\tAre you rea\u00addy to come and be con\u00advin\u00adced yours\u00adelf (John 1:46)? What does it take for you to be con\u00advin\u00adced to fol\u00adlow Jesus Christ?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"