When Jesus was born he was surrounded by animals. When he gave his life on the cross he was surrounded by criminals … and family. In between his birth and crucifixion, one of the constants of his life was that he was always with family and friends.
Brotherhood is one of the core values of CMN. To be a friend and stay connected with the brotherhood. It’s said that a friend brightens the room when they enter – others brighten it when they leave. Funny, but too often true.
Jesus had a close friend named Lazarus. In John 11 he’s close to death. His sisters send word to Jesus just a few villages away, perhaps a six-hour walk. But Jesus didn’t come running. He stayed where he was. He had a plan.
The plan was to make his friend one of the greatest evangelists in history.
After Lazarus had died, Jesus arrived at Lazarus’s home. He raised him from the dead. Later when the religious leaders plotted to kill Jesus, they decided to kill Lazarus too, “…for it was because of him that many of the people had believed in Jesus.” (John 12:9-11)
Hundreds of people came to faith in Christ as they went to Lazarus’s house and heard his story of being raised from the dead. Those people later lined the road from Bethany, where Lazarus lived, into Jerusalem as Jesus made his final entry on a donkey.
When Lazarus was sick, close to death he didn’t send word to his friend Jesus. His sisters did that. Lazarus trusted his friend, knew there was a good reason Jesus wasn’t immediately by his side. When he died they put him in a tomb, a cave hollowed out of a hill.
Lazarus was in the dark … but he trusted his friend.
That’s what brotherhood is all about. Trusting Jesus, trusting your friends.
What was it like to walk with Jesus in those days? What’s it like to walk with Jesus today? That’s the central point in “The Visible Image”, a new series on the CMN YouTube and Facebook.
Join me starting tonight. “The Visible Image” premieres tonight at 8pm Central / 9pm Eastern. It’s a weekly short video designed to stir our hearts during the Christmas season. From now through the end of January - let’s walk together, and let’s walk with Jesus.
He is the friend who brightens every room.
