As the pinnacle of the great sign miracles of Jesus, John records for us the Lord's raising of Lazarus from the dead. It is the glorious capstone of Jesus' works and it fully reveals who He is unlike any of the other signs He did. For critics, John 11 is an easy target to aim at in their goal of reducing Jesus to a mere religious figure. They search for alternative explanations, they cast doubt on it's authenticity, and they deny it's reality. For believers, John 11 is an overwhelming wave of hope that washes over us and leaves us forever changed. John 11 is the story of Jesus confronting death and proving it is no match for his divine identity. There are beautiful details showing him calling his followers to faith and emotionally responding to the fallenness of this world. But the truly impactful part of this story is the dramatic demonstration of Jesus calling Lazarus back to life. It is a showcase of His infinite power and a foreshadowing of what is to come in His own person.
That is why this song resonates so much with me:
You have no rival You have no equal Now and forevermore You reign
What a beautiful, wonderful, and powerful name it is - the name of Jesus.
The biggest award show in the music business - The Grammys - were held last night.
My guys Twenty One Pilots picked up a golden statue and dropped their pants in the process. There were some legendary performers up for awards and on the docket for live performances - Beyonce, Adele, Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga. The highlight of the night for me was Chance the Rapper performing a medley with Kirk Franklin that "took us to church" as they say.
He remixed Chris Tomlin's "How Great is Our God" classic and made it his own. Even if you can't keep up with his rap, the energy and emotion and joy is undeniably uplifting. And when you are able to digest his lyrics, the song's power is amplified even more.
Am I familiar with his entire catalog? No. Could his songs or his life have "objectionable" aspects that would bother the Pharisees among us? Probably. But when an artist like Kirk Franklin vouches for you, I'm willing to promote it too.
