Joanne Guarnieri Hagemeyer Gospel of John

Gospel of John: Lazarus! Here! Outside!

It is God Who creates new life within you and me, Jesus calls us by name and brings us out of death and into new life. Then God calls others to come help us unwind the old life from ourselves, all the things that had bound us in death.

Joanne Guarnieri Hagemeyer Gospel of John

Gospel of John: Belief on the Line

Faith involves doing hard things. And obedience to God reflects belief in God and God’s word. Martha would have to put her belief on the line in front of her sister, in front of all those religious dignitaries, in front of all their extended family and people who had come down from Jerusalem.

Joanne Guarnieri Hagemeyer Gospel of John

Gospel of John: Martha’s Faith

[In the Greek] Though Martha’s voice had leaned more heavily on the final catastrophe of death itself, Mary spoke from the devastation of personal betrayal, her voice leaning on the connection of her brother, the unspoken meaning clear: you said you loved me, and he was my brother.

Joanne Guarnieri Hagemeyer Gospel of John

Gospel of John: Revelation to Martha

Or are we living in active faith that Jesus is powerfully at work within our inward beings, transforming us, and is also at work in our physical world, bring shalom to all those around us, including the earth itself?

Joanne Guarnieri Hagemeyer Gospel of John

Gospel of John: Delays Are Not Denials

But there are dimensions to our problems that you and I cannot imagine, but which God sees clearly. When I pray, I can see God’s wisdom in a situation, that the Lord’s vision is much bigger than mine. Jesus can solve any problem, fix any mess, bring good out of any disaster, he is God. But Jesus will do it in a way that glorifies God and strengthens my faith.

Joanne Guarnieri Hagemeyer Gospel of John

Gospel of John: Let Us All Go

Jesus had received a message from Mary and Marth of Bethany, Lazarus was gravely ill. But rather than come to them, Jesus sent word back that Lazarus’ illness was not to death but to God’s glory.

Joanne Guarnieri Hagemeyer Gospel of John

Gospel of John: Grave Illness

What God does is always a reflection of God’s character and in keeping with God’s glory, and all this is displayed in the lives of every believer. Those who believe God see God’s glory in everyday circumstances.