Crucifying Speed
Dr. Nicole Massie Martin
It’ s His Time to Take
Lazarus was alive when word came to Jesus that he was sick. He was alive and still had a chance to be healed by his friend. From previous accounts, we know that Jesus didn’ t have to be present for a person to be cured. The centurion’ s servant was healed the very moment Jesus spoke the word without even going to his house. Jesus offered to go but then marveled at his faith when he said,“ Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one,‘ Go,’ and he goes; and that one,‘ Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant,‘ Do this,’ and he does it”( Matthew 8:8 9; Luke 7:7 8). All Jesus did was speak the word and the servant was made whole. The same thing happened to the Syrophoenician woman’ s daughter who was healed from an evil spirit with just one word from the Lord( Matthew 15:21 28; Mark 7:24 30). The same was true for the Capernaum official’ s son who was on the verge of death but healed from his affliction as soon as Jesus said he would live( John 4:46 54). With evidence from these past experiences, all Jesus had to do was speak a word and Lazarus, the friend he knew and
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