Well, we have the special privilege this week of hearing from my good friend Porter Harlow.  I’m only sorry that I won’t be with you to hear him bring God’s Word to us today (don’t feel bad for me, I’m off hiding from you on vacation). 

Porter is a graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary, Washington, the Founding Pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Burke, VA, and the author of How Should We Treat Detainees: An Examination of Enhanced Interrogation Techniques under the Light of Scripture and the Just War Tradition (Presbyterian & Reformed, 2016), selected by World Magazine as a runner up for Book of the Year in 2016.

This Sunday, Porter will lead us in looking at John 11:28-44 and “The Divinity and Humanity of Jesus.”  When John the Baptist sent messengers to ask Jesus, Luke 7:19, 22, “Are you the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?”  Jesus replied, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.”

It's impossible to raise the dead.  And yet, there are people who can tell you that it’s true.  A mother got her son back (Luke 7) … she can tell you.  A father got his daughter back (Luke 8)… he can tell you.  And now in John 11, Martha can tell you.  So can Mary.  Because they saw the impossible.  The raising of Lazarus from the dead is the climactic miracle of John’s Gospel.  It’s the last of seven miracles and is inserted just before the beginning of the final week of Jesus’ earthly ministry.  It’s the longest and most elaborately described of all the miracles.  Finally, and most importantly, the deeper spiritual meaning of the miracle is striking and is essential to the theology of the Gospel of John, which is focused on believing in Christ as the Son of God and Savior of Sinners.

Again, I’m sorry I’ll miss it (though we’ll check in online).  So this Sunday, pray for Porter and then listen to him carefully.  You will be blessed, Dr. Dave

A Separate Announcement:

A few schedule changes to note:

1. The Lord’s Supper has been moved to Sunday, August 8th.
2. Family Sunday has been moved to Sunday, August 15th.
3. Sunday School on Sunday, August 1st will be the last Sunday School to utilize Zoom.  We’ll be starting the Book of Ruth (without Zoom) on Sunday, August 8th with Matt Zollinhofer and Timo Sazo teaching.  Please come out and support them.