TO DIE WITH HIM - John 11:16

Here, the writer reminds us that both of Thomas's names mean "twin" and that this glass-half-empty, "doubter" personality was always grappling deeply with the warring twins of unbelief and faith. (A good study of scriptures mentioning Thomas is a worthwhile endeavor!).

Commentators still today argue over who the "him" is in the "die with him" part of the verse: is it referring to Lazarus who died, whom Jesus is about to raise from the dead, or Jesus himself, who is about to go back to Bethany where the events leading to his own death will begin to unfold?

In either case, the keywords that fuel our intercession are "with him" Let us pray deep into this phrase this week and on Sunday, as we identify with and intercede for those in our body (i.e., all of us, including us) who grapple on the inside with the twins of unbelief and faith.

During this season of Lent, as we prepare for our hearts for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter, i.e., both death and resurrection, let us take up Thomas' challenge to be willing to "die with him" whether it be Lazarus or Jesus so that our church body will be prepared to experience deliverance from unbelief into faith, from death into life, from grave clothes to righteous robes, from mourning into joy, from sickness into healing, from bondage into freedom, from self-focus into service, from grasping to generosity, and from routine church-going into true transformative revival.

Written by Dr. Steve Patierno, Ph.D