It's Too Late

Mark Estepp - 4/4/2021

Galatians 4:4

But when the right time came, God sent his Son 


Romans 5:6

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.


It’s Too Late


John 11

17 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 

18 Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, 19 and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 

20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 

21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 

22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”

23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”

25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 

26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” 

28 Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.” 

29 So Mary immediately went to him.

30 Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. 

31 When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there. 

32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. 

34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them.

They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 

35 Then Jesus wept. 

36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” 

37 But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”

38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. 

39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.

But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”

40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” 

41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 

42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 

43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”


Luke 22

54 So they arrested him and led him to the high priest’s home. And Peter followed at a distance. 

55 The guards lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. 

56 A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said, “This man was one of Jesus’ followers!”

57 But Peter denied it. “Woman,” he said, “I don’t even know him!”

58 After a while someone else looked at him and said, “You must be one of them!”

“No, man, I’m not!” Peter retorted.

59 About an hour later someone else insisted, “This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too.”

60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.

61 At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord’s words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

 62 And Peter left the courtyard, weeping bitterly.


John 21

15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.

16 Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.” “Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.

17 A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. 

He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.

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