John 20:30-31 - Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
3 principles to help us process what the world views as “the king of terrors”
I. Jesus’ View of a Situation Is Often Different Than Ours – vv. 1-16
John 10:4-5 - When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.
A. His timing – vv. 1-6
John 11:5 - Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
John 11:6 - So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.
John 11:21 - Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
John 11:32 - Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
John 11:3 - So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
John 11:4 - But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”
John 11:40 - Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
B. His analysis of danger and mission – vv. 7-10
John 11:9-10 - Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
C. His understanding of what is actually happening – vv. 11-16
John 11:12 - The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”
II. Death Provides an Opportunity for the Genuineness of Your Faith to Be Revealed – vv. 17-37
John 11:16 - Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”
A. Your belief in the future resurrection – vv. 17-24
John 11:24 - Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
Psalm 23:6 - Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 - But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 - For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Corinthians 15:50-54 - Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
B. Your belief that Jesus is the resurrection and the life – vv. 25-27
John 11:25-26 - Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:27 - She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.”
John 11:14-15 - So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.”
C. Your belief that Jesus cares deeply about how this subject affects you – vv. 28-37
John 11:35 - Jesus wept.
“Inextinguishable fury seizes upon him…It is death that is the object of his wrath, and behind death him who has the power of death, and whom he has come into the world to destroy. Tears of sympathy may fill his eyes, but this is incidental. His soul is held by rage…The raising of Lazarus thus becomes, not an isolated marvel, but…a decisive instance and open symbol of Jesus’ conquest of death and hell. What John does for us…is to uncover for us the heart of Jesus, as he wins for us our salvation. Not in cold unconcern, but in flaming wrath against the foe, Jesus smites in our behalf. He has not only saved us from the evils which oppress us; he has felt for and with us in our oppression, and under the impulse of these feelings has wrought out our redemption. While Christ is a lion to the impenitent, he is a lamb to the penitent—the reduced, the open, the hungry, the desiring, the confessing, the self-effacing. He hates with righteous hatred all that plagues you. Remember that Isaiah 53 speaks of Christ bearing our griefs and carrying our sorrows (v. 4). He wasn’t only punished in our place, experiencing something we never will (condemnation); he also suffered with us, experiencing what we ourselves do (mistreatment). In your grief, he is grieved. In your distress, he is distressed.” (Gentle and Lowly, pp. 111-112)
III. Those Who Believe in Christ’s Resurrection Power Will Never Be Disappointed – vv. 38-45
A. The glory of God is at stake – vv. 38-40
John 11:40 - Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
B. The power of God is at hand – vv. 41-44
John 11:43 - When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.”
C. The redemption of God is at work – vv. 45-46
John 11:45 - Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.
John 14:1-3 - Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
- it’s possible to Enjoying Life in Jesus’ Name
because Our Savior has an Answer for Death…
- with that in mind, please open you Bible to John chapter 11…page 81 of the back section of the Bible under the chair in front of you…
- we’re taking that from the purpose statement toward the end of the gospel - John 20:30–31 - Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
- what we’re about to study in John 11 fits right into the center of that purpose statement…every person hearing this message will be faced with the same question Jesus poses to one of the key characters…do you believe this?...because if you believe this happened, as one Christian writer titled one of his books – this is evidence that demands a verdict…
- you have to do something if you believe this is true…
- and the results of that belief are profound, including the way you think about death for yourself and those you love who have died in Christ…
- please carefully picture these events in your mind as I read beginning in John 11:1 – Read 11:1-57
- so we’re talking about Enjoying Life in Jesus’ Name because Our Savior has an Answer for Death
- with the time we have remaining, let’s think about 3 principles to help us process what the world views as “the king of terrors”.
I. Jesus’ View of a Situation is Often Different than Ours – vv. 1-16
- in chapter 10, Jesus offered to be our Great Shepherd…
- that passage is filled with marvelous promises, including John 10:4–5 - When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.
- what that means is, if you know Christ in this way, there are plenty of times when the direction He is leading is going to be quite different than what you would have previously thought on your own…
- and if you love and honor your shepherd, you’re going to glad and thankful when that occurs…that’s one of the reasons you admitted that you needed a shepherd to begin with…
- well, how do we see that playing out here?...
A. His timing – vv. 1-6
- part of the way John tells the story is to draw attention the disparity between verses 5 and 6…
- they really don’t fit together…so we read…
- John 11:5 - Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
- well, how would we have expected verse 6 to read?...
- He immediately got up and went to be with them…
- He created the automobile so they could get there faster than ever before…
- but John wants the next verse to just sit there for a while…
- John 11:6 - So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.
- this became a major part of his conversation with both sisters…
- Can we just pause and admit that often God’s timing and ours do not always overlap?
- Can we admit that there are plenty of times in our own lives where we see a problem and we assume that this needs to be solved right now…like there is nothing more important that this issue being handled this very second…and if it is not handled this very second…then there is no hope of a positive resolution.
We see this type of desperation with Martha - John 11:21 - Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
- then again with Mary, John 11:32 - Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
- why were they so fixated on that point?...because they knew when Jesus had received the news…and they knew what he said when He received it…
And who can blame them? They are hurting, they are sad. They know that Christ is powerful, but they believe that there is only so much that he could do.
Adding to their pain and confusion is the fact that they went and told Jesus that this was happening..
John 11:3 - So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
- with the understanding that He would come to them immediately…
- so Jesus said to the messenger… John 11:4 - But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”
- so here’s the key question – what happened to that guy?...he went back and gave the message to the sisters…which would have been very awkward, because during the intervening time, Lazarus died…
- can you imagine the messenger you sent to Jesus to come back with that response…and the obvious problem is – Lazarus is dead…
Could he have healed when he was sick…sure…we had seen Jesus do that 1,000 times…but no one can raise the dead…especially after this much time.
We have mentioned a few times from Issaih 55:8-9 that God says, “My ways are not your ways”
Well, we could also say, “My timing is not your timing…”
And Jesus is pretty clear about why his timing is not our timing.
- John 11:40 - Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
Jesus is on one mission, and that includes his timing…he wants to bring glory to God, even in times where we can’t see how that is going to happen.
But let’s also see…
B. His analysis of danger and mission – vv. 7-10
- when he tells the disciples it is time to go to Judea, the disciples are concerned because they know the people there have been seeking to stone Him…
- John 11:9–10 - Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.
From a human perspective, the disciples know that heading to Judea is risky business. And who can blame them. They, and Jesus know that the Pharisees are out to kill Jesus (and perhaps anyone that is too closely aligned with him).
But Christ’s mission is not the avoidance of danger and trouble, his mission is, as we mentioned, to make God look good, to glorify him.
How often are we like the disciples? We are so worried that our little world that we have created and crafted could be brought down by danger.
What if I say this thing….will it lead to pain and suffering in my life?
What if I take a stand for God’s truth…will that get me in trouble with my friends, family, or even co-workers?
What if I chose to follow God’s will in this area of my life?
My point is, Christians are not folks who just rush headlong into danger, but nor are we a people who avoid danger just to keep ourselves safe. We are people that are most concerned about glorifying God, even when there is danger because of an overriding trust in God’s plan and mission
And the reason that Jesus can do that in this situation is because of…
C. His understanding of what is actually happening – vv. 11-16
- this passage is filled with examples of people who were clueless…coupled with a pride that motivates them to speak in extremely condescending ways to the Savior…
- so when Jesus uses the phrase “fallen asleep” to explain that Lazarus has died…what was the profound response from the disciples?...
- John 11:12 - The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”
- that’s one of those – did you really just let that come out of your mouth – kind of statements?...
- along with the one I mentioned a moment ago from Martha – you better not open the tomb because by now he’s going to stink…
- friend, would you agree with me that often it would just be better to be quiet…and try to ascertain Jesus’ perspective in the matter…
- It is OK to tell God what is in your heart, to cry out to him for deliverance and help…but it is not wise for you to try to import and place your understanding of what is happening on his…
- your perspective is that which is so small, and often when we are in our sin….so wrong…and so….
- can I ask you – is there evidence that you understand that Jesus’ view of a situation is often different than yours…and does the patient, humble way you follow Him demonstrate that you’re glad that’s the case?...
- to the degree that this is not true, this is a great moment to commit to change.
- It is a great time to chose to allow his perspective on the matter to be the run that rules your life.
- We all struggle with this…no doubt, but wise is the person that choses to admit that their perspective is often not nearly as informed as Christ’s….and to trust in his.
But we also see in the text that…
II. Death Provides an Opportunity for the Genuineness of Your Faith to be Revealed – vv. 17-37.
- while it’s true that some of what the disciples and Mary and Martha said in this passage revealed a lack of understanding and/or belief…that was not entirely the case…
- for example, when Thomas said -- John 11:16 - Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”
- there’s actually something rather noble in that statement, isn’t there?...it’s a whole lot better than, “if you’re going there Lord, you’re on Your own…”
- Martha makes several significant affirmations in this text that demonstrate the depth of her faith…
A. Your belief in the future resurrection – vv. 17-24
- John 11:24 - Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
- true, that wasn’t exactly what was about to happen…but it still evidences significant faith…
- she truly believed that her brother’s death was not the end of his existence…
- perhaps she was thinking of a concept like we read at the end of the 23rd Psalm…
- Psalm 23:6 - Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
- this is part of what helps us… 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.
- we believe what Paul went on to teach there… 1 Thessalonians 4:14–18 - For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.
- Paul said it this way to the Corinthians in the great resurrection chapter in the Bible - 1 Corinthians 15:50–54 - Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.
- see, death is hard – but it provides an opportunity for the genuineness of our faith to be revealed…just like it did with Martha…including our belief in a future resurrection…
- this is part of what helps us sorrow, but not as those who have no hope…
- Now I understand that there could be so many ditches that exists when it comes to Heaven that it is not even funny…but let me at least say a few things on it quickly.
- First, do you actually believe in a literal resurrection where you will have a literal body in Heaven when you will work, enjoy fellowship with the redeemed, but most importantly worship God?
- In our day an age, there are so many different views about Heaven and the after life that it is not even possible to keep track…but I would encourage you to take what the Bible says literally…there is a real Heaven that we will, those who have trusted in the D\B\R of Jesus be in….for eternity.
- Second, I would say that there can be all sorts of questions about Heaven that you may have…will my dog be there? What will I do? I would encourage you to actually study the topic.
CS Lewis has two greats quotes on Heaven that I would want you to consider:
“ Aim and Heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you will get neither.”
And later, he would say,
“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.”
Just let that sit in your mind for a moment…one last comment…
- do you think about what it will be like to meet our brothers and sisters in Christ in heaven in their glorified bodies?...
- for me, often I’ve had the privilege of meeting people when they were older [and by older, I mean one day older than me at the time]…
- and it’s delightful to think that because of the resurrection power of Jesus Christ, we will have the privilege of meeting some of those we love, but more likely in a younger version than we ever knew…
But also remember…
B. Your belief that Jesus is the resurrection and the life – vv. 25-27
Is central to Heaven….
I had the chance to sit down with a Mormon this past Monday in counseling…I’m so glad that he has come to counseling…having the opportunity to sit down with hurting men and women from our community in a 1-1 setting and just talk about what is happening in their life presents such amazing opportunities that it is just sheer joy
- But I got to Share with him that what he believes about Jesus…that determines everything…and what Mormons believe about Jesus…and who he is significantly different than what I believe
-and in our passage the core of this passage is…John 11:25–26 - Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
- Martha’s response was a tremendous declaration… John 11:27 - She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.”
- friends – there is a sense in which Jesus’ question at the end of verse 26 is as relevant today as the first time it was uttered…Do you believe this?...
- have you come to a point of admitting your sin and placing your faith and trust in Christ as Savior and Lord?...if not, we would urge you to do that today…
- Christian friend – do you really believe the story of the raising of Lazarus?...
- I won’t steal the thunder of the pastor speaking on chapter 12…but the unbelieving Jews have a real problem now…which is what?...how do you explain Lazarus?...
- which is undoubtedly why the Lord delayed several days…so there wouldn’t be the accusation that – well, what happened here is that Lazarus wasn’t really dead, so they just buried him prematurely, so Jesus had to quickly come over and correct that little mortician’s error…
- the evidence is clear -- John 11:14–15 - So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.”
- so now the unbelieving Jews are trying to deal with “the Lazarus problem” – and in a testament to the endless and creative insanity of unbelief – one guy came up with the brilliant plan – let’s just kill Lazarus…
- ...as if Jesus couldn’t just raise him again because he ran out of coupons?...
- if we truly believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life…then we can enjoy life in His name…and think about death for ourselves and others who have died in Christ in an entirely different way…
-And for us who would claim to be followers of Christ, we need to see that not only is he the way to salvation, but he is the only way….it’s not ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME….type thinking in Christianity
Christ makes it clear…there is one way….one path…that is it…and it is through him…
- In our society that is not a popular belief…if you chose to take that stand, you will be the odd man out…but Christ could not be more clear here and elsewhere…he is the way.
- there’s also the issue of…
C. Your belief that Jesus cares deeply about how this subject affects you – vv. 28-37
- if you’ve never memorized a verse from the Bible before, you might want to start that journey right here…John 11:35 - Jesus wept.
- In his book Gentle and Lowly [Heather – please insert pic]…Pastor Dane Ortland quotes BB Warfield’s classic book The Power and Work of Christ…Inextinguishable fury seizes upon him…It is death that is the object of his wrath, and behind death him who has the power of death, and whom he has come into the world to destroy. Tears of sympathy may fill his eyes, but this is incidental. His soul is held by rage…The raising of Lazarus thus becomes, not an isolated marvel, but…a decisive instance and open symbol of Jesus’ conquest of death and hell.
- What John does for us…is to uncover for us the heart of Jesus, as he wins for us our salvation. Not in cold unconcern, but in flaming wrath against the foe, Jesus smites in our behalf. He has not only saved us from the evils which oppress us; he has felt for and with us in our oppression, and under the impulse of these feelings has wrought out our redemption.
- then Ortland continued, While Christ is a lion to the impenitent, he is a lamb to the penitent—the reduced, the open, the hungry, the desiring, the confessing, the self-effacing. He hates with righteous hatred all that plagues you. Remember that Isaiah 53 speaks of Christ bearing our griefs and carrying our sorrows (v. 4). He wasn’t only punished in our place, experiencing something we never will (condemnation); he also suffered with us, experiencing what we ourselves do (mistreatment). In your grief, he is grieved. In your distress, he is distressed (Gentle and Lowly, pp. 111-112).
- Do you believe that Jesus has this type of love for you? That he is desires so very much to be with you….to save you…that when he sees what sin has done…what the enemy has done…he is moved to action?
- Sometimes we can get this view of God as this emotion-less person. He is working out his divine plan in some sort of sublime passionless way knowing that because he will win…then he is just…well…blah
- Jesus’ reaction to the death of Lazarus gives us a keen insight into the heart of God…which is incredibly complex….you and me…in our finite states can manage like one emotion at a time…we can’t even being to imagine the complex nature of God…but Jesus, through John’s telling of the story…open’s up Christ’s heart to us…
- And one of the things that we see is God’s deep and powerful love of us….and his hatred of how the world is turned upside down…
- well, what will happen for those who choose to believe?
III. Those Who Believe in Christ’s Resurrection Power Will Never be Disappointed – vv. 38-45
A. The glory of God is at stake – vv. 38-40
- John 11:40 - Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
- as men and women in our church family choose to respond to the topic of death in a hopeful way…you are giving our God great glory…
- We’ve mentions that before, not only in this message, but elsewhere…and we need to remember that God’s glory is the thing that he is most concerned about…what is everything in our world working toward? The glorification of his name…that is why we were put on this earth….and that is why he allows this entire scene to unfold…
And in the gospel of John…this is obviously the climax of the story…turning water to wine…healing the blind…but raising a man from the dead…he is making God look amazing!
And that type of glorification that happened with Lazarus will happen for you and me. When those who have trusted in Christ are raised to new life…that is going to bring God more and more glory…in part because…
B. The power of God is at hand – vv. 41-44
- Can you imagine hearing that forceful command from the Savior who was in control of every single aspect of what was occurring - John 11:43 - When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.”
Just picture the scene in your mind…everyone is standing around…everyone is crying and whaling…everyone is a bit annoyed that Jesus didn’t step in sooner….and then he commands him to come forth….
- You just have to wonder what was going through everyone’s mind at this moment….but what we see in the moment is…
C. The redemption of God is at work – vv. 45-46
- John 11:45 - Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.
- and how could they not believe…he is doing the one thing that is impossible. The Bible and I’m sure stories of the ANE were full of miraculous events…but raising a person from the dead…commanding them to come forth from the grave….
- a number who are hearing this message will be serving in VBS this week…
- thank you for your sacrificial service…
- I would encourage you look at those boys and girls through the grid of – I wonder who is the next Lazarus…whom God will gloriously, and powerfully, and redemptively call to Himself?...
- What a joy and a privilege it is to be part of God’s plan in this way…
- But is also a great opportunity to ask…where in my life and I apart of that kind of ministry…where I am calling “the dead back to life?”
- I am always so very thankful for the FCW congregation. You are great servants and have great hearts… let’s not forgot that each of us has a call to be preaching and sharing the gospel…to be laboring toward reaching the lost…that will look different for each person in this room…
- But it would be my hope and prayer that you would be able to say when the summer is over…I had at least one conversation with someone…family, friends…co-workers…that I shared the gospel of Christ with them…
- I was actively apart of “calling the dead to life” in the sense that I talked with them about their sin…and I shared with them about the Cross of Christ.
- You might say…well in my life…I don’t have any natural opportunities…that’s fine…then work to create them…
- I mentioned my conversation with a Mormon…the reality for a pastor like me…doing Monday Counseling is one of the few opportunities that I get to interact with those who are not Christians…and that is in part because so much of my time is spent ministering and caring for the church…and I love doing that
- But I also want to be apart of sharing the gospel with those that do not know Christ…and what I am encouraging everyone here to at least think about…and to commit to in your hearts is that you will do that at least once during the summer…
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