Intro
- Happy Father’s day to all the father’s here as well as all the men who fulfilled a fathering role
in the life of children born to someone else.
o Thank you to those whose words and actions reflected the love and care of our
Heavenly Father in a way that has helped others know him better.
o Today’s sermon is not Fathers’ Day themed, but it does include having to wake
someone up who is dead to the world, so there is that… - If you go to a movie, about the time the movie is supposed to start you’ll get one of these
screens followed by 15-20 minutes of previews…
o …because when a new studio is working on a new movie, they want to make sure
that as many people as possible are excited about it and come to see it.
▪ First, they make sure that people know a little bit about what is coming up.
▪ As the release date gets closer, they usually have a trailer/preview that gives
you glimpses of the best parts of the movie to get you really excited.
o What Jesus is doing in this chapter is a kind of preview.
▪ Jesus has made some spectacular claims for himself: not least of all, that he
will be the one to raise the dead at the last day (5:21, 25, 6:39).
▪ In this chapter, Jesus gives a preview of his power to do so.
(1-16) Death
Lazarus’ Sickness - (1-3) Lazarus, Mary, and Martha are Jesus’ close friends, so naturally they turn to Jesus for
help when Lazarus becomes dangerously sick. - (4) When Jesus gets the message, he assures those who are with him that this sickness will
not end in death.
o What he does not tell them yet is that it is going to go through death.
o The reason that it has occurred is to glorify God the Father and God the Son.
▪ This is very similar to what Jesus said about the blind man in chapter 9.
▪ The bad thing that is about to happen will allow God to do something better
than if he had prevented that bad thing from ever happening.
o When painful things happen in your life, do not assume that God has abandoned
you. He is still at work for your good and his glory.
▪ He uses all things to make his children more Christlike (Romans 8:28-29).
▪ One day we will have the heavenly perspective to see that the sufferings of
this earthly life were “light and momentary” compared to what we have
gained (1 Corinthians 4:16-17)
▪ The glory of God’s goodness and wisdom will be more fully revealed as we
see how he has worked in our life.
(5-6) Jesus’ Delay - We are assured that Jesus loves these three very much – what happens next is not the result
of unconcern or callousness on Jesus’ part. - Jesus does not immediately rush off to help Lazarus or speak a word and heal him.
o He knows that is not the Father’s will, and in his love for Martha, Mary, and Lazarus
he is going to follow God’s perfect timing.
o If we know that something is against God’s will and try to rush ahead with it anyway
(usually be doing a supposedly good thing in a sinful way) it does not bring God’s
approval or blessing, and frequently brings pain, conflict or disaster.
▪ Abraham sleeps with Hagar to try to get the promised son (Genesis 16).
▪ Jacob steals Esau’s blessing because he knows someday it will be his
(Genesis 27).
▪ Moses murders an Egyptian in an attempt to be Israel’s savior (Exodus 2).
o Very frequently God does not work on our timetable, and when that happens we
need to have patience rather than rushing to do our will by any means possible.
▪ E.g., Ignoring God’s principles & commands for sex and marriage because I
want to experience it right now.
▪ E.g., Acting dishonestly or unlawfully for the sake of speed, efficiency, or
some other personal gain.
(7-10) Jesus’ Determination - (7-8) Finally, after what must have felt like the longest 2 days ever, it is the Father’s timing for
Jesus to continue to Bethany, but the disciples are worried.
o Bethany is only about 2 miles from Jerusalem (kind of a “suburb”).
o The religious leaders in Jerusalem want Jesus dead.
o Things seem to be going so much more smoothly here in the North. - (9-10) Jesus is determined to do the will of the Father.
o He will continue teaching, healing, and performing miracles until the time comes for
him to lay down his life.
o Just as he is not going to run ahead of God’s plan to gratify his own feelings, he is not
going to lag behind to avoid suffering.
o Doing the Father’s will is walking in the light rather than stumbling through the dark.
(11-15) Lazarus’ Death - (11) At this point, after they have delayed or two days, Lazarus has died.
o Falling asleep was a common euphemism for death (like how we say someone has
“passed away” or “gone to a better place”).
▪ From an earthly perspective, a dead person can resemble a sleeping person.
▪ When asleep is used in this way, you don’t expect it to be connected with the
idea of awakening that person.
▪ It would be like saying “he passed away, but he’ll be coming back tomorrow.”
o (12-14) perhaps for this reason, the disciples completely misunderstand what Jesus
means by sleep, and he has to bluntly tell them that Lazarus is dead. - (15) Jesus repeats that this tragic situation will produce a better result than if he had
prevented it – their faith will be increased (and not just theirs!).
(16) The Disciples’ Determination - Thomas, speaking for the disciples, declares that they will go and die alongside Jesus (since
they can’t persuade him to stay away from Jerusalem). - This shows a lack of understanding about what is going on, but also a determination to
follow Jesus whatever the cost might be (which Jesus requires of all true disciples).
(17-37) Faith & Compassion
(17-19) The Arrival in Bethany - Jesus and his disciples arrive 4 days after Lazarus has died.
o Even if Jesus had rushed off right away, he would not have been there in time.
o He delays 2 day and arrives after Lazarus has been dead 4 days (more on this soon). - Mary & Martha are surrounded by people who have come from Jerusalem to comfort them.
o Probably includes both family friends & professional mourners.
o The number of people present probably implies they are an important family.
(20-27) Jesus talks to Martha. - (20-22) Martha sadly expresses her faith that Jesus could have healed Lazarus.
o No reason to see this as any angry accusation so much as a regretful “if only…”
o She continues to trust in Jesus’ power…she might even be half hoping without
putting it into words that he could still do something about this. - (23-27) Jesus assures her that Lazarus will rise again.
o (24) She declares her faith in the final resurrection.
▪ This is taught in the Old Testament (e.g. Daniel 12:1-3).
▪ Jesus has made it clear that he is the one who will raise those who belong to
him “at the last day.” (e.g. 6:40)
o (25-26) Jesus declares himself to be the resurrection and the life.
▪ Physical death has no power over those who believe in Jesus.
▪ Physical death becomes nothing more than a transition into new and better
life – a perfect eternity with God that includes a physical resurrection.
▪ This is only true for those who believe (who trust Jesus to do this for them).
Jesus asks Martha if she believes.
o (27) Martha unhesitatingly declares her faith.
▪ She believes what Jesus has just said about being the only source of
resurrection & eternal life for those who trust in him.
▪ She believes that Jesus is the Messiah/Christ – the long-awaited Savior.
▪ She believes that Jesus is the Son of God – he is not a mere human but God’s
unique Son who is God himself (more on that on Wednesday).
o Do you believe?
▪ Some preachers make a big point of “head belief vs. heart belief,” and I get
what they’re saying, but I think that can be too abstract or confusing.
▪ Martha’s declaration gives us a clear picture of saving faith.
▪ Saving faith is confidence that certain things about Jesus are true plus
personal trust in Jesus to give you true life on that basis.
▪ Do you believe that Jesus is everything he claimed to be as revealed in the
Gospels (God the Son who died and rose again to save us from our sins)?
▪ Are you trusting him to provide eternal life? Have you asked him to forgive
your sins and transform your life? Is that where your confidence lies?
▪ Is your confidence in “I do such-and-such and try to be good” or in “Jesus my
Savior died and rose again for me”?
(28-37) Jesus talks to Mary. - (28-32) Martha sends Mary to talk to Jesus, and all the mourners follow her.
o She starts by saying the exact same thing as Martha…
o …though in a more emotional way, which fits well with what we know of their
personalities from other times they appear in the Gospels. - (33-37) As Jesus sees the grief and despair around him, he reacts with great emotion.
o The word translated was deeply moved is usually translated with the idea of being
moved to anger. We see Jesus reacting with deep, even angry, emotion & crying.
o The crowd interprets this as Jesus crying for the loss of his friend Lazarus, but I think
that was only a small part of it (he knows he is about to resurrect Lazarus). - Jesus is reacting to the whole scene: the grief & brokenness that death brings.
o He, the one who created the universe, knows better than anyone that death was not
part of the original creation.
o Now, he is experiencing firsthand the emotional effects of it on himself & others.
o He is probably also upset (angered even) at the despair that seems to be present,
which is an indication of unbelieve.
▪ Everyone but Martha is acting as if Lazarus is gone forever…
▪ …as if since Jesus did not heal him it is forever too late…
▪ …as if since Jesus did not act according to their expectations all is lost.
o Jesus’ personal experience of grief and the temptation to despair makes him our
perfect high priest (Hebrews 4:14-16).
▪ Our God has lived as one of us and experienced this broken world.
▪ This should give us confidence to walk in his footsteps and come to him in
prayer with confidence that he hears, understands, and compassionately
helps. - They start out for the tomb…
(38-44) Resurrection!
(38-40) Jesus asks them to open the tomb. - Martha objects that Lazarus has been dead long enough that decomposition will have
started (wrapping in linen & spaces was not the same as mummification or embalming).
o Now we might see part of the reason for Jesus’ two-day delay that caused him to
arrive four days after Lazarus’ death instead of two.
o There is no doubt that Lazarus is dead.
▪ A Jewish superstition that appears to go back to this time said that when a
person dies, their spirit hangs around the body for 3 days hoping to reenter,
but on the 4th day when decomposition sets in, it gives up and leaves.
▪ Whether that superstition was in people’s minds or not, it is clear that
Lazarus is dead – this is a resurrection, not a resuscitation.
o Jesus reminds Martha that if she continues to believe she will see the glory of Gd at
work – and apparently she continues to trust because she has the stone removed.
(41-44) Jesus brings Lazarus back to life. - (41-42) Jesus prays, making it clear that this is the power of the Father working through him,
providing further proof that he is who he claims to be: the Son of God sent into the world. - (43-44) All it takes is a command from Jesus and Lazarus comes out of the tomb as alive as
ever (though having to shuffle or hop because of the graveclothes).
o The command from Jesus reunites body and spirit and fully repairs any physical
damage caused by sickness and death.
o The most final and inevitable thing in human experience is dismissed at Jesus’ word.
▪ Jesus has authority over death itself, just as he claimed.
▪ And this is only the “preview version” of the resurrection because Lazarus is
raised merely to continued mortal life. - The kind of glorious resurrection to immortality in the eternal kingdom is still future (see
various verses in 1 Corinthians 15, the resurrection chapter).
o (22-23) Jesus will be the first to experience it within a few months from this time, to
be followed by all who are his at his return.
o At his return, all believers will receive their glorified, immortal, resurrection bodies.
▪ (51-53) That includes both those who have already died and are with him as
he returns and those who are still alive on this earth at that time.
▪ (54-55) On that day the lingering sting of death that we experience in this sincursed
world will be fully and forever eliminated.
Applications - Trust Jesus to save you. He is only the resurrection and the life for those who believe.
o Believe that he is who he claims to be.
o Ask him to forgive your sins and save you from death and hell.
o Trust that his death and resurrection on your behalf gives you eternal life. - Take comfort that loved ones who have died trusting in Jesus are with him even now,
experiencing eternal life, and will be fully resurrected when he returns.
o We may grieve that we are separated from them for now, but it is not despair (it is not
sorrow without hope).
o Knowing this should also motivate us to share the Gospel with loved ones who have
not yet trusted in Jesus as their Savior. - Look forward to the day when we get our new glorified bodies, & trust God’s love until then.
o Come to him in prayer with confidence, knowing that he sympathizes with your
brokenness.
o Don’t panic and run ahead of his plan or despair and give up on following him.
o His timing is perfect, and he is using all things for our good.
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