John 11 7-33 Good morning and thank you for joining us. Would you please turn in your to please? Last week we revisited the history of Mary, and Lazarus, and their bond, their love for . We studied the 1st six verses of this incredible chapter, and we saw the difficult truth of how God’s love sometimes waits. This morning, our verses continue to describe the captivating drama that unfolds from the unexpected of Lazarus. We’re going to study verses 7-33. The title of our message this morning is THE RESSURECTION AND THE LIFE. Let’s read verses 1-7 and then we’ll pray 1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of , the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” 4 When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to again.” LETS PRAY The messenger has long since come and gone, swiftly returning to Bethany to relay to the sisters Jesus’ response to the news. Jesus has now tarried for 2 days, and in verse 7, according to His perfect will and perfect timing, Jesus departs for Bethany. 7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” Now we know that Jesus could’ve raised Lazarus from the dead from a distance. Jesus didn’t need to physically go to Bethany did He? In fact we read in the how Jesus had healed both a centurion's servant and a nobleman's son at a distance by His spoken word. But as the verses go on we’ll see that Jesus has more in mind than just raising Lazarus from the dead. 8 The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?” Jesus' decision to return to the area in Judea seemed crazy to the disciples. They feel compelled to remind Jesus, as though He needed a reminder, that the religious leaders almost stoned Him- we saw this during our study of chapter 10 a couple weeks ago if you remember. But this raises a question. Did the disciples think that Jesus didn’t rush to Lazarus because He was somehow fearful of the religious leaders? Now remember, we’re in the last few weeks of Jesus’ earthly ministry. The disciples have seen all the , the feeding of the 5,000, casting out demons, calming the wind and waves. They’ve seen Jesus’ power and they say-‘um Lord, you sure you wanna go back there-what about the bad guys??’ 9 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. Both the Jews and the Romans commonly regarded the total daylight "hours" as "twelve," and the nighttime hours as the other "twelve." Here Jesus was referring to the daylight hours 10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” Notice the parallels in John 11 to that of where Jesus gives a similar statement. John 9:4 “I[fn] must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work Jesus isn’t afraid to return to the area because His hour had not yet come. So Jesus responds to the bewildered disciples by saying that He still had work to do. 11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” This isn’t the only time we see Jesus describe death as sleep. Jesus said of Jairus’ daughter that she was asleep Matthew 9:24 He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. Now we know in a few versus Jesus is going to say it plainly-that Lazarus is dead. But notice here in verse 11 he’s still Lazarus. Not was Lazarus. He’s not Bob or Barney or someone else. Even in death he’s still same person. Our English word "cemetery" means "sleeping place.” Death is not the end of the story. I’ve heard death properly described as the foyer of eternity. 12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” The disciples aren’t following what Jesus is saying. They tell Jesus-‘hey, if Lazarus is sleeping, then that’s good! When you’re sick you need your rest right? Don’t wake ‘em up! Remember this is the A-postles, not the B-postles. These are Jesus’ closest companions and they’re just not catching on to what Jesus is saying. 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.” Jesus doesn’t say ‘I’m glad Lazarus is dead.’ He doesn’t say ‘I’m glad there’s broken hearts and buckets of tears.’ No He says I’m glad I wasn’t there for your sakes that you may believe.

Mary and Martha desperately wanted a healing for their brother Lazarus. Yet Jesus wanted far more. Jesus’ intentions are way beyond the comprehension of Mary and Martha’s here, aren’t they? Throughout the , and in our lives, we see countless times how God is much more interested in our faith growing, than He is in our comfort. Now this is relatively easy to comprehend when we read these accounts, and we know how the events play out. We can comprehend God’s will a little bit easier when we look in the rearview mirror of our lives. But recognizing and submitting to God’s sovereignty and His will while we are in the midst of horrific storms is an entirely different challenge isn’t it? It’s the hallmark, the watermark, the proof, of faith. Jesus was "glad" that He had not been present when Lazarus died, because the disciples would learn additional truths that would strengthen their faith. Each new trial we face offers us the opportunity for the strengthening of our faith. 16 Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” Most people know the apostle Thomas as "”, for his skeptical attitude. Yet here we see Thomas’ devotion to Jesus. He’s ready to die with Jesus. Except Jesus said Lazarus is dead, Jesus isn’t- His time isn’t come yet! Thomas seems just a bit pessimistic here doesn’t he? There once was an optimist who took his pessimistic friend duck hunting. The optimist really wanted to show off his new hound dog. The pessimist took one look at the dog and frowned, "Looks like a mutt to me.” Soon, several ducks flew overhead. Bam, bam - two fell in the middle of the lake. The dog ran out on top of the water, picked up both ducks in his mouth, and ran back across the surface of the lake. The optimist stuck out his chest and asked his friend, "Now, what do you think of my dog?” The pessimist scoffed, "Your dumb dog doesn’t even know how to swim." That was like Thomas. It was like his cup was always half empty, rather than half full. It’s interesting Thomas is also called, "The Twin." Who was his twin? We’re never told. Some theologians believe that Jesus called him a twin indicating that faith and unbelief were "twins" in his nature. 17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Jesus had been in the Judean wilderness - east of the - twenty miles away. It took Martha’s messenger a day to reach Him. Once He got the message, Jesus waited two days. It took a day to walk back to Bethany. This all means that Lazarus had died shortly after the messenger departed. By the time the messenger returned to Mary and Martha, Jesus' message in verse 4, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God" surely seemed like an empty promise. Lazarus wasn’t just sick - now he was dead. Hebrew tradition said a deceased persons spirit hovered above the body for 3 days, and departed to Abrahams bosom on the 4th day. We’ll talk a little bit next week in detail of the science of the decomposition, but think about the humidity, the climate, the temperature-all would accelerate a body’s decomposition in the middle east. But now in verse 17, Jesus has arrived. Lazarus has been buried for 4 days. Which means the sisters, Mary and Martha have been grieving for 4 days. They watched Lazarus worsen. They watched his breathing slow, his eyes gloss over. Lazarus went downhill so fast. Many of you here know first hand what its like to be with a loved when they die. When my mom was 46 yrs old, she was diagnosed with cancer for the 2nd time in a few short years. With her alcoholism the cancer was ravishing her internal organs, especially her liver. We didn’t have hospice or any help, so my dad and I took care of her the best we could. At first her prognosis was somewhat favorable. But as the constant routine of radiation and chemotherapy played out, the cancer multiplied at an unfathomable pace. I’ll never forget the day our doctor, doctor Hanson, called and told us to get a hospital bed, because she only had about 2 weeks to live. We got the bed that morning, and my mom died late that night in my dads arms. So this section of scripture always makes me wonder what it must’ve been like for Mary and Martha, as they held Lazarus’ hands, as he breathed his last. The scene now shifts to the sisters. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles[fn] away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Over the last several days, friends had come, doctors had come, perhaps even rabbis, yet death was still victorious. And the sisters are left with severe mourning. According to custom back then, even the poorest family was to hire at least 1 flute player and several professional mourners at the death of a loved one. Verse 19 says many-you can be sure this was a large crowd that had come to comfort these sisters. You can picture the scene-the wailing, the tears, the never-ending questions. 20 Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now remember, Bethany is 2,500 feet above sea level. They’re on an elevated plain, which gives you a birds eye perspective on the happenings below. This means the sisters would see figures travelling up into and down out of Bethany. And every distant silhouette approaching the last 4 days made them wonder-is that Him, is that Jesus? Only to be disappointed. But now here, in verse 20, Martha gets word that Jesus is coming, and she doesn’t wait for Him to get to the house. We’ll learn in verse 30 that Jesus is still on the outskirts when Martha meets Him 21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Tone of voice is so important to know, isn’t it? This is why emails and texts can be so difficult to discern, because they don’t convey tone of voice. Throw in a misplaced comma, and an innocent text can be more like a bombshell. Here in verse 21, we don’t know the tone of the voice. Is this reproof? Or is it remorse? No matter the tone of voice, we can see in verse 21, Martha is accusing Jesus of a missed opportunity. Maybe you’re hurting this morning, and wondering why Jesus hasn’t delivered you yet. I pray you know that Jesus never misses an opportunity - He just has His own timetable. Notice with me in verse 21 Martha’s faith was strong, but it was struggling. She had no doubt, if Jesus had come in time, He could've saved her brother’s life. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” Even in the midst of inconsolable heartache, Martha still trusts Jesus. 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the at the last day.” Martha’s never gone to seminary. She’s never read the NT-she doesn’t even know she’ll be part of it! Yet Martha trusts in the doctrine of resurrection. We’re told in 1 Thess 4:13 13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.[fn] 15 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 by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. When we die, we are immediately with the Lord tells us. Yet one day, our physical bodies will be resurrected as we will get a new Heavenly body. Look at the prophecy in… Isaiah 26:19 Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body[fn] they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead And Dan 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. Lets read verse 24 one more time 24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Martha is right. But she doesn’t have a theology problem, she’s suffering from a broken heart. 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. Jesus declares his 5th "I am" statement in the of John. When Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life,” He is declaring that He is the source of both. There is no resurrection apart from Christ, and there is no eternal life apart from Christ. Yet even beyond that, Jesus was also making a statement concerning His divine nature. Jesus does more than give life; He is life, and because of this death has no ultimate power over Him. Jesus gives this life to anyone who believes in Him. 1 :11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Believers in Jesus Christ will experience resurrection because, having the life Jesus gives, it is impossible for death to defeat them 1 Corinthians 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”[fn] 55 “O Death, where is your sting?[fn] O Hades, where is your victory?”[fn] 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. But the only way to experience everlasting life is through Jesus. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” In the Greek verse 26 is a double negative. It literally reads, "shall never, never die." Jesus isn’t asking Martha to confirm her knowledge of doctrine, He’s asking her to confirm her faith in Him. 27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” Jesus’ last name is not Christ. Jesus is the Lord’s human name given to Mary by the back in Luke 1. But Christ is His title, signifying Jesus was sent from God to be a King and Deliverer. Jesus Christ means “Jesus the Messiah” or “Jesus the Anointed One.” 28 And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” She whispers in Mary’s ear. We aren’t told exactly why Martha did this secretly. It’s fair to guess that she did it to help Mary have a few uninterrupted moments with Jesus before the crowd of other mourners surrounded them. 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was[fn] in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”[fn] Mary wasn’t heading to the grave, she was heading to the feet of the Master. Mary gives us an example to follow-it’s critical for us to not languish at stones, but rather go to the feet of the master. Notice too that Mary wasn’t crippled by her brokenness-she rises up quickly to go to Jesus. 32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Notice it’s the exact same response as Martha in verse 21. What does that tell you? How many times these 2 sisters must’ve cried out in agony and said this to each other-‘if only Jesus had been here!’ So, we know Mary has the same response as Martha, but perhaps it was a different tone of voice? Maybe the same tone of voice? We mentioned it last week-we once again see Mary at the feet of Jesus. In Mary was at His feet listening to His teaching. Here she’s mourning at His feet. When we get to we’ll see her worshipping at His feet. We’ll end our study in verse 33 33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. The word groan also means indignation. It speaks of anger, and angst. Jesus is angry. The word troubled means to be emotionally moved, stirred up. Jesus was angry and stirred in His spirit, but at what? Jesus has a front row view of the misery that death inflicts on humanity. It was never supposed to be this way. God’s creation was perfect. Yet God created mankind to have a freewill, to make our own choices. And that’s what we see in the garden of Eden Genesis 3:6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. The world had never known sin before that moment. When Adam and Eve chose to rebel against God, the whole world was plunged into sin. Nature was impacted. Earths ecology changed radically. Disease and death entered in, and from that point on, everything changed. I wonder what happened on earth at that moment. For the first time, animals became predators. I watch birds pluck insects out of the air in my backyard and I wonder what the sounds must’ve been like, the first time a lion devoured its prey. The first time an animal cried out as it was hunted and captured. It wasn’t supposed to be that way. Even more agonizing than the physical death that resulted because of sin, was the separation sin caused between God and mankind. And unless our sin is forgiven, until our sin debt is paid, we stand guilty before God. Only Jesus, through His sacrifice on the , satisfies our sin debt. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus died on the cross, that you and I would be victorious over death, by spending eternity in heaven. We have nothing to fear, for we know this is not our home. The bible is clear-there is only 1 way to heaven-it’s through faith and trust in Jesus. Yet the Bible is equally clear about the consequences for refusing Jesus. If a person does not have Jesus as their substitute for their sins, they are still guilty of their sins, and will face eternity in hell. Jesus said in Matthew 25:46 “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Perhaps you’re a skeptic, and you say I don’t believe in all this Adam and Eve and garden of Eden stuff. You may say you believe in science. And I would ask you which science, because some of the theories in science contradict with each other. On top of that scientists don’t all agree-many have varying opinions, so which scientist do you believe has all the answers? Science can’t explain how matter was first created, science cannot answer the real question of why were things created. The fact of the matter is no secular scientist has ever answered the central question-why is there something rather than nothing. The whole universe is not here by accidental compression of gasses and explosions and cooling off. The forming of planetary systems and earth, with special atmospheric conditions and hydrologic conditions that make it possible to support a form of life upon it is by the design of God. I personally can’t fathom that "It just so happened" that the earth was ninety-three million miles away from the sun. -the atmosphere became a combination of nitrogen and oxygen in a "just so happened" balance of about seventy-nine percent to twenty percent with a one percent of variant gasses. Or "it just so happened" that around the earth there was a blanket of ozone. "It just so happened" that there was a magnetic force also that is circulating around the earth, also protecting it from the cosmic rays. And "it just so happened" that there is about a two-third water to one-third land mass ratio. And "it just so happened" that in the water there was, somehow, the right combination of molecules of protein that happened to come together in just the right time at the right place in the right proportions under the right pressure and under the right heat, and spontaneously, these generated into the first cell. When you really contemplate it, there’s no way that chance produced the universe. No we were created. I hope you know that God created you, because He loves you, and He wants to spend eternity with you. But there’s only 1 way to heaven, and it’s thru Jesus.