Confessing Our Sins Together - by Ryan Griffith

Confessing Our Sins Together - by Ryan Griffith

In a chapter on confession and communion in Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes that “he who is alone with his sin is utterly alone. . . . But it is the grace of the gospel, which is so hard for the pious to understand, that confronts us with the truth and says: You are a sinner, a great, desperate sinner; now come as the sinner you are, to the God who loves you.”
I’m sure that most of us agree with Bonhoeffer that the confession of sin, grounded in the gospel, is a vital component of our personal spirituality. But we get a little uncomfortable when it comes to corporate dimensions of confession. It’s not too threatening to engage in silent confession when the liturgy calls us to do so in the weekend service, but when it comes to times of confession in small-group settings, we often settle for less-indicting statements like “I’m struggling with . . .” Even then, we have the gnawing sense that our vague, toothless non-confessions aren’t fulfilling the exhortation of James 5:16, “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed.”

Three Reasons We Avoid Confession

Our failure to engage in the corporate dimension of confession stems from at least three possible sources.

1. What Will They Think?

The first is a disconnect between our so-called public and private lives. We fear what people may think of us if we really told them our secret thoughts, our implacable greed (not simply monetary), our censorious spirit, our constant irritability. Wouldn’t they second-guess our every action? Wouldn’t we lose their respect? Failure to confess sin to others is, in essence, a failure of integrity.

2. Whom Do We Fear?

And this is intimately connected to the second source — a misplaced fear. Tragically, we more greatly fear those with whom we have sin in common than the one whose very presence is the splendor of holiness. He knows precisely and intimately (and with perfect clarity) all the dimensions of our sinful hearts (Psalm 44:20–21; Proverbs 21:2; Luke 16:14–15). From him we cannot hide (Jeremiah 23:24). Isn’t it a prick of insanity that we fear those who could do nothing more than shame us rather than the one before whom we will one day appear and the secrets of our hearts will be disclosed (Luke 12:45, 8:17; Romans 14:10)?

3. What Is Confession?

Both the first and the second sources are linked to a third — a deficient understanding of what confession is and does. Confession is not optional for Christians. John asserts that the mark of genuine fellowship with God is not only the recognition of one’s proneness to sin (1 John 1:8) but also corresponding confession (1 John 1:9). And, as we’ve already seen, it is expected in corporate life, according to James 5:16.

Why We Confess

For Christians, confession of sin, ultimately, is application of the gospel. Authentic confession of sin is a mingling of humble contrition before God, faith-filled appropriation of the grace of reconciliation, and heartfelt gratitude for the satisfaction that has been accomplished in the cross of Christ. “The Christian way,” writes Martin Luther, “essentially consists in acknowledging ourselves to be sinners and in praying for grace” (Luther’s Large Catechism).
Confession of our sin before God also acknowledges our very real need for his sanctifying grace — for though we are manifestly set apart as God’s own children (1 Corinthians 6:11), we still sin (see Colossians 3:1–11). Thus, confession is part of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. That’s why Bonhoeffer says that “confession is discipleship” (115).
Jesus teaches us that regular confession should be a vital part of our fellowship with God (Luke 11:4), especially in the context of secret prayer (Matthew 6:6). The Scriptures also provide us numerous models for expressing genuine contrition over sin (Psalms 51 and 130). By exhortation (James 5:16) and example (Acts 5:1–11), we are warned against a hardness that avoids confession (1 John 1:8) or a deadly pride that seeks its public exercise (Matthew 6:1–18; especially Luke 18:9–14). Most of all, the Scriptures remind us that the purification and expiation that come in response to confession are grounded not in our own actions, but in the perfection of Christ’s broken body and shed blood (1 John 1:9–2:2).

Confessing in Community

Finally, the Scriptures also teach us the importance of community in dealing with our sin. Confession of sin in the presence of others is applying and celebrating the gospel, together. We are sanctified sinners who all need more grace for holiness, and we must rehearse this together. John beautifully captures this: “My little children, I write these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1–2).
Confession to one another celebrates the expiation of our sin and the sanctifying work of God through the cross of Christ (1 John 1:9). Confession to another Christian also guards us from absolving ourselves without true repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10). Bonhoeffer writes that God gives us certainty that we are dealing with the living God “through our brother” (116).
When we bring our sins to another Christian, they become concrete and their ugliness cannot be hid from view. Confession, whether in secret prayer or in the presence of a caring fellow Christian, honors Christ (Galatians 6:2). “It is fitting,” writes John Calvin, “that by the confession of our own wretchedness, we show forth the goodness and mercy of our God, among ourselves and before the whole world” (Institutes, III.IV.10).

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John 12 Sunday school Dec 6th 2015

Jesus’ own opening quote – “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

Read John 12: 27-36

The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up

²⁷ “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” ²⁹ The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” ³⁰ Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. ³¹ Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. ³² And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³ He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. ³⁴ So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” ³⁵ So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. ³⁶ While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”

Details

Vs 27 - Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.
This passage foreshadows what event later in Jesus’ passion? Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus says, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
What is the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane in Reference to? Crucifixion
Revelation 5, 1 of me & Cait’s favorite chapters of Scripture
What is Jesus’ purpose for suffering? Rev 5: 9-14 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth. Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹² saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”¹And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Vs 28-30 – Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” ³⁰ Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine.

The Father’s seal of approval on Christ’s saving work

Lets look at the 2 other passages where God speaks during Jesus’ ministry passages. In Matt 3, Luke 9  & our passage here John 12. What are the messages from God? “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” “I have glorified your name (Jesus), and I will glorify it again.”

Vs 31 – Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. Who is the ruler of this world in our passage? 2 Corinthians 4:4 - In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. The phrase “god of this world” (or “god of this age”) indicates that Satan is the major influence on the ideals, opinions, goals, hopes and views of the majority of people. His influence also encompasses the world’s philosophies, education, and commerce.

How will Jesus overcome Satan?

 Vs 32-34a – And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Being “lifted up” reminds the Jews of what famous event in Israel’s history? The Bronze Serpent in Numbers 21:4-9, “From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.”

How does the OT Bronze Serpent parallel looking to Jesus lifted up & being saved?

Vs 34b-36a – Who is this Son of Man?” So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light. more light & darkness metaphor from John What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of Man?  From a OT vision a Messianic prophecy Daniel 7:13-14  “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

The description “Son of Man” was a Messianic title. Jesus is the One who was given dominion and glory and a kingdom. When Jesus used this phrase, He was assigning the Son of Man prophecy to Himself. The Jews of that era would have been intimately familiar with the phrase and to whom it referred. Jesus was proclaiming Himself as the Messiah.

@@@ if there is time The Unbelief of the People John 12:36b-43

When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. ³⁷ Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, ³⁸ so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

Ish 53 – “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

³⁹ Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

Ish 6 – “He has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
    and understand with their heart, and turn,
    and I would heal them.”

⁴¹ Isaiah said these things because he saw (the Messiah’s) glory and spoke of him. ⁴² Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³ for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.

Fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy – judgment on unbelieving Israel & Isaiah saw an enthroned God & the coming of a Suffering Servant

What event does this remind you of from 3 chapters ago (or my sermon, last week)?

Having just preached on John 9 of course this reminds me again of the Blind man who received his sight & having received his sight his OWN parents would rather throw him under the bus & NOT defend him or the man who had healed him but left their OWN son to defend himself before the Pharisees. This passage raises a hard question what do you make of the passage saying people COULD NOT believe in Jesus in order to fulfill Scripture, what implications does that lead to?  

RC Sproul famous Presbyterian theologian, is fond of saying the theological question he gets asked the most is: “What of the innocent Amazonian native that’s never heard the gospel?” Do not stress, Sproul says, the “innocent” Amazonian native who’s never heard the gospel will go straight to heaven when he dies for being “innocent.” The same question another way however is what happens to the guilty Amazonian native that’s never heard the gospel?

Closing quote from Matthew Henry, “the sin of our souls was the trouble of Christ’s soul, when he undertook to redeem and save us, and to make his soul an offering for our sin.”

The Blind Witness: sent to wash, sent to witness (Sermon 6?)

  

The Blind Witness: sent to wash, sent to witness -John Ch. 9

            Good morning, Calvary!  It’s great to be with you once again; my special thanks to Daniel for reading that L-O-N-G passage for us.  I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving week; it was my birthday week as well.  I lost about 10 pounds from food poisoning but I am feeling all better now, thank God.  So today we’ll be looking at this exciting chapter from the Gospel of John.  But we’ll open with a prayer…let’s bow.

(Pause)

            Lord God, with our very souls we bless you.  With all that is within us, we are thankful for you, we bless your holy name!  Father, be gracious to us and bless us, shine your mercy upon us.  Impassion & empower your people make you known on earth, and your saving power among the nations.  Let Earth’s peoples praise you, O God.  Let the nations be glad & sing for joy, for you judge its peoples with equity and guide its nations.  People of God, let’s not forget all his benefits.  He who forgives our iniquities; He who heals our diseases and opened our once blind eyes.  He who redeemed us from our life of selfishness, despair & the fear of death.  Father, we ask that you keep your people safe, shelter us and in your steadfast love & mercy.  Lord we call on you to work your righteousness in us, to mature us & through us bring justice and mercy to the oppressed.  Lord, you who through Moses showed us the Law & in the lives of the Israelites your patience.  Lord, you who are merciful & gracious & slow to anger & abounding in steadfast love; deal not with us according to our sins, or repay us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the heaves are above the earth, so GREAT is your steadfast love toward us whom love and worship you.  Father, as far as the East is from the West so far have you removed our transgressions from us.  Therefore, show compassion on your children for you know our weakness…build us up.  As we are reminded through our illness and diseases of our own mortality we look to you and the immortality you give to those who trust in you.  Calvary, you who call on the name of the Lord, make yourselves into LIVING ACTS of thanksgiving to our God.  Read his word.  Hear his voice.  Do his works while you have time on earth to do so.  And bless the Lord; bless his holy name, Amen.

            One of the reasons I wanted to teach on this passage was because it seems to be a bit of a paracle or a mirable (a kind of parable & miracle hybrid).  Parables if you don’t know, are stories that describe or illumine a spiritual truth, like the parable of the Pharisee & tax collector.  And a miracle, of course, is a rare but true even that points us to the power and glory of God, like the Lord’s transfiguration.  This passage is rare as it has a bit of both to it, as we will see.  The other reason I wanted to look at this passage together with you is because its one of the few passages that shows in detail the aftermath of 1 of Jesus’ miracles.  Looking through the first several chapters of John you can see many of Jesus’ miracles not only show his power and abilities but also his empathy & care for those he met from saving a wedding party from the social faux pas of running out of wine, to the healing of an official’s son and the invalid at the pool of Bethesda, to calming storms, walking on water & even multiplying bread & fish, to feed the masses that skipped lunch in order to hear Jesus preach.

            In this story we will see a microcosm of the Christian life & I hope we’ll be able to glean some lessons from the blind man’s life for our lives today.

(Pause)

@@@

            So confession time, I am a huge movie fan, from oldies like Casablanca to Charade to the Star Wars Saga & the Superhero blockbusters of today.  However not much on TV really impresses me.  I was watching some dumb spoof cop show like Brooklyn 99 or Reno 911 recently and on the show there was a murder and the cops arrived to the scene pretty quick, they found an eyewitness to the crime and began joking how easy this would be to wrap up.  You know, they’ll question the witness, get the description or ID of the suspect & he’ll be behind bars in time for the next commercial break.  What transpires however is the cops take the witness to the police station, in the interrogation room with the 1 way mirror & in a stereotypical good cop/bad cop skit they begin begging him for aid in solving the case & threatening the him as an accessory-after-the-fact if he doesn’t cough up the info they need.  Well after a few minutes of the cops’ shenanigans their boss barges in & states the obvious: the witness they’ve been hounding for the last hour was blind, deaf and mute, so he was virtually no help to them as a witness at all.

            And that in a sense is exactly what we have here in our passage.  God in his sovereignty could have put his power on display in a million ways but God (like me) is a bit of a fan of irony.  And he chose to shows his power in this way; using a BLIND MAN as a witness to his grace & power & mercy.  So I’ve entitled today’s sermon: The Blind Witness and we’ll be looking at 4 main aspects: 1 – who was healed – what can we surmise of his life; 2 – how was he healed – is there a reason for the means used, 3 – why was he healed & 4 – what lessons can we take from this passage?

@@@

Who was healed?

            Let’s think about the BC (the “before Christ”) of this man’s actual life, this sort of congenital blindness in 1^st century Israel would have condemn him to a life of a beggar (a poor man) like Peter healing the invalid in Acts 3:1-7 (9:8-9).  Can you imagine the strain on the lives & finances of his friends and family?  Think of what a struggle his life would have been like.  How hard it would have been to get around, to learn without the invention of Braille, to help provide money for his family?  Hundreds of times harder than my life today would be if I were blind BUT a 1000 times harder would it be to be blind in 1^st century Israel rather than today without all of our electronics & modern conveniences.  He must of asked at some time in his life the same question as we would “Why me, O God?  Why am I suffering so?”  And Jesus answers this question much better than Job’s friend did.  If you remember back to Job, in the OT, Job suffered as no other person in his time did, the physical suffering of his own body, the emotional suffering of the death of his children, the loss he felt after the destruction of his financial empire and even the betrayal of his wife & friends and their bad advice.  And 1 of these friends said this, “you must have some unconfessed since you are suffering so much,” likewise the disciples ask Jesus why our blind beggar suffers so with his lifelong ailment.

But unlike the disciples & Job’s friend implying it must be punishment for some particular sin that he is guilty of Jesus describes it as an area of darkness in which the glorious light of God and his mercy can shine in this miracle (vs. 3).  So Point #1 if you are taking notes – sometimes the travesties of your life are NOT due to your own sin (citing Job Ch. 1) – so stop beating yourself up about it.  BUT here is the harder lesson. Point #2 – sometimes God INTENDS even these travesties in our lives AND intends to use them THROUGH US for his own glory.  The prime example of that in Scripture is the death of Christ himself Peter I believe in Acts 2:23 says the murder of Jesus Christ was a wicked deed done by wicked people & yet it was also fully & completely known in advance by God, carefully crafted in its scenario & executed within God’s sovereign will & oversight.

            I’ll give you two more quick examples of suffering that is still used of God from the Old & New Testaments.  In the OT, one of the greatest leaders in all of Israel’s history, a man who verbally confronted the supreme ruler on Earth at his time, the great Pharaoh, this man, Moses, had speech problem (Ex 4:10).  So what does God call him to do?  Ironically, he’s called to speak with Pharaoh & lead his people through the desert & to the Promised Land.  In the NT one of the most important, most influential writers in all of Christianity…No, not Rick Warren, Rob Bell or Joel Osteen…. a writer of more than half of the NT, Paul, himself had a vision problems (2 Cor. 12:7-10).  Yet God uses a man who by his own admission when he wrote had to write in large letters due to his own failing sight Gal 6:11 or else had to have someone else write the words he conveyed for many of the NT books.

            Now you will ask: why is all of this the case?  Well it’s the same reason the bestselling Christian artists Jars of Clay are named Jars of Clay.  The band's name is derived from the 2 Corinthians 4:7 which says: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”  The reason God often uses broken people is so that when His light shines through your actions the glory obviously belongs to him & not to you.  God is glorified by working through your weakness.

Point # 3 – If you think you are in some way too broken to be used by God take courage as even the blind, the broken and the poor, can be greatly used by God if they are willing.

How was he healed?

            With Brooklyn (our youngest) & her recent tumor surgery, Sandra & I visited lots of doctor’s offices & hospitals; from this consult to that referral to wait a week for test results, to explain it all to us again for the 500^th time.  Doctor’s visits can be scary & frustrating & feel like your getting nowhere and that even though doctors today have all sorts of knowledge & tools at there disposal like MRI’s to core samples to blood work and EKG’s.  But I did make note that there were 2 things that our physician’s found to be of no help whatsoever & to quote my daughter on vs. 6-7, “Ewe gross, Jesus used spit & mud to heal the blind man.”

(Pause)

            Now there is much argument & debate regarding why Jesus used these things to heal our blind man, some say as Adam was created from the dirt of the earth (Gen Ch. 1) Jesus used earth to literally create him new working eyes.  I find that a bit of a leap in logic, but whatever.  Some say it was Jesus not the dirt that was special so maybe the spit was a medicine & mixed with the dirt and applied like a salve to heal his eyes.  Again not really convincing since Jesus had healed, even blindness before without NEED of such means.  Personally, I think it reminds me of the Lord’s Supper where Point # 4 – God uses lowly means & he elevates them for a higher usage, like bread & wine become the Thanksgiving & remembrance of the Lord’s Supper reminding us of the sacrifice of Christ.  Also this muddy, spit-y, dirty-eyed man was given an opportunity by Jesus because of the muck & mire on his eyes.  He could have also said ewe gross spit & mud, wiped it off and run off INSTEAD he went and washed himself as he was called to.  An interesting note but the pool he is told to wash in: Salome means Sent, also being an Apostle means being a Sent One, or one sent by God.  So you could say this was not only this man’s day of healing but before he even realized he’d been converted he may have been baptized & ordained as well being sent by God himself: sent to wash & sent to witness, as we’ll soon see later.

(Pause)

            Likewise friends YOU, yes you.  Your life is full of sin.  Sin as dirty as mud & spit & earth combined.  Dirty sin described in the OT as a pile of used feminine napkins in the sight of the holiness of God (Isaiah 64) or as the NT describes as a pile of disgusting animal droppings (Philippians 3) in the presence of the perfection of our Lord.  And you dirty, disgusting you too are called, called to wash yourself in the blood of the Lamb of God, to bathe in baptism.  You too are called to use the simple means that HE has ordained of faith or trust in all of his works done for you and in repentance – a turning, a turning FROM living a life for you and turning TO living a life for him.

Why was he healed?

Why questions in the Bible are hard, unless the answer is specifically described in the passage.  However I think we can glean a few insights from the events that follow this healing.  As I mentioned leading into this message one of the things I really like about this passage is being able to see the aftermath of this healing on the life of our blind man.  So what do we learn?  Initially, people don’t believe it or don’t believe he’s the same guy as the transformation is so extreme (vs. 8-11).  Second, the Jewish leaders (the Pharisees) are upset he’s even been healed & they look into the claim in order to rebuke it (vs. 13-34).  And this part is pretty sad, but the man’s own parents are willing to throw their own son under the bus rather than upset the Pharisees (vs. 18-23).  YET the man’s healing is so intense that he’s not ashamed or embarrassed to defend Jesus, who he barely knows, against the religious leaders (vs. 15-17 & 24-34). 

What we can see when we tie several other verses together is the blind man’s spiritual progression 1^st he starts in vs. 12 not knowing much, then he begins stating the facts (vs. 15), then in vs. 17 begins calling Jesus a “prophet,” & as he is confronted this unschooled beggar from the streets begins to debate the religious leaders of his day (vs. 25-34), then we see him defending Christ as a theologian would calling on fulfillment of OT prophecy & confirmed miracles to back up his case, later this man is described as a disciple (vs. 27-28) & by the end of our chapter we can see him expresses his own genuine faith in Jesus as the Messiah & Son of God.  These steps illustrate what John wants for ALL of his readers, even YOU (from John 20:31 – the point of John’s gospel). This nameless man is honored in Church History as the very first known Jew willing to be excommunicated from his Synagogue specifically for his faith in Jesus Christ.

Conclusion – So what can we take from the passage?

#1 God heals, so you can call on him for healing

#2 Sometimes God has a purpose in our struggles that we can’t see

#3 When God gives, he gives more: not just eyesight but spiritual insight

#4 Being a Christian IS being thankful: from worship, to fearless public profession, to gospel proclamation & even baptism in obedience to Christ

#5 That even the blind, the broken, the poor & the unlearned can be greatly used by God if they are willing.

The button on this scene is Jesus could have left & let the blind man & Pharisees argue it out, but Jesus follows up with the man like a good physician, like a doctor of the soul & builds up his faith (vs. 35-38).  And by vs. 39, its decision time – 100% of you will realize your need of him, call on him by faith, repent of your various sin, & cling to HIS righteousness to save you or you will remain blind, live your life of sin, & be justly condemned for it.

All of this may seem like an odd story to dwell on leading into the Xmas season but in truth the Triumph of Xmas is this, the 1 that the OT continually prophesied that would come: the Christ, or Messiah, one of the ways he’s MOST offed described in Isaiah, in Psalms & even by Jesus himself to John the Baptist is as the one who would open the eyes of the blind!  So if you need 1 more thing to be thankful for this holiday season it’s this: God keeps his promises.  God is even more trustworthy than the best of you.  THAT is why you can trust in Him, believe in Him and call on Him.  So do so today.

Closing Prayer

            Let’s close in prayer…..Lord, St. Augustine saw from this same passage an INDICTMENT against the whole people of Earth as those born blind to their own spiritual need.  The most dangerous prognosis you can receive is not finding out that your sick but blindly stumbling through life not ever realizing you’re already in critical condition.  Today Lord we’ve seen your work through 1 man’s life in which we can see ourselves: we did not come seeking you, but you sought us out.  We did not heal, but you healed us spiritually and have promised us a place in that future kingdom which you have described as a place without sadness, sickness or disease forevermore.  Lord we were blind and you gave us sight to see our need of you, we were deaf to your voice & you unstopped our ears, we were once dumb NOT to shout your praises but now we are eager to share your name & your GRACE.  You Lord have brought life to our dead souls and through us Lord we pray you do so for others.  Like the blind man let us not waste this newfound life & sight & voice & in fear remaining silent, but in thanksgiving let us share you with others.  Let us contend, defend & proclaim your work like the blind man did even in the face of sure persecution & exile from the world.  And likewise let us above all be thankful & praise you for the many blessing we’ve already received & for those we know are yet to be revealed.  We are thankful for you, Lord.  Amen.

Martin Luther quote

"This life therefore is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness, not health but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished, but it is going on, this is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified." - Martin Luther

Lazarus Raised from the Dead - John 11 - didn't teach, possible sermon prep

Raised from the Dead

John ch.10 ended Jesus’ public ministry and ch.11-13 Jesus instead turns his attention to his existing friends & followers & ch.13-21 are ALL Passion Week.

John’s tone also changes from the consistent hatred & rejection of leading Jews to the unmistakable glory of God in our story today.

Just think without the gift of hindsight we have: we know Jesus’ death & resurrection where on its way but his friends, family & followers didn’t. So what 1 miracle could Jesus give his inner circle to prepare them for what was about to happen? He could show them…..a death & resurrection, 1^st hand experience. 

        Q#1 – What are some ways the Resurrection of Lazarus evidenced Christ’s glory? In 3 ways: pointed to his deity, strengthened the faith of his followers, leads directly into the cross

The Resurrection of Lazarus is THE most dramatic & climatic capstone to Jesus’ public ministry.

         Of Jesus’ 6 prior miracles:

#1 Turning water to wine, Ch 2

#2 the healing of the official’s son, Ch 4

#3 the healing at the pool of Bethesda, Ch 5

#4 the multiplication of the bread & fish ch 6

#5 is 2 fold: Walking on water & the calming of the storm ch 6

#6 healing of a man born blind ch 9

Lazarus’ resurrection is MORE important than all of these & even more monumental that prior resuscitations: Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8) & the widow’s son (Luke 7) because those were right after their deaths. Only Lazarus’ resurrection was like Jesus’ resurrection after a definitive death, a prolonged period of dead time, even definite decomposition as they did not have the embalming methods we use today & then without any aid or assistance – Resurrection! Unlike it is in mythology with miracle elixirs or dips into magical pools (like on the TV show Arrow or Miracle Max from the movie Princess Bride).

        

         Preparation of miracle vs. 1-16

         Q#2 - from vs. 2, 3 & 5 – Why are the phrases, “Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment & wiped his feet with her hair & Lazarus, he whom you love is ill & Jesus loved Mary, Martha & Lazarus” used?

The text seems not just to explain who was involved but to speak to the closeness & intimacy between this family & Jesus.

I think from the timeline Jesus’ friend Lazarus was already dead before he got the note from the Mary & Martha’s messenger because it was about 1 day travel from them to Jesus, 2 day stalling tactic by Jesus, then 1 day travel back to them & when he arrived Lazarus was already 4 days dead.

         Q#3 – Did Jesus want Lazarus to die?

         Follow-up Q#4 – Why did Jesus wait 2 days till Lazarus was    REALLY DEAD to come to him?

 

** Arrival of Jesus vs.17-36 (Faith of Martha)

Faith          in Jesus as healer vs 21

Faith in Jesus’ relationship to God, for God to hear his prayers vs 22

Faith in the general Resurrection on the last day vs 24

**Faith in Jesus, period vs 27. This is KEY, this is the sole reason John writes the book is for more people to come to this confession we hear from Martha (like John 20:30-31) not just any hope, not just any trust, not just any faith, but trust, hope & faith IN Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior & life-giver!

Belief in Jesus the faith healer IS NOT ENOUGH to save! Several times Jesus’ work is to turn people’s minds from mere physical improvement to understand more who & what Jesus really is.

         Q#5 What do you think of vs 35 “Jesus wept,” why? Was he     sad or upset? For whom or about what?

Anger over the unbelief of his people and the cycle of: conception, sin, pain and death they were tied to.

        

         Miracle itself 37-44 Let’s read vs. 41-44

Vs. 39 describe a family sepulcher: cave with a # of casket-sized slots cut into the cave walls where the bodies of the dead were laid until they’d been reduced to just bones, then were often moved to boxes for keeping.

In this section, Jesus’ prayer was one of thanksgiving not one of petition, the reason for the miracle was to authenticate his claims to be Messiah & Son of God & display or preview the power to be fully displayed in the final resurrection when ALL the dead hear the Voice of the Son of God and live. (Read John 5:25, 28-29)

         Last? – What do you think would be the leading Jews response to news of this? Grateful, a dead man was raised & reunited with his family? Remorse, for their consistent opposition of Jesus? Repentance & Faith? We’ll hear about that next week.

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Revelation 20:13-15 (ESV)

¹³ And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. ¹⁴ Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. ¹⁵ And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Daniel 12:1-2 (ESV)

12 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. ² And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Job 19:25-27 (ESV)

²⁵ For I know that my Redeemer lives,
    and at the last he will stand upon the earth.^[a]
26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
    yet in^[b] my flesh I shall see God,
²⁷ whom I shall see for myself,
    and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
    My heart faints within me!

Isaiah 26:19 (ESV)

¹⁹ Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.
    You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!
For your dew is a dew of light,
    and the earth will give birth to the dead.

Ezekiel 37:1-14 (ESV)

The Valley of Dry Bones

37 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley;^[a] it was full of bones. ² And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. ³ And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” ⁴ Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. ⁵ Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath^[b] to enter you, and you shall live. ⁶ And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling,^[c] and the bones came together, bone to its bone. ⁸ And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. ⁹ Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ¹⁰ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
¹¹ Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ ¹² Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. ¹³ And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. ¹⁴ And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”