John 11 & 12 - Hope & Resurrection of Lazarus
There are a few things people today both young and old seem
to need as much as food & shelter. In an age of fear, terrorism, taxes,
wars, divorce, abandonment and unemployment one of these concepts people are
searching for is Hope.
Not long ago American celebrity chef, author, travel
documentarian & TV personality Anthony Bourdain took his life by hanging
himself with a bathrobe belt. This event took place not long after another
celebrity & KC born fashion designer & handbag guru Katie Spade hung
herself and if you aren’t aware this isn’t a bit of randomness among
adults there are constant news articles on the shocking rise in youth suicides to
the point that the Olathe School District emailed me things to look for in my kids’
lives & while we can callously not care & move on, or momentarily feel
bad & move on OR we can take this opportunity to see behind the
events at the what the effects of hopelessness lead to and then consider some
bigger issues in life rather than just our busy day to day task-lists.
Here is a quote from Anthony Bourdain "Life is complicated.
It’s filled with nuance. And it’s unsatisfying... If I believe in anything, it
is doubt. The root cause of all life’s problems is looking for a simple
f.....ing answer.” And for Bourdain & Spade & others the simplicity of
worldly success just wasn’t enough.
The reason why I bring all of this up because you could be
pulling an extra shift at work tonight, or at a financial investment meeting,
building your empire, making money, getting more “successful” by worldly
standards but you took the time out of your week to briefly consider the higher
things with us in an Adult VBS class. So tonight, I’d like to consider Mankind’s
need for Hope in the context of Jesus’ resurrection of Lazarus.
So who was Lazarus?
He was the brother of Mary & Martha well known ladies
from the gospels. The 3 were friends and disciples of Jesus’.
This is from John 11-12
Once, an urgent message came from Bethany to Jesus: His
friend Lazarus had become ill, and Mary and Martha wanted Jesus to come and
heal him, for he was near death. Jesus then puzzled His disciples and friends.
He started by saying that the illness would not ultimately lead to death;
rather, the event would be for God’s glory (John
11:4). Then Jesus delayed staying two days where He was before
suggesting going back to Judea, where Lazarus was but also where Jesus' enemies
had also recently tried to stone Him (John
11:5–8). During Jesus’ delay, Lazarus died, but Jesus referred to
Lazarus as “asleep” and told the disciples He was going to wake him up (John
11:11). The disciples responded, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get
better,” clearly thinking of physical sleep (John
11:12). Then Jesus told them plainly that Lazarus had died, but
they were still going to see him (John
11:14). Thomas perfectly expresses the disciples’ confused
frustration by saying, “Then let us also go, that we may die with him” (John
11:16)—Thomas saw that Jesus was resolute, but knew the dangers
of such a trip (John 11:8).
When they arrived at Lazarus’ home in Bethany, they found Mary and Martha grief-stricken. They had buried their brother four days earlier. And despite being a famous healer & their friend Jesus had not come to help. They were confused and frustrated, but their faith in Jesus was intact (John 11:17–36).
When they arrived at Lazarus’ home in Bethany, they found Mary and Martha grief-stricken. They had buried their brother four days earlier. And despite being a famous healer & their friend Jesus had not come to help. They were confused and frustrated, but their faith in Jesus was intact (John 11:17–36).
- Why did Jesus delay? Did Jesus want Lazarus to die?
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I’m
going to pause here – So far, any comments or questions you have on the story
so far.
-
Why
did Martha go & Mary stay home? Personality
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary
stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother
would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you
ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I
know he will rise again in the resurrection at the Last Day.” John
11:20-23Jesus had been teaching his followers about the resurrection. From Martha’s response however, we see she does not have a clear understanding of what she had been taught. She believed Jesus when He said that one day there would be an event where all those who are in Christ would be raised from the dead to live again. To her, the resurrection is a day; it’s an event. Based on Martha’s understanding, the resurrection is limited to a certain period of time, mainly the last day. Martha is right that this event will happen, but what she did not understand was that the resurrection is not simply an event.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26
Jesus is the resurrection. He has the power to take that which has died and bring it back to life. Not only that, Jesus is life. He has the power to take that which is now living and ensure that it will never die. The resurrection is the manifestation of God’s glory and power to defeat death and give eternal life to those that believe in Jesus Christ. Jesus wanted Martha to see that God’s glory was not limited to time. Jesus wanted her to understand that all things, even time and death, were subject to Him.
Everything became clear to the spectators when Jesus did the unexpected: He went to Lazarus’ tomb and raised him from the dead (John 11:43–44).
Importance of 4 days dead, ancient superstition
Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go." John 11:39-44
*Purpose - Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is God showing us what He actually has the power to do for us. It is a shadow of what Jesus will do for those who believe in Him.
The entire episode of Lazarus’ sickness, death, and
resurrection worked toward giving glory to God and increasing the faith of
Jesus’ followers, just as Jesus had said when He heard of Lazarus’ illness.
Just before He raised Lazarus, Jesus prayed, “Father, I thank you that you have
heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of
the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me” (John
11:41–42). Jesus’ prayer was answered: Lazarus came back to life,
and “many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did,
believed in him” (John 11:45).
When Jesus called to Lazarus, Lazarus emerged from the tomb—not a zombie or half-dead or undead, but fully alive and well. Such is the power of God in Christ.
After Lazarus was raised from the dead, the chief priests and Pharisees plotted to kill him, because so many witnesses to the miracle believed in Jesus (John 12:9–11) because of the miracle. The enemies of Christ couldn’t deny the miracle; the next best thing, in their view, was to destroy the evidence—in this case, the evidence was a living, breathing person. But they couldn’t stop the truth from spreading.
When Jesus called to Lazarus, Lazarus emerged from the tomb—not a zombie or half-dead or undead, but fully alive and well. Such is the power of God in Christ.
After Lazarus was raised from the dead, the chief priests and Pharisees plotted to kill him, because so many witnesses to the miracle believed in Jesus (John 12:9–11) because of the miracle. The enemies of Christ couldn’t deny the miracle; the next best thing, in their view, was to destroy the evidence—in this case, the evidence was a living, breathing person. But they couldn’t stop the truth from spreading.
Looking back, we have a privilege they did not have at the death of Jesus on the cross. We know how it ends. We know that although He in fact died, He did not stay dead. We now know that the power of Christ is not limited by death.
The question Jesus asks Martha has stayed with me as I’ve read these verses over and over: “Do you believe this?”
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What does this story
tell us about Jesus? Powerful, authoritative, life over death
Why did Jesus
resurrect Lazarus? Was it just because he wanted his buddy back or more?
To give his disciples
a glimpse to show us who he really is, more than just a man.
What hopes, or lessons,
can we take from this event for our daily lives?
Do you believe that He gives the gift of Eternal Life?
Do you believe that on Resurrection Sunday, we celebrate not only the day itself, but the very person, power, life, and hope that the resurrection brings?
