Month: April 2017

John 11:1 – 44

John McKeel
Sunday Morning Sermon
April 30, 2017

A Taboo Topic

Death has replaced sex as the forbidden topic of polite conversation. People don’t want to think about death much less talk about it. In the 4^th century, John Chrysostom said, in talking about this morning’s passage:

“Every man is afraid of the death of the flesh; few, of the death of the soul … Man, destined to die, labors to avert his dying; and yet man, destined to live forever, labors not to cease from sinning.”

Death is inescapable. We will all die and unless we give some thought to the subject, when death knocks at our door, we will be caught unprepared. The ancient sailors marked the end of their maps with the phrase “beyond this point there be dragons.” Perhaps death is a fearful dragon because it truly is the last frontier, but what if we saw death as a doorway and not an inky void?

Crossing the Jordan

• Because of persecution, Jesus has been forced to flee across the Jordan River to the country of Perea (modern Jordan).
• While he is there, two sisters from Bethany, a town on the outskirts of Jerusalem, beg him to save the life of their brother and Jesus’ friend, Lazarus.
• Notice they do not command Jesus. They don’t tell him what to do.
• Jesus knows it is too late. Lazarus had died while the messengers were on their way.

ASIDE: We often call Thomas “Doubting,” but that’s wrong. Thomas was an amazing realist (John 11:16).

Events in Bethany

• Martha and Mary greet Jesus in exactly the same way, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother would not have died,” (11:21, 32).
• Verse 25 is our key:

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; ²⁶ and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Notice: Jesus does not say, “I promise” or “I bring” but “I AM.”

 

• Now pay attention to Martha’s response. She doesn’t just repeat, “I believe.” Rather, she says (in a literal translation), “I have believed – I have made this belief my own.” (See the NASB: ““Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God”)
• I find verse 33 particularly revealing. Notice Jesus’s response to death. The Holman translation captures his emotion: “He was angry in his spirit and deeply moved.” Peterson’s translation says, “a deep anger welled up within him.” (same verb in v. 38)

The Miracle

The miracle itself is told simply: “Lazarus, come forth!”

Application

Frankly, this story is frightening. Did you notice what Jesus told the apostles? “Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵ and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe,” v. 14.

This story shows us how much value the Lord places on our faith. He will not screen us from the trials which strengthen our faith! (James 1:2)

• It strengthened the faith of the apostles.

“Faith untried may be true faith, but it is sure to be little faith.” Charles Spurgeon.

• It strengthened the faith of Mary and Martha.

At the worst, Christ can still work. Here we see divine sympathy most clearly.

• It even strengthened the faith of those who witnessed it.

Afflictions often lead to faith because they cause us to stop and think.

Some Things to Think About

• Maybe there is nothing beyond the grave. If that’s the case, the Apostle Paul observed, “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’” (1 Corinthians 15:32)
• But consider this, there were two empty tombs that spring: the tomb of Lazarus and the tomb of Jesus.
• Just as Jesus called Lazarus, he is waiting to call your name. Will you be listening?

John@GrotonChurch.org