Introduction
There is a remarkable story in John 11 about the resurrection of Lazarus. This climactic miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead was Jesus’ public evidence of His great claim, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” In God’s original design God made us to live forever. Death was something foreign to creation. As a result of sin death is now the great horror which humanity has to face. Why all the commotion with Covid? People don’t want to die. Physical death is the divine object lesson of what sin does in the spiritual realm. Physical death ends life and separates families and loved ones as in the case of Lazarus and his family. The same is true with spiritual death, which is the separation of people from God and the loss of abundant and eternal life which is in God. Jesus has come so that people may live full lives.
We often focus on Lazarus and the miracle of life from death but, the other day I was reminded of how the story begins. I am going to read this passage and share some thoughts with you. The key thought in this story is the foundation of worship and how it leads to a powerful and wonderful encounter with Jesus and his friends.
John 11:1-44
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
· Luke 10:38-42 - As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
· Devotion verses distraction.
· Listening verses telling.
· Worship verses worry.
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.
· This brief interaction would have raised questions in the heart of the disciples. Jesus is the greatest healer of all time. If Jesus loved Lazarus so much, why not just heal him? Why did the delay? Could He not have healed Lazarus at a distance, as He did the nobleman’s son? (John 4:43–54).
· Jesus could have prevented Lazarus’ sickness or even healed it from where He was; but He chose not to. He saw in this sickness an opportunity to glorify the Father and communicate a powerful message regarding His deity.
7 Then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?”
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light. 10 It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light.”
· It is important to note that the safest place to be is in the Will of God.
· Jesus was committed to walking in the light and gave this as another example to His disciples of obeying the leading of the Spirit of God.
11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
16 Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Jesus comforts the sisters’
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
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?”
Sometimes we give Martha a bad rap, but now we see Martha engaging Jesus in a very troubling situation:
· Knowledge.
· Faith.
· Breakthrough praying.
· The ability to grow and receive in the midst of crisis.
· The ability to stay unoffended.
27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
28 And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
· Same statement as with Martha…
· Weeping. Jesus wept.
· Mourning.
· Love and compassion.
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
· Those from the crowd of mourners ask the same question…
Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days.”
40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 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.”
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 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.”
· Groaning Jesus…
· Jesus came into this situation prayed up. Jesus was a prayer-full man. Jesus did not come into situations empty but full of a lifestyle of prayer.
· COME OUT! We can not be surprised or offended by the emotions of Jesus (or others). Augustine once remarked that if Jesus had not said Lazarus’ name, all would have come out from the graves.
· Lazarus was now alive but just transitioned from death to life. Death experiences: some people would rather stay in heaven.
· Lazarus was still wrapped in strips of linen. He would have been falling and stumbling all over. Dark tomb to light of day. God’s resurrection power was a work, miraculously creating flesh, blood, and breath.
· Take off the grave clothes… This would enable Lazarus to move on his own and at the same time gave evidence that he was alive and not a ghost. Spiritually speaking, we all need help when we come out of darkness into the light. We need brothers and sisters in the faith to help us take off the old, tattered rags of our past life.
In conclusion
There is more to the story. The resurrection of Lazarus ultimately led to the crucifixion of Jesus. How ironic? And yet this was the plan of God. As with the previous miracles, the people were divided in their response. News about Lazarus’ resurrection spreads and many people put their faith in Jesus. In contrast, the religious leaders were informed of what had happened in Bethany. The Jewish council (Sanhedrin) met to discuss what to do with Jesus. They were not seeking after truth; they were seeking for ways to protect their own selfish interests. If Jesus gathered too many followers, they would lose religious sway over the people and their livelihood. The religious leaders meet and decide that Jesus must die. They thought that they were in control of the situation, but in reality, God was working out His predetermined plan.
Remember the title of the message, Worship to Wonder, and how Mary interacted with Jesus. Here is what happens in preparation for Jesus’ death. John 12:1-3 - Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honour. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
What a glorious way to sum up this families encounter with Jesus. Martha is faithful to serve. Lazarus is living. Mary is worshipping. Worship to Wonder to Worship. This is our glory-to-glory journey of faith.
Let us Pray