March 10, 2008 by admin.

John 11:17-27,38-45 3/9/08

In the Name of Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, Dear Friends in Christ,

What does a robin, dark skies, a scratchy throat, and baseball games being played in Florida and Arizona have in common? They all serve as signs of things to come. A robin is a sign that spring is just around the corner. Dark skies warn us that a storm is in the making. A scratchy throat, at least for me, is a sign that a cold is settling in. And baseball games in Florida and Arizona at this time of year mean that another season of Major League Baseball is just a couple of weeks away. All these things serve as signs, tipping us off that something else is about to take place.

Today we hear about a wonderful miracle of our Lord — Jesus raises a man from the dead! But there’s more to it. As we take a closer look at this divine deed, we’ll also see that it serves as:

“A Sign of Things to Come”

I. Believe what Jesus says

II. Behold what Jesus does

The sisters Mary and Martha had sent word to Jesus that “the one you love” (Jn 11:3), their brother Lazarus, was sick. Despite the deadly prognosis, Jesus predicts a pleasant outcome (Jn 11:4), “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” God had a reason for allowing Lazarus to get sick, a reason he would use for his divine purpose. We’re told that Jesus ended up waiting two whole days after hearing of Lazarus’ sickness before making his way to their home in the town of Bethany. So why was Jesus so slow in responding? Why the delay? Jesus knew what he was doing. He told his disciples (Jn 11:11), “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” “Don’t worry — just believe!”

Let’s follow Jesus to Bethany, to the home of Mary and Martha (vv 17-20), “On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.” Lazarus must have died shortly after the messengers left Bethany. By the time Jesus made it to Bethany, he had already been in the tomb for four days. There was no doubt about it — Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, was gone.

Who among us hasn’t felt the loss of a loved one like these two sisters? We know what they were going through. If only Jesus had been there sooner! Martha is the first to express her grief (v 21), “Lord, . . . if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Martha firmly believed that Jesus could have made a difference. But wait! She still had hope that Jesus could do something (v 22), “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Keep in mind that this is the same Martha who during one of Jesus’ previous visits was too busy getting dinner ready to stop and listen to his message. Now we see a change in her. We see a faith that rested on Jesus and his power.

Listen to the dialogue that occurs next (vv 23,24), “Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha answered, ‘I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’” Jesus offered words of comfort to Martha, words that she thought were referring to the final resurrection that would take place on Judgment Day. Where did she learn about this resurrection? Perhaps her knowledge came from Old Testament references like Psalm 49:15, “God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself.” Maybe she had been taught the powerful confession of faith given by Job (19:25-27), “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes — I, and not another.” Or, just maybe, Martha had on occasion followed the example of her sister Mary and found time to sit at Jesus’ feet where she heard for herself the wonderful news of a blessed resurrection. In any case, Martha believed what Jesus said!

Jesus goes on to offer even more of an explanation, giving Martha and us today the foundation for all that we believe (vv 25,26), “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Jesus himself is life. He tells us (Jn 14:6), “I am the way and the truth and the life.” He’s the way to life eternal, guaranteeing all those who believe in him that the road into the cemetery isn’t a one-way street! Those who live by faith, those who put their trust in Jesus “will never die.” Believe what Jesus says! He proclaims that he has power over death itself!

Martha believed him. Jesus asked her (v 26), “Do you believe this?” Her reply? “Yes, Lord, . . . I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world” (v 27). She believed that Jesus was “the Christ,” the Lord’s Anointed One. She believed that he was the very “Son of God,” not just a mere human being. And she believed that he was the one “who was to come into the world,” the one promised by God, the Messiah. Martha took Jesus at his word. She believed that he could do something special. She believed what Jesus said!

Do we? Sure we do! All the time? Don’t we often find ourselves overcome by grief — the loss of a loved one, financial headaches, family strife, and the like — only to find ourselves asking God, “Why didn’t you do something?” Do we sometimes wonder if God truly has our best interests at heart? Do we sometimes feel as if he’s deserted us, leaving us to fend for ourselves? Do we ever find ourselves questioning his love for us?

When these times come (and we all know that they do), go back and look at what Jesus says! Go back to his Word, the same Word that assures us that God is always in control, that he knows what he’s doing, that he’s working all things for our good, that he’ll never give us more than we can handle, and that he’ll never leave us nor forsake us. One of the songs the children in the child care center love to sing is “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so!” In his Word, time after time, Jesus tells us that he loves us. Believe him! Believe what he says, and let him assure you of his love!

Martha knew that Jesus loved her. That’s what made it possible for her to accept what he said to her. Now she would see Jesus’ love in action. She would see “the glory of God” on display. When we believe what Jesus says, then we’re able to behold what Jesus does.

What Jesus wanted to do certainly didn’t make sense to those who had gathered that day to mourn the loss of Lazarus (vv 38-40), “Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ‘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 for four days.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’” First of all, notice Jesus’ attitude in approaching the tomb of Lazarus. We’re told he was “deeply moved.” In the original Greek language it actually says that he was indignant. Jesus was angry. He was fed up. We might say that he was sick and tired of death and the havoc it had wreaked on his Father’s creation. And he wasn’t going to take it anymore! So he told them to open up the tomb, contrary to Martha’s protests that the smell would be something quite unpleasant. Roll the stone away and behold “the glory of God” in action!

“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’” (vv 41,42).

Never missing an opportunity to teach, Jesus shows those around him where to turn for strength and comfort. He wanted the people to believe that he had been sent by the Father to be their Savior, the one who would conquer death. Now they were going to see for themselves. Now they were going to be given a sign of things to come!Behold what Jesus does (vv 43,44), “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.’” “The dead man came out.” Still wrapped in burial cloths (after all, he had been dead for four days!), Lazarus obeys the command of his Lord and leaves the tomb! Could you do that, make a dead man walk? This isn’t some cheesy horror movie. There were no special effects involved here. Jesus brought Lazarus back to life because he has power over death! It’s that simple. Behold what Jesus does!

How could anyone not be affected by such a sight! We’re told (v 45), “Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.” The town must have been buzzing. “Did you see what Jesus did? He did exactly what he said he would do! He raised Lazarus from the dead!” Surely this was someone special! Surely this was someone with godly power! Surely this was the very Son of God!

And yet this glimpse of our Savior’s glory was just a taste of what was to come. After leaving Bethany, Jesus would make his way to Jerusalem for the very last time. He would go there willingly, against the advice of his disciples who feared for his safety. He would go there knowing full well the suffering and anguish that awaited him. He would once again go one-on-one with death, allowing himself to be fastened with nails to a wooden cross, where he would endure the very pain of hell itself — all to pay for our sins! Then he would give up his spirit. Jesus, God’s Son, would die.

But just as he wouldn’t allow death to hold Lazarus, so also our Savior would not let death hold him. The irony of it all is found in the fact that by dying, Jesus defeated death. He took on sin, death, and the devil — none of which was still standing when he was finished. Jesus won the battle and declared his victory by crying out (Jn 19:30), “It is finished.” Behold what Jesus does! He defeats death itself!

Our Lord’s victory on Calvary serves as a sign of things to come for you, for me, and for all believers. Jesus has promised each of us (Jn 14:19), “Because I live, you also will live.” You and I will now live, even though we die, because we’ve been rescued from an eternity in hell. That’s why death no longer scares us. We can proclaim with the apostle Paul (1 Co 15:55), “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” Keep looking to the cross and you’ll see what Jesus did for you and for your salvation!

Believe what Jesus says, and each and every day you’ll behold the wonderful things he does for you. He comforts, guides, and strengthens each of us while we live our lives here on this earth. But his loving care is only a sign of things to come. Just wait and see what Jesus, “the resurrection and the life,” has in store for you! Because he lives, so will we — for all eternity! Truly the best is yet to come!

Amen

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