The Last Word

John 11:38-53 (NRSV)

38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.

39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.”

40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me.

42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.”

43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what he had done.

47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs.

48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.”

49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all!

50 You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.”

51 He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation,

52 and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God.

53 So from that day on they planned to put him to death.

“Man who ‘died’ shares what afterlife is like...” announced the headline in a recent report in the British newspaper The Mirror. The newspaper article describes the experience of a 55-year-old man who says that he was looking down at his body while doctors worked to save his life. The man said that he was separate from his body. He felt like he was watching from the sidelines as the doctors and nurses tried to stop his bleeding.[1]After the man’s ordeal, he said that his priorities have changed in his life. Many reports of such “death-to-life” experiences are in books and on the Internet. Usually, these experiences are fleeting-during an operation-and then back to life. But I’ve never encountered one that has lasted four days!

In John 11 Lazarus died and had been entombed for four days. While his family and friends gathered to mourn his death, Jesus and his disciples arrived in Bethany, the hometown of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.

A large crowd of mourners gathered in Bethany to help Martha and Mary with the funeral arrangements and to mourn. The period of mourning usually lasted seven days.

But the mourning period for Lazarus didn’t last seven days. Jesus disrupted the mourning period by turning it into a time of joy and wonder. He raised Lazarus from the dead on the fourth day.

John does not tell us what happened to Lazarus during those four days he was dead. Did he visit heaven? Did he sleep? Did his guardian angel protect him from decay? We don’t know, and it seems that it wasn’t important to John.

But what John considered important happened this side of the grave.

Exalting Jesus in John (Jesus’s Power over Death (John 11:38–44)

“Jesus and death fought, and Jesus got the last word.”

Here are the reasons Jesus got the last word.

First, Jesus was sent by the Father. (42)

John 11:42 (NRSV) I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.”

The word “sent” includes the meaning of having been sent with a specific purpose or mission.

Why did God the Father send Jesus into the world?

John 3:17 (NRSV) 17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

God sent his only begotten Son to rescue the world from the grips of sin and death. Jesus is the one and only sent One with this mission to save.

God takes the initiative by sending his only begotten and beloved Son. Sent to save. Sent to rescue. Sent because of God’s love for a sinful world.

Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Chapter 3

An old legend tells of a traveler attempting to circle the globe who found himself trapped in quicksand. As he slowly sank, Confucius came by and said, “Confucius say, it is evident man should avoid such situations.” And he went on his way.

Mohammed came by and said, “Alas, it is the will of Allah.” And he went on his way.

Buddha came by, and said, “Let this man’s dilemma be an illustration for many.” And he went on his way.

Krishna came by and said, “Better luck next time.” And he went on his way.

Jesus Christ came by, reached out to the man, and pulled him out.

You see, the unique thing about our Lord is that, while all others tell us what we must do to reach up to heaven, He alone reaches down from heaven and pulls us out of the quicksand of sin. God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, to give us some cute spiritual sayings, or to make us feel bad because of our spiritual inadequacy. No, the purpose of God in sending His Son was singular: to save us.

This morning you may be grieving over some loss. You may not have any hope, but there is hope. Jesus was sent to rescue you from hopelessness.

Jesus gets the last word because he is sent by God the Father.

Second, Jesus gets the last word because Jesus first had a prayer word with God the Father in prayer.

(NRSV) And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. John 11:41 “

In fact, N. T. Wright argues that what Jesus had been doing those days between hearing the news about Lazarus and his arrival was praying for Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.

Jesus is so sure that God the Father heard his prayer that he doesn’t petition God for Lazarus’ restoration to life, HE THANKS GOD FOR ALREADY HEARING HIS PRAYER. Jesus is so sure that God will answer his prayer that he gives thanks to God for having already answering it!

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 11

Jesus does not begin His prayer by petitioning God to intervene; instead, He begins with thanks for what God has already done.

11:42 may believe that you sent me Jesus acknowledges that it isn’t necessary for Him to pray because He is already anointed with the power of God to give life. Instead, He prays to proclaim God’s greatness in the moment, just as He had told His disciples prior to Lazarus’ dying (v. 4).

Jesus has the last word because first Jesus had a word of prayer with God.

Third, Jesus had the last word because Jesus did all things for God the Father’s glory.

John 11:40 (NRSV) Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

The key to it all, as often in John, is the gloryof the father, and the way in which Jesus was totally committed to doing whatever was necessary to bring that glory about. He has come all this way, has prepared the ground, has spoken of the father’s will and of how the world is to be saved; and is he now going to ask for a change of plan? His troubled heart knows that there is danger ahead, but also knows that it is through that danger, rather than by sliding safely past it, that the glory will shine out to the whole world. ‘Father, glorify your name!’

N. T. Wright “John for Everyone.” Part II, Chapters 11-21. (London: SPCK, 2004) 33.

300 Illustrations for Preachers Thankful for Missing a Field Goal

Many athletes show gratitude to God when they do something good, like hit a home run, score a touchdown, or win a race. Former Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Stover has learned to give God the glory even in defeat. During the first quarter of Super Bowl XLIV, Stover made a 38-yard field goal and promptly pointed to the heavens, giving God glory for his achievement.

Of course many players do that. However, in the fourth quarter, with the game on the line, Stover missed a 51-yarder. Once again, he pointed to the heavens. That action didn’t escape notice: “CBS announcer Jim Nantz made note of the action, lauding Stover as a ‘spiritual man,’ grateful for divine blessing in success and failure, victory and defeat.”

The Bible teaches us to give glory to God in all we do, not just if it is successful. God receives much glory when we praise him and remain faithful, even when things do not go the way we would like them to.

In John 17:1 “After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you,”

You know, Jesus wants to have the last word in your life. But Jesus will not override your will; you must yield your will to him and let him have the last word. In John 11:45, it says that many believed in him. However, there were others who did not believe in Jesus. They believed that they would have the last word by putting Jesus to death on the cross. Of course, death didn’t have the last word. God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day. God always has the last word!

[1]Mirror Online, Ben Berry and John Brett. “Man who ‘died’ shares what afterlife is like- with no light at the end of the tunnel.”