Easter Sunday 2023
Special Message • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 42:57
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· 9 viewsCome Out of Your Grave!!
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INTRO
I think it is safe to say that we all love a good story… a good story is always better when it leads us to a happy ending… a good story with a good ending is even better when it is a true story… and the best story is a true story well told with a good ending that can actually teach us something about ourselves. That is what I hope to bring to you today.
Today is Easter and so I want to talk about a resurrection… but not about the resurrection of Jesus… I actually want to talk about a resurrection that happened before His.
PRAYER
A -
C -
T -
S -
The Life Giver
John 11:1-44
The Problem
The Problem
[Jhn 11.1-4]
1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
People
Mary / Martha / Lazarus
Jesus / Disciples
Plea
come and heal him !!
Purpose
Jhn 11.4 “4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.””
For GLORY !!
YOU… Your Problem… Your Plea…
My marriage is failing and I need you
My children are walking in darkness and I need you
My diagnosis is deadly and I need you
My finances are failing and I need you
3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
The Procrastination
The Procrastination
[Jhn 11.5-16]
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
Postponement
This is not what we would expect
This is not what we would do
This is not what Mary & Martha wanted
Jhn 11.21, 32… “If you only would have been here...”
Plan
Jesus was going to go
7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?”
Jesus did not delay because of fear / self preservation
EASTER - Jesus was raised form the dead !!
Jhn 10.18 “18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.””
Jesus delayed for the good of those who would see, hear, and believe.
Jhn 11.4 “4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.””
Protection [ Jhn 11.9-10 ]
The safest place to be is in the will of God
walking in the light… no stumbling
On christ the solid rock I stand...
Prediction
11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”
14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,
If he is asleep he will be fine… they did not get it
Power
15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
Jesus was undeterred by threats… undeterred by Lazarus death… Still going !
Jesus is actually glad for this opportunity
Your Timing & His Procrastination
My timing is not always God’s timing
my timing is rarely God’s timing
This can tempt me to not trust God’s goodness
This can tempt me to not trust God’s plan
This can tempt me to not trust God’s justice / righteousness / love
this can temp me to not trust His Word
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
The Promise
The Promise
[Jhn 11.17-27]
Problem
Lazarus is dead… really dead… with out question dead!
17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.
Stayed 2 days… Travel time
Plea
21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
This is why she sent for him in the first place
This was her expectation, this was her hope, this was her plea
Promise
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
This is not strange to Martha… but it is misunderstood by her
24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus corrects her understanding in this powerful next 2 verses
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
This is the ultimate promise of Jesus
This is why we are here this morning
This is why Jesus not only came to Bethany, to Lazarus, but to humanity
This is what I believe…
Is this what you believe?
You see, Sometimes, Our problem and our perception of His procrastination can seem so at odds that we actually become unsatisfied with His promise !… This promise becomes not enough… Because we begin to doubt that He even really cares… We are tempted to believe what Satan says… Satan says that Christ does not care, that Christ is cold, that Christ is callous… Satan blinds our eyes and stops our ears to hear and see what God is doing… Satan tells us that “ if Jesus really loved you then He would never let you suffer! ”
The Person
The Person
Profession
Martha’s
27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
She professes that He is the Messiah
She professes that He is the Son of God
She professes that the scripture has prophesied about his coming
Mary’s
29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him.
32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Mary professes His authority
Mary professes His wisdom
Mary professed His worth
Praise
Martha
20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
Sought him out knew he could help
Lord = recognition of authority
Will call Him Teacher = recognize wisdom
Mary
32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Immediately went when she was called
Worshiped at His feet
Passion
Jesus’
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
He was moved by their sorrow
He genuinely cared for their plight
Even the pain of that which he was about to undo was not lost on Him
His Care for You
See we cant listen to Satan, we have to remember WHO Jesus is!
Eternal Son of the Father
The Way and the Truth and the Life
The Lamb that was slain to take away the sin of the world
We also have to remember HOW he is...
He is compassionate, caring and loving
He is tender and patient and kind
He is a good shepherd who lays his life down for His sheep
36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
The Power
The Power
Command
39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”
Take the stone away
the odor of death
Jesus’ commands wont always make sense to our natural senses
Call
40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”
43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”
Both of these are calls which Jesus issues to us today
The first is “believe in me”
The second is “come out”
Confirmation
41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”
Jesus openly thanks the Father before the proof is seen
44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
The man who “had died” was now alive
The man who was called out, came out
The man who was bound up in death was freed to live life
The Problem
The Procrastination
The Promise
The Person
The Power
You see this is what Easter is all about, this is why we are here and I hope this is why you are here.
We all have a PROBLEM you may think your biggest problem is your marriage, your children, your job, your finances, your health or any number of other things that cause us stress but the biggest, worst and most dangerous problem is our sin.
for the wages of sin is death!
We all sometimes feel like Jesus is letting us flounder in his PROCRASTINATION in dealing with the issues and problems of our life. These problems and the lies of satan can tempt us to distrust and best and dislike at worst the one whom brings us freedom.
But the PROMISE of God finds its yes in Christ. Martha said “Lord if you only would have been here my brother would not have died”. Friend if Jesus had not come to die we would remain in our own death. It is because Jesus has died that we have hope to live.
The call to us today is the same as it was to Lazarus then. Come out of your grave, take off the strips of sin that binds you and live!!
Do not let it be lost on you the PERSON of He who calls you today. He does not guarantee you a life without problems of any sort but rather he guarantees that He will always be with you, never forsake you, he walks with you weeps with you and gives you His strength. Therefore it is not His procrastination which causes Him to not fix all your problems in an instant but that in His patience He desires to show you a greater glory and work of power. This is the Jesus who weeps over his friends death and He weeps with you as well. This Jesus is the second member of the trinity, the eternal son of the father, the spotless lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one who came to seek and save the lost and if He sets you free you will be free indeed!
And therefore this PROMISE comes from a position of POWER for He will one day come again to right every wrong, bind up all the broken, make straight all that is crooked, and there is no need to wait for that day alone. For in His POWER He gives you the resources to either reconcile your marriage or live in light of the grace he has offered. In His POWER He promises to hear the prayers you pray on behalf of your prodigal child. In His POWER even if your diagnosis does lead to death it is not a death in the life to come for your life is eternal in Him. In His POWER we can face all the problems of this life because we know that this life is not the end for it is He who said...
John 11:25–26 (ESV)
25 “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”
PRAYER