rewind (part 7)

It is Easter Sunday, which means that everyone who goes to church on Easter expects to hear a message about the resurrection of Jesus—after all, that is what Easter is all about. But if you have been with us through the season of Lent leading up to this day, then you know that we have spent the last six weeks going backwards through the gospel of John in a series called rewind. This journey of taking one step back at a time through the stories in John’s gospel has showed us all the ways that John writes this book as a way to point us forward to this story of Jesus.

the story we are looking at today in chapter 11 comes in that exact middle spot in John’s gospel

And so, today we take one more step back in John’s gospel in order to see the way these stories all point forward to this Easter event. It was just a few days ago during this week on Maundy Thursday that we looked at the story of Jesus being anointed by Mary with that jar of expensive perfume in chapter 12. Today we move back one more chapter to John 11. Let me set this one up by pointing out how crucial this chapter is in the gospel of John. Maybe you know that quite often I point out for us the way in which biblical writers use a mirror pattern of writing in which passages all hinge on a centering idea placed right in the exact middle of the passage. And even though none of the Bible was originally written with chapters and verses marked, it is worth noting that the gospel of John is divided by sections into what we have in our Bibles today as 21 chapters. That means there are ten chapters, then a center chapter right in the middle, then ten more chapters. So, the story we are looking at today in chapter 11 comes in that exact middle spot in John’s gospel. This kind of thing happens often enough in the Bible that it is no accident or coincidence. A major point in John’s entire gospel rests here in this middle chapter.

John chooses just seven miracles to highlight in his gospel — this chapter contains the seventh of those signs

there is a crescendo taking place right here in this story by the way John puts his gospel writing together

Let me point out one more feature of John before we read chapter 11. John draws attention to significant themes by using series of seven. In the many things that Jesus teaches about himself, John chooses seven of those teachings of Jesus known in his gospel as the “I am” sayings of Jesus. We will see one of those “I am” sayings here in this story. Jesus also performed many signs and miracles. But John chooses just seven of those signs to highlight in his gospel. This chapter contains the seventh of those signs. The point is, there is a crescendo taking place right here in this story by the way John puts his gospel writing together. It is a long chapter; we won’t read the entire chapter, but I do want us to work through a significant portion of it.

John 11:17–44 (NIV)

John 11:17–44 NIV

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now 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. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” 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 said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” 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.” When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 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. 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.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” 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 four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 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.” 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.”

Jesus is not only talking about resurrection in this event, he is demonstrating it

Jesus is talking about resurrection well before we get to the events of Easter Sunday and his own resurrection from the tomb. In fact, Jesus is not only talking about resurrection in this event, he is demonstrating it—giving a glimpse forward at what is coming. It is no wonder in the stories that come after this one—many of which we have looked at over the past weeks—it is no wonder that Lazarus’ name comes up so prominently from here on forward. In the next chapter there is a plot developing among the Pharisees to not only kill Jesus, but kill Lazarus too because this Lazarus guy is now living proof of what Jesus can do.

Greek embrimaomai “deeply moved” = disgust, anger, outrage

As you and I may picture this story taking place in our minds, there is a detail that we need to sort out. It has to do with the Greek word embrimaomai which the NIV chooses to translate into English as “deeply moved.” It leaves the impression that Jesus is saddened and greatly sorrowful along with the others who are mourning for the loss of Lazarus. But that is not at all what this Greek word means or can in any way even be nuanced towards. The root behind this Greek word refers to a horse’s snort, and it carries the meaning of disgust, anger, and outrage.

Jesus sheds tears, but no particular emotion attached to those tears

When verse 35 tells us that Jesus wept, it is not the same Greek word used to refer to the weeping of Mary, Martha, and their gathered friends. It is a Greek word that simply refers to shedding tears, but it does not imply any particular emotion attached to those tears. It is clear in this passage that Jesus is grieving, but it is worth us pausing today to wonder for just a few moments what is Jesus causing Jesus to grieve like this, because it is not sadness which Jesus is displaying, it’s outrage—Jesus is upset!

what is making Jesus so angry?

Jesus is outraged at death itself

What is making Jesus so angry? He is the all-knowing God; he knows very well that Lazarus is one command away from standing up and walking out of that tomb. It would not make sense for Jesus to be upset that his friend is now gone, because that is all about to change. Is he upset with Mary and Martha? That doesn’t exactly make sense either given that his conversations with them do not contain rebuke. Is Jesus angry because all the people gathered there seem to have no idea that Jesus has the power to overcome the grave? Is he upset at their lack of belief? This is a possibility to consider. Remember the prayer that Jesus says out loud in verse 42 right before calling Lazarus out of the tomb.

John 11:42 NIV

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.”

Believe that the Father has sent Jesus for what?

what is resurrection?

God created the world for perfect shalom

shalom “peace” = thriving, flourishing

For resurrection; that’s what. What is resurrection? It is the complete undoing of death. It points us to the real focus of Jesus’ anger and outrage in this scene. Jesus is angry and completely fed up with sin and death. Jesus is standing here witnessing the pain, grief, and sorrow of his dear friends because of all that death has taken away from them. Jesus is outraged at death itself. He is disgusted by the very need for there to be tombs in this world in the first place. He is angry that sin continually assaults all that is good in God’s creation. Way back in Genesis 1 God made a perfect world without sin for the purpose of God’s shalom to overflow. We understand that Hebrew word shalom to be about the thriving and flourishing of all that God has made exactly in the way God intends for his creation to thrive and flourish.

sin = violation of shalom (N. Plantinga)

if death is the ultimate violation of shalom, then resurrection is the ultimate restoration of shalom

Sin is the opposite of that—the opposite of shalom. Scholar Neal Plantinga defines sin in his book, Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be as the “culpable violation of shalom.” That’s what sin is; it is the violation of God’s shalom in this world as it was intended to be from the beginning of creation. And the ultimate violation of shalom to its furthest extent is death. Therefore the ultimate victory over this sin which violates the shalom of God’s creation would be to undo death itself. If death is the ultimate violation of shalom, then resurrection is the ultimate restoration of shalom.

resurrection = restoration of shalom

by shouting for Lazarus to come out of that tomb, Jesus is yelling to the entire creation, “I AM BRINGING SHALOM BACK AGAIN!”

In this story, Jesus is angry at sin itself. Jesus is upset because the perfect shalom of his creation has been violated. And in this story we see Jesus displaying for us that he has had enough of it. He is fed up to the point in which even this most extreme extent of sin—death itself—is not beyond the grip of God to restore again. In verse 43 we read that Jesus calls out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” Jesus is not just speaking loudly so that Lazarus can hear him. The Greek word implies shouting. Remember, Jesus is angry—outraged at all the ways sin has violated the perfect shalom of his creation. Jesus is not just shouting a command at Lazarus. Jesus is shouting at the very top of his lungs a defiant command aimed against sin itself. By shouting for Lazarus to come out of that tomb, Jesus is yelling to the entire creation, “I AM BRINGING SHALOM BACK AGAIN!”

Or in other words, Jesus is saying exactly what he said to Martha just a few moments ago in verses 25-26.

John 11:25–26 (NIV)

John 11:25–26 NIV

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Lazarus is a foreshadow of the way in which Jesus himself would stand up and walk out of the tomb

resurrection of Jesus is God’s way of declaring, “I AM BRINGING SHALOM BACK AGAIN!”

Resurrection is the ultimate restoration of shalom. Here we are 2000 years later gathered in this place still giving testimony to the power of resurrection. Jesus himself could never be held down by any attempt to undercut the shalom he brings into his world. Even death—the ultimate violation of shalom—could not keep Jesus down. When Jesus called Lazarus out of that tomb it was a foreshadow of the way in which Jesus himself would stand up and walk out of the tomb after he was crucified. But this resurrection—the resurrection of Jesus himself—shouts with an even louder cry across the creation. The words are the same. The resurrection of Jesus is God’s way of declaring, “I AM BRINGING SHALOM BACK AGAIN!”

we live today as resurrection people

we give testimony as resurrection people to the hope we have that Jesus will see the restoration of shalom all the way to its full completion

We live today as resurrection people. We live in the sure hope that Jesus holds the power to completely restore the shalom flourishing and thriving of his creation. Victory over death itself is the ultimate restoration of shalom. Yet even so, as resurrection people living in the world today we are offered glimpses and peeks at shalom restored. Whenever we participate as God’s people in reclaiming shalom; whenever we participate as God’s people in promoting and enacting the thriving and flourishing of God’s world as he created it to be; whenever we live like that, we live as resurrection people. Whenever we live in ways which bring about these small glimpses of shalom restored in this sinful and broken world, we give testimony as resurrection people to the hope we have that Jesus will see the restoration of this shalom all the way to its full completion. His victory over the grave assures us of this.

John 11:44 NIV

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.”

Jesus emerges from the tomb declaring: it is time for the world to take off the grave clothes of sin wrapped around us; it is time for the grave to let us go; it is time for shalom to be restored

When Lazarus came out of that tomb, Jesus simply said, “take off the grave clothes and let him go.” When Jesus came out of the tomb on that first Easter, it is as though he was saying it is time for the world to take off the grave clothes wrapped around us; it is time for the grave to let us go; it is time for shalom to be restored. We follow the command of Jesus to take those grave clothes off of this world. Whenever, wherever, and however we see glimpses of God bringing his shalom back into the world we live in today, we grab onto that and participate in it as best we can with all that we can. That’s what it means to live as resurrection people.

whenever, wherever, and however we see glimpses of God bringing his shalom back into the world we live in today, we grab onto that and participate in it as best we can with all that we can — that’s what it means to live as resurrection people