Do You Believe? part II
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John 11:5-26
Last time we looked the beginning of the chapter.
We talked about verses 1-4.
The emphasis was on the fact that Jesus is the remedy.
Jesus is our hope.
Jesus is our Resurrection.
I was intending to get through the entire chapter last time, but we did not make it.
Pray
Turn to John 11
Leading up to this verse, we learn that Jesus was informed of Lazarus being sick.
Jesus declares that this sickness will not end in death, but rather to glorify God.
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
Martha, Mary and Lazarus were in Bethany.
Bethany is 2 miles or so south east of Jerusalem.
Jesus was somewhere in the region of Perea, which is about 15 miles away.
Jesus gets word of the sickness, but He does not leave right away.
He stays in Perea for two more days before traveling to Bethany.
“But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”
1. Initially the disciples with Jesus protested going to Bethany.
They protested because they thought that if Jesus returned to Judea, those who were seeking to arrest and kill him would be successful.
They were speaking from limited human understanding.
Jesus responds to this protest by stating:
Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”
What Jesus is instructing in this statement is that we must recognize when we have opportunity to serve.
We have limited amount of daylight.
Thinking to the context of when Jesus said this the work was done during the day when there was light.
We have artificial light now.
So we have made a way to illumine the night.
But what Jesus is saying is that
2. While you have light, take the opportunity to serve.
Do what must be done when the opportunity presents itself.
Seek the Lord for discernment in how to walk in faith.
Jesus recognized that it was time for Him to go to Martha and Mary.
Regardless of the danger in the traveling, He understood the time.
He acted on this discernment.
To apply a spiritual aspect to these verses for our application I refer to the Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible.
Include in notes.
“Note the term, ‘this world’s light.’ Jesus is “the Light of this world.” A person has only twelve hours, only a certain amount of time to see “the Light of this world.” Once night comes, opportunity is lost.”
The application for what Jesus stated in the verses we read is that
3. We must recognize our opportunity to accept His Light.
We must act on this opportunity while we have time.
Recognize the time to confess faith in your Savior.
4. When night comes, the opportunity to confess faith in Jesus will be lost.
Today is the day.
If you have never made a confession of faith, do not waste this opportunity.
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.” His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
Initially, the disciples did not understand what Jesus was talking about.
5. The disciples thought Lazarus was just sleeping.
Jesus very plainly told them that Lazarus was dead.
Jesus then goes on to say that it was to the disciples benefit that He was not with Lazarus prior to his death.
He tells them this because the death of Lazarus was meant to bring glory to the Son of God, Jesus.
Jesus says that they are going to Lazarus and that He is going to wake Lazarus.
He is going to do this so that they believe.
What was Jesus trying to help the disciple to know?
6. Jesus wanted to help them understand that He is the Resurrection and the Life.
Jesus is our Redeemer and the gate, the entry point to an eternal covenant.
Jesus is the Resurrection.
This event with Lazarus served as an opportunity for Jesus to demonstrate His authority over he grave.
Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
In this verse, we have the same Thomas that doubted.
He is sometimes referred to as doubting Thomas because after Jesus rose form the grave, He appeared to the disciples.
Thomas doubted that Jesus was alive in the physical.
Jesus instructed Thomas to touch the physical marks left on His body following the crucifixion.
But in these verses we have a resolute Thomas who is willing to follow.
Thomas states that they should go to Lazarus so that they may die with him.
We have to remember that during this point in history, the religious officials of Israel were actively seeking to arrest and kill Jesus.
The disciples thought that if they returned to Judea, they would be arrested and potentially killed due to the persecution.
Thomas suspected that if they returned it would mean death for Lazarus, Jesus and the disciples as well.
They were actually trying to prevent Jesus from going, but it was the Lord’s will that Jesus should go.
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 heard that Lazarus was sick days before his death.
7. Jesus determined not go to Lazarus until two days after He recieved the news.
When they finally arrived it had been four days since Lazarus died.
Jesus waited intentionally to go to Lazarus.
He could have gone, as Martha stated and healed Lazarus when he heard of the sickness.
But Jesus waited.
Jesus waited because He wanted everyone to know that He was not only able to perform great miracles of healing, but he also had the power to raise the dead from the grave.
I found this commentary to help explain:
He had already been in the tomb four days: Jesus waited four days because He knew the Jewish superstition of that day that said a soul stayed near the grave for three days, hoping to return to the body. Therefore, it was accepted that after four days there was absolutely no hope of resuscitation.
If Jesus would have come earlier, even after Lazarus had died, there would have ben people who sought to discredit the miracle.
They would have said that Lazarus was not dead or that his spirit decided to enter back into his body.
But Jesus waited to the to raise Lazarus after the superstition of the people would not be able to explain the event.
8. Jesus wanted to assure that everyone knew it was by His own authority that Lazarus was raised.
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?”
9. Martha recognized the promise of a future resurrection.
She assumed Jesus was talking about the resurrection on the last day.
Martha is talking about the popular understanding at the time that there would be a great resurrection of the dead during the reign of the Messiah.
10. Martha was thinking of a future event.
She did not recognize Jesus as the authority who had power to raise the dead.
How does Jesus respond to Marta’s disbelief?
Jesus says that He is the resurrection and the life.
Another quote by Surgeon:
“She looked upon the resurrection and the life as things that were to be in some dim and misty future. ‘No,’ says Christ, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Not only do I get these things by prayer from God, but I am these things.’” (Spurgeon)
11. Jesus is the Resurrection.
He is the eternal source of life.
He is these things because He is the Creator.
He is God eternal.
12. No mere mortal man could claim these things about himself.
Jesus goes on to ask Martha after explaining this truth to her.
Jesus says to her, “Do you believe?”
Do you believe that I am the resurrection?
Do you believe that I am life?
Jesus tells Martha that faith brings the promise of eternal life through Him?
Do you believe?
Next week we will get Martha’s answer.
We will also talk about the application for our lives in these verses.