What Kind of Love Is This?

Gospel of John  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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Text: John 11:1-16
When we go through sickness or deal with the sickness or death of a loved one, we may be tempted to doubt either the power or the love of God in such times. When we experience any kind of loss, we may feel like God has lost control or that he doesn’t care about us.
Mary and Martha probably felt something similar in this story. When their brother died and Jesus didn’t come right away, it may have seemed like either he couldn’t do anything about it or that he didn’t care about them. They may have doubted his power or his love.
But it was through this loss that Jesus demonstrated both his power and his love, and he strengthened their faith as they beheld the glory of God in Christ.
The Sickness (v. 1)
John 11:1 ESV
1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
The problem of sickness; the sick man identified as Lazarus, and siblings identified
The Connection (v. 2)
John 11:2 ESV
2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.
The Urgent Message (v. 3)
John 11:3 ESV
3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”
Message sent by messenger
Jesus on the other side of the Jordan, at least 1 day’s journey away, perhaps up to 4
Jesus receives this message about his sick friend
Jesus’s Response (v. 4)
John 11:4 ESV
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.”
What do we expect Jesus to do or say?
Usually Jesus heals when he sees or hears a need
The glory of God = glory of the Son of God because God is 1
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John’s Note about Jesus (v. 5)
John 11:5 ESV
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
John confirms that what Mary and Martha said in v. 3 is true. Jesus loves them.
Based on that, what do we expect in v. 6? Jesus loved them, so he went right away? or Jesus loved them so he spoke a word and healed him?
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Jesus Stays instead of Going (v. 6)
John 11:6 ESV
6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
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The Right Time Arrives (v. 7)
John 11:7 ESV
7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
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The Disciples Object (v. 8)
John 11:8 ESV
8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?”
-end of chapter 10, also end of chapter 8
the Jews wanted to stone him because he claims to be God
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Jesus Gives a Parable (v. 9-10)
John 11:9–10 ESV
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
12 hours (based on how they measured time); references to 3rd hour, 6th hour, etc.
-corresponds to Jesus’s statement in John 9:4, we must work the works of him who sent me while it is day
day=Jesus’s life and ministry, which is almost over
​
Jesus Uses the Sleep Metaphor and the Disciples Misunderstand (v. 11-13)
English Standard Version (Chapter 11)
11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep.
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Jesus speaks plainly (14)

14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,

Lazarus had been dead 4 days when Jesus finally arrived
He may have been dead before the messenger came back
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Jesus expresses his purpose (15)
English Standard Version (Chapter 11)
15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
I am glad = I rejoice
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Thomas expresses his courage (16)

16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

die with him = die with Jesus (not Lazarus)
back to v. 8, not v. 14
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The Mutual Love of Jesus, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus

There was a loving friendship between Jesus and these siblings Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. They loved Jesus and Jesus loved them, and they demonstrated their love in many ways throughout the passage.
What is love? Not just a feeling (though it includes that), but sacrificial giving of oneself for the good of another. Making sacrifices to meet the needs or desires of another person.
Mary’s love demonstrated (2)

2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.

Lazarus referred to as Jesus’s dear friend (he whom you love — v. 3)

3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”

John (the author) confirms that Jesus does indeed love this family (v. 5)

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

After Jesus arrives, many in the crowds interpret Jesus’s grief as a sign of love for this family (v. 36)

36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

Jesus’s previous encounter with Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42 also demonstrated the love of these sisters for Jesus and his love for them.
John establishes very clearly the loving relationship between Jesus and this family. Part of the reason he does this is to help us understand why Jesus did what he did and what his purpose was, because Jesus’s actions in this passage seem puzzling to us if we don’t understand his loving purpose.

Jesus’s Ability to Heal Lazarus

Jesus could have healed Lazarus. He himself says so, and the sisters both express this confidence as well. Even the crowds know it. We’ve seen Jesus perform 6 signs already in John’s Gospel, so we know he is powerful. In chapter 4 he even spoke a word from 20 miles away and healed the nobleman’s son. So we know he can heal people, even with a word, and this passage confirms this truth for us.
v. 3: The Sisters send Jesus a Message (Because they want him to come heal Lazarus); Jesus may have been a day or two journey from them, or perhaps as much as 4. We know he was on the other side of the Jordan, but not how far north.

3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”

Jesus expresses his ability to heal Lazarus (15)
English Standard Version (Chapter 11)
15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
Martha and Mary both express the same confidence (21, 32)

21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

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.”

Many in the crowd have seen Jesus’s power demonstrated and know that he is able to heal (37)

37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

We have seen the power of Jesus demonstrated many times throughout the Gospel of John already, and the people in this passage seem to know that Jesus was able to heal Lazarus.
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BUT HE DIDN’T.
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Jesus’s Choice Not to Heal Lazarus (How is this Love?)

This is the tension John wants us to feel and the question he wants us to ask.
He tells us that Jesus loves them, he tells us that Jesus is able to heal Lazarus, and he tells us that Jesus chose not to heal him. How does this make sense? What kind of love is this that has the ability to meet a need and doesn’t do it?
This does not make any sense to the world, and it is a reason many people give for rejecting God altogether. Because of the suffering and death in the world around us, especially our loved ones, and even more because of our own suffering there are many that conclude that one of these things is not true.
Either God is loving but not powerful (he wants to to stop evil and suffering but he can’t)
Or God is powerful but not loving (he’s able to stop evil and suffering but he doesn’t care)
Or God just doesn’t even exist.
This is the tension John wants us to feel here.
Jesus says he loves this family.
We know Jesus was able to heal Lazarus.
But Jesus chose not to.
(We know the end of the story, how Jesus raised him from the dead — but until it happened, Mary and Martha didn’t know that’s what Jesus was going to do. As far as they knew, they had asked Jesus to help and he said no. They had asked him to come heal Lazarus, but he stayed and let him die. Jesus simply didn’t show up. And I can’t help but think that they were struggling to trust his love.)
When Jesus got their message, he gave a reply but did not do anything about it.
English Standard Version (Chapter 11)
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.”
When these words got back to Mary and Martha from this messenger, Lazarus was almost certainly already dead. Think how these words may have sounded to Mary and Martha, knowing that Jesus could have healed their brother but he didn’t.
These verses are where John presents the tension (5-6)
English Standard Version (Chapter 11)
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.
The word “so” or “therefore” in v. 6 is critical. John says that Jesus loved this family and because of his love for them he stayed where he was and did not heal Lazarus. That word “so” or “therefore” gives us the reason for Jesus’s action in v. 6, and it tells us that v. 5 is the reason. The reason Jesus didn’t go heal Lazarus is because he loved him and his sisters.
This tension will only be resolved as we understand the purpose of the sickness and death of Lazarus. We must believe that God has a good purpose in all our suffering, and Jesus shows us very clearly in this passage what that purpose is.

The Purpose of Jesus in the Sickness and Death of Lazarus

The Glory of God / Glory of the Son of God
English Standard Version (Chapter 11)
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.”
Just like in John 9 when Jesus tells his disciples that the blind man’s suffering was not about sin but about the glory of God

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

-referring to the message Jesus sent with the messenger in v. 4
​
What is the “Glory of God”?
Who God is, his character, especially
His Power shown by His Love
His Majesty Displayed through Meekness
His Greatness demonstrated through serving
Christ, the image of God, who is himself God, and yet became one of us to suffer in our place and restore us to God
​
The Faith of the Disciples, this family, and the crowds
English Standard Version (Chapter 11)
15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
English Standard Version (Chapter 11)
26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

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

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.”

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

This is One Purpose: to believe in Christ is to see his glory and have our hearts satisfied in him; and God is glorified when we see his glory — who he is — and seek our satisfaction in him. This is saving faith, and this is the glory of God.
How does this relate to God’s Love?
God’s love means that he gives of himself to meet our greatest need and desire.
What do we need most? GOD! To see him and be satisfied in him.
We need to see and savor the glory of God in Christ more than we need physical health.
We need to be satisfied with the love of Christ more than we need any human relationship.
We need to enjoy the riches of his glory more than we need the riches of this world.
We need God more than anything.
And God has demonstrated both his power and his love by meeting our greatest need. He has done this by sending his Son Jesus Christ to take away our sin, restore us to a right relationship with God, and satisfy our hearts forever with the glory of God.
God has done this for us through Christ.
This does not seem like love to the world, but it is the greatest love. God gives us what we need most — himself. God is glorified when we see his glory and delight in it. Our souls are satisfied and God is glorified at the same time.
This is one purpose.

Do you believe?

Do you trust that God is powerful and sovereign over your suffering?
Do you trust His love?
Are you fulfilling his purpose? Glorifying God by trusting in Christ even when you don’t understand what he’s doing?
Are you glorifying God by trusting in the one that he has sent, Jesus Christ?
Are you fulfilling God’s purpose in your suffering?
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