The Resurrection Power of Jesus - "That We May Believe" [Part 4]

— This is our last week in the Gospel of John for now

— We will pick up the rest of The Gospel in the Easter season.

— Our passage this week is The Gospel of John, Chapter 11, Verses 38-53

— This is found on page 898 in the bible, in the rack ahead of you, in your personal bible or phone app.

Some Reflection from Last week and this year

— That passage, you know the one, John 11.35., embodies the Humanity of Jesus

— When we read “Jesus Wept” many things come to mind.

— Jesus was truly saddened about the death of his friend.

— He was saddened by the response of the Jews… To their unbelief.

— It has been said that this is two sides of the same coin.

— His friend died and he mourned his loss and even though He said that he would rise again…

— The Jews present doubted that Jesus is who he claimed to be and doubted that he could raise His friend Lazarus.

!!BOTH CAUSED JESUS TO WEEP!!

— We have spent 8 months on a journey through this book.

I wonder if our Faith, our Hope, our Belief has grown or does it cause Jesus to weep?

— My personal journey has been renewed and refreshed and has grown

— I have hope, I have faith and I believe that the Holy Spirit has used the scriptures, my words, and our services to allow you the space and opportunity to grow.

— That is a personal value proposition… Answer it for yourself!

Some Questions...

#1 How much do we rely on Faith, day-to-day Faith?

— It’s really a perspective thing… through which kind of lens do you see the world?

— When you look at a situation, how do you see it? through the lens of Faith?

#2 Do we look and find Hope in a world that is increasingly hopeless?

— More personally, do we find HOPE in a personal hopeless situation.

— With your or a loved one’s health

— With the death of a loved one

— With a wayward child?

— With a marriage that is tetering on the edge?

— With uncertain financial future?

— With the 100’s of other things that shape and mould our image of HOPE.

#3 Do we have belief in Jesus, His message, In the facts and stories written about Him..?

— Do you believe this book… The Bible, is your owners manual, is the prescription for your life?

— These three questions, in some form or another have been repeated over and over… and over and over for the past 2000 years.

Take some time this week and consider Faith, Hope and Belief!

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Our passage this week is The Gospel of John, Chapter 11, Verses 38-54

— Stand if you can, follow along with me

John 11:38–53 ESV

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 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.” 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 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.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 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.” 45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our 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 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

— This is the Word of the Lord...

— Thanks be to God!!

— Please be seated

I’ll be looking at this passage in 3 points

#1 - Jesus Deep Emotion and Compassion

Verse 38.

John 11:38 ESV

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

— Again Jesus was “again deeply moved”

— This is the best textual evidence of the deepest feeling that Jesus was having

— He came to the tomb, the resting place of his friend

— And after being moved and wept in V35 he was deeply moved again.

— Much less here about the unbelief of the Jews and much more about his friend Lazarus.

Let’s look at V.40

John 11:40 ESV

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

— Jesus said that Belief, led to seeing the Glory of God!

— Let’s reflect again at our own belief, our own belief in God, in what he has done and what he is going to do.

— Have we seen, do we see, the Glory of God around us?

— If we don’t maybe we need to look a bit closer.

Jesus Command and Resurrection of Lazarus

— I could not find a single verse that was more important than theses two

— If you underline, highlight, commit to memory, here is our key verses for today.

John 11:43–44 ESV

43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 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.”

— These verses encapsulate the miraculous event of Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus power.

— It underscores Jesus' divine power and serves as a demonstration of his authority over death.

— It foreshadows or looks forward to Jesus own resurrection.

I’ll be looking at this passage in 3 points

#2 - Faith and Belief in Jesus Identity

— Vs. 45

John 11:45 ESV

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

— If you have witnessed a miracle

— If you have seen the birth of your child; that first breath… you have seen a miracle.

— You don’t have to raise your hand unless you want to but… who has seen a miracle.

— It doesn’t have to be as bold as a resurrection!

— it is a decision made, a mind turned, anger dropped, it’s reconciliation.

— It a son or daughter that left 30 years ago and now returns.

Ah… The Detractors

— If you were with us last week, I said that the detractors will always be around.

— And yes, they are here again

— After they witnessed what happened and reported

John 11:47 ESV

47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs.

— Well… what are they to do?

— More important what are we to do in the face of signs, wonders and miracles?

— We can explain away, doubt OR WE CAN BELIEVE!

— And our final point

I’ll be looking at this passage in 3 points

#3 - Fulfillment of God’s Plan

V.48

John 11:48 ESV

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

— At the core of the Pharisee’s, the Sadducee’s.

— At the center of their world is position and power.

— I hope we understand that it is those like the Pharisee’s who will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God

— It is the weak, it is the meek, it is the marginalized, it is the downtrodden, it is the homeless, lonely, it is the one who has the faith of child that will inherit the Kingdom of God.

Vs. 49-50 Caiaphas Prophecy

John 11:49–50 ESV

49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”

— Caiaphas understood

— He called them all out… “You know nothing at all.”

— He lifted high, Jesus.

— He made clear that one man, Jesus

— Should die for the people… for all people.

— From the patriarchs to the prisoners, from the the richest to poorest, the proud and humble… He died for all of them and all of us!

— So that we should not ALL have to die!

— But that is our choice to follow or to reject

— So as we transition to our time of communion...I’m going to end with Vs. 53

John 11:53 ESV

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

— So today, along with millions of others We choice to remember Jesus, remember Him in His sacrifice. His sacrifice for us.

— So we get to once again to comemorate the night when Jesus said, eat my body and drink my blood.

— As our servers come, I’d like you to pause and consider what the Lord is telling you today.

— What sin, little or big are you holding back from Him in confession and repentance.

— What do you need to bring to him right now,

— be clean, be whole in front of him, to be worry to partake in this last supper.

Communion