I Am, Part 5

Sunday Morning 2024  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  53:52
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This is week 5 of 7 of the “I AM” statements. The story that accompanies this statement is one familiar to most Christians. Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary were good friends with Jesus. It seemed any time Jesus was near Bethany, He would stop in and visit or stay with these friends. We know a lot about the temperament of Mary and Martha, one working hard to make sure everything was perfect, the other more concerned about learning at the feet of Jesus. But, we really don’t know much about their brother Lazarus, all that we know is described in the Gospel of John.
The beginning of Chapter 11 tells us that a certain man was ill. Nondescript, this is how the chapter starts, this man is any man, some man, just another man. Does this give us an indication of the non-nondescript life of Lazarus? That he was just like any other man in the region? But then, Lazarus is introduced as a man form Bethany - a village on the eastern slope of the Mt. of Olives, about 1.5 miles east of Jerusalem - a 20 to 30 minute walk. Jesus was at least a day away from Bethany when Mary and Martha sent news that Lazarus was ill. Notice the message that was sent “he whom you love is ill”. This means there was a special relationship with this family, it was one of closeness, one of true friendship with Jesus. For this to be such a close family, the reaction of Jesus was a little interesting “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”.
Now, most of us, when we hear of a close friend that is ill will stop and check in on them. If they’re a truly close friend we go to them. Who would brush it off? But Jesus was not brushing it off, He merely claimed that Lazarus’ sickness was not to focus on the death. Lazarus’ sickness was for the glory of God. He was sick. He was going to die. He was going to be resurrected so that Jesus could demonstrate God’s power and so that He could be glorified. You see, believing in Jesus means we believe in the Life of the world.
After hearing of Lazarus’ sickness, scripture tells us he stayed two additional days where He was, then he told His disciples to pack up they were heading to Judea. When asked why, the disciples were concerned for His safety. The Jews had conspired to stone Him, causing them to leave in the first place. But, Jesus knew there was a task at hand - Lazarus has fallen asleep…but I go to awaken him. Jesus did use this as a teaching moment. The disciples questioned Jesus, saying if Lazarus was only asleep, he would wake up. They misunderstood that his sleep was death, so Jesus made it clear - Lazarus has died. This was a teaching moment for the disciples as much as it was for those that would be present. So, they went to Bethany.
The went to console friends, experience a resurrection, and see true life through Jesus.

Consoling Friends

John 11:17–22 ESV
17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 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. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”
When Jesus arrived outside the area of Bethany, someone told Him Lazarus had already been buried four days. Apparently He sent someone ahead to tell the family He was on the way. Interestingly, we see a change in the reaction of Mary and Martha. Martha went out to meet Jesus while Mary stayed in the house. But Martha was about to show her true side. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died”. She spoke what was on her mind, but then submitted to God’s Will. “But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give to you”. One thing we see with Martha is that she portrays both the human and the spiritual side.
How often do we not understand what God’s Will in a situation we are dealing with, yet through that lack of understanding we are still willing to submit to the Will of God?
The sisters did not understand why Jesus had not come earlier so their brother would not have to die. They couldn’t understand why someone so close to Jesus would not be first priority. Yet through the lack of understanding, they still held to their faith.

Resurrection

John 11:23–27 ESV
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 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?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
Jesus understood her concerns and told her Lazarus would rise again. While she understood Him to mean on the resurrection, Jesus then tells her that HE is the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. Do you believe?
While Martha demonstrated faith, did she have full understanding? Jesus just told her HE was the resurrection. Not that He gives resurrection, but that He IS the resurrection and the life. You see, all of life exists because of Him. This is a phenomenal claim. It means that man—in fact all of life—exists only by the will and power of Jesus. Being the power and energy of life, Jesus is the Source of all life. There is nothing existing apart from His will; therefore, if a dead person wishes to live, only Jesus can give him life. And if a living person does not wish to die, only Jesus can keep him from dying.
This is given when we believe - when be believe Jesus promises eternal life. When a believer dies, we aren’t confined to the grave. We aren’t kept in some place of holding. Paul tells us to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord. We are fully alive in Heaven, and in the presence of our Creator. For the first time, we experience true life.

True Life

John 11:28–37 ESV
28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 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.” 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!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”
The only way to true life, is to make a profession of faith. What does it mean to make a profession of faith? We confess that Jesus is Lord. Martha did this in John 11:27
John 11:27 ESV
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 believed, and placed her faith and trust in Him. But notice the next priority on Martha’s mind - go find her sister.
Nowhere does it say that Jesus told her to go - Martha made sure her family knew who Jesus truly was - she went to Mary and let her know where Jesus was. Mary got up and went to Jesus, along with the rest of those who were mourning with the family.
Mary then makes the same statement as Martha - “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died”. But, was her faith the same as Martha's? She did not follow through with the second statement of understanding God’s Will. Is this the reason Jesus was “deeply moved and greatly troubled”? Did He recognize a lack of faith? Whatever the reason, when Jesus saw the distraught nature of Mary, and when He saw the rest of the Jews mourning also, it moved Him and He had compassion on their need.
This was a deep seated feeling, troubling His soul. The Pastor’s Outline and Sermon Bible states “Jesus was actually feeling the misery and pain of all. His spirit was disturbed and agitated, deeply moved by the whole scene of sorrow and death.”
Jesus then asked where Lazarus had been placed in the tomb. You see, Jesus knew where He was, but He also wanted for the others to take their focus off the death of their friend and family member, take their focus off the crowd of friends mourning with the family, and focus on what was getting ready to happen.
Jesus then wept. The shortest sentence in the Bible. One that has deep meaning, but also little understanding. Why did Jesus cry? Was it out of love? Was it over the death that had occurred, over the pain, sorrow, and suffering being felt? Was it over death itself? You see, we were never supposed to experience sin or death. Was Jesus recognizing the act of death as the result of sin and disobedience and it hurt His soul for His friends?
Regardless of WHY He cried, some people recognized the act while others asked how Jesus could let this happen to someone He supposedly “loved”?

Conclusion

John 11:38–44 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.”
Jesus Christ confronted death and demonstrated His great power over death. In confronting and conquering the tomb of Lazarus, He demonstrated that the believer’s hope is not in vain. The believer will be raised from the dead, resurrected by the great shout of the Lord’s power.
Jesus confronted death face to face. He looked directly at the tomb, knowing He would soon face a very similar scenario. He was full of emotions, the hurt and pain of friends, knowing this was not what had originally been planned, and then unbelief. “Lord, he’s been dead four days - he stinks”.
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?”
Notice how Jesus responds to the unbelief.
John 11:41–43 ESV
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.”
When Jesus, the Son of God speaks, even the dead must obey. Lazarus came out of the grave.
Death has no power over Jesus. The shout of Jesus is personal. Jesus shouted the name of Lazarus. He did not just shout, “Come forth”; He shouted “Lazarus, come forth.” Jesus knows every believer by name, and He is personally concerned over the death of everyone. The day is coming when He will shout “Come forth,” and only the ones personally known by Him will respond.
Then, Jesus simply says to unbind him and let him go.
Notice something here, Lazarus came out of the tomb in his burial clothes, with the face still wrapped too. But, he was resurrected back into his physical form. He had not changed. But, within the week we would see another resurrection. But this time, a miraculous transformation takes place. The clothes are lying in the tomb along with a folded napkin that had been on the face of Jesus.
Lazarus would have to face death again, but because of Jesus’ resurrection we no longer have to fear death because we can have true life IF we believe. Just like Mary, just like Martha, like Lazarus. But, not all of those in attendance believed in Jesus because of the resurrection of Lazarus.
John 11:45–46 (ESV)
45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him,
46 but some...
DID NOT.
The ignored the evidence. They chose to not believe the facts unfolding right in front of them. They, therefore, lost their opportunity to “see the glory of God”.
Just as we have those today who will not believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and accept Him as their personal Savior through faith.
It is very clear - it is by believing . Having FAITH in Jesus as our Savior that we can experience eternal life.
Do you know, that you know?
If not...
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