Jesus as Advertised

Not as Advertised

Not all successful products are being used as they were originally marketed and sold to do. Their inventors had one idea in mind, and for various reasons, today we use them for entirely different purposes.

They were not as advertised. Here are a few:

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Play-Doh

Invented by a guy named Joseph McVicker in Cincinnati, OH, in 1930. It’s original purpose was intended to be a wall-paper cleaner. Roll it up and rub it against the wall and remove the soot from the coal-burning stoves in the house.

In the 40s, a teacher friend told him his students were having trouble molding their clay in art class. McVicker suggested using his wall-paper cleaner and in 1955 it was re-branded and sold as activity for children as “Play-Doh.”

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Post-it Notes

You probably already know the first part of this story. Dr. Spence Silver, an engineer at 3M in 1968 was attempting to invent a super adhesive glue. What he ended up w/ was a pressure-sensitive, weak adhesive he named “Unglue” for its useless practicality.

In 1974, a colleague, Art Fry was frustrated b/c his bookmarks kept falling out of his hymn book at church. He discovered this weak adhesive was perfect for book-marking his hymns for Sunday morning. He could remove the note w/out any damage to the page. Post-it Notes were branded and born.

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Bubble wrap.

In 1957 2 engineers at Sealed Air Corp, Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes invented what the originally marketed as textured wall paper. It flopped. Go figure.

Then, in 1959 IBM came to them to use this product as packing material to protect their new computer products while being shipped to customers. Success.

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Listerine.

In 1865 the first surgery was performed in a sterilized chamber, OR, by Dr. Joseph Lister. Louis Pateur had published his research on germs and their cause of infection.

Dr. Joseph Lawrence invented a solution that would kill germs ad sterilize wounds on the operating table and battlefield. He named it Listerine after the surgeon.

In the 19th and 20th centuries it was sold as a floor cleaner, deodorant, and remedy for disease. Not until 1923 was it finally sold as a mouthwash. Nothing like a little floor disinfectant to keep your mouth clean.

Not everything is as advertised. Not everything that ‘experts’ claim about people and products proves to be true. Cleaning your wallpaper, a practically useless ‘unglue’, textured wallpaper w/ bubbles in it, or even a floor cleaner that will keep your breath fresh. Wild claims that never quite panned out.

Jesus made some pretty wild claims about Himself. He claimed to be the Messiah. The Lamb of God. The Savior who came to save mankind and bless the world. One guy, simple, son of a carpenter, supposedly miraculously conceived, dirt poor, hung out w/ uneducated outcasts, and made wild claims about himself.

C.S. Lewis famously said, based on the claims Jesus made about himself, He is either a Lunatic, a Liar, or the Lord. He could be a crazy a loon. Mental wards are full of ppl who sincerely believe they are the Messiah sent by God to save ppl.

Or, He knows who He really is, but He’s a pathological and compulsive liar. It’s profitable. It’s an ego rush to have so many followers hanging on every word, buying his claims, and re-selling his product to the poor ppl of the world.

Or, He really is who He says He is.

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?”

Really? So which is it? Lunatic, Liar, or Lord? How do you know?

Jesus is the only one who in all of history who has proved to the world that He is the Messiah, the Savior of the world, capable of raising ppl back to life after they die. He did it, not only by walking out of His own grave, but He also resuscitated 3 ppl that we know of after their life came to an end here on earth.

One of these was Lazarus. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He proved He is the Savior God sent to save people, bless the world, and is capable of keeping people alive forever in Heaven.

We can be certain that our faith in Him will result in our coming to life after our life on earth ends.

The account is recorded in John 11. It begins w/ a real head scratching response by Jesus when he heard Lazarus was sick and at death’s door. You’d think if He truly cared about him, he’d rush to his side. He didn’t do that. He waited a few days and Lazarus’ condition went from bad to worse. But Jesus didn’t see it that way.

Divine Delay

John 11:1–16 NIV

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” “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.” 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.” Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Jesus does not seem to be too concerned about anyone dying here. Lazarus died. Jesus and the disciples might die if they go back to Bethany. That doesn’t even seem to be an issue for Jesus.

He saw Lazarus, Mary, and Martha as His brother and sisters. He loved them. They loved Him like a member of the family. They knew of His ability to heal the sick. So implied in their info to Jesus was request for Him to come do something about Lazarus’ illness.

When you care about someone, and you hear that they are deathly ill, you’d think the right response would be to rush to his side. What He said made little sense at the time. His discs didn’t know how this whole episode was going to play out.

“It is for God’s glory and for His own glory” that they delayed and didn’t go for 2 more days. This was a crystal clear claim of His own. He sold Himself here as God, deity. To equate God’s glory w/ His own is to claim that He is God.

Is He crazy?

He’s going to wait 2 more days! I thought He cared about Lazarus! The request was, the prayer was, come at once. They had seen Jesus heal sick ppl. They knew, they bel’d w/ all their heart He could do something for Lazarus at that time.

But Jesus had a different timeline in mind. Sure, He could do something right then to save Lazarus. But if he waited a couple of days, He could do something even more significant that would prove to all of us that Jesus is the real deal.

It was not b/c Laz was unimportant to Jesus or a lack of love. His delay illustrates his love. When He refuses to intervene in our difficult circumstances it’s a show of His greater love for us. He’s about to do something more significant than simply heal a sick man.

Death to a non-Christian seals their fate. To a believer, it does not.

Death for a Xian leads to glory. Jesus did not tell them the whole story of what He was about to do and why. There is a bigger picture. A great purpose for the delay. This is what happens to a believer when they die before the Kingdom is established.

Fundamental Israelite belief was, if a Jew died before X came to establish His kingdom, then when it eventually occured, the deceased would be resurrected and join the living in the kingdom.

And, what about NT Xian believers? What happens to us if we die before the Kingdom, before the new heaven and the new earth. What happens to us?

But, what happens during that time while we’re waiting for the kingdom to come? Do we just lay in our grave and rot? The body decomposes. The person does not. Jesus let Lazarus die to illustrate what will happen to believers between the time they die and the time when He returns to establish His kingdom.

2 days later, Jesus decided it was time to go. But, they had just tried to kill him the last time He was there. Again, the threat of death did not seem to phase Jesus even when it was His own. He knew it wasn’t His time to go, yet. So, they’d be fine as they traveled to Bethany to see Laz. If the discs would stay close to Jesus nothing would happen to them b/c It wasn’t time for anything to happen, yet.

The time will come. But even then, as Jesus is about to show them, if they die, they will still live. But, leave it to Thomas to doubt Jesus’ word. The fatalist, “If we die, we die.”

Jesus said Laz only sleeps. Why did He say that? He needed an analogy that they could understand. If we die, we die. That’s it. But if we sleep, we wake up. The wake up part is what Jesus wanted the discs to get.

They delayed so Jesus could wake him up and the discs could believe Jesus is as advertised.

When they arrived, Jesus made a confusing claim about Himself but then proceeded to comfort them as they grieved. They would have been conflicted about how to feel. Hopeful about the eventuality of the kingdom. Hopeful that Jesus could do something even then, after Laz had died.

He said even tho’ Laz is dead he will live. What? Then, Jesus knowing exactly what He was about to do, He stood at the grave and wept.

He must have had them confused and conflicted about what he meant and what He was about to do.

Confused & Conflicted

John 11:17–37 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 doesn’t seem to be making sense. Something is missing. Either in his explanation, or in their faith. And since Jesus doesn’t leave anything out, the issue is obviously w/ Mary and Martha. Their faith was yet incomplete. They had faith Jesus could heal a sick Lazarus. And had faith that Jesus would raise Laz much later when His kingdom is established. But, Jesus intended to complete their faith by showing them believers are raised from the dead immediately after leaving this life.

Mary and Martha had similar responses to Jesus’ arrival w/ one difference. Martha ran to greet Jesus. Mary stayed in the house. But both cried and complained that if Jesus had arrived earlier, he could have done something to save Laz. They knew Jesus could heal the sick. And, they knew their brother Laz would be raised when the Kingdom arrived.

They had faith for that. They believed strongly.

But then Jesus made this amazing and confusing claim about himself.

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even thought they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” What?!

Laz believed. He died. What’s Jesus saying?

First, understand a biblical definition of death is separation from God. We use the term to mean the end of a heartbeat or brain function. But, in the sense of separation from God, a believer never dies. We just move from one realm to another, never leaving the presence of God.

A non-Christian is never in the presence of God in a personal sense. In a global sense that God is everywhere, sure. But if a person does not believe, then they are not in the personal presence of God while alive here. Nor, are they in the presence of God once they leave here.

So, lacking a better word for it, Jesus confused them by using the term ‘die’ in two different ways. The one who believes like Laz will live, though they die. And, whoever lives by believing will never die.

But that’s also why Jesus used the analogy ‘sleep’ earlier. There is no good word for our transition from this life to the next. So, either we die to be resurrected immediately. Or we fall asleep to be awakened also immediately.

The sisters were weeping. They were grieving, hard. Their brother had passed away too soon. He was not old.

Jesus asked to be taken to his grave. He stood there and he wept, too. Why? He was moved with compassion for those who were hurting so badly and for Laz.

He knew what He was about to do. In a minute there will be a great celebration. Why did He cry now?

2 reasons.

1. Jesus is deeply moved and anguished by the effects of sin in the world. The original plan, living forever in the Garden of Eden. There would be no death. But when sin entered the world and corrupted our DNA, it began the process of decomposing our bodies.

Sin kills. It kills relationships. It kills finances. And it kills our bodies. If there was no sin in the world, there would be no death. That’s one characteristic of living in heaven. No more death.

2. Jesus wept to comfort the sisters. When someone is grieving b/c they lost someone the love, they don’t need a lesson or a lecture. They need a hug and need to see you care for them and about who they care about. It is comforting to sit and cry w/ someone who is grieving and crying themselves.

Jesus wants us to know He ID’s with our pain and hurts with us. He will carry our pain and relieve us if we will let Him. When we are hurting Jesus hurts, too and that is comforting to know that God weeps with us.

Mary and Martha both believed. They had limited faith. Jesus came to complete their faith and prove He is who He says He is and can do what He says He can do. No false advertising here. He is the real deal. And, He’s about to show them and prove it.

The Real Deal

John 11:38–44 NIV

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.”

He asked for the stone to be rolled away. Laz was laid in a tomb that was a cave and a huge boulder was put in the opening to seal it to keep robbers out and the odor in. Laz had been there 4 days by then. Well into the decomp process, the odor would have been powerful.

Jesus knew better. B/C before they could remove the stone, He did something that would remove the odor and compose whatever had decomposed by that time.

Jesus prayed. His prayer was that the ppl would recognize He is the real deal. There was no false advertising. He came with an original purpose in mind and was in the process of fulfilling it.

In a few months they were going to see Jesus come out of his tomb. But He is God. He is sinless. There is a significant difference between and sinless God and sinful Laz. What proof did they have that Laz would be raised from the dead? What proof do we have that we will be raised from the dead?

We have Lazarus. B/C he came to life, we know we will, too. Proof that Jesus is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do for us.

This is just one of the major questions Jesus answered with this situation. Can He restore my life after I leave this life? Yes. If you have faith in Him to save you, then you can count on it.

Does Jesus care when we are hurting. Yes. He will weep with you when you weep. He will take your pain and give you the ability to recover and get past it. He will comfort you b/c He has compassion for you.

Timing. Why doesn’t Jesus respond right away to my requests? Why would He wait to do something while my situ gets worse? Sometimes He does. Sometimes He doesn’t. If a delay will bring Him more glory and do better by us, then He’ll wait. And doing something that brings Him more glory will give us the chance to experience something even better that what we thought to ask for.

This is kind of a tough thing. B/C, if you’re going thru it it’s hard to see and believe. But, if someone you love is dying and they are a believer, what’s better for them? Remember, Laz is among a select few who had to die twice. Is it better for them to return to this sinful world and life affected by sin? Or, is it better for them to go to Heaven where there’s no more pain, no suffering, no tears and wait your arrival?

Jesus made some outrageous claims about Himself. Others did, too.

He believed sincerely in what He said about Himself, but He’s not crazy.

He knew it to be true, too. He’s not a liar.

What’s left is, He truly is the Lord. He’s the real deal.

Believing in Jesus and walking w/ Him thru life is better than using your floor cleaner as a mouthwash. it’s better than cleaning your wall paper with play-doh. It’s better than textured wallpaper and better than a practically useless weak adhesive.

Your faith is well-placed if you’ve placed it in Jesus to do for you what He promised He could.

Applications

Timing

Is God not responding fast enough to what you’re asking for? Is He not responding at all and your situ getting worse. Then, trust that He has something better in mind for you.

He’ll get more glory and you’ll get to be a part of something special that God is doing. Trust that His timing is better for you than your timing. Wait patiently and watch expectantly for God to do something special in your life.

Hurting?

Are you hurting? If you are, then be confident that Jesus is hurting with you. He has compassion for your situ and cares enough about you to help take your burden away. You’ve got to give it to Him.

Let it go and let Jesus take it and keep for you.

Hope

God gives present hope and future hope to those who believe.

Present hope means we will be comforted immediately and our situ will become more manageable for us emotionally and otherwise.

Future hope assures us that when we leave this life we immediately are raised into the next. We never leave the presence of God.

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the confidence that God is at work in ways we can’t see that will turn out better for us.

Let your faith maintain your hope. Stay optimistic for God is doing in your life.

Jesus made some outrageous claims about Himself. Others did, too.

He believed sincerely in what He said about Himself, but He’s not crazy.

He knew it to be true, too. He’s not a liar.

What’s left is, He truly is the Lord. He’s the real deal.

Believing in Jesus and walking w/ Him thru life is better than using your floor cleaner as a mouthwash. it’s better than cleaning your wall paper with play-doh. It’s better than textured wallpaper and better than a practically useless weak adhesive.

Your faith is well-placed if you’ve placed it in Jesus to do for you what He promised He could.

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He proved He is the Savior God sent to save people, bless the world, and is capable of keeping people alive forever in Heaven.

We can be certain that our faith in Him will result in our coming to life after our life on earth ends.