Resurrection

Introduction

My parents have died. I have dear friends and family members that I miss like crazy—people whose voices I’d give anything to hear again. Death has a way of silencing everything. It shuts down conversations. Moments freeze in time. Relationships no longer grow because the person, the object of your love, is no longer here.

It leaves people asking, why?

We don’t particularly like talking about death. It’s too final. Too heavy. Too depressingly real. And yet, today—of all days—we are here to talk about it.

Not because we’re obsessed with death. Not because we want to wallow in the sadness that comes with its finality. Quite the contrary—we’re here because we believe in a Savior who confronted death dead-on—pun intended—and then ordered it to behave.

This morning, we’re not starting at the empty tomb of Jesus. We’re starting at another tomb—the tomb of a friend of Jesus named Lazarus. A man who had already been dead four days. A family in mourning. A crowd in disbelief. And even Jesus, His friend… weeping.

Why begin here? Because in this moment, we see exactly what Jesus, not just the man, but the eternal Son of God does with death: He doesn’t ignore it. He doesn’t sugarcoat it. He doesn’t passively accept it. He enters into it—and then He commands life out of it.

And the same Jesus who stood at Lazarus’s grave is still barking orders today. Just as Lazarus heard His voice and came out, you and I—whether we are spiritually dead, stuck in shame, or just trying to survive—can find life in Him.

The Resurrection is not merely a doctrine to believe. It is a Person to know and a power to be experience.

I. Christ’s Delays with Sovereign Purpose (vv. 1–6)

In the first 6 verses of our passage.

Jesus receives word that His dear friend Lazarus is sick. Lazarus lives in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha—a family close to Jesus. Despite their urgent message, Jesus doesn’t go immediately. Instead, He responds by saying, “This sickness will not end in death, but it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Jesus delays his coming to see about His friend, why? It is not out of neglect. He reveals the reason for the delay but that reason does not become apparent. So the message is sent to Jesus,

John 11:4 LSB

4 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”

Jesus does not say that the event will glorify God and the Son as too separate beings. He links the Father’s glory to His own showing their unity in essence and purpose.

Everything we do as Christians is for the purpose of God's glory.  Jesus is saying that this situation glorifies God, and in the same breath He points to the glory of Himself making Himself the same God that is getting glorified.

Jesus doesn’t just say that God will be glorified through the event—He places His own glorification on par with the glory of God, implying oneness in divine nature.

Most of us can say, “May God be glorified through my life.” That’s a posture of submission. But Jesus says, *“This is for the glory of God, *so that the Son of God may be glorified.” He doesn’t point away from Himself—He includes Himself as the rightful recipient of glory. And not just any glory—divine glory. That’s a category that belongs to God alone.

Isaiah 42:8 LSB

8 “I am Yahweh, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.

My glory, says the almighty, I do not sell it, I do not give it, I won’t even share it with someone else.

So for Jesus to place His glorification as the direct result of an event meant for God’s glory is either shocking arrogance, supreme blasphemy deserving of death by stoning, or it is a revelation of His divine identity.

Jesus makes the most outrageous claims,

John 17:5 LSB

5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

Hebrews 1:3 LSB

3 who is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power; who, having accomplished cleansing for sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

All of that and so much more surmised in in the words “this sickness will not end in death, but it is for the glory of God, so that I, the Son of God may be glorified in it.”

So He delayed his coming to see his sick friend by two days.

Even Christ’s delays serve His sovereign purpose and point to His divinity. What may feel like absence is often divine orchestration.

Christ’s divinity is displayed in His timing—but the delay is not merely theological; it’s pastoral, preparing the disciples’ faith.

II. Christ Walks According to the Light of Divine Will (vv.7-10)

After waiting two days, Jesus tells His disciples He is going back to Judea. They object, fearing for His life because the Jews had recently tried to stone Him. Jesus responds with a cryptic but profound statement: those who walk in the day do not stumble because they walk in the light, but those who walk in the night stumble because the light is not in them. What does that even mean?

Jesus here is saying a couple of things first he is saying Just as daylight follows a set course ordained by the Father, so does the span of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Nothing—not even threats of stoning—can accelerate or shorten it. Consider

John 7:30 LSB

30 So they were seeking to seize Him; yet no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.

John 8:20 LSB

20 These words He spoke in the treasury, as He was teaching in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.

The time would soon come (nighttime) when, by God’s design, His earthly work would end and He would “stumble” in death. Jesus was stressing that as long as He was on earth doing God’s will, even at this late time in His ministry, He would safely complete God’s purposes.

Jesus is saying: I walk in the light of the Father’s will. I know My hour. Nothing can touch Me until it’s time. This is divine omniscience and control. His steps are not reactive but perfectly timed.

It was impossible for His mission, His plans to be derailed before it had come to completion. God is sovereign even over the circumstances and the timing of those circumstances.

Galatians 4:4–5 LSB

4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

So in this statement about walking in the light, Jesus is encouraging the disciples to trust God’s plan—He is also subtly declaring that no one can take His life prematurely. His life is not vulnerable to man’s threats; it is governed by God’s sovereign will.

But even when the appointed time does come, He will not be taken—He will lay down His life voluntarily (cf. John 10:17–18). The cross will not be a tragedy, but a triumph of divine timing and submission.

Jesus’ delay, His movement toward danger, and His reference to walking in the light were not signs of hesitation or fear—they were expressions of divine timing and intentionality. He was not being driven by danger; He was walking according to the will of the Father.

The cross is not a tragedy. It is God submitting Himself to God for the glory of God.

The hour of His suffering was not an accident—it was appointed. No one would take His life from Him; He would lay it down of His own accord. And He would do it, not only to save us, but to glorify the Father in full obedience. So he is our example of faithful obedience without fear because the will of God will come to pass. Jesus not only walks in light, He leads others into faith through it. How does He do this?

III. Christ Orchestrates the Situation for Faith (vv. 11-15)

Jesus tells the disciples that Lazarus has "fallen asleep," but He will go to wake him. The disciples misunderstand, thinking Lazarus is simply resting and recovering. So Jesus clarifies plainly: “Lazarus is dead.” Then He explains the reason for the delay

John 11:15 LSB

15 and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.

Jesus sovereignly orchestrates suffering for a greater purpose, faith in his identity. This is not cruel. It is calculated, redemptive love. Their ultimate salvation hangs on them placing their faith in Him and Who he is.

God ordains events, including death for His glory and our faith. Suffering is not wasted in the hands of a sovereign Savior.

John Piper

Romans 8:28 LSB

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.

How many of you were brought to Christ through tragic means and not through good times?

2 Corinthians 4:17 LSB

17 For our momentary, light affliction is working out for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,

Romans 8:18 LSB

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

God doesn’t waste suffering—He weaves it into the story of our faith.

Now we see Jesus move—not only as the One who teaches about life—but the One who is life, revealing both His Glory and His compassion.

One more thing: Thomas makes a remarkably tragic statement—one that completely dismisses Jesus’ words.

John 11:16 LSB

16 Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”

“Him” here doesn’t even seem to refer to Jesus—but to Lazarus. In that moment, Thomas has either missed or dismissed everything Jesus just said: that this sickness will not end in death, that it is for the glory of God, that it will reveal the Son of God.

And do you see now why Jesus must operate the way He does? He has to confront deep-seated unbelief—not just in the world, but in His own disciples.

Thomas carries that unbelief all the way to the resurrection. Jesus had to physically take his hand and say, “Put your finger here… stop doubting and believe.”

Doubting Thomas is not the exception—he’s the mirror. He reflects our default posture toward God in this 21st century: hesitant faith, skeptical hearts, belief only after proof. But Jesus doesn’t shame him—He meets him where he is, and calls him to something greater.

IV. Christ Reveals His Glory and Compassion (vv. 17-37)

Jesus arrives in Bethany to find that Lazarus has already been in the tomb for four days—a detail that underscores the finality of death in the minds of the mourners. Many Jews from Jerusalem had come to comfort Mary and Martha. When Martha hears Jesus is near, she goes out to meet Him; Mary stays seated in the house. Martha’s words to the Master are remarkable.

John 11:21 LSB

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

At first glance, some might wonder if this is a rebuke. But I don’t believe that’s what’s happening here. This feels more like a tribute—a heartfelt acknowledgment of both Jesus’ love for Lazarus and His power to heal. She’s saying, “We know what would have happened if You had been here.”That tone of reverent hope becomes clearer in her next words:

John 11:22 LSB

22 “But even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.”

This isn’t bold confidence—it’s a timid, trembling kind of faith, unsure of what she’s really asking. It’s a mustard seed, pointing in the right direction but in need of a little push. Still, Martha is remarkable compared to Thomas. Her heart is saying, “Even though he’s dead now... maybe there’s still something You can do—if You ask God. I’m not sure.”

But Jesus’ response is monumental. He doesn’t say, “I will ask.” He says:

John 11:25 (LSB)

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,

In other words, “Martha, you don’t need to ask Me to ask God—for in asking Me, you are indeed asking God.”

Her trembling faith is met not with correction, but with revelation. Jesus isn’t merely a prophet or a channel—He is the very presence of God among them, the Resurrection and the Life standing right in front of her. What a revelation, such magnitude. Did She understand I believe she did.

John 11:27 LSB

27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, the One who comes into the world.”

This knowledge, this conviction was not just the product of Jesus’ current words. But His identification with resurrection itself made Him one equal to Yahweh based on over a millennia of Biblical descriptors. Consider:

Deuteronomy 32:39 LSB

39 ‘See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded, and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can deliver from My hand.

1 Samuel 2:6 LSB

6 “Yahweh puts to death and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up.

Isaiah 25:8 LSB

8 He will swallow up death for all time, And Lord Yahweh will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For Yahweh has spoken.

Ezekiel 37:5–6 LSB

5 “Thus says Lord Yahweh to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. 6 ‘I will put sinews on you, make flesh come up upon you, cover you with skin, and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am Yahweh.’”

Had Jesus not been God, His statement “I am the resurrection and the life” would be a clear violation of the First Commandment, a usurpation of Yahweh’s exclusive power, and thus, blasphemy worthy of death under Jewish law (cf. Leviticus 24:16). And Martha understood, perhaps not completely all of the implications of this reality but her reply,

YOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, THE ONE WHO COMES INTO THE WORLD

This was saving faith. I do not know if the disciples, the apostles, the foundation of the Church were there yet. But Martha was.

Martha calls Mary, who quickly goes to Jesus. When she meets Him, she repeats the same words Martha said: “Lord, if You had been here...” But this time, the atmosphere is heavier with weeping. Jesus sees her and the mourners weeping, and He is deeply moved—troubled in spirit. Then comes the shortest and one of the most profound verses in the Bible:

“Jesus wept.” (v. 35)

The crowd reacts—some moved by His love, others questioning why He didn’t prevent the death.

But Jesus did not come just to comfort in grief, He came to command life from death.

V. Christ Calls the Dead to Life with Divine Authority (vv. 38-44)

Now at the grave site Jesus tells someone to take away the bolder that blocks the entrance to the tomb (a cave). And out comes one of the the funnies passages in Scripture. At least the KJV reading of the passage

John 11:39 KJV 1900

39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

If you’ve raised teenage boys you have used these words before “you stinketh”

At any rate, after a brief reminder to Martha concerning what she herself asserted Him to be. One of the most dramatic scenes in all of biblical history takes place.

The Bible declares that Jesus cried out with a loud voice: Lazarus come forth. It was not a request, it was not a suggestion, it was not a negotiation, it was not an invitation, it was a command.

When Jesus speaks, the dead obey. Lazarus did not cooperate in his resurrection, he acted upon by the Word of Christ.

Colossians 2:13 “And you being dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him, having graciously forgiven us all our transgressions.”

But life does not stop at breathing. Jesus calls us to live differently which brings me to my final point

VI. Christ Commands New Life Without Old Wrappings (v.44)

Jesus commands Lazarus to come out of the grave but he can barely walk with all of his bindings.

John 11:44 LSB

44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Salvation is instantaneous. God quickens you and instantly you are justified in Christ but sanctification is ongoing. Jesus no only saves us which is equivalent to giving us life, but He intends for us to be set free from everything that still binds us to death.

Illustration: Bind someone on stage with toilet paper completely while mentioning sins that bind us: addicted to pornography, cursing, hateful, unforgiveness, gossip, angry outbursts, lying, alcoholism, immorality, impurity, condemning myself, fear of humans, etc.).

Romans 6:4 LSB

4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

Colossians 3:9–10 LSB

9 Do not lie to one another, since you put off the old man with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new man who is being renewed to a full knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—

2 Corinthians 5:17 LSB

17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Illustration: Begin to unwrap the person while describing who they are in Christ and the fruit of the Spirit.

Conclusion

Lazarus’s resurrection is a signpost—not just of Jesus’ power, but of His divine glory, His sovereign authority, and His saving purpose.

If you are spiritually dead: Jesus is still calling, “Come out.”

If you’re alive but still bound: Jesus is saying, “Unbind him, let him go.”

If you believe: Walk in the light, walk in newness, walk in resurrection life.

The resurrection is not a doctrine to be believed only; it is a Person to be known, a power to be experienced.