A Living Testimony | John 12:9-11

Review

Back in John 12

Last time we looked at Vs. 1-8

Jesus way to Jerusalem for Passover, stops in Bethany to see Mary, Martha, and Lazarus

Mary’s act of love to Jesus - Alabaster box of ointment, wiped feet with hair

Her life had been changed, brother raised, least she could do

Judas and other disciples not happy, called it “waste”

Jesus defended her in Vs. 7-8

Wasn’t wasteful, Jesus had changed her life, raised her brother for dead

Act also looked ahead to Christ’s coming death for the sins of mankind

READ Vs. 9-11

Lazarus had a testimony few others will ever have. He had been raised from the dead. That gave him an opportunity to point to Jesus, but it also put a target on his back. I’d like to consider Lazarus’ testimony this morning and what we can learn from it.

TITLE A Living Testimony

PRAY

INTRODUCTION

John 12 - Last days of the life of Jesus Christ.

Six days till feast of Passover - Hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of Jews go up to Jerusalem for a week to celebrate

Time to look back on the Exodus when God brought Israel out of Egypt, Angel passed over the houses of the Jews that had blood over their doors

Beautiful picture of the way Christ’s blood spares us from God’s judgment for our sin

But even with all that going on, one things on people’s minds leading up to Passover, “Is Jesus coming?”

John 11:56 - Raising Lazarus from the dead had brought interest in Jesus to its peak level

When they hear that He’s in Bethany just a couple of miles away, many go to see Him

I. People were coming from all over out of curiosity.

Vs. 9

A. People were not just coming for Jesus. They were coming to see Lazarus too.

Jesus had raised him from the dead. And when people hear they’re eating together, they come in droves (MUCH PEOPLE).

Most homes were open and accessible. This was a village culture, people were heavily involved in each others’ lives.

It’s hard for us understand - We’ve gone from Front Porch to Back Porch Culture

We’d say it’s rude for a neighbor to poke their head in your window while you’re eating supper, but it would have been acceptable then. Happened to Jesus all the time.

So you’ve got Jesus and Lazarus in one place…this is peak curiosity.

People were poking their heads in the windows and standing in the doorways just watching to prove that Lazarus really was alive and was living and breathing and eating.

That would have been so awkward. It’s weird when people just watch you and you know they’re watching.

It doesn’t seem like Lazarus liked the spotlight. He doesn’t even have any recorded words in the Bible. You know this was uncomfortable.

B. Everyone is curious about him because everyone knows his testimony.

He was living, breathing proof of the power of Jesus. His life was undeniable evidence of the power of Jesus Christ.

C. When your life has been changed by Jesus, it’s going to create curiosity.

Though we haven’t been raised from the dead physically, if you are a believer, you’ve been raised spiritually.

John 11:25 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:”

Sin has made us all spiritually dead. God is holy and can’t be in the presence of sin. So something had to be done with our sin. That’s why Jesus died - to pay for our sins. So we were dead in trespasses and sins, but placing your faith in Jesus Christ to forgive you raises you to spiritual life.

D. If you’re a believer, you’re not what you used to be.

You’re a new creature.

For some, the change is drastic, especially saved later

But there should be enough evidence in our lives that there’s a noticeable difference.

The things I used to do, I don’t do them anymore

Things I used to say, I don’t say them anymore

The life I used to live, I don’t live it anymore

If Jesus has changed your life, the people that knew you before ought to be curious about what happened.

Even if people didn’t know you before, there ought to be a marked difference between your life and theirs.

You are living, breathing, undeniable evidence that the power of Jesus Christ is real. You are no longer dead in sin. You are alive in Jesus Christ.

People may not be peeking in your windows, but your life ought to be different enough that they’re curious.

II. Second, many people believed on Jesus because of Lazarus.

vs. 11

A. Lazarus’ testimony and witness was powerful enough that the people that saw him believed on Jesus.

They saw him eating and breathing and said, “He really is alive!”

“He looks so good for a dead man. I wonder what his secret is? Ozempic, maybe? Fish oil? Carnivore?”

I know that’s silly, but that’s how it is sometimes. We take credit for our current condition when it’s only because of what Jesus has done.

If it was about Lazarus, he’d still be in his tomb. All He did was walk out when he was called.

It’s appropriate that even though people came to see Lazarus, they left believing in Jesus.

They were curious about Lazarus, but after seeing him they were thinking about Jesus.

B. When your life has been changed by Jesus, your testimony isn’t about you, it’s about Jesus.

God initiated the love that sent Jesus to the cross. He took the first step.

Jesus that died on the cross for our sins, not us. We are the guilty ones.

It is Jesus that has power over sin and death. We are completely and utterly helpless in overcoming those things.

Our only part is responding by faith to the truth of the Gospel.

Our testimony is not about anything we’ve done. It’s all about Jesus Christ.

C. When people left Lazarus, they believed on Jesus.

Application:

Is your testimony such that, when people encounter you, they’re thinking about Jesus?

When they watch you live your daily life, are they pointed to Jesus?

When they listen to your words and sense your attitude, do they see Christ?

How many people have been turned to Jesus by your efforts? Should be a major part of a Christian’s life. That people come to Jesus because of our testimony and witness. Has that ever happened for you?

Lazarus wasn’t anything special in himself. But his testimony impacted others for Christ.

III. Third, some people didn’t like the impact Lazarus was having.

Vs. 10-11

A. The religious leaders wanted to put Lazarus to death because of the impact of he was having on the people.

They wanted him dead because of the impact of his testimony. His life was irrefutable evidence of the power of Jesus.

Lazarus forced them to recognize that Jesus was something special.

If Jesus had never done a miracle, no one would have taken His claims to be the Son of God seriously. But they couldn’t ignore Lazarus.

And these religious leaders had power over the people and important positions with the ruling Roman government. They didn’t want to lose their control.

And as people followed Jesus instead of them, they decided the easiest way to regain control was to kill Jesus. Multiple times in John’s Gospel they schemed to take His life.

The end of chapter 11 reveals their plan to arrest Jesus if He showed up to the Passover.

B. But Lazarus complicated it. Because he’s bringing more attention to Jesus now.

With all these people watching, now it’s going to be impossible to get Jesus alone. So they say, “Hey, let’s kill Lazarus so it will be easier to get to Jesus.”

I feel bad for Lazarus. He was minding his own business in a tomb. He didn’t ask for any of this attention. Now they’re coming after him to kill him…AGAIN!

It’s so silly when you think about it.

They want to kill the man Jesus already raised. If he raised Lazarus once, don’t you think He can do it again? And wouldn’t that just make Jesus more compelling?

C. But that’s the way delusion is. There’s no clear thought pattern.

It’s like the delusion of politics. There’s such hatred for the other side that there’s no reason or rationale. It’s not about sound decisions - it’s about opposing the other side.

Same thing with sports fans. There’s no objective assessment when it comes to your team and the team you hate.

That’s what is happening here. they want to kill the man Jesus has already raised.

D. When your life has been changed by Jesus, you will find that there’s a target on your back.

The enemies of Jesus hate Him so much that we shouldn’t be surprised if they hate His followers.

If your life bears the marks of Jesus Christ - if there is irrefutable evidence of the difference He has made in your life - don’t be surprised when you become a target.

2 Timothy 3:12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”

Jesus said in Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are ye, WHEN men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.”

John 15:18–20 “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”

The target is part of following Christ. It’s not personal. The world and the devil hate Jesus. And as we live for and represent Him, it puts a target on our backs.

But before you think it’s unfair, Jesus endured it. And if He dealt with it, I’m not above it.

It comes with the territory. If your life is irrefutably changed by Christ, it won’t go unnoticed.

IV. Positive or Negative, I think we can all agree that Lazarus had a testimony that left a mark on his generation.

You might say Lazarus had a Living Testimony

He was alive, sure. But his testimony was alive too. He had a real, meaningful, impactful testimony.

#1 - How do we know?

A. People were coming to Christ because of it.

If you want to know if your testimony is leaving a mark, evaluate who has come to Christ because of you.

It’s a great place to start.

How else do we know his testimony was leaving a mark?

B. The enemies of Christ were working against him.

It’s not easy, but one great sign that you’re making a difference is that the enemy takes notice.

Don’t assume it’s always a sign of God’s judgment when things aren’t easy. It could be the enemy trying to target you.

Ask Job, who dealt with great hardship not because of God’s judgment but because of Satan’s attacks.

Ask Jesus, who faced terrible persecution, but He was sinless, so we know it wasn’t a result of wrongdoing.

How’s your testimony? Are people coming to Christ because of it? And have you face hardship because of it?

#2 - What made Lazarus different?

Other people were brought to life in Jesus’ ministry.

We know of two others recorded in the NT:

The 12 year old daughter of Jairus in John 8

The widow’s son in Luke 7

And Lazarus.

All three had a testimony, but what made Lazarus’ testimony more impactful?

He wasn’t a wordsmith - We have no recorded words from Lazarus.

He wasn’t flashy - We know of no big heroic acts from his life.

He wasn’t in an important position - Nothing really stood out about him.

So, besides the fact that he’s alive, what made his testimony so impactful?

I submit to you that Lazarus’ testimony left a mark because of his relationship with Jesus.

We’re told in John 11 that Jesus loved Lazarus.

Here in John 12 they’re eating supper together at the same table.

Lazarus spent time with Jesus.

Lazarus knew Jesus.

Lazarus made sure to be where Jesus was.

It wasn’t about Lazarus’ personality. It wasn’t about his confidence. It wasn’t about his impressive words.

Lazarus’ impact came because he prioritized and cultivated a close, personal, relationship with Jesus Christ.

Which means: The impact of our testimony is dependent on our proximity to Jesus Christ.

The closer we are to Jesus, the bigger the difference our testimony will make.

Don’t be surprised as you prioritize your daily walk with the Lord when the evidence of change becomes more and more prominent.

You can’t spend time around Christ and not have it change your life.

Just like you can’t hang out with certain people and not have it impact your speech and your behavior and your habits.

If we don’t become like Jesus Christ, then our stories, our testimonies, lose their impact. They lie dormant. It’s like having a dead testimony.

We’ve been brought to life, but because we haven’t prioritized knowing Christ, our story loses its meaning.

Friend, it doesn’t take some big personality and talent and skill and confidence to make a big difference for Christ.

It takes a vibrant, living relationship with Jesus Christ.

It takes someone, no matter how quiet or shy or untalented or average looking or poor - it doesn’t matter - it takes someone who simply does whatever it takes to be where Jesus is.

Time with Him personally, daily

Time in His Word and in communication through prayer

Time with His people in His house

Time under the preaching and teaching of God’s Word

The closer we get to Christ, the more it gives meaning to our testimony.

If you’re a child of God, you already have a story.

For some, that story is amazing. Maybe you were saved later and God’s grace made a huge change.

Maybe you have a “boring” testimony. You were saved young and God’s grace kept you from a lot of heartache.

Both of them are miracles because God raised you to new life in Christ.

And both testimonies can leave a mark, but only as far as we commit ourselves to having a living, vibrant, and close walk with Jesus Christ.

When Christ works in our lives, it makes the evidence irrefutable.

And it draws people to Jesus through our testimonies.

But we miss the impact our walk with Christ lies dead and dormant.

The impact of our testimony is dependent on our proximity to Jesus Christ.

Like putting a story into a book.

Conclusion:

And it goes both ways. There will be plenty of Christians that gladly accept Christ’s power to raise them from the clutches of sin and death, but their testimony never really goes beyond that. They’re alive, but their testimony is dead.

Because they live in the margins. They don’t ever truly get close to Christ.

They don’t prioritize that relationship, and their testimony, which could this much (open arms) is only this much (fingers).

How close are you to Jesus Christ?

If He raised you from spiritual death, does He not deserve the best place in our hearts?

Are you near Him or living out in the margins?

Would you say your impact on God’s kingdom has been substantial or marginal?

What kind of evidence of change can be seen in your life?

Who has come to Christ because of you?

Are God’s enemies worried about the impact you’re having?

If you’re in the marginal category, it’s probably because you haven’t remained close to Jesus Christ.

Maybe it’s time to finally pick the same time, same place, every day that you develop a walk with God.

Start reading His Word and soaking it into your heart and life.

Or prioritizing time in your church so you can grow through fellowship, teaching and preaching.

Spend time where Jesus Christ is.

Don’t live in the margins. Get as close to Jesus as possible.

The closer you get, the more evident the change will be.

The more evidence of change, the more others will be drawn to Christ.

It may put a target on your back, but I’d rather be targeted for making a difference than have it easy and leave no mark at all.

How’s the closeness of your relationship with Jesus Christ right now?

The impact of our testimony is dependent on our proximity to Jesus Christ.