John 11, Part 1
Notes
Transcript
Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life. The death of Lazarus gave Jesus the opportunity to reveal Himself as the resurrection and the life.
1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.
3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”
Lazarus was sick. At this particular time Jesus was being rejected by almost everyone. Apparently He was an unwelcome guest in most homes. He was walking about preaching and proclaiming that He was One with God, the Son of God Himself. Just imagine a man making such a claim. He was thought to be “mad” and devil-possessed. His own family was even having difficulty with Him at this time. They were apparently so embarrassed by His claims and the rumors of His insanity that on one occasion they traveled a great distance to bring Him home lest He be harmed.
However, there was one family who always opened their home to Jesus when He was in and around Jerusalem—the family of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, who were brother and sisters. They lived in Bethany, a suburb about two miles outside Jerusalem. Their closeness to Jesus is the reason the sisters felt so free to interrupt His evangelistic tour with the request to help their sick brother. Jesus’ great love for this family should be noted throughout this passage.
4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “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.”
The first purpose of Lazarus’ sickness was to glorify God and to proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God. Lazarus’ sickness was not for death. He was to die for the glory of God and Christ. He was sick, and he was to die so that the works of God could be demonstrated.
In raising Lazarus from the dead, both Jesus and His Father were glorified as the Life of the world. In dealing with the blind man, both were glorified as the Light of the world.
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
The second purpose of Lazarus’ sickness was to show Jesus’ great love. Note: each member of the family is mentioned personally. He loved the family, but He also loved each one individually. This is a fact in the Scripture that needs to be stressed, for each one had a need, and each one needed and received the help of Jesus. Lazarus’ death gave Him the opportunity to demonstrate His great love not only for the families of the world but for each individual in the world.
6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
The third purpose of Lazarus’ sickness was to show the necessity for waiting upon God in great crises. Jesus was not waiting two days so that Lazarus would die and He could perform a great miracle. Jesus knew that Lazarus was either already dead or that Lazarus was going to die on the very day the person brought word of Lazarus’ illness. We know this because Lazarus had already been buried four days when Jesus arrived in Bethany. Jewish burial immediately followed death. The four days would be counted from …
• the day of travel by the messengers in bringing word to Jesus (v.3)
• the two days needed for Jesus to complete His ministry (v.6)
• the day or two needed by Jesus to travel to Bethany (v.17). (Remember huge crowds thronged Jesus, which prevented Him from traveling rapidly. It is possible He completed His ministry in one day and took two days for travel to Bethany.)
The point is this: Martha and Mary were learning to wait upon God throughout the whole experience. In facing severe illness or death, there is no answer but to wait upon God. Jesus knows when to act. He knows the exact moment, the best time …
• for us to bear the trial
• for us to stand
• for us to be helped
• for us to learn the most
• for us to bear testimony of God’s power and strength
Whenever that moment arrives, the Lord arises to meet the need of the believer. What the believer must do is what Martha and Mary had to do: learn to wait upon God. The Lord will act at the right moment.
Thought 1. We cannot dictate to God when to act nor how to act. Note two examples.
(1) Note Mary, Jesus’ own mother. At the marriage feast she wanted Him to go and secure more wine. He rebuked her for interfering with His work, the work of God. He has His own way and time, the very best way and time for meeting the need.
(2) Note Jesus’ own brothers. They tried to ridicule Him into going by caravan with them to the feast in Jerusalem. Jesus rebuked them for the same reason He had rebuked Mary. He, the Son of God, knew how to conduct His ministry and when to go about doing it. He knew what was best.
7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’?
8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.
9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
The fourth purpose of Lazarus’ sickness was to teach the need to grasp opportunity. It had been three days since Jesus had received word of Lazarus’ illness. Jesus now said it was time to go into Judea, for Bethany was in the district of Judea. The disciples protested, for it was the Judean leaders who had stood so opposed to Jesus and had threatened to kill Him. The disciples could not believe their ears. Why would Jesus jeopardize their lives?
Jesus’ answer was forceful, and it stands as a great lesson for all of us. There are only twelve hours in a day. Jesus must walk, that is …
• go and do His work while it is day
• go and do what is right, regardless of the danger
• go and do what is right lest the day pass and the opportunity be lost
If Jesus had walked in the dark, failing to work and failing to do what He knew to be right, He would have stumbled. He would have shown that there is no light in Him. The idea is, of course, that there is light in Him. He knew the work to be done and the right thing to do, so He must go into Judea.
Thought 1. A man must do the same as Jesus. A man has only twelve hours of daylight (approximately).
⇒ He must walk, that is, work and do what is right, grasping the opportunity while it is day.
⇒ If he walks in the night, he will stumble. When the night comes, it is too late to walk. Works cannot be done in the night without stumbling about. The opportunity is lost.
Note the term, “the Light of this world.” Jesus is “the Light of this world.” A person has only twelve hours, only a certain amount of time to see “the Light of the world.” Once the night comes, the opportunity is lost. Note also the statement, “There is no light in him [a man].” Man has no light within. All he can do is walk …
• as he sees
• as other men see
• as the world sees
The problem with such a walk is that no man or any combination of men can see beyond the physical and material world, and the end of the world is fear—the fear and trembling brought about by bondage and death. (Note the fear of the disciples above, v.8.) The end of the world is not life. Life comes only from Jesus, “the Light of this world”
11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”
12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”
13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep.
14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,
The fifth purpose of Lazarus’ sickness was to show Jesus’ great power over death. Jesus stated very plainly what He was going to do. Lazarus was asleep; therefore, He would go and awaken Lazarus out of his sleep. However, the disciples misunderstood what Jesus was saying. By sleep, Jesus meant that Lazarus was dead, but the disciples thought He meant that Lazarus was resting in sleep. Note that Jesus gave His meaning of sleep: “Lazarus is dead.” Note four significant things.
a. Jesus called Lazarus “our friend.” He was dead, but he was still “our friend.” This is a hint that Lazarus is still a friend despite being dead, that he is still living, still alive in another world. Note the strong feelings Jesus had for this believer, Lazarus
Thought 1. Jesus’ love reaches out for every believer just as much as it did for Lazarus. Jesus calls every believer His friend. And note the words “our friend.” Every believer is to be the friend of all other believers. There is to be a sweet fellowship between all believers.
b. Jesus predicted that He would raise Lazarus from the dead. He would “awaken” and resurrect him. This is a picture of the resurrection of believers
c. The disciples misunderstood. Many still do. They misunderstand the meaning of death and the resurrection.
d. Jesus said that death is as “sleep”
DEEPER STUDY # 1
(11:13) Sleep—Death: death is sometimes spoken of as sleep when referring to believers
⇒ Jesus said that Jairus’ daughter was asleep.
⇒ When Stephen was martyred, he is said to have fallen asleep.
⇒ Some of the five hundred witnesses to Jesus’ ascension are said to have “fallen asleep”.
⇒ Believers already in heaven are said to be asleep in Jesus.
Death is called “sleep” in order to picture the idea that the believer is …
• resting in the presence and comfort of God
• resting from the labor of his service on earth
• resting and refreshing himself for a greater service for God
Many within the world picture death as annihilation, as ceasing to exist. Scripture says it is not. Believers continue to exist, resting in the life and comfort of God. The body lays down and, so to speak, sleeps; but not the soul of man.
“To be absent from the body [is] to be present with the Lord” (2 Co. 5:8; see Ph. 1:23).
15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
The sixth purpose of Lazarus’ sickness was to help strengthen the disciples’ belief. Jesus said an astonishing thing: He was rejoicing that He was not in Bethany when Lazarus was sick. Why? Jesus joyed over what was to happen. Lazarus was to be raised from the dead, which meant that every thoughtful believer, both then and in succeeding generations, would experience a great leap in faith.
Thought 1. The glorious event of Lazarus’ resurrection stirs the heart of sincere seekers, for it pictures the most glorious hope of life possible. Jesus Christ has the power to give life and to raise the dead. Any follower of Christ who truly experiences the scene of Lazarus’ resurrection is bound …
• to take a great leap in faith
• to have his faith stirred to new heights
• to see his faith grow progressively
16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
The seventh purpose of Lazarus’ sickness was to stir the disciples’ courage and loyalty. Note that Thomas took the lead here. He showed great courage and loyalty to Christ, a dynamic example for every believer. He demonstrated …
• a deep love for Christ, a love that was ready to die for Him
• a willingness to stand and to die with his fellow believers in the Lord’s work
• a knowledge that to die for Christ is better than to live without Him
Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2004. The Gospel according to John. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.
