Jesus Is Life

(S1) — JESUS WELCOMES DEATH...

A letter appeared in the national news that was sent to a deceased person by the Indiana Department of Social Services. It read as follows:

Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances.

Well, except for an occasional Lazarus, there haven’t been too many who have seen a change in those circumstances!

If I were to take a pole of the least favorite subject to talk about...DEATH

Funeral Service: eulogy: speak well of...do our best to bring comfort…

Ecclesiastes 3:1–2 “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die.”

1 Peter 1:24–25 “People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades.

These words can be of little comfort, without a greater hope of life beyond the grave.

Lazarus’ resurrection is no doubt the greatest miracle of Jesus…Signs of Life in the midst of Death

SERIES—Jesus most profound statements; I AM, the bread of life...living water...

…the resurrection and the life. The reason Jesus welcomes death…

Jesus lived knowing that he was going to die, and yet he died knowing his death would bring life everlasting.

John 11:25 “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.”

Jesus is Life

PRAY

(S2) — {John 11:1}

Lazarus Story – all of ch. 11

— from Bethany (S.E. side of the Mt of Olives); only in John

— brother to Mary/Martha who are mentioned in Luke

— Ironic that Jesus speaks of a Lazarus in {Luke 16} in his parable of a rich man and a poor man...who find themselves at the Pearly Gates...

Luke 16:25 ““Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish.”

— Family was well off—Mary at Jesus’ feet; expensive oil...Martha prepares a feast...private tomb pic

(S3) — Traditional site of Lazarus’ tomb (Pic)

— the disciple that Jesus’ loved (John’s claim as the beloved)

John 11:5 “Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus,”

Best summed up...

The New Bible Dictionary, Third Edition Lazarus of Bethany

He appears in the Gospel story, not because of any shining qualities in his personality nor because of any resounding achievement, but solely because of the amazing miracle that was wrought upon him. He was perhaps quite an undistinguished sort of man, ‘scarcely heard of half a mile from home’, and yet it was to him that the very wonderful thing happened.

Mary, Martha and the disciples, responded like anyone would have—Lazarus was sick...and from Mary and Martha's’ perspective, it was bad.

…so they send for Jesus…

3 “So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.””

Yet, Jesus doesn’t rush to him, instead he waits two days. His disciples question him...after an exchange of words Jesus speaks plainly, “Lazarus is dead!”

By the time he arrives (17), Lazarus’ body had been entombed for 4 days

— common belief among Jews, that one could come back to life…

Lazarus is stone cold dead! Why did he wait? Was Jesus responsible for Lazarus’ death?

Stage of grief: Blame God

Filled with grief, Martha is the first to confirm Lazarus’ place in the tomb

(S4) — {21-22}

...speaks to her confidence in Jesus; perhaps in the miracles she had seen or heard of...even to the depth of their relationship; her knowledge of him...

But the statement after...suggests she has hope in Jesus just not the resurrection of their brother, which would have been a surprise to both her and her sister Mary.

…who quickly runs out to Jesus (29) and poses a similar statement of Jesus

“Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.””

Then Jesus sees her weeping, along with those who has gathered to support them, ask, “where is he laid/” (34) and responds as anyone would…

— John…humanizes Jesus and Lazarus death

35 “Then Jesus wept.”

It seems that until now that even in his sorrow, Jesus who Martha and Mary knew could do something; welcomes death!

This scene look much like the place many of us have found ourselves: A Funeral for a loved one…at the graveside seeing only death

Let’s look at the whole story only this time from the perspective of life….In the midst of grief – Jesus offers hope; signs of life

How he comforted his disciples…hearing of of Lazarus’ sickness

(S5) — {4,11}

Jesus’ work was always to glorify the one who sent him…the reason he delayed his arrival…

— making sure of death pointed to the greater glory; eternal life

The only way for Jesus to be glorified; was to return to his heavenly state…

John 17:1 “Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you.”

Jesus’ death would glorify God; signs of life

Jesus tells his disciples what he is going to do

…but I am going there to wake him up (life).

and why…

15 “for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.””

Jesus welcomes death, and offers proof that he is life to comfort his disciples

What are the other signs of life?

2. How he comforts Martha

(S6) —

First to Martha,

John 11:23 “Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.””

The same hope we extend at funerals…to see our loved ones again!

{1 Thessalonians 4:13-18}

Jesus then clarifies what he meant and what she needed to understand about what he was going to do

25 “I am the resurrection and the life.” 26 “Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?””

She was to believe not in the sign...but IN Jesus who is the sign. Why Lazarus would rise from the dead!

John Jesus Reveals Himself to Martha as the Resurrection and the Life (11:17–27)

“Martha expressed her faith in the future resurrection and her brother’s place in it (v. 24). Jesus responds to this statement of faith by challenging her with a deeper revelation of himself”

Jesus’ words speak to the EXTENT and depth of ones belief...What is is to live in this way?

(S7)

I. to live in INTAMCY with Christ

When Mary came running to Jesus (29), she fell at his feet! She knew the one most important thing...

To LOVE Jesus as he loves us...to embrace and be embrace by grace

1 John 4:19 “We love each other because he loved us first.”

2. To TRUST Jesus has he trusts his father in heaven

James 4:8 “Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”

Sin destroyed the intimacy between God and man; Jesus in his resurrection reconciled us with God.

Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restored our life.

Christ will come again in Glory.

How close are you to Jesus who is life?

What is is to live in Christ as the sign of life?

(S8)

II. to live in OBEDIENCE to Christ

Jesus said...everyone who not only believes in me, but who LIVES in me, will never ever die.

1 Peter 1:14 “So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then.”

How we live reveals to others Jesus who is life

Funeral; Genevieve Jean—her life

Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

What is is to live in Christ as the sign of life?

(S9)

III. to live in HOPE of our own Resurrection

Hope that even if death was the end...they would see their loved one again

Martha did, upon seeing Jesus, even though she was filled with grief, she exclaims to him in faith, and for others to see…“I know he will rise again”

Mary, she only fell in hope at Jesus’ feet! This for her was a place she loved to be, a place that she felt alive! At the masters feet again, because she had hope in his power to give life!

1 Corinthians 15:20–22 “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

The invitation of hope, in the life to come. Believing is living in Hope of our own resurrection.

What is is to believe in Christ as the sign of life? The last two ways come from the second half of this story

{John 11:38-39}

What is is to BELIEVE in Christ as the sign of life?

(S10)

IV. to believe in Jesus who still removes STONES

For Lazarus it was a stone that separated him from living,  It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.

To remove it would be almost impossible, but not for Jesus, nothing is impossible, he commands those nearby to 39 “Take away the stone,” and he did. Lazarus found freedom because of Christ love for him.

Jesus still removes stones and will for us when we ask – forgiveness, mercy, grace!

“Nothing can separate us from God’s love” no stones of grief, guilt, shame, or addiction, of worry, or even poor health and sin…

What is is to BELIEVE in Christ as the sign of life?

(S11)

IV. to believe in Jesus who still CALLS our name.

To the one who had no life, he called out in a loud voice, Lazarus come out! Come out of your circumstances,

Lazarus, Mary……fill in your name, Jesus calls us out of our circumstances out out of death and into life

Galatians 2:20 “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

When Jesus calls our name and we respond….he says never again, will you need  to walk as if you have no life!

“because I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.

Jesus welcomes death cause…because Jesus is life

Do you live in INTAMACY with Christ...in OBEDIENCE to Christ...in HOPE of your own resurrection...

Do you believe that Jesus still removes stones...and calls your name to come out of death and into new life?

(S12)

We can’t change the course of this life; our physical death is the endgame. But we can change our destiny. Jesus welcomes death, because...

Jesus is LIFE!

Jesus, by his life, death, and resurrection, is the very SIGN of LIFE! the power of God still at work in us today...

Present with us in our circumstances, removing stones, calling our name, so we can live in hope…

From death to glory...

John 11:4 “But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.””

Death for Jesus is a SIGN of LIFE; as it for all who believe and live into the resurrection

Do you believe this?”