Sorrow and the Savior

John 11:17-37

Praise and Prayer

Ask; Who do you trust and rely on when you are facing a crisis in life?

The Point: Jesus shares in our sorrow and calls us to trust and rely on Him.

John 11:17–37 NASB95

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off; and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house. Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. “Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?”

Background and context

Who are the characters in this story?

What are they doing?

What does this passage teach us about Christ?

This passage teaches us that Jesus feels our sorrow and sympathizes with our pain. That is a principle we find throughout the bible.

In the book of Exodus, when the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, God saw their oppression and heard their cries. He declared, 'I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering' (Exodus 3:7). This teaches us that God not only sees our pain but is deeply moved by it and committed to delivering His people from sorrow.

Consider the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly because of her barrenness. God shared in her sorrow and eventually blessed her with a son, Samuel.

That’s what we see here in John chapter eleven. Jesus grieves over the sorrow of Martha and Mary.

The Point; In our time of crisis Jesus shares in our sorrow and calls us to trust and rely on Him to get us through it.

I. The Setting at Bethany Vs. 17-19

Jesus returns to Bethany and confirms what He already knew to be true, Lazarus is dead.

Look at Vs. 17, “So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.”

There are a couple of things that stand out to me here. First notice the timing. Lazarus has been in the tomb four days.

That tells us Lazarus died the same day Jesus received word he was sick. We learned back in Vs. 1-6, the sisters sent word to Jesus and He waited another two days before leaving.

We know Jesus was in Perea, an area beyond the Jordan river where John had been baptizing when He receives the word, Lazarus is sick.

That was a days journey from Bethany. So, the person bringing Jesus the word traveled a day to Jesus.

Then Vs. 6 tells us He waited two days before leaving. Then He would have traveled a day to Bethany. That means Lazarus died the same day Jesus received word he was sick.

That is important because it tells us, Jesus was not waiting out beyond the Jordan for Lazarus to die, Lazarus was already dead.

He was waiting to bring glory to God. He was waiting to display the power of God. This was going to be a forerunner of the resurrection of every believer.

Also, this gives us insight into the statement made by both Martha and Mary when they come to Jesus in Vs. 21 & 32. They say, “If you would have been here, my brother would not have died.”

They were not rebuking Jesus for not immediately coming to them. They were acknowledging their brother was already dead when He received word. Also, their faith that Jesus would have been able to prevent his death had He been there.

That tells us they understood who Jesus was and that the power of God was at work with in Him. But they didn’t fully understand and they had no idea what He was getting ready to do.

2nd notice the word “found” in Vs. 17. This speaks to us of the mystery of the incarnation of Christ.

It says “He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.”

Now we know from the previous verses, Jesus already supernaturally knew that Lazarus had died, nobody had informed Him.

When He was able to tell His disciples, He was going to return to Judea because Lazarus was sick, Vs. 13 tells us, He spoke to them plainly that Lazarus was dead!!

But here in Vs. 17, we read He “found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.”

There are times the scripture reminds of us that something amazing happened when God stepped down out of heaven and came to earth.

In the incarnation Jesus possessed all of His divine attributes. It is a mistake to think He laid down any of them. He did not, He was as much God on earth as He was when He was in heaven.

What He did while He was on earth, was to voluntarily submitted the exercise of some of those attributes to God the Father. So, that it could truly be said of Him in His humanity, that there were times He learned things, in the same way we learn about things.

Luke 2:52 “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

How does the God incarnate increase in wisdom? It is a mystery beyond our ability to comprehend.

That’s what we see here, and again in Vs. 34, He says, Where have you laid him?” In the incarnation, Jesus fully possessed the omniscience of God, but yet He Voluntarily limited Himself in His humanity.

Any thoughts, questions, or comments on Vs. 17?

Notice Vs 18, “Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off;”

Why does John tell us Bethany was only two miles from Jerusalem?

A couple of things here. First maybe John is telling us this to remind us of the journey Jesus took to get there.

But I think based on Vs. 19, this was more about the danger Jesus faced from the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.

Remember how afraid the disciples were to return. Remember what Thomas said in Vs. 16.

There was a legitimate concern they might be attacked. The Jews were plotting to kill Him and already tried to stone Him.

Notice Vs. 19, “and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.”

Now it is important we understand these Jews were not the religious leaders of Israel. These were professional mourners.

However, they are just as dangerous as the leaders. I believe that’s why Jesus doesn’t come directly to the house but Martha and Mary come to Him.

Notice John 11:46 “But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.”

In ancient Israel It was thought to be very pious and virtuous to mourn with someone over the loss of their loved ones. Which i agree, that is very virtuous. But like most things in ancient Israel their overcompensation had destroyed all of the virtue and now it was just a religious activity.

The lesson for us is; the reason why we are doing something good is as important as the good we are doing.

Jesus teaches us this in Matthew 6:1–2 ““Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.”

Any thoughts, questions or comments about the setting in Bethany?

II. The Sorrow of Martha Vs. 20-27

Martha the woman we always see serving the Lord comes to Jesus looking to be comforted in her sorrow.

Notice Vs. 20, “Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house.”

Why do you think Mary stayed home?

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

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

Notice Vs. 23, Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Notice Vs. 24, “Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

Notice Vs. 25-26, “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,” and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

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

III. The Sorrow of Mary Vs. 28-32

Mary is a woman we always see in scripture sitting at the feet of Jesus, worshipping Him. Here we find her falling at His feet full of sorrow.

Notice Vs. 28, “When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”

Why do you think she spoke to Mary secretly?

Notice Vs. 29, “And when she heard it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him.”

Notice Vs. 30, “Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him.”

Notice Vs. 31, “Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.”

Notice Vs. 32, “Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

IV. The Sorrow of Jesus Vs. 33-37

Here we see the compassion of Christ as His heart is broken over the sorrow these sisters feel.

Notice Vs. 33 -34, “When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”

Notice Vs. 35-37, “Jesus wept. So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?”