Lazarus

What Lies Behind the Stone

Good morning! It has been a great day in worship today. We have sensed the presence of God and have enjoyed sitting in his presence this morning! There is a scripture in Psalms that sticks out this morning!

Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

You make known the path of life, in your presence there is fullness of joy. Joy is what we have experienced this morning. the psalmist also tell us that

Psalm 30:5 “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

There are times in our lives we have all faced anger, and weeping but In jesus we find favor and joy. There is a promise found in Scripture that Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us. Yet there are times in life that we feel left behind, we feel like how can this happen. Today we are going to be continuing our series on the Gospel of John so that you may believe and today we are going to be looking at A Whisper from Jesus that Shook the Grave. Today we begin looking at John 11 where we find the story of Lazarus and his sisters. We find a discourse that speaks to Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life. We find Jesus dangerously close to Jerusalem and this is the final nail in the mind of the Pharisees and Sadducees to put Jesus to death. So lets dive into John 11

John 11:1–3 ESV

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”

D.A. Carson said it like this

The Gospel according to John 1. The Death of Lazarus (11:1–16)

in transparent irony it is his quest to bring his dead friend back to life that precipitates the Sanhedrin decision against him and therefore his own execution.

I believe that John was setting up the story. He was telling us who was involved and what was happening. One commentary spoke about how Mary would have been a prominent figure in Christianity at the time John wrote his gospel. The other thought is that John is reminding his readers who have read his Gospel before that this is the same Mary that he will tell about in John 12.

English Standard Version Chapter 11

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.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

Lets stop here for a moment so we can dive a little deeper in to this. The ilness does not lead to death….This is not a miss by Jesus this is not an oops moment by an author. There is a purpose for everything that John writes.

The Gospel according to John 1. The Death of Lazarus (11:1–16)

it will not end—ultimately—in death. Far from it: it will end in resurrection from the dead, and that for God’s glory.

Death will not win this battle. Death is to glorify God, not death but the resurrection, both of Lazarus and eventually Jesus and evenutally those who have died and will be caught up in the air with those who are living. This is all about the Glory of God.

The Gospel according to John 1. The Death of Lazarus (11:1–16)

The death of Lazarus will prove to be for God’s glory—not ‘in order that God may be glorified, i.e. praised’, but ‘in order that God’s glory may be revealed’,

One commentary has said that The glory of the son is mutually involved in the glory of the father. This miracle will demonstrate both the glory of God and glory of Jesus.

Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Some have said that Jesus words are harsh and that is out of character for Him but John makes it clean via the previous verse that Jesus loved them. D.A. Carson said it like this

The Gospel according to John 1. The Death of Lazarus (11:1–16)

Lazarus’ death and the resurrection that follows are not only to glorify the Father and the Son, but are for the good of Lazarus and his sisters.

What was about to take place was not just for the glory of the Lord but it was because of the love that Jesus had for this family. So what then is the next verse about? Lets wait two days? there are some that have taken this to mean that Jesus was scared or that there was something at play. I believe that Jesus was doing it so that the glory would only go to God. There is a rabbonic teaching that says that a mans spirit will stay near the body for 3 days until the body begins to decompose and the spirit leaves the body alone. This is a point that Lazarus would have been dead 4 days and the decomposition would have already begun.

The Gospel according to John 1. The Death of Lazarus (11:1–16)

Jesus’ timing was in any case regulated by his Father’s will, and not by any request of friends, or even of family

Jesus is proving 2 things by waiting and both have powerful looks to us today.

He is proving that He is the resurrection and the life and that He is greater than death. He is also proving the faith of his disciples the onlookers and the family of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. the 4 days journey the death of Lazarus and the subsequent resurrection prove that Jesus is who He says He is and Has the power to defeat death. John wrote His Gospel so that all believe so Jesus waiting was not ill hearted or to do anything but point to the fact that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.

We are going to skip some verses today so let me recap the disciples are bothered that Jesus wants to go back so they try and get him to stop and He tells them that Lazarus is asleep and that there is a plan. He begins this discourse of there are 12 hours of daylight and in those light hours all work must be done. Some commentators have said that this a refernce to Jesus being with them for a short amount of time but a time is coming when darkness will begin and that they must continue to work. However they struggle to understand and Jesus looks plainly at them and says He is dead

English Standard Version Chapter 11

14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Jesus is glad he was not there? this is not a happy moment but he is saying that If i would have been there then the faith you are about to realize would not have happened. Thomas this is who would eventually doubt the resurrection of Jesus is ready to die. His call here would become the clarion call of the disciples after Jesus resurrection and is our call today. To go with Him to follow Him take up our cross daily. We must stand in that place and realize that He suffered He died and He rose. We too can live and follow His call to be who we are called to be.

English Standard Version Chapter 11

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.

20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Martha full of grief and faith. Have you ever been there before? sad and shocked but peaceful and a faith in Jesus. Martha is clear, she knew that is Jesus had been there Lazarus would not be dead but she knows that hiim being there now means that anything can happen and Jesus gives her a nugget that we all hold onto that in him we have life and freedom. She shows as John writes that her belief is Jesus and that one day we will all be with Him is not shaken by death. Sometimes in our lives our circumstances dictate our faith? We have to come to the realization that no matter what we go through wether it be by our doing or not Jesus is still the King. He is still the one who sits one the throne and the one who is in control.

Jesus is also showing Martha that this is personal

The Gospel according to John 2. Jesus the Resurrection and the Life (11:17–27)

Jesus’ concern is to divert Martha’s focus from an abstract belief in what takes place on the last day, to a personalized belief in him who alone can provide it. Just as he not only gives the bread from heaven (6:27) but is himself the bread of life (6:35), so also he not only raises the dead on the last day (5:21, 25ff.)

The Gospel according to John 2. Jesus the Resurrection and the Life (11:17–27)

But is himself the resurrection and the life. There is neither resurrection nor eternal life outside of him.

It was Jesus making it personal so that all may believe. John’s purpose is so. We all have the ability to be personal with Jesus. He is available to all of us. Martha is very structured Martha is very confident that Jesus is who He says He is. We see a change in Mary.

English Standard Version Chapter 11

28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him.

31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.”

35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

Martha has moved toward her sister and called to her. We are unaware of any guise for a private meeting? Jesus in the scriptures does not ask for Mary but that does not mean that he didn’t. Mary begins running toward Jesus we see something here that is important to understand. There is emotion built up here. Mary is more emotional then Martha but her faith in Jesus still shows through. Jesus sees the grief. He sees the weeping and in Him there is a indignation that is rising up. This is not a soft moment. Jesus is like a horse snorting at something. Its about looking at the sin and disbelief in the world but there is a tension here that must be pointed out. God loves the world and sent His one and only Son to die for it. So this unbelief and grief is natural and we also know that we must have faith that there is hope.

There must be an understanding here that Jesus is not angry at the people or at the grief that has stricken the sisters but that the indignation and trouble in his spirit is toward the sin that causes it. He knows all to well the punishment of sin and is in a short amount of time going to endure the pain of the sins of the world. Yet he also loves and is doing out of Love. Today you may be here and have fallen victim to the sin of the this world. You are governed by yourself and ahve only lived for yourself today Jesus wants to bring life to you. He wants to bring peace to you. He wants to give you a hope that you have never had.

English Standard Version Chapter 11

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”

40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.

42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”

44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

We see in v. 38 Jesus is deeply moved again it is the same greek word as earlier where Jesus was deeply troubled in his spirit. He is seeing the effect of sin on the world and once again is going to prove the power of his name and the power of his connection to the Father. Jesus clearly is showing that He is the Resurrection and the life. There was a stench that laid behind that stone. There was death, there was oder, there was hopelessness. Jesus was ok with all of that. He was ok with the stink. He knew that this was not the end for Lazarus, He knew that death was no match for the power of the Father. and that Jesus was the hope that was needed. He wasn’t scared for 4 day stench He isn't scared of your past. Jesus then says something to Martha that would have been a call to the disciples listening and would have been a call to those around him that He was the one who brings life to the situation and that the Glory of the Lord was about to be revealed. Jesus prays a public prayer one that is clear He is doing what the Father wants. He never asks that Lazarus be raised. He just says thank you for hearing me. He said it so that those around him might believe.

The Gospel according to John 4. The Resurrection of Lazarus (11:38–44)

What Jesus is hoping will be accomplished is that some of his hearers will in consequence believe that he has been sent by God himself.

Then comes the voice that shook the grave.

Jesus speaks with a voice that calls the dead to rise. He speaks with authority, authoirty that speaks life into death. It speaks truth into deception. His voice calls us to be made alive. Its his voice that brings Lazarus out.

The Gospel according to John 4. The Resurrection of Lazarus (11:38–44)

it has often been remarked that the authority of Jesus is so great that, had he not specified Lazarus, all the tombs would have given up their dead to resurrection life.

The voice of Jesus rings so loudly that the grave could not hold Lazarus any longer. He was free to live again. Today you may be here and feel as if what you were died a while ago. You may be here are you feel as if death is certain. You may be here and don’t even realize that the stench of death has encompassed you. There is a voice that is calling out to you today. A voice that brings dead things to life. a voice that isn't afraid of death, a voice that knows the hope thats on the other side of the stone. He is the resurrection and the life. He is our peace. He is our hope. His love is what draws him. His love is what draws us. There is a peace and power to his voice. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. We all have belief that no matter what happens we all have hope to be with Jesus one day. But today I belive that God is wanting to do something personal. Something that only he can do. He is asking us to be willing to remove the stone and let him work. The problem is we are afraid of what lies behind stone. We are afraid of the thing we dont know about. Can i tell you today that Jesus isn't afraid of it. He isn’t afraid of the stench. He isn’t afraid of death. He isn’t afraid of the sickness that led to death. Some of you today are dealing with things you were never meant to deal with. You are struggling with things you were never meant to struggle with. His life is for you today. His peace is for you today. His hope is for you today. The voice that shook the grave is speaking today. He is speaking life, He is speaking hope, He is speaking peace. His power, His presence and His life is radiating through your darkness. Are you willing to listen. You see Lazarus didn’t have an option. When the Resurrection and the Life speaks we must listen. We must obey. Lazarus come forth was not an option, it was a command. If you are willing to remove the stone and reveal the dark place today the death must obey the life. What you have held in that place no longer has control of you. What has been there for years no longer has power.

The loud voice was not for the benefit of Lazarus, but for the sake of the crowd standing around that they might see that Lazarus came forth simultaneously with the command of Jesus.

Archibald Thomas Robertson

Augustine once remarked that if Jesus had not said Lazarus’ name all would have come out from the graves.

Edwin Blum

Jesus is master of life and death and proves it by bringing Lazarus back from the grave.

Gary M. Burge

Today Jesu sis the master of life and death. He has the power to bring dead things to life and to bring hope to the hopeless. You may be here today and are struggling with what is behind the stone. You may be here and are living under heavy pressure. You may be dealing with grief and struggling to stand in your faith. You may be here today and have never stood in faith but have felt your share of grief. Today God wants to speak life into you and into that situation. We can be unbound and set free today just as lazarus was.