The Resurrection & the Life (Part 1)

Introduction

Boy, I can’t believe that January is GONE! It really seems surreal because we missed our time together last week because of the weather.

This morning we are going to continue our study in the book of John. Our passage today begins with the first verse of the eleventh chapter. So, if you have your Bibles, and I hope that you do, turn with me to John 11.

Since we missed last week, I want to take a minute and remind us where we are in the story. Back in John chapters 8 and 10 we seen that the Jews picked up stones to stone Jesus.

In chapter 10, Jesus escaped, and he and his disciples went to the town of Bethany that is south of the Sea of Galilee. It was the place where John the Baptist did a lot of his preaching and teaching.

Jesus goes there and we read in 10:41, “and many people came to him.”

When we come to chapter 11, Jesus receives some disturbing news. A dear friend of his, Lazarus is sick.

John 11:1 NIV

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

A Change of Scene

Chapter 10 ends with Jesus up around Bethany across the Jordan.

Now Jesus learns that his friend Lazarus was sick (v. 1a).

He is from Bethany just outside of Jerusalem (v. 1b). NOTE: this is a different Bethany—the first one is south and east of the Sea of Galilee. This Bethany is less than two miles from Jerusalem.

We find out that Lazarus was the brother of Mary and her sister Martha (v. 1c).

John 11:2 NIV

(This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.)

Now we are given another identification marker: Mary (the sister of Lazarus that was sick) is the same Mary that is going to poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair (cf. Jn. 12:3; Mk. 14:3; Lk 7:38) (v. 2).

John 11:3 NIV

So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

So the sisters (Martha and Mary) send word to Jesus (v. 3a).

The Message: “Lord, the one you love is sick” (v. 3b).

Jesus’ Response

John 11:4 NIV

When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

Jesus said, that his sickness will not end in death.

Rather, it is for God’s glory.

And so God’s Son might be glorified through the events.

John 11:5 NIV

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

We are told that Jesus loved Martha and her sister (Mary) (v. 5a).

And we are told that Jesus loved Lazarus (v. 5b).

John 11:6 NIV

So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days,

So when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick—he stayed where he was for two more days (v. 6). That seems strange because you would think that if Jesus really cared about Lazarus he would have immediately returned to Judea to help his friend, but instead he stayed two more days.

John 11:7 NIV

and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

Then after two days, Jesus says they should go back to Judea (where Lazarus and his sisters live) (v. 7).

The Disciples’ Response

John 11:8 NIV

“But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”

The disciples protest. They say, “Rabbi, just a little while ago the Jews tried to stone you.”

Why would you risk going back.

Jesus’ actions are not making sense to the disciples. They can’t figure out why Jesus would risk going back to a place where they were trying to kill him.

Jesus’ Response

John 11:9 NIV

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light.

Jesus seems to change the subject. He begins by asking a rhetorical question: Are there not 12 hours of daylight? (v. 9a)

Anyone who walks in the daytime doesn’t stumble (v. 9b).

They don’t stumble because they can see by the world’s light (v 9c).

John 11:10 NIV

It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

On the other hand, when a person walks at night they stumble, because they have no light (v. 10a).

Without light, people cannot see so they stumble (v. 10b).

Some scholars struggle with the meaning of these two verses.

First, they struggle because it seems like Jesus changes directions so quickly. This causes some to suggest that these verses are out of place.

Secondly, they struggle with the reference to 12 hours of daylight, because it is not “accurate.” However, both the Jews and the Romans commonly regarded the total number of daylight hours as 12, and the total number of nighttime hours as 12.

The third struggle is that people don’t understand the metaphor that Jesus is using.

Light represented the Father’s will. And Jesus would be safe as long as he did the Father’s will. Likewise, as long as the disciples followed Jesus, the Light of the World (Jn. 8:12; 9:5), they would not stumble.

Walking in the night signified living in the realm of darkness or evil, and is living a lie (cf. 1 Jn. 1:6).

1 John 1:6 NIV

If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.

Jesus Returns to Lazarus

John 11:11 NIV

After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

Jesus continues to tell his disciples, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep.”

And Jesus goes on to tell them that he is going to go and wake Lazarus up.

The Disciples Don’t Get it!

John 11:12 NIV

His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.”

In their mind, if Lazarus is sleeping he will get better (v. 12).

John 11:13 NIV

Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

They completely miss the message that Jesus is telling them! (v. 13a)

Jesus was telling them that Lazarus had died (v. 13b).

But the disciples thought Jesus was talking about natural sleep, and they reason, if Lazarus was sick, natural sleep is what he needs (v. 13c).

Jesus Becomes Blunt!

John 11:14 NIV

So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead,

Since they don’t understand what Jesus was saying he tells them plainly (v. 14a).

Lazarus is dead! (v. 14b)

John 11:15 NIV

and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

What is strange, is that Jesus tells them that he is glad that he was not there—for their sake (v. 15a). Apparently, the disciples need to learn a lesson or two.

Jesus wants his disciples to “believe” (Gk. pisteuo, which has the idea of believe, have faith in, have confidence in, entrust, or rely upon) (v. 15b). While the disciples did not know what Jesus was going to do, Jesus did know! At minimum, Jesus wanted the events that were going to take place to strengthen the disciples’ belief in him, and that they would ultimately believe that he is the Messiah!

Thomas Speaks Up

John 11:16 NIV

Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Thomas—also called Didymus, which means twin—tells the rest of the disciples that they should go back to Judea with Jesus, even if it means they may die with him! (v. 16).

SIDE NOTE: Remember, there were some really good reasons (from a human perspective) that the disciples did not want Jesus to return to Bethany of Judea. Look at their logic:

The Jews had tried several times to stone Jesus, and he had barely escaped (cf. Jn. 8:59; 10:31). So there was some immediate danger!

Lazarus was not too sick. His illness was not bad enough to warrant putting themselves and Jesus in that much danger. After all they do not get that Lazarus had actually died!

Not to mention, that Bethany of Judea was less than 2 miles from Jerusalem! So there would, no doubt, be many Jews from Jerusalem in Bethany.

What made the difference for Thomas? Apparently, the fact that Jesus believed that a significant change had occured in Lazarus’ circumstances. That changed in understanding seems to have changed how Thomas viewed what they should do.

SO WHAT?

We are going to stop our story right here. We’ll pick up the story next week when Jesus and the disciples arrive in Bethany.

But, for now we want to discover what we can learn from this passage.

We learn that following Jesus does not always make sense to us! Yes, we know that Jesus loves us and cares for us, but there are often times when He asks us to do things that go against our human logic. Isaiah 55:8–9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

The primary concern for Jesus is to accomplish the will of God (since He is God). You and I are deeply blessed that He desires and chooses to use us to accomplish His plan! Look at Proverbs 19:21, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

Accomplishing God’s plan often means that we are moving against the culture. It means that we are taking stands that are unpopular with the people around us. Perhaps that is why Paul warned that we need to avoid conforming the the world’s pattern, In Romans 12:2 we read, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Finally, we need to be like Thomas, and say “Let’s follow Jesus even if we may die for Him!” We need to determine today—right NOW that we will follow Jesus no matter what it costs us!