6 - Life: When Death Doesn’t Win

SERMON 6 — Life: When Death Doesn’t Win

John 11:1–44 Theme: Jesus meets us in grief and calls life out of what feels lost.

Opening

There are moments in life when it feels like the story is over. A relationship ends. A dream collapses. A diagnosis comes. A door closes. A hope dies.

And we think, “Well… that’s it.”

John 11 is for those moments.

It’s a story where death looks final, grief feels overwhelming, and hope seems buried. And right in the middle of it, Jesus shows us something breathtaking:

Death doesn’t get the last word.

Not in Lazarus’ story. Not in your story. Not in the story God is writing in this world.

Walking Into the Story

Lazarus is sick. Mary and Martha send word to Jesus: “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

Notice that— they don’t say, “The one who loves You.” They say, “The one You love.”

Your relationship with Jesus doesn’t depend on how perfectly you love Him… but on how perfectly He loves you.

But then the story takes a turn.

Jesus waits. Two days.

If you’ve ever prayed and felt like heaven was on airplane mode, you’re in good company.

Illustration: The Delayed Package

I ordered something online once— the tracking said “Out for delivery.” Then it said “Delayed.” Then it said “Arriving tomorrow.” Then it said “We don’t know where it is.”

I thought, “Lord, even Amazon has forsaken me.”

Sometimes God’s timing feels like that. Delayed. Confusing. Frustrating.

But Jesus’ delay wasn’t neglect. It was purpose.

He wasn’t late. He was setting the stage for a bigger miracle.

Jesus Meets Us in Grief

When Jesus finally arrives, Martha runs to Him and says, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

That’s not disrespect. That’s honesty.

And Jesus can handle honesty.

Then Mary comes and says the exact same thing. And Jesus weeps.

The shortest verse in the Bible— and one of the most powerful:

“Jesus wept.”

He doesn’t rush them. He doesn’t correct them. He doesn’t say, “Stop crying, I’m about to fix it.”

He enters their grief before He transforms it.

Illustration: The Empty Chair

A pastor once said that grief is like sitting at a table with an empty chair. You can still eat. You can still laugh. But you always notice the empty place.

Jesus sits in the empty chair with you.

He doesn’t avoid your pain. He joins you in it.

A Little Humor

A kid once asked me, “If Jesus knew He was going to raise Lazarus, why did He cry?”

I said, “Because even when you know the ending, the middle still hurts.”

The kid said, “That makes sense. I cry in the middle of movies too.”

The Turning Point

Jesus walks to the tomb and says, “Roll the stone away.”

Martha objects: “Lord, by now there’s a stench.”

In the King James it says, “He stinketh.”

Sometimes the things we’ve buried… stinketh.

But Jesus isn’t afraid of the smell. He’s not intimidated by decay. He’s not discouraged by how long it’s been.

He calls into the darkness: “Lazarus, come out!”

And life answers.

Connecting to the Series Theme

Week 1: Dust — God begins with honesty. Week 2: Wilderness — God forms us in hard places. Week 3: Promise — God calls us forward. Week 4: Thirst — God fills us with living water. Week 5: Sight — God opens our eyes. Week 6: Life — God brings resurrection where we least expect it.

This is the journey From Dust to Dawn: God doesn’t just shape us or call us— He resurrects what we thought was gone.

Three Truths About Jesus in Our Grief

1. Jesus is never indifferent.

He weeps with you. He feels what you feel.

2. Jesus is never late.

He may not move on your timeline, but He always moves at the right time.

3. Jesus is never defeated.

Death doesn’t win. Not with Lazarus. Not with Jesus. Not with you.

Illustration: The Seed That Looks Dead

A seed looks dead. Dry. Lifeless. Buried.

But inside is a future waiting to break open.

Sometimes God buries things not to end them— but to grow them.

Application: What Needs Resurrection in Your Life?

1. A relationship that feels beyond repair

Jesus can call life out of it.

2. A dream you’ve given up on

Jesus can breathe on it again.

3. A heart that feels numb

Jesus can awaken it.

4. A faith that feels tired

Jesus can revive it.

Jesus doesn’t just comfort the grieving— He resurrects the dead.

A Gentle Turn Toward Hope

When Lazarus walks out of the tomb, Jesus says, “Unbind him and let him go.”

Because resurrection isn’t just about breathing again— it’s about living free.

And that’s what Jesus wants for you. Not just survival. Not just coping. Life.

Life that death can’t steal. Life that grief can’t bury. Life that darkness can’t extinguish.

Closing Prayer

Lord, Thank You for meeting us in our grief, for weeping with us, for loving us in the places that feel buried. Speak life into what feels dead. Call hope out of our despair. Roll away the stones we’ve placed over our hearts. Lead us from dust to wilderness, from wilderness to promise, from promise to living water, from living water to sight, and from sight into the resurrection life only You can give. In Your powerful name, Amen.