I AM THE RESURRECTION PART 3 TWO PERSPECTIVES

TWO PERSPECTIVES

Setting

Possible Titles

Two Perspectives

Place -Open Word Fellowship (Community Church of Myrtle Point)

Action and Reaction

Time - Sunday Morning

Date - November 4, 2018

Scripture -

Topic - I Am the Resurrection Part 3 Two Perspectives

Text - (NIV84) “Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

Theme - All through this chapter Jesus has been trying to change the view and thinking of Hid followers and the on looker. It is easy to see what we want it is hard to sort out God’s point of view and accept that He really does know best and if we truly follow Him we will see His glory.

40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

INTRODUCTION

Last week I was trying to learn something about using perspective in drawing. When I went to connect the lines to the points of perspective I discovered I did not have a box but some crazy shape. What the teacher pointed out was that the box I was trying to copy was set up on a much broader perspective line than I was trying to use. So yes I could make a box but not the one I was trying to make because my perspective was wrong.

In scripture that also happens we want to draw straight lines to our conclusions based on what we know or think we know rather than on what God has in mind. Jesus said from the beginning that this sickness would result in glory to God. He never talked about healing but everyone was focused on Lazarus being healed. God was going to do something much more powerful and far reaching. God’s lesson was immediate and long term. It was personal and universal. It was for Lazarus, us and about Himself. In short God’s perspective encompassed all they could ever thing about and a whole lot more. So, Believe and see.

Observations

I. V. 38- 44 Perspective Divine Intervention

2. V.44 Came out still in the grave clothes

3. V. 45 - 46 Belief and reporting to the Pharisees

4. V.51 Prophesy about Jesus death

5. V. 54 Result Jesus taught is Private

6. V. 57 Watchfulness at the Passover for Jesus

Analysis

I. V. 38- 44 Perspective Divine Intervention

11:38 Person - Jesus

Act - once more deeply moved

came to the tomb

Description - It was a cave

Specific - with a stone laid across the entrance. Story Line

the

entrance.

Story Line

:39 Request - "Take away the stone,"

Act - He said.

Response - "But Lord,"

Specific - said Martha, the sister of the dead man,

dead man,

Quote - "by this time there is a bad odor,

Reason - for he has been there four days."

V.40 Time - Then

Response - Jesus said,

Question - "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?"

would see the glory of God?"

This is the significant question. From the very beginning of this sickness and death Jesus maintained that it was all for the Glory of God. (V. 4) This is the First Perspective

:41 Act - So they took away the stone.

Then Jesus looked up

AND

said,

Prayer - "Father, I thank You that you have heard Me.

:42 I knew that You always hear Me.

BUT

I said this for the benefit of the people standing here that they may believe that You sent me."

here that they may believe that You sent me."

The prayer is not a petition but a desire for revelation. So they may believe in the divine sending of the Son. Here again human perspective must be changed so that the work and person of Jesus may be revealed and believed to the people.

:43 Time - When He had said this,

Act - Jesus called in a loud voice,

Quote - "Lazarus, come out!"

No muttered incantation here but rather a loud command. It is spoken so that the people standing around could all hear. It was spoken in a way that supposed Lazarus could hear, was awake and would respond. It was spoken specifically so that only Lazarus would come forth

:44 Act - The dead man came out,

Specific - his hands and feet

wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them,

Request - "Take off the grave cloths and let him go."

The specificity of this account leads us to understand that 1. Jesus called Lazarus and not all those that were dead. 2. To be ready to go back to his life he needed the help of others

3. This resurrection is a pale comparison of the resurrection of Jesus that is to come.

4. Our own resurrection will be just as unique as this one. It to will start with a shout.

II. V.45-54 Perspective of Human Distortion

:45 Conclusion - Therefore

People - many of the Jews

Specific - who had come to visit

Mary

AND

had seen what Jesus did,

Act - put their faith in Him.

First response brings glory to God

:46 Contrast - But

Act - some of them went to the Pharisees

AND

told them what Jesus had done.

Some decided to report to the Pharisees why we do not know. They may have been perplexed as to how someone despised by the religious leaders could do such a good thing. They may just have been non believers. This is the Second Perspective from the legal point of view

:47 Conference - Then he chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

Question - "What are we accomplishing?"

Act - they asked.

Acceptance - "Here is this man performing many

miraculous signs.

They can see what is and has happened. Do they believe and teach others to believe or do they condemn. They saw the many signs but never once did they express any belief in the person or the work.

:48 Condition - If we let Him go on like this,

Results - everyone will believe in Him,

AND

then the Romans will come

AND

take away both our place and our nation."

This was never going to happen but the shear arrogance that they thought they could control Jesus. Belief in Jesus would have brought peace personally and nationally but they could only see their status and their nation not Jesus, the world or righteousness. What they feared came to pass not because they believed but because of their unbelief.

:49 Time - Then

Person - one of them, named Caiaphas,

Specific - who was high priest that

year,

Act - spoke up.

Caiaphas has the distinction of serving in this the last year of our Lord's life.

:50 Quote - "You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people that that the whole nation perish."

that it is better for you that one man die for the people that that the whole nation perish."

This is the argument of the greater good that has gripped our society for many years. Everything can be justified IF it is better for the "greater good" This also becomes a prophecy as we shall in the next verse.

:51 Contrast - He did not say this on his own

BUT

as the high priest that year he prophesied

What - that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation

AND

not only for the nation,

Jesus came for this purpose so the high priest only says what God put in his mouth to speak.

:52 Continuation - And

Expansion - not only for the nation

Contrast - BUT

also for the scattered children of God,

Act - to bring them together and make them one.

God's purpose has always been to bring the world together as one. He came to Israel first but because of their rejection we became His through the cross. Israel's place was to bring the God of the bible to the people of the world but they did not. God was not taken by surprise but sent His Son, creator, redeemer and teacher to give the world the light Israel had failed to do.

:53 Time - So from that day on

Act - they plotted

Specific - to take His life

Now the real implications come into play. Before they had argued, tried to take hold of Him and discredit Him. Now they agreed on a plot to kill Him

:54 Conclusion - Therefore

Person - Jesus

Act - no longer moved about publicly among the Jews.

Contrast - Instead

He withdrew

Specific - to a region near the desert,

to a village called Ephraim

where He stayed with His disciples,

Now the die is cast and Jesus withdraws out into an open place that is thinly inhabited and with His disciples waits the time of the passover. Does He know His end is near? If He does He does not stray from His purpose to teach and train His followers so they can take over once He is gone.

III. V.55-57 Epilogue

:55 Time - When it was almost time for the Jewish

Passover,

Act - many went up from the country to Jerusalem

Purpose - for their ceremonial cleansing

Specific - before the Passover.

Preparation for Passover

:56 Act - They kept looking for Jesus,

AND

as they stood in the temple area

they asked on another

Question - "What do you think? Isn't He coming to the Feast at all?"

Feast at all?"

Now they wonder will He come to the Feast. They think not but time will tell,

:57 Act - But the chief priests

AND

Pharisees had given orders

Condition - that if anyone found out where Jesus was he should report it

should report it

Purpose - so that they might arrest Him.

Now not just a plot but a strong network set up to catch Jesus.