John 11:38–44 ESV

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 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.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 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.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 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.”

Let’s pray

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Have you seen the Glory of God?

There is probably no more vivid story of what salvation looks like in scripture than this text we have just read. We have many texts and many explanations of what salvation is. We know terminology like, if you believe in Jesus you will be saved or Jesus died and paid the debt so that you can be forgiven and go to heaven. These are things you MUST know and you MUST believe, that is if you want to be part of Christ’s people and if you want to call yourself a Christian. But, have you ever stepped back and wondered, what does it look like to be saved? Just what happens to someone when they are saved? The picture in this text is probably the most vivid picture you are going to get of that here on this earth. We do not have time to take it all in tonight. There are weeks worth of messages in each verse of this text. However, let’s take a look at God’s Glory in saving and while we do it keep in mind this question, am I in a tomb?

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John 11:38 ESV

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

If you know that story you know that right before this is the shortest sentence and verse in the Bible. Jesus wept (John 11:35, ESV) It says Jesus wept not when he head about Lazarus dying but when he saw them crying. The people there assumed that he was crying because he was sad that Lazarus died. But lets think about that for a moment, was Jesus moved because Lazarus died? The word for moved is embrimaomai (Em bree mow mia) which means “insist sternly, state with firmness”1 So the roots of this word are not in empathy (Jesus having sadness). They are about rebuke. Jesus is very upset by what he is seeing. The author tells us he was “deeply” moved. He had this stern face and he had tears before he even gets to the tomb. Why this stern face before he gets to the tomb? I think the answer is in verse 37. They said (the people are talking about why Jesus was crying) “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”(Jn 11:37, ESV). Jesus is not moved by death, Jesus is master of death, remember the leaders daughter? When everyone was saying she was dead what did Jesus say? Jesus said, “she is not dead but sleeping” (Mark 5:39, ESV). Earlier Jesus has already told the disciples that Lazarus died: he told them “… Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe” (Jn 11:14–15, ESV). So Jesus with this stern face comes to this tomb.

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John 11:39 ESV

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.”

The tomb was probably a cave in the side of a hill or mountain. That’s what the Greek words used for tomb in this case indicates. (stop and illustrate the situation). Jesus says remove this stone. In essence Jesus is saying, take away the thing between me and Lazarus. But Martha, she stands for all of us in this picture, says Lord if we take that away we are going to be uncomfortable. If you are a Christian you do this. The Lord says, get that thing out of that persons life that is between them and and me. The Lord says go tell them about sin, to tell them about me (Jesus) and what do we say? But Lord, that will be uncomfortable. We don’t wanna tell people about their tomb; why don’t we want to tell them, because we don't love them enough. No, we don’t love the glory of God enough because look what Jesus says next.

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John 11:40 ESV

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

Jesus looks at Martha, He looks at you, and says with that thing in the way is you CANNOT see my glory. You cannot see the glory of God. Notice, it doesn’t matter if you are the one in the tomb or the one called to move the stone you cannot see the glory of God unless you pull back that stone. As long at the stone is over the door of of your tomb, or your friends tomb, or you families tomb m, you will never see the glory of God. It does not mean that the Glory is not there. God does not need you to do anything in order for him to be Glorious! But you won’t see it, you won’t taste it, you won’t be able to enjoy it, if that stone is there. My friends you want to see the Glory of God! It is the best most beautiful thing in the universe and you should be willing to go through any discomfort to get at it. Your life is incomplete until you have seen it!

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John 11:41 ESV

So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.

I want you to notice something here. Who moves the stone? Did Lazarus get up and move it? No, he is dead. Who moved the stone? Other people; “They” took away the stone. That’s what I am doing right now. I am pulling back that stone. That is what Derick is here for, that is what Pastor Randy does, we pull back stones. That is what you are supposed to be doing. It is not a comfortable job. Remember the video we just watched? Wouldn’t it be nice to be up here and tell about how much money God will give you. Or how good of a person you are. Those are people that say they are stone pullers, but they are not. Look at what Jesus did. Jesus didn’t say, “Oh Martha be a dear and open the tomb for me, if you believe in me you can have anything you want.” NO! Jesus said, if you want to see the glory of God you pull that stone back. Pull it back an uncover all the uncomfortable truths. Pull it back and uncover this sin. Shine a light were no one wants it shined. Who wants to smell someone that has been dead for 4 days? Believe me you do not want to. Most people vomit the moment they smell something like that. But, Jesus said pull back that stone, you might vomit, but if you don’t pull this stone back, you won’t see the glory of God and the Glory of God is that important.

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John 11:41–42 ESV

So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 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.”

Jesus then prays. Not for himself, and not for the dead guy, but for those people who are around him. Pay close attention to why Jesus is praying. He is praying so, “that they might believe”. He is praying because those people around him, many of them, are all in their own spiritual tombs. They look like they are alive but they really aren’t. Matter of fact Lazarus, the dead guy, has more life than they do. Why is Lazarus more alive? He Believes! Jesus tells us that he prayed so they “would believe.” He knows Lazarus believes, he know Lazarus is dead so that God’s Glory will be shown in in him. He prayed so you would believe, let that sink in. Jesus is saying that this whole story is happen so they, what? So that you would believe. Remember that question I asked you to remember from before, am I in a tomb, now is the time to think about that. Are you not pulling back stones and showing the glory of God because you are in a tomb yourself? Is there something between you and Christ? Friends, relationships, video games, what is it? Remember what Paul said in, we have talked about this before. “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Phil 3:8, ESV) Look at what Paul is saying here, there is NOTHING worth more than seeing the Glory of God as Jesus brings people to life. Paul is saying I am willing to lose anything, and everything just to see Christ. So, what is more important in your life? Are you in a relationship that is leading you away from God? LEAVE IT or FIX IT! Is your video game keeping you from being a stone mover? Turn it off and NEVER turn it on again. What is it in your life that you are willing to miss out on the greatest thing in the universe for?

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John 11:43 ESV

When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”

Here is the really cool part of the story. Jesus “cried with a loud voice” COME OUT!” and he comes out. Can you see it? Can you see the glory of God? A dead man get brought back to life! Jesus says COME OUT! and what happens? A dead man gets up and walks out of the tomb. This is so good, so glorious! This is worth trading your life for! Do you want to see dead people live? Or are you too comfortable with your second rate life? Are you too comfortable? Examine yourselves tonight, test yourself.

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John 11:44 ESV

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.”

There are people all around you every day laying in tombs. They are dead and God has called you to pull back the stone on their tomb. He wants you to pull back that stone so you can see his Glory when they come to life. When someone comes to believe that is a dead person coming to life. That is a miracle and God has call you to witness it so it will build your faith. But if you are not pulling back stones you will not see it. God will not be stopped because you want to hang back and miss out on seeing his glory. You cannot stop God from saving his people, no one can. If you are a Christian in here tonight get whatever it is in your life OUT of the way so you can see God’s glory.

If you will not do that, then perhaps you are laying in one of those tombs yourself tonight. You might need Jesus to call you out of your tomb.. Maybe he has used this message to pull back the stone on your tomb. Maybe there is something in your mind tonight that you know is holding you back from believing in Jesus the way that you should. If there is, that is Jesus calling and you better not miss it. Whatever it is, make up you mind right now that you will leave it. That’s how you run out of the grave. You are not promised tomorrow. You may not even make it home tonight. You might be riding home and WHAM! car accident, you are DEAD! Don’t wait to run out of that tomb! Don’t wait, you might not get another chance.

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You are Responsible

There are three ways to respond to this story.

The first goes like this, eh cool story bro. This is by far the most dangerous response. You should be terrified if that is you right now. If you can sit there and see God’s Glory and not be moved, if you are that comfortable in your tomb, you are dead. You cannot make it to heaven if you are comfortable in your tomb.

The second response is fear. You could be asking yourself right now, am laying in a tomb? Have I put Video Games or Relationships or Sports or in front of God? You know what, that is a very good place to be, IF, you don’t stay there. If you make up your mind right now, “I am not going to stay in this tomb”. I don’t care what it costs me I am going to get out of this tomb. I want to see the glory of God! If that is you, then you are in a very good place tonight. God has called your name and you are not dead anymore now make up in your mind that you are God’s and you will never stop serving him.

The response third is the most joyous! You are sitting there right now and you know, you are not in a tomb. Some of you may have never known what it feels like to KNOW you are not in that tomb. But the author of this book, John, says you can KNOW! In 1st John He said “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may KNOW (emphasis added) that you have eternal life.”(1 Jn 5:13, ESV). Think about that, you can know you have eternal life.

If you want to know you have life first you have to get out of the tomb and you are responsible to God for answering that call tonight. You might not get another chance. On the other hand, if you have life. If you say “Aaron, I know Jesus, I am not in a tomb, I am alive” then, you are responsible for being a stone mover. Like Paul, God has called you to give up everything to see his glory. So, getting everything out of your life that gets in the way of moving stone. Your job is to say, “I… Want.. To see… the glory of God… and NOTHING will stop me from seeing it”. One day you will stand before God and he will hold you accountable for what you heard tonight. Have you answered the call? Do you have eternal life tonight? If you do, do you see the glory of God?

Pray

Leaders

Last two songs

References

James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).