Sermon Tone Analysis

If we had lived in the days before Jesus’ coming we would have lived in days of hope and expectation had we been in the land of Israel.

We would have been hearing stories from various leaders about a coming Messiah promised by God.

Indeed we would have looked at some of the prophecies.

It would also have been a confusing message as there would seem to be two Messiah’s coming for it was just nigh impossible to put the two strains of thought together.

It was when there were military occupations, and this happened a lot in Israel’s history, that there was a concentration upon a King coming and putting down his enemies but there were lingering doubts about the other prophecies which talked of one who would come and suffer.

With the Roman Occupation their thoughts concentrated upon one who would come to deliver them from the oppression when Jesus turned up.

I often wonder about future prophecies for not everything fits so neatly – there are lingering doubts about the way certain things will come to pass – we don’t quite know how to put them all together – and when there are disasters in the world such as The Great Tsunami of 2004 or 9/11 or some wildfires and so on then our focus comes to the Apocalypse, the 2nd Coming, to a time of tribulation.

There was nothing like war though that would look for hope.

And so it was when the Romans came into Israel – there was a visible threat on the streets – and there was a wondering about the coming of the Messiah.

This was heightened by John the Baptist coming on the scene making a straight road in the desert, preparing and heralding the coming of one greater than he and all Israel heard with their ears pricked.

There was an expectation growing.

From our standpoint of history we can look back at the event of the coming of the Messiah and understand that Jesus came as the Suffering Servant and wonder how the Jews, even today, do not realise that Jesus is the Messiah and that He will come again as the Glorious King that they were expecting the first time round.

Even so, the things that Jesus did on the way to the cross were glorious and this reading we have heard follows directly on the heels of Lazarus being raised from the dead.

Jesus had told Martha that she would see God’s glory and did she!

In this most powerful of miracles Jesus again proved who He is: not only the Messiah but Immanuel, God with us; God in the flesh.

45

We are told in verse 45 that many believed in Jesus because of this miracle.

This is not surprising.

It truly is remarkable that a man who had been dead for four days was now standing among them alive.

There was no doubt that this had happened.

And being in close proximity to Jerusalem, they also heard what had happened and many, no doubt, made the trip to see this man Lazarus for themselves, after all, he was well known in those parts already.

Many from Jerusalem had attended the funeral.

And now Jerusalem was beginning to buzz with the news that Lazarus is alive.

But John told us from the start of this Gospel to not get your expectations up:

But many of those who had been there with Mary put their trust in Jesus.

46

So, many believed, but here in verse 46, what is surprising is that there are those who went to tell the Pharisees what had happened.

Why did they do that?

Plainly they were looking to stir up trouble.

They were so hard-hearted that they did not think rationally about the fact that someone who was dead was now alive and they did not reason how or why.

No, they put these thoughts far from their minds in stubborn unbelief.

Some people will not be convinced even if you prove 100% that something has happened.

And indeed Jesus said this in his parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.

A different Lazarus but interesting that Jesus would pick his name.

The rich man who was now in hell said to Abraham send Lazarus back to warn his brothers and the reply was that they would not believe even if someone rose from the dead.

Your initial reaction would be - that’s ridiculous - of course they would believe - but as we have heard in this passage today there were some who resolutely did not believe.

Here was a Lazarus who was brought back from the dead.

But they were the ‘don’t bother me with the facts’ people for they had already made up their minds.

How sad.

How true it is a work of God on the hearts of people that turn them to him - but even then people refuse and say ‘no’, I do not subscribe to the Calvinist teaching of irresistible grace.

God’s grace was plainly shown here and they refused to listen.

47

And here in verse 47 there is no doubt in the minds of the chief priests and the pharisees that Jesus was performing miracles.

None whatsoever.

So, what did they do?

Did they say: “Let us join this Jesus for plainly He is a Man of God”?

No, not at all.