"A Sign of Life"

Benjamin Franklin wrote in 1789, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” But is death really certain? The US government doesn’t think so:

A resident of Greenville County, South Carolina received a letter from Health and Human Services: "Your food stamps will be stopped, effective March 1992, because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if your circumstances change."

How do we respond to death. We invest time and money into trying to put it off. Often when a loved one dies we act as if that’s the end, as if we’ll never see them again. Even Mary and Martha were grieved when their brother Lazarus passed away.

John 11:38–44 NIV84

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 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.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

It’s interesting that Jesus’ first miracle was performed at a wedding, while this last one is performed at a grave.

We don’t really know anything about Lazarus, what kind of person he was, what he did for a living, who he thought Jesus was.. All we are told is that Jesus loved Lazarus, Mary and Martha, and that when Lazarus became sick his sisters sent for Jesus. They probably were hoping Jesus would come and heal him. Instead, Jesus waits until Lazarus has died. When He gets there both sisters say that if He had been there Lazarus would not have died.

John 11:25 NIV84

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;

Let’s look at the events around this final sign:

Jesus deeply moved

Sympathy for Mary and Martha

Saddened by the grief of the friends

Angry at the pain caused by death

Angry at the lack of faith – He had raised others from death

Lazarus buried for four days

No question that he is dead

Jesus says to remove the stone

Martha objects – body decaying

Believed in a future resurrection but not here and now

Makes no sense – maybe assumed Jesus wanted to go in, see His friend one last time

Obeys anyway

Jesus thanks God

For the benefit of the people – so they would know that God sent Him

Prayer heard even before the miracle takes place

Jesus calls Lazarus out

With a loud voice – so the crowd would know it was by God’s power

Like the first miracle, reveals God’s glory

What difference did this make for Lazarus?

Did he look at life differently?

Were his priorities changed?

What difference does it make for us?

Lazarus’ raising was back to this life, he eventually died again.

A foretaste of Jesus’ resurrection and our own, this time to eternal life

Jesus sometimes waits before acting in our situations

Jesus calls us to come out – out of our darkness, out of our spiritual death

We must take off the grave-clothes of our old way of life

1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 NIV84

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.