Character on Trial

What types of crowds did we encounter last week?

How did we identify who needed to go?

The response of the crowd told us the demeanor of the crowd

our responses tell on us

we’ve studied these texts before but I want to look at them through a new lense

for the next couple of weeks I want to focus on the responses of the people in each story

John 11:1–6 NLT

A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days.

John 11:1–4 NLT

A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.”

What would you think if this was Jesus’ response to you?

What would you think if this was Jesus’ response to you?

What does Jesus’ response say about him in this situation.

John 11:7–16 NLT

Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.” But his disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?” Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.” Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.” The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.” Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.”

What does the disciple’s response say about them?

What did they think of Lazarus?

they never got it

they’re still trying to avoid death

What do you think v9 means?

v.9 Jesus says I’m on a time limit

there is a schedule

some of us our waiting to do God’s work when it’s painless

Why is Jesus so blunt in vrs 14-15?

How would

v. 14-15 Jesus says I’m about to show you the character of God.

Every response we see in this text is either about the responders character or the responders thoughts on the character of God

Cause everybody loves God and trusts God until something goes wrong

v16 Thomas is a ride and die kind of disciple

God’s not looking for a ride or die because those two or tied together

joph

John 11:17–34 NLT

When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.” So Mary immediately went to him. Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there. When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him, “Lord, come and see.”

What do Mary and Martha think of Jesus’ character

How does the crowd function in this text?

Why is Jesus angry?

Where does the crowd place the focus in the text?

The crowd is focused on death?

The crowd came to morn, Jesus came to work.

When we think about the character of God we’re thinking about what God is trying to do in the situation.

Do we fight death?