John 11:1-37

Intro: Have you ever asked someone the question: what do you need most?

#WhatINeedMost

- Unlimited Cash

- A back rub

- a bad conversation turning into one where i can finally just say what's bothering me

- A long vacation

- to meet someone new

Sometimes it’s more serious than that. It can be a healing, help in a major life event

Big Idea: What people need most is to experience and understand the glory of God.

Think of how Scripture talks about the Glory of God:

- The God of Glory

- The Glory of Israel

– The King of Glory

, - The Father of Glory

- refers to Jesus as the Lord of Glory

- refers to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Glory

- "The whole earth is full of His glory.”

- The Gospel of Glory

- Do everything for His Glory

The Problem: Sometimes we are too drunk on this world to focus on, or see His glory.

Sometimes we are so drunk on ourselves that we might attempt to steal His glory.

Symptoms: Ask yourself, what is keeping you from trusting Him fully? What is keeping you from obeying him faithfully?

Main Text:

Scene 1 - A Man Sick for the Glory of God

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

- 1“Now a certain man was ill…” Lazarus is not the main focus of the story

- 2-3Mary & Martha send Jesus a message. We are given a picture of them in

(In it was Mary who anointed Jesus’ feet)

- 4-6This sickness is for the glory of God. In v. 4 Jesus tells the disciples that, & it will not

end in death. He never said Lazarus wasn’t going to die or that his illness isn’t serious.

- 5Jesus had a friendship with Lazarus & his sisters.

- 6 Jesus stayed 2 extra days after hearing of Lazarus’s illness. Why? (v. 5&6)

- 10 12 hours in a day symbolized the Lord’s ministry.

- 11 Sleep used as a metaphor for death (We see this in other places like )

- 12-16 The disciples go with Jesus even though they (at least 1) are afraid. - Pessimistic

obedience.

Scene 2 - ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life’

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

- 17 Can cause us to wonder: What was the significance of 4 days?

Rabbinic writings suggest John’s note may have been written because the Jews believed the soul hovered around the body for 3 days. After the body began to decompose, the soul would depart. Only then would a death be irreversible.

- 18Bethany in Judea was 2 miles east of Jerusalem (Not Bethany east of the Jordan).

- 19Many coming to mourn with them suggests they were a prominent family.

- 20 Martha goes out to meet Jesus. According to Jewish customs, those in mourning

remained seated while other mourners consoled them.

- 21 Martha expresses faith in her grief. Her statement is not an accusation.

- 24 “I know he will rise again.” - ; ; )

25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!

10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.

28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

- 25-26 “I am the resurrection and the life.” – Jesus is calling for personal trust in Him as

the one who has power over death.

“Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,” - Jesus will raise them on the last day.

“…everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” - They will never die spiritually.

- 27 Martha expresses faith that Jesus is the Christ.

Scene 3 - Jesus Shows His Compassion

28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

- 28-30 Mary goes to meet Jesus.

- 31-32 Those mourning with Mary followed her likely expecting she was going to mourn

at the tomb.

- 33-35 Deeply moved literally means snort like a horse. Deeply troubled means indignant

and also appears with Herod at the arrival of the Magi, Jesus’ own reaction toward Judas betraying him, etc. Jesus wept. The word used for weeping is Klaiō which is used to describe loud wailing (the mourners and Mary. Jesus wept is dakruō which is silently bursting into tears. These tears were generated by His love for Lazarus and his grief over the effects of sin in this fallen world.

- 36-37 The Jews mock Jesus. After rightly acknowledging Jesus loved Lazarus, they

reveal their disbelief in Him and hopelessness.

Conclusions:

1. The God of the Scriptures is present & compassionate.

Jesus had supernatural knowledge of Lazarus’s death (vv.11-14). When Jesus shows up, he comforts Mary and Martha, he weeps at the death of his friend, and is aware of the human condition. Secularists accuse God of not being present or powerful. They mock and accuse Him much like the Jews in vv.36-37.

2. Having faith in the afterlife is not enough.

When Jesus was speaking with Martha, he challenged her to move beyond her theological understanding of the afterlife to a present reality that we have life in Jesus now.

3. Our greatest need is to see the glory of God in everything we experience.

Martha was challenged personally as to whether or not she believed in Jesus. God will go to whatever length necessary to reveal His glory in our lives. Some say, they don’t want that kind of God.

How do we become that kind of person?

Application:

a. Conversion - come to Jesus on His terms. Admit you are a sinner in need of saving. Repent of sin, turn toward God and follow Jesus.

b. Stop accusing, Start believing God of sin, failure, or not giving you the life you want.

c. Follow Jesus with joy, not pessimism

Conclusion:

What we need most is to experience the glory of God in everything we face.

Shift to communion –

that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.

The Cracker represents the body of the Lord of Glory, who left His throne of Glory to reveal His glory to us in His broken Body that we might be saved for His Glory. He did this for you and me.

The juice represents the covenant made by His shed blood. His shed blood is what brought us peace with God that someday we might share in His glory.