Unbelievable Promises

Story

This sickness, this death, this pain, this suffering, this hardship, this unfortunate circumstance, this betrayal, this hurt, this evil— it will not end in death.

The whole purpose of this trial is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.

The Glory of God is being completed SO THAT the Son may be glorified through it

Whatever Jesus does, it honors the Father. And whatever is done by the Father glorifies the Son

Jesus waited purposefully for the awful thing to take place. He waited and was happy that he waited.

He was happy for the sake of those suffering!

The suffering was the for the glory of God, which was for the glory of the Son, which is found (in part) by people learning to believe

Why are we ok with miracles that heal and not ok with miracles over death?

If one of us was in a horrible accident, we would pray (and even expect?) a miracle of healing.

But, if someone died we resign to that fact. It seems that death is the end.

If I was to hope that someone would be brought back from the dead, people would call me crazy.

Is it maybe because our faith in God is matched by our faith in medicine?

We can give an explanation for a miracle in terms of odds- and give God the left over glory.

“So you’re saying theres a chance!”

4 days dead, no way that is anything other than God.

Btw, if Jesus told me that He was going to raise someone from the dead, no matter the time gap, I would believe Him.

This story shows a Christians faith in face of death and some unbelievable promises

I believe that all Christians will come back to life after they are dead.

So I can weep hard things come, but at the same time I can be happy for God’s control

What does that look like:

losing a friend for the sake of the Gospel

Watching someone use death that is slowly eating them to praise God

Seeing someone be happy to die because they are praying that it brings their family closer to God

Feeling the awfulness of my situation and understanding the joy that it could be the vehicle for

Look at what Jesus is doing: broken for the hurt, glad for growth

Priority— God’s Glory

Promise— Unbelievable

Purpose

Death isn’t the end. For the Christian, God uses death and pain to bring us closer to Him.

Death and Pain are designed to strengthen faith.

We may go through some terrible things and Jesus would say “I am glad for your sakes that I wasn’t there to just stop this pain. It happened so that that you would believe in me.

Faith is more important than comfort

He would rather have you go through hard times than have weak faith

In fact these hard times are MEANT TO strengthen your faith

Jesus Christ designed the death of Lazarus to 1) strengthen the faith of the Apostles 2)strengthen the faith of the family and 3) to give faith to others

Story

Here is a small family: 2 sisters and a brother

They are just the best

So kind, loving, wonderful, beautiful people

They know and love Jesus dearly and he sees them as dear sweet friends

Good Friends

Made over a long time of solid, great, trusting interaction

These weren’t just people that they happened to know they were absolutely close to him

We have some of those. People you would die for, people that you would struggle to live without.

These are the friends with Jesus

And after hearing one of his closest friends is deathly ill Jesus waits around.

Not only waits around, verse 15 says he is glad that he waited.

Verse 6 tells us that Jesus waited, on purpose, because he loved them.

The reality of the situation sets in as we see Mary and Martha in the middle

Imagine: You were told, by Jesus that this wouldn’t happen. You were told that he wouldn’t die. You were told that everything was going to be alright. And you believed it. In fact, you told the dying brother in front you that Jesus himself said it would be ok. This gave him hope! But, he got sicker and sicker. He face got clammy and the color went from his cheeks. He stopped eating and drinking. His breathing slowed until it just stopped.

You were sitting here, still hoping that he would get better. But he started stinking, other friends and family finally came in to start the burial process.

You just cry. Jesus said this wouldn’t happen. And it did. Maybe you misunderstood? Maybe he lied? Maybe this is your brothers fault, he could have stopped believing in Jesus...

The problem is that we assume what we want is the same thing that God wants

1. Our WANTS (Does not equal) God’s wants

We all move forward in life thinking that my comfort is most important

The truth is that God would rather have you go through hard times than have weak faith. (repeat)

God has designed situations so that you can believe in Him and believe more

The purpose that john wrote this is “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name.” ().

The response that these two women have to Jesus is faithful, but sorrowful too.

Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

“Jesus this hurts. Jesus this is hard. Jesus I don’t want to be going through this, at all. Jesus, you could have caused something different to happen. I still trust in you, I still know you are the Savior, I still know you are the Son of God, but this is still really really painful.”

I want be careful, but I want to be truthful.- There is faith here, but I think there is doubt here too

“God, if you would have.... than this would be different...”

There is faith here, but I think there is doubt here too

Sounds like a complaint. Sounds like an unwillingness to accept his will. Sounds like a bitterness. Doing a good thing, but the wrong way.

Is that even true? Jesus chose to stay distant. Jesus chose to remain far away. Jesus chose his actions so that this pain and loss would come the way it did. Couldn’t he have stopped it from back then? Of course. But, he didn’t.

Which brings me to the question: why did Jesus weep?

He knew the death was coming. He knew that life was coming again. I think he was weeping at their unbelief.

They believed more in medical reasoning than in a miraculous resurrection

He was weeping that they cracked when they should have remained strong

The blamed him for something bad, not something good

He wept at their loss

Imagine the reward, comfort, strength of the Christian who sits through the worst, most terrifying circumstances— holding firmly to the words of their precious Savior: It won’t end this way. This isn’t it.

They didn’t fully get that though, did they? They buried him. They acted like this was the only world, what they could see was the only truth

They were wrong.

Unbelief

V38- starts this interchange that calls out any unbelief:

He says move the stone, they kinda look at the sisters.

It would be like walking over to the graveyard and saying move this fresh dirt.

Martha, maybe under her breath, says “this maybe isn’t a good idea”

Jesus doesn’t hold back a stinger: Didn’t I tell you? Don’t you believe? What are you going to choose to trust in right now?

So, they moved the stone.

Jesus instructs them to do the opposite of what makes sense- ignore death, ignore purity laws, ignore the smell, ignore the rot, ignore what everyone else has always done: instead believe.

He comes into the scene and says: if you believe in me then act like it.

2. If you BELIEVE then ACT like it

Just like today: we all walk through hard things- if you believe in Him, then act like it. Don’t pretend that God will just show up when you die.

Don’t pretend that these promises aren’t for today, tonight, tomorrow morning or every day for the rest of your life.

Promises

You might think that I am just talking really vaguely. Nothing could be further from the truth. You, today, can believe and see the glory of God.--- Let me show you.

Do you feel lonely?

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God.I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” ()

do not be afraid, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you; I will help you;

Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?

I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.

Do you feel overwhelmed?

“For I am the LORD your God, who holds your right hand, who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.” ()

who holds your right hand,

who says to you, ‘Do not fear,

I will help you.

Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?

Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Do you feel lost?

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” ()

Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?

Do you feel like you are losing your fight?

“…Submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” ()

Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?

Do you feel too guilty, too broken, too dirty, just absolutely unforgivable?

“If we confess our sins he is faithful and just and to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from the unrighteousness” ()

Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?

He knows you are hurt

We will ask God “do you see that I am hurting?” Here, he is answering us “do you see why your hurting?”

CLOSE

What has happened to you:

3. There is a DESIGN, REASON, and PURPOSE

He has allowed for a reason.

He was in control and let that take place.

There is purpose in your pain

3. There is a DESIGN, REASON, and PURPOSE

What is happening to you:

There is joy to be had, right now.

There is a promise made to you in Scripture

You can trust in Him, right now. Even as it looks that everything is going the wrong way, it isn’t a surprise to Him. There is an end to this on purpose.

4. There is a joyful end promised

What will happen to you:

Maybe you skip over tragedy and horror, but you won’t skip death.

Maybe you have the resolve to keep through this pain with some worldly excuses like

Tomorrow is another day

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

This too shall pass

Can you look at death and say the same thing?

Do you have faith that there is a tomorrow for you on the other side of death? What does kill you, does that make you stronger too? What will you have when this life passes too?

God looks at his Children, going through pain and says---“I see you going through that. I designed this hard thing for you. I am glad to see you growing, but I know that hurt that you feel. Don’t worry, trust; this will not end in death. Death will not end you. Instead, believe in me. This is how you can live out worship.”

Jesus loves you.