Sermon Tone Analysis

The Death of Death

Introduction

FCF: What does it take for someone to be convinced in Christianity?

I use to believe the problem was merely intellectual.

More education, more historical, linguistic, more logical process and anyone can become a Christian.

But the problem is not merely educational, it is deeper than that.

Assenting to Christianity is not merely an activity of the mind, it is a journey of the heart.

And it is not a journey that we just one day decide we are going to jump into, rather it is a journey that we are called to.

And when we hear that call, we respond.

We have seen over the past few weeks Jesus’ greatest sign in bringing Lazarus back from the dead.

And we have been saying this is necessary, because Jesus is the champion over our greatest foes especially death itself.

And then we asked the most important question we could ask, If Jesus is the champion over death what does that mean for us today while we are living?

So far we have seen it means two things, 1) Jesus is devoted to us when we encounter our greatest foe, and 2) in our times of loss, he identifies with us.

He meets us where we are bringing hope.

The last aspect of this passage that we see is that Jesus manifest God’s glory among us.

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What is God’s Glory?

While the resurrection of Lazarus seems to be the final conclusion of this chapter, the theme of God’s glory seems to take precedent.

According to Jesus this display of God’s glory that he is about to showcase is the most important thing the people will witness.

Martha still has no idea what Jesus is planning on doing.

You can see this by her objection to removing the stone away from the grave of her brother.

John highlights why she had the objections her brother had been dead, super dead, 4 days dead and removing the stone would be a painful experience for everyones eyes and noses.

But then Jesus begins the process of realigning her focus about the situation.

He has a plan, and his plan does not revolve around bringing more pain to the family, rather to demonstrate the glory of God by releasing Lazarus from the grips of his worst enemy death itself.

As much as Martha wants to see her brother live again there is something she needs more.

There is something every human being needs more, and that is to see the glory of God.

This is why Jesus says to her, what he does.

God’s glory defined.

God’s glory is the infinite expression of all his perfections.

It is not something that he possess separate than himself, it is the sum total of who he is.

Or as one pastor puts it, “the outward radiance of the intrinsic worth and beauty and greatness of his manifold perfections.

Every attribute of God is a facet in the diamond that is the glory of God.

If God lost any of his attributes, he would be less glorious.

Indeed, he would not be God.”

As we have said before, the Jewish understanding of God’s glory is very important here.

For the Jew, God’s glory is thought of as “heavy.”

The phrase, “The glory of the LORD appears frequently in the OT in reference to God’s unique divine presence, above, and even among his people.

God’s glory is synonymous with is presence.

We see this in verses like

or

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Seeing and even more experiencing God’s glory is the highest good anyone or anything in this universe can obtain.

Humans have been given a special privilege in the ordering of the universe in proximity to God’s glory.

We have been made to not only see it, experience it, but to reflect it.

We are conduits for his God’s splendor and presence.

But something has gone terribly wrong.

We have become blind to God’s glory.

How is God’s Glory so easy to miss?

Because our of sin and rebellion we all have forfeited our ability to freely access God’s glory.

Which means we have forfeited our access to God’s presence, his goodness his hope.

The payment of our sin as Paul says is death.

Throughout the history of God’s people God has used mediators to remind his people of their 1) need for God’s glory, and 2) use mediators to point God’s people to his promise to return his people to their place among God’s glory.

As these individuals are taken behind the curtain and shown God’s splendor they are never the same, and their plea for others to trust God is never the same.

Abraham experiences God’s presence in dream, and it leads him to trust him.

Moses while leading the people through the wilderness, tells God I can go no further unless you show me your glory.

Which for him becomes the sweeter than even entering the promise land.

God comes to David while he is praying and promises he will always have a son on throne, his kingship will last forever.

This becomes what he holds on to the rest of his life.

These men are able to lead others, because of the great glory they saw in God.

And now the greatest mediator has arrived.

And what is his deepest desire for his hurting friends?

In their time of greatest need, there is only one thing on his mind, exposing the glory of God before his friends.

Jesus is telling Martha and the onlookers, I know your hurting, I and I know what you think you need is just to see your brother live again, but you must see you have a deeper need.

You have a need to see, experience, and savior the glory of God which you are cut off from because of your sin.

But I have come, to make it known to you again.

Time out: Is this the time to talk about God’s glory?

Is right now a good time for a theological lesson…Jesus they are hurting, just raise him from the dead.

But Jesus is not being cruel he is being extremely practical, and he is reorienting their ability to see what they needs most even in their situation of loss.

He is reminding them of their need to see and trust in God’s glory.

What good is there joy, their happiness if it is not rooted in, and sustained by something as infinite as God’s own glory.

Jesus is addressing a huge problem.

God reveals his glory to us, and the appropriate response is to then verbally give him glory back.

But here is the problem, we don’t.

Instead we give glory to other things.

We give our glory to things that are not worthy, or are they directly responsible for our good.

God’s glory, shown forth in the plan and work of grace whereby he saves sinners, is meant to call forth praise (, , ), that is, the giving of glory to God by spoken words (cf.

; ).

All life activities, too, must be pursued with the aim of giving God homage, honor, and pleasure, which is glory-giving on the practical level ().

The doctrine of God’s glory, is not merely a theology pontification, it is truly practical for us.

God is infinitely glorious, he shares that glory wit us, and in return we then give glory back to him in all things.

No matter what you are doing the cor

Why God’s Glory?

Finally the moment has come.

Jesus is making good on his promise that this illness his friend has suffered from will not lead to final death, but rather so that the splendor of God might be made known more fully to those who believe.

Look at vv 41.

God’s Glory Demonstrates His Power.

Sorcerers and wizards whisper there incantations.

Doctors silently whisk around their tools on the operating table, but when the son of God raises Lazarus from the grave, he stands and shouts his name, and commands death to release him.

In the same way that a child

Jesus as the catalyst for God’s glory begins his work with the family by praying.

Notice in his prayer, he shows his special connection with the father.

He doesn't say our father, just father.

He alludes to praying prior to this moment about the work he is about to do, but also thanks God for answering his prayer in the presence of everyone who can hear him.

And he concludes his prayer stating the purpose of the miracle he is about to do.

Again notice, the purpose is not merely to bring Lazarus back from the dead, but so that the people’s eyes would be opened, and that they would believe that Jesus is the Messiah who has come to reveal the glory of the father.

And then as to not awaken every dead person within ear range, he calls Lazarus by name.

Like a parent calling to the child walking into an intersection, Jesus calls Lazarus back from the grips of death, by merely speaking.

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John is very clear, this is not an act of resuscitation.

Lazarus was dead, and has been brought back from the dead.