Resurrection | Life

1 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.” 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.” 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?” 38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

INTRODUCTION

Q - Ask yourself this question:In your opinion, what gives you life?

TRUTH: YOU CAN’T HAVE LIFE WITHOUT RESURRECTION

Q - Ever had to wait on someone before?

10 year John waiting on dad at the store

GOD’S WORD

Martha & Mary send word about Lazarus.

Jesus decides to stay

My Story

John 11:20–22 ESV

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.”

John 11:20–22 ESV

Q - Ever had to wait on someone before?

10 year John waiting on dad at the store

GOD’S WORD

Mary & Martha sent word to Jesus about Lazarus.

The assumption was that Jesus would be present and prevent Lazarus from dying.

The relationship between Jesus and Lazarus, Mary, and Martha was a special, close relationship. Jesus entrusted to them a very difficult story: the sickness and death of Lazarus.

Q - Jesus loved Lazarus and did not rush to keep him alive?

God’s ways are not our ways. They are much better. (). Jesus intentionally delayed. It was for a greater purpose.

God’s ways are not our ways. They are much better. ().

In the dead middle, in the moments of hurt, confusion, and questions, Jesus is sufficient for you.

Jesus intentionally delayed. It was for a greater purpose. As “the resurrection and the life,” Jesus is always writing better stories than we could ever pen. Martha & Mary would soon find this to be true.

TRUTH: YOU CAN’T HAVE LIFE WITHOUT THE RESURRECTION.

We are like Mary & Martha, “Jesus where were you?” OR in the moment we ask, “Jesus, where are you?”

Jesus knew the situation and had a greater purpose for Lazarus, those his life directly affected.

In the moments, we have to be able to understand Jesus’ greater/higher understanding. Jesus knew what he was going to do.

Jesus met with Martha in the middle of her tragedy by speaking truth into her:

John 11:25–26 ESV

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?”

John 11:25–27 ESV

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

John 11:25-

Not only did Jesus speak truth into her but He asked if she believed it.

John 11:25

What was she asked to believe in?

Answer: Hope. Jesus offered her hope in the middle of her frustration and confusion.

>> Jesus sees us & confronts us with His truth to give us hope.

Students in the middle of your story, Jesus is there with as you ask your questions.

Students in the middle of your story, Jesus listens to your questions and gives you truth for you.

Students in the middle of your story, Jesus gives you hope through the reality of who He is for you.

What Jesus was wanting Martha to understand was that in this dark moment in her life, He was zoning in on her life. It’s the same with you students. Jesus cared for Martha just as much as He cared for Lazarus.

This story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead communicates to us that not only does Jesus have the power to physically resurrect, but He has the authority and power to spiritually resurrect a life. Jesus was extending the invitation to be spiritually resurrected by repenting and & believing in the gospel.

TRUTH: YOU CAN’T HAVE LIFE WITHOUT RESURRECTION

As “the resurrection and the life,” Jesus is always writing better stories than we could ever pen. Martha & Mary would soon find this to be true.

John 11:43–44 ESV

43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

John 11:

TRUTH: YOU CAN’T HAVE LIFE WITHOUT THE RESURRECTION.

ME/YOU/WE

My story - mother - “This kind of stuff does not happen to me.”

6 months later - Cindy

CONCLUSION

Life does not come from what we receive from here on earth. Life only comes from heaven.

TRUTH: YOU CAN’T HAVE LIFE WITHOUT THE RESURRECTION.

The relationship between Jesus and Lazarus, Mary, and Martha was a special, close relationship. Jesus entrusted to them a very difficult story: the sickness and death of Lazarus.

Jesus waited two days to go to Lazarus so that He could reveal a more glorious expression of divine power, expressed according to God’s timing & wisdom. But why did Jesus intentionally wait?

God’s ways are not our ways. They are much better. ().

YOU CAN’T HAVE LIFE WITHOUT THE RESURRECTION.

We are like Mary & Martha, “Jesus where were you?” OR in the moment we ask, “Jesus, where are you?”

Jesus knew the situation and had a greater purpose for Lazarus, those his life directly affected.

In the moments, we have to be able to understand Jesus’ greater/higher understanding.

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