No Question: God is Here

John 11:33 ESV

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.

John 11:38 ESV

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

Jesus Isn’t OK with Death

John 11:39–40 ESV

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.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

Martha Struggles to Believe

John 11:41–42 ESV

So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 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.”

Jesus Again Speaks of Belief

John 11:43–44 ESV

When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 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.”

God’s Power is Present

John 11:45–46 ESV

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

Believe the Works

John 11:47–48 ESV

So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

Whatever it Takes to Stay in Office

John 11:49–50 ESV

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”

Plotting Against Life

John 11:51–53 ESV

He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

You Can’t Surprise God

The Eternal Plan

—Was always life

--Jesus’ Self-Sacrifice

—Brings hope where there is despair

God is Here

Emmanuel in Fact

Works with Human Involvement

—Martha is to believe

—Lazarus is to obey

—Onlookers to unbind Lazarus

—Caiaphas to prophesy

—Plot to kill Jesus

But Only Jesus

—Can die for the nation

—And all God’s children

—Can gather all into One

—In dying can bring Life