Sermon Tone Analysis

We are returning to our study of the Gospel of John today.

This will take us through Easter.

Study Guides available

You may wonder why I chose the Gospel of John.

I did b/c John tells the gospel with a particularly unique point of view.

John was one of Jesus’s closest disciples.

He was an insider.

He tells us stories and accounts of Jesus’s life that the other Gospel writers don’t tell us.

But not only is his story unique, he tells it in a unique way.

John writes to show us the humanity of Jesus the Son of God, the King of Kings.

The Gospel covers 3 years, but actually only touches on about 30 days out of the 3 years.

So far, in the first 10 chapters we have covered those 3 years.

Now for the rest of the Gospel we are going to focus on the last week.

He does this by building the story of Jesus around 7 miracles… signs as they are known.

Signs because each one points to a different reality of Jesus’s ministry and nature.

Water to wine 2:1-11

Healing officials son 4:46-54

Healing lame man 5:1-18

Feeding 5000 6:1-15

Walking on water 6:16-21

Healing blind man 9:1-41

Raising Lazarus 11:1-37

Also around 7 unique claims Jesus makes about himself called “I am” statements.

So far we have looked at:

1.

I AM the bread of life 6:35–40

2. I AM the light of the world 8:12–13

3. I AM the gate [door] for the sheep 10:7–10

4. I AM the good shepherd 10:11–18

5.

I AM the resurrection and the life 11:17–27

Today we pick up our story at a time when Jesus’s public ministry is coming to an end.

He has just been run out of Jerusalem after he healed a man born blind.

The leaders of the temple were seeking to have him killed as his “I am the good shepherd” statement was understood as his claiming to be God.

Today and over the next couple of weeks we are going to look to learn from Jesus’s approach to life, death, and the glory that come from them.

PRAY

Several funerals this week for friends and family of friends.

Each one was powerful in it’s own way.

Mrs Betty was an artist with a gentle spirit; another was a great father who was all about everything his kids were about; the other was a wife and mom who was an amazing musician and business owner.

Each one told a story of the person’s life and how their life connected to Christ’s.

That’s what makes a funeral unique because this makes you think about life and death.

They also are important because it’s an occasion to stop and think about what we remember about people, either the person who died, or those we love who are still alive.

We think of our parents, whether they are still alive or not.

If you are married, you can’t help but think of your spouse.

If you have kids, you can’t help but think of them.

You think of your siblings.

It’s even an occasion to think of your own life.

I’m no different.

I got to thinking about my own funeral… I got thinking what might be said about me… what words might be spoken about me… Husband, father, follower of Jesus, pastor, coach… some other words might be used but I’m not asking you to share.

What struck me was something that was talked about at all of them, but explicitly at Mrs Betty’s… Mrs Betty had shared that she wished she had spent more time painting.

Spent more time doing the very thing that we all appreciated so much from her.

Her artistic gift.

Aspiration vs. Actuality

This made me wonder, if what we remember most about people is what they wanted us to remember about them when they were gone.

I told you I had an uncle who I loved dearly but he cheated like crazy playing games… Like I said he was a fantastic uncle, he always encouraged me, welcomed me, made me feel at home when I came over and ate his favorite food, and when I was in his chair after a long day of work… but the thing I remember most is him always cheating us in Monopoly or cards.

I doubt he wants to be remembered as a cheat, but that’s what stuck.

I have a list of things I want to be known for.

So far I have a list of 7 things that I want to be remembered for.

Do you know what you want to be known for?

Now I could get business cards or shirts printed with these on it; but that wouldn’t really work.

Attending these funerals lately has reminded me that the only way to be known for these things when I’m gone is to live this out today.

Resolutions.... Aspirations are like New year resolutions.

Things we hope to do, hope to become.

But we all know they don’t happen unless we do something about them.

I need to live these qualities out now, so people will remember me that way later.

Im not making a resolution, instead I’m doing something Michelle and I have done the last few years… take a word for the year and focus on it, study it, apply it.

My word for the year 2020 is NOW.

This may sound great, but this is still about my aspiring to be something in the future.

This isn’t actually true about me… yet.

That’s great pastor, but what does this have to do with Jesus?

Great question.

John wrote to tell us who Jesus actually was, the son of God.

Jesus didn’t leave it to us to figure out.

He told us exactly who he wanted us to know he was.

This wasn’t who Jesus wanted to become, it’s who he was:

When he fed the 5000, he declared I AM the bread of life 6:35–40

When he healed a blind man, he declared I AM the light of the world 8:12–13

These miracles weren’t just miracles, these were signs of Emmanuel, God with us.

Today we look at another one of Jesus’s signs and proclamations.

But I encourage you to spend some time thinking about how you want to be remembered.

Generous?

Forgiving?

Encouraging?

Loving?

Faithful?

Servant?

Are you becoming that person today?

Maybe take one and make it your word of the year… just an idea.

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Remember Jesus has just left Jerusalem and had gone a few miles away to escape those who were trying to kill him.

That’s gives context to the disciples reaction to the news of Lazarus.

Jesus knew right away what he was going to do.

“this sickness will not end in death… but in God’s glory.”

Not only did Jesus know what he was about to do, but he knew the outcome.

The disciples had an idea of what was about happen as well.

They were about to get killed.

Jesus responds… in v10, we have work to do guys…then in v11, ”our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

They took Jesus literally.

So Jesus said, no he is dead.

If you know the rest of the Gospel, you know that in a few days Jesus will be tried, convicted, and crucified and throughout all that, his disciples weren’t there out of fear.

Even though they began with this sort of courage.

We will see this play out in the messages to come I’m sure.

So Jesus heads on his way and is confronted by Martha.