I AM...The Resurrection and the Life
I AM series • Sermon • Submitted
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· 3 viewsOur life is not through what Jesus does, but because of who He is.
Notes
Transcript
Opening:
From magnificent cathedrals in bustling cities to humble homes in remote mountains and deserts, the greeting is the same: “He is risen!” “He is risen, indeed!” With that exchange of greetings comes the acknowledgment that life has triumphed over death! Forever! In the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, life wins! The idea that life wins is an Easter certainty, but somehow we have tended to leave it to Easter to emphasize what should be the central affirmation of the Christian faith every day of the year.
As we continue on our exploration of the “I Am” statements of Jesus, today will will look at one that holds the greatest promise for us. Are passage of text today covers a lot of ground, so I am not going to read it in its entirety here, but only the introduction to the events. We will continue to work our way through the rest interspersed in today’s sermon.
Stand with me as we read .
1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill.
3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”
4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5 Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus,
6 after having 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 trying to stone you, and are you going there again?”
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world.
10 But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.”
11 After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.”
12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.”
13 Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep.
14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.
15 For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
16 Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Pray
“Jesus is risen!” For many people, the test of that Easter greeting is greatest in the suffering and grief at the death of a loved one. What does it really mean to say, “He is risen”? Is that more than an acknowledgment that Jesus has overcome the injustice and agony of his betrayal, cruel torture, and excruciating death on a Roman cross? Is it merely a seasonal greeting—one that holds no depth of truth to sustain us in the moments of searing loss when the worst possible news throws us to our knees? Death is hard and harsh, even for those who believe in the promise of resurrection.
You see...
A. TRUST IS ASSAULTED BY LOSS ()
A. TRUST IS ASSAULTED BY LOSS ()
Physical death feels so final to us. Not knowing or understanding what comes after makes us desire every opportunity to hold it at bay; even those who believe find themselves reluctant to accept it and our first response in shock that God would allow it. Look at Martha’s response.
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
18 Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem,
19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.
20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
Jesus’s decision to delay his journey to Bethany confounds his dear friends and the concerned disciples. From the standpoint of the sisters, his timing is off—his arrival too late. Lazarus is not dead and entombed.
Jesus’s decision to delay his journey to Bethany confounds his dear friends and the concerned disciples. From the standpoint of the sisters, his timing is off—his arrival too late. From the standpoint of the disciples, his return to Judea is a recipe for disaster. The Jewish leaders have already been plotting his death, and it is certain that his being in proximity to Jerusalem will only give them greater opportunity to carry out their threats. There is a tension in this narrative that is expressed by both the disciples and the sisters of Lazarus. If we misread this tension, we miss the point of this account. • Jesus, after a delay, is going to Bethany over the protests of his disciples. 1 2 On his arrival in Bethany, Martha speaks words of disappointment (“if you had been here . . .” [v. 21]) . . . • Thomas seems determined not to abandon Jesus, even in the face of death. • Martha seems to believe in Jesus, even in the face of her grief and frustration that he did not come when he was summoned. B. FAITH IS AWAKENED BY HOPE () In response to both of Martha’s statements, Jesus provides us with the central claim of the gospel of John and the major truth of the Christian faith. The theological center of this entire passage is contained in verses 25 and 26. Ultimately, the faith that saves us is not our faith in the deeds and miracles of Jesus so much as our faith in the very person of Jesus. Jesus is making bold claims. He is using their language. He is using their images and memories from their own prophetic writers. His words resonate with the people—especially the Pharisees—at profound levels. The story of the raising of Lazarus has great power. We who read these words in the twenty-first century have the hindsight of two thousand years of history and tradition. But for Martha and Mary, this is a moment of convulsive grief and confusion. But Jesus is not overwhelmed by this loss. He is not angry at their grief. He is not hesitant in the face of the Pharisees’ doubt. And his words begin to awaken a new level of hope in Martha’s grieving heart. C. DEATH IS DEFEATED BY LIFE () Here is the moment of revelation that is the crux of all our hope. Here is the point toward which all the words of Jesus have been directed throughout his ministry. Here is the central reality on which our celebration of Easter stands to this very day: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die’” (vv. 25–26a). But there is more—much more! In the words of Jesus to Martha (vv. 23–25), we hear an assurance that is more central to the Christian faith than the promise of the eventual resurrection of the dead. The claim of the Christian faith is that in Christ—risen, ascended, and reigning as sovereign Lord—we may have a measure of life, a dimension of being, in this world, at this time, in this life, 3 that is accessible through faith and based on the completed work of Jesus in his suffering death and resurrection. This is the life made available to us when Jesus was raised from the dead on that first Easter morning. This is the life available to us as a gift of the Holy Spirit, poured out by the Father and the Son on the day of Pentecost. This is the life given in response to our faith in the promise of Jesus when he said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (10:10). This is what we mean when we say that the kingdom of God has come and is now at work in our world. This is the already/ not yet kingdom of God where we have life in him, and even though we die, we live. CONCLUSION We must not forget the way in which Jesus shares the grief of these heartbroken sisters. His own heart is deeply moved over the agony of suffering, of disease, of death, and of sin. His grief is a powerful reminder of the fact that our own loss and suffering are not ignored or overlooked by God. Jesus, the I am, is touched deeply by the grief of his friends. He weeps! But his grief does not disrupt the objective Jesus has in this momentous event. He makes his way to the grave of Lazarus, accompanied by the sisters and their grieving friends. He intends to state once again, and in the clearest possible terms and actions, that he is indeed who he says he is. After a fervent and instructive prayer, Jesus raises his voice in command and shouts, “Lazarus, come out!” (11:43b). To the astonishment of everyone, Lazarus does just that. At the mere command of Jesus, he comes out of the tomb! I am has spoken! Death must release its grip on Lazarus because of who Jesus is. On every Easter Sunday, when the Christian faith stops in wide-eyed wonder and marvels in remembrance of the stunning events of that day, it is important for us to once again be challenged by the words of Jesus to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (vv. 25–26). • The great gift of this story is not that Jesus raises the dead. • The great gift of this story, and of all the gospel, is that Jesus raises the dead, that Jesus has come, that Jesus is life. • Do you believe this?!
From the standpoint of the disciples, his return to Judea is a recipe for disaster. The Jewish leaders have already been plotting his death, and it is certain that his being in proximity to Jerusalem will only give them greater opportunity to carry out their threats.
There is a tension in this narrative that is expressed by both the disciples and the sisters of Lazarus. If we misread this tension, we miss the point of this account.
• Jesus, after a delay, is going to Bethany over the protests of his disciples.
• Thomas seems determined not to abandon Jesus, even in the face of death.
On his arrival in Bethany, Martha speaks words of disappointment (“if you had been here . . .” [v. 21])
21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
Martha is obviously disappointed, yet seems to believe in Jesus, even in the face of her frustration that he did not come when he was summoned.
However, just as trust is assaulted by loss, we find that...
B. FAITH IS AWAKENED BY HOPE ()
B. FAITH IS AWAKENED BY HOPE ()
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;
26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.”
29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him.
30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him.
31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then 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 have kept this man from dying?”
In response to both of Martha’s statements, Jesus provides us with the central claim of the gospel of John and the major truth of the Christian faith. The theological center of this entire passage is contained in verses 25 and 26.
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?”
In response to both of Martha’s statements, Jesus provides us with the central claim of the gospel of John and the major truth of the Christian faith. The theological center of this entire passage is contained in verses 25 and 26. Ultimately, the faith that saves us is not our faith in the deeds and miracles of Jesus so much as our faith in the very person of Jesus. Jesus is making bold claims. He is using their language. He is using their images and memories from their own prophetic writers. His words resonate with the people—especially the Pharisees—at profound levels. The story of the raising of Lazarus has great power. We who read these words in the twenty-first century have the hindsight of two thousand years of history and tradition. But for Martha and Mary, this is a moment of convulsive grief and confusion. But Jesus is not overwhelmed by this loss. He is not angry at their grief. He is not hesitant in the face of the Pharisees’ doubt. And his words begin to awaken a new level of hope in Martha’s grieving heart. C. DEATH IS DEFEATED BY LIFE () Here is the moment of revelation that is the crux of all our hope. Here is the point toward which all the words of Jesus have been directed throughout his ministry. Here is the central reality on which our celebration of Easter stands to this very day: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die’” (vv. 25–26a). But there is more—much more! In the words of Jesus to Martha (vv. 23–25), we hear an assurance that is more central to the Christian faith than the promise of the eventual resurrection of the dead. The claim of the Christian faith is that in Christ—risen, ascended, and reigning as sovereign Lord—we may have a measure of life, a dimension of being, in this world, at this time, in this life, 3 that is accessible through faith and based on the completed work of Jesus in his suffering death and resurrection. This is the life made available to us when Jesus was raised from the dead on that first Easter morning. This is the life available to us as a gift of the Holy Spirit, poured out by the Father and the Son on the day of Pentecost. This is the life given in response to our faith in the promise of Jesus when he said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (10:10). This is what we mean when we say that the kingdom of God has come and is now at work in our world. This is the already/ not yet kingdom of God where we have life in him, and even though we die, we live. CONCLUSION We must not forget the way in which Jesus shares the grief of these heartbroken sisters. His own heart is deeply moved over the agony of suffering, of disease, of death, and of sin. His grief is a powerful reminder of the fact that our own loss and suffering are not ignored or overlooked by God. Jesus, the I am, is touched deeply by the grief of his friends. He weeps! But his grief does not disrupt the objective Jesus has in this momentous event. He makes his way to the grave of Lazarus, accompanied by the sisters and their grieving friends. He intends to state once again, and in the clearest possible terms and actions, that he is indeed who he says he is. After a fervent and instructive prayer, Jesus raises his voice in command and shouts, “Lazarus, come out!” (11:43b). To the astonishment of everyone, Lazarus does just that. At the mere command of Jesus, he comes out of the tomb! I am has spoken! Death must release its grip on Lazarus because of who Jesus is. On every Easter Sunday, when the Christian faith stops in wide-eyed wonder and marvels in remembrance of the stunning events of that day, it is important for us to once again be challenged by the words of Jesus to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (vv. 25–26). • The great gift of this story is not that Jesus raises the dead. • The great gift of this story, and of all the gospel, is that Jesus raises the dead, that Jesus has come, that Jesus is life. • Do you believe this?!
Ultimately, the faith that saves us is not our faith in the deeds and miracles of Jesus so much as our faith in the very person of Jesus.
Ultimately, the faith that saves us is not our faith in the deeds and miracles of Jesus so much as our faith in the very person of Jesus.
Ultimately, the faith that saves us is not our faith in the deeds and miracles of Jesus so much as our faith in the very person of Jesus. Jesus is making bold claims. He is using their language. He is using their images and memories from their own prophetic writers. His words resonate with the people—especially the Pharisees—at profound levels. The story of the raising of Lazarus has great power. We who read these words in the twenty-first century have the hindsight of two thousand years of history and tradition. But for Martha and Mary, this is a moment of convulsive grief and confusion. But Jesus is not overwhelmed by this loss. He is not angry at their grief. He is not hesitant in the face of the Pharisees’ doubt. And his words begin to awaken a new level of hope in Martha’s grieving heart.
Jesus is making bold claims. He is using their language. He is using their images and memories from their own prophetic writers. His words resonate with the people—especially the Pharisees—at profound levels.
The story of the raising of Lazarus has great power. We who read these words in the twenty-first century have the hindsight of two thousand years of history and tradition. But for Martha and Mary, this is a moment of convulsive grief and confusion.
But Jesus is not overwhelmed by this loss.
He is not angry at their grief.
He is not hesitant in the face of the Pharisees’ doubt.
And his words begin to awaken a new level of hope in Martha’s grieving heart.
Can you feel Martha’s emotion here? She is grieving for her brother who has died. This grief would have been profound on multiple layers for Martha and Mary. They loved their brother, but their brother is also a key source for their well-being in that society of male domination.
All hope felt gone when Jesus did not arrive and with each succeeding day the hope fades further. Then suddenly, here comes Jesus and says, “Your brother will rise again!”
I can just imagine Martha’s heart pick up speed and a hitch in her voice when she replies, “I know he will rise again in the last day.” I can just imagine her hoping Jesus will correct her and He does. He gives that powerful response.
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
Jesus has the power to bring life at any point He so wishes. And God does not hold Him back. God ordained this moment to demonstrate to them and us, that Jesus is God’s Son and therefore, has the authority and power to bring resurrection.
Jesus wept in that moment. Not for Lazarus. He knew Lazarus would live again. He wept for those around Him who were so lost in their grief. I think He also wept because He wanted so badly for them (and us) to understand. He had been preaching and teaching for almost 3 years and even those who believed, still had no real concept of what He was trying to teach them. If they did, they would have no reason to grieve and be lost in these moments.
And then we see...
C. DEATH IS DEFEATED BY LIFE ()
C. DEATH IS DEFEATED BY LIFE ()
38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.
39 Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
42 “I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”
43 When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.”
44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Here is the moment of revelation that is the crux of all our hope. Here is the point toward which all the words of Jesus have been directed throughout his ministry. Here is the central reality on which our celebration of Easter stands to this very day: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die’” (vv. 25–26a).
Here is the moment of revelation that is the crux of all our hope. Here is the point toward which all the words of Jesus have been directed throughout his ministry. Here is the central reality on which our celebration of Easter stands to this very day: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die’” (vv. 25–26a). But there is more—much more! In the words of Jesus to Martha (vv. 23–25), we hear an assurance that is more central to the Christian faith than the promise of the eventual resurrection of the dead. The claim of the Christian faith is that in Christ—risen, ascended, and reigning as sovereign Lord—we may have a measure of life, a dimension of being, in this world, at this time, in this life, 3 that is accessible through faith and based on the completed work of Jesus in his suffering death and resurrection. This is the life made available to us when Jesus was raised from the dead on that first Easter morning. This is the life available to us as a gift of the Holy Spirit, poured out by the Father and the Son on the day of Pentecost. This is the life given in response to our faith in the promise of Jesus when he said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (10:10). This is what we mean when we say that the kingdom of God has come and is now at work in our world. This is the already/ not yet kingdom of God where we have life in him, and even though we die, we live.
But there is more—much more! In the words of Jesus to Martha (vv. 23–25), we hear an assurance that is more central to the Christian faith than the promise of the eventual resurrection of the dead. The claim of the Christian faith is that in Christ—risen, ascended, and reigning as sovereign Lord—we may have a measure of life, a dimension of being, in this world, at this time, in this life, that is accessible through faith and based on the completed work of Jesus in his suffering death and resurrection.
This is the life made available to us when Jesus was raised from the dead on that first Easter morning. This is the life available to us as a gift of the Holy Spirit, poured out by the Father and the Son on the day of Pentecost. This is the life given in response to our faith in the promise of Jesus when he said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (10:10).
10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
This is what we mean when we say that the kingdom of God has come and is now at work in our world. This is the already/ not yet kingdom of God where we have life in him, and even though we die, we live.
This is what we mean when we say that the kingdom of God has come and is now at work in our world. This is the already/ not yet kingdom of God where we have life in him, and even though we die, we live.
CONCLUSION
We must not forget the way in which Jesus shares the grief of these heartbroken sisters. His own heart is deeply moved over the agony of suffering, of disease, of death, and of sin. His grief is a powerful reminder of the fact that our own loss and suffering are not ignored or overlooked by God.
Jesus, the I am, is touched deeply by the grief of his friends. He weeps! But his grief does not disrupt the objective Jesus has in this momentous event. He makes his way to the grave of Lazarus, accompanied by the sisters and their grieving friends.
He intends to state once again, and in the clearest possible terms and actions, that he is indeed who he says he is.
After a fervent and instructive prayer, Jesus raises his voice in command and shouts, “Lazarus, come out!” (11:43b). To the astonishment of everyone, Lazarus does just that. At the mere command of Jesus, he comes out of the tomb!
I am has spoken! Death must release its grip on Lazarus because of who Jesus is.
On every Easter Sunday, when the Christian faith stops in wide-eyed wonder and marvels in remembrance of the stunning events of that day, it is important for us to once again be challenged by the words of Jesus to Martha:
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (vv. 25–26).
• The great gift of this story is not that Jesus raises the dead. It is more than that!
The great gift of this story, and of all the gospel, is that Jesus raises the dead, that Jesus has come, that Jesus is life.
The great gift of this story, and of all the gospel, is that Jesus raises the dead, that Jesus has come, that Jesus is life.
• Do you believe this?! If you do, now is the time to tell Him. He is here and now. Resurrection is not only of body but spirit and Jesus spirit resides in this world through His holy Spirit. If you feel Jesus speaking to you in this moment. Calling to you to believe and put your faith in Him, that is Jesus Spirit speaking to you. All you have to do is confess to Him that you believe and wish Him to save you. That is resurrection power would touch your life giving you new life today.
The altar is open. It is a good place to come talk to God. A video is going to play softly, allowing you time to pray and then I will close us in prayer.
Resurrecting-Elevation Worship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwcrBEwc-Gw
Pray
Resurrection Power - Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiatOIz8h0A
Living Hope -Phil Wickham
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwcrBEwc-Gw
Elevation worship
Living Hope -Phil Wickham
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f2FXxDVO6w