I AM The Resurrection and the Life

Intro

In just a few minutes will be looking at the gospel of John, chapter 11, verses 17-48 if you would like to go ahead and find your way there this morning.

Let me ask you something, how do you handle grief? I know that may sound like a strong way to start a sermon, but our passage of Scripture this morning deals with grief. If you have never dealt with grief, the fact is you will because 10 out of 10 people in our world die. However, the question is, how do you deal with it when your heart is grieving how do you deal with it, or maybe a good question is how should we deal with grief.

If you have ever read anything about grief counseling or how people handle grief odds are you have heard of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross' identification of the five stages of grief. While not everyone goes through all 5 stages in order or in equal intensity, often grieving people encounter one or more of the stages when they face a significant loss: the stages are (1) denial; (2) anger; (3) bargaining; (4) depression, and (5) acceptance. Although these stages have been challenged and even misapplied, most of us can identify with some of them if we have lost a loved one. However there is one aspect that is missing that we should not really expect to come from a secular source and that is, have an eternal, God-centered perspective: so the ultimate question is how should believers in Christ deal with grief and does that or should that look any different than the unbeliever dealing with grief?

There are some Christian who think that since we are filled with joy and praise, then we should never really grieve at all. The thought is kind of like this; if you have powerful faith, then you will never grieve that much if ever at all, you just need to put on your happy face and praise the Lord.

However, there is also the other extreme which says that believers grieve the exact same way that unbelievers do who have no hope they just can't come to terms with their loss. Here is the thing believers do grieve, however, their hope is in Christ coming, and the promise of the resurrection would cause our grief to be different to be different than the worlds.

Now, this sermon is not about grief per se, in fact, it is about Jesus proclaiming that He is the resurrection and the life. However, let me tell you why that bears significance when it comes to grief. When we read this, we will notice how Jesus' response to Martha and what he says has nothing to do with how she feels or getting in touch with her inner self or anything like that. Why? Because what she felt was not important, but what she believed was. Jesus is leading Martha t come to a higher level of faith that where she was currently at. Why? Because faith in Christ is a significant component in how we deal with and handle our grief when we are faced with a major trial. You will discover a lot about a person's faith by how they handle grief. This morning I am going to share 4 main points with you. First, Jesus is the resurrection and the life, Second, the outrage that Jesus shows third Jesus is our power, and lastly the sin of unbelief.

Now I would ask if you are willing and able would you please stand out of respect for God's word as we read

John has recorded for us the arrival of Jesus at Bethany, where the family of Lazarus is grieved and in deep mourning. John tells us that Lazarus had been in the tomb for 4 days and that many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them conferencing the loss of their brother. This is a potent setting for this message that was about himself as the giver of resurrection and life. There was the friend of Jesus Lazarus, dead and buried for four days. There were his sisters, who had trusted in Jesus to come and to save their brother, but he did not make it omg time, and now here they are in bitter grief. This was not just a private affair, for a multitude of Jews had come from nearby Jerusalem to participate in the mourning rites.

If any of these people knew what Jesus was about to do, then they would have agreed the setting cud not have been more perfect. However, Jesus knew what no-one else did, and that is that is a few days time he would be entering Jerusalem for his last time, beginning a week that would end with his own death on a cross, which in turn would lead to his own resurrection from the grave.

With that said the first thing I want us to see is that

I. Jesus Is The Resurrection and the Life

Let me just quickly set this up for us. First, notice it has been four days. Some might wonder why did Jesus wait for four days? What you may not know is that there was a rabbinic belief that the soul hovered over the body of a deceased person for the first three days intending to re-enter the body, but when the soul sees the appearance of change, it departs. So, in other words, Jesus waits four days s that everyone knows that Lazarus is dead, dead there will be no denying the miracle.

Secondly, notice the scene it is a suburb of Bethany as Jesus is still about 2 miles away Jesus is on the outskirts of town it would seem that perhaps Jesus sent a message ahead to tell the two sisters he was on his way and when Martha hears she goes out to meet him while Mary stays back at the house. We have this striking contrast between the sisters. Martha a woman of action, and energy, and initiative and Mary, who was contemplative and meditative. So let's take a look at Martha.

A. The Plea Of Martha

Personally, I get the sense that Martha was constantly on the lookout for Jesus' arrival after all they had sent word to Him, and Lazarus was a friend of Jesus. However, by the time Jesus gets there, it is too late. Lazarus was dead.

So when Jesus arrives, the two sisters responded in character right because we are all made differently, and we respond to grief and situations according to who we are. That was the case for these sisters. Let me just say that there is a time for quiet reflections, and there is a time for action, one is not to be held over the other. Here is the thing Mary had relayer ben applauded for her quiet devotion, but here she misses out on the glorious declaration that Marth received.

Martha greets Jesus tip these words "Lord, if you would have been here, my brother would not have died" You ever been frustrated like that? Lord, where are you? Lord, if you would have done something, my brother, mother, father, spouse, sister, child, they would not have died. Lord, can't you stop this virus? Martha's heart is grieving; she sat there waiting for Jesus wonders when will he get here they sure had septs over their dead brother's body, and this is what is in her heart when she races down to meet Jesus. I love what William Barclay says, "when Martha met Jesu, her heart spoke through her lips . . . Martha would have liked to say when you got the message why didn't you come at once"

It is not wrong to speak Frankly with God. He invites us to pour our hearts out to him. We are told to cast all of our anxieties on him because he cares for us . All of our burdens, grief, frustrations, and fustian we can take to him. How many prophets in the Old Testament cried out to God, "how long o Lord how long will this last God is willing to recite the grieving complain of our heart and we ave proof of it.

What I have found out about grieving Christians is they are often quick to lose hold of the truth of God's word amid their grief. This was the case in Martha's words. However, Jesus does not rebuke her, and so when tears cause us to fail to see, and trembling hands cause us to lose grip on faith, it is not the time to rebuke unbelief but rather to gently be reminded of the grace and truth of the Lord.

Now there are times that Christian think that God has failed them when a loved one dies or when a grievous event takes place, but God has never promised to preserve us from death or any tragedy for that matter. It is appointed to man once to die and then after this the judgment (). So until the Lord returns His will for every one of us is actually to die, suffering the curse of our race for Adams sin. Furthermore, Jesus assured us that we would have tribulation. Our faith will be strengthened by remembering what God has both promised and what he has not promised.

What we can be assured of is that every trial we face first passes through the hand of a holy, good, and loving God. Martha did not lose faith; she said to Jesus that whatever he asked of God, God would give to him. I don't believe she was thinking of a resurrection, but I believe she was asking Jesus to help as only he could help. Notice what happens

B. The Comfort of Jesus

Jesus brings comfort to Martha. When we are in the midst of sorrow, the best place we can go is to Jesus, and he tells her, "your brother will rise again." I don't know about you, but when I am around someone that is grieving, I want to give them comfort. Sometimes we have a hard time finding the right words to say but not Jesus. In fact, Jesus offers something better he offers a solution for that which grieves our soul. "Lazarus will rise again" This is the comfort that only Jesus can give and no one else.

The highest form of comfort that we can give to anyone is to direct those who are suffering to Jesus. The best ministry that we have as believers is to lead people to God's word and his promises of a resurrection to those who believe in Christ.

Martha does express a fundament faith here. She believed in a resurrection just not right at that moment. The resurrection she believed in was far into the future. However, the point is she had a fundamental faith. However, this is not the resurrection that Jesus is talking about. Jesus has something far more significant and much more immediate in mind. The opportunity comes for Jesus to

present one of the greatest lines in ScriptureScripture

C. Jesus Staggering Claim

So here we are at the scene of Lazarus death, and Jesus gives this staggering revelation to a grieving Martha "I am the resurrection and the life, Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die."

These are the most precious and ever to fall from the lips of our Lord I like what J.C Ryle says Jesus "tells Martha that He is not merely a human teacher of the resurrection, but the Divine Author of all resurrection, whether spiritual or physical and the Root and Fountain of all life." There are three things I want us to see real quick.

First, notice that Jesus identifies himself as the source of resurrection and life. He does not say I can resurrect people, but he says, "I am the resurrection and life." Our hope in this life is not in an event, but it is in a person Jesus Christ. You can lose your life, but Christ cant lose his life; he laid it down, and his resurrects proves that death could not take life from Him.

Jesus also said that whoever believed in him though they died, they will live. Jesus is the answer to the problem of death because by trusting in Jesus, we gain the promise of resurrection.

Jesus goes onto say that everyone who lives and believes in him will never die. Now, this is the end that awaits everyone who trusts in Christ. It is a life that will never end, and Jesus literally adds that we will never die forever. This is what B.B. Warfield says, "Whatever Death is, and all that Death is . . . that is what we shall be saved from in this salvation. And whatever Life is, and all that Life is . . . that is what we shall be saved to in this salvation."

Now we might be thinking big deal, and it is a big deal because what this means is that on April 2, when Pastor James Mackinnon succumbed to Coronavirus that though his heart may have stopped on this earth and though he may have been pronounced dead, he was not dead. It means that the woman he breathed his last and final breath on this earth, he immediately opened his eyes in glory. How do we know this? Because of the promise of Jesus that everyone that believes in Him will never indeed die. Our ordinary mortal life will ebb away but the life that Jesus gives never ends because Jesus is the resurrection and the life and Martha believes this at least as much of it as she can grasp but notice

II. The Outrage Of Jesus

Before I get into this outrage of Jesus and how it is that we know that Jesus is outraged, I want to first look at a few things. First, we need to understand a

A. Faith That Matters

People will say they have faith in many things. I mean we can have faith in our job, in our car, in our bank account there are many things that we can put our faith in, but none of those things really matter if we truly stop and think about because none of those things lead to eternal life. Receiving eternal life is conditional, one must believe. Jesus asks Martha if she believes and the connotation of the word is do you accept this as true, or do you have faith in what I am saying. What did Jesus just say? I am the resurrection and the life, and anyone that believes (has faith in) me will not die. Right, he did not say simply I gave life or gave the resurrection but that he is it, and then he says to Martha, do you have faith in what I just said, in other words, do you have faith in me. How does she respond

1. I Believe (Martha)

It is not a different word; it is the same word I have faith in, or I trust in. In what exactly? Martha tells us, "IU have faith that you are the Christ the Son of God what a confession. Remember earlier, "Lord, if you would have been here by a brother, would not have died," "Lord, I know that whatever you ask God will give you." Jesus tells her who he is, and then he presses her to receive what he just said. Then look at her reply; yes, Lord, I have faith. Yes, I trust it.

She does not argue with Jesus; she simply receives and believes Jesus. This is true faith. This does not mean she understands it all, in fact, she doesn't, but what it does mean is that she accepts it all whatever it is because she trusts in Jesus. The only way that anyone will ever come to faith is to listen to what the Bible speaks.

Martha had faith, then she declares it when she says that Jesus is the Son of God. Listen belief that Jesus is the son of God is essential to being a Christian a denial of this fundamental truth means that you are not a believer. Many people say Jesus was a good teacher or a process or whatever, but Jesus mainly taught that he is the Son of God. But lastly, notice that she also said that he is the one who is coming into the world, which means that He is the promised one of the Old Testament.

Jesus asked do you have faith in me, and now I ask you that question. Do you have faith in Jesus? Do you trust that Jesus is the Sanrio sent by God to a dying world that he is God's son the second person of the trinity very God of very God manifested I the flesh and do you look at him as your promised deliverer that God sent not only to a fallen and sinful world but today you from God's just wrath against your sins? Do you trust Jesus? Now notice what Mary says.

2. I Come (Mary)

Mary's faith is a little different from Martha's. Mary speaks less, but if we could place the words in her mouth, they would be "Yes Lord, I come" John makes the point that she went to the Lord quickly. Jesus appealed to Mary's faith by waiting outside of town and calling her to come to him. Jesus always seeks to exercise our faith, especially amid trials. Jesus calls us to himself. Martha came to Jesus, seeking answers, but Mary came to Jesus for love.

We see Mary's personal devotion to the Lord; she was not influenced bu other people's opinions of her; it was not popular or safe to identify with jess, but she did. Notice also that she comes and falls at his feet. All three major accounts of Mary I the New Testament, she is at the feet of Jesus.

Let me ask you why do you go to church? You see, true faith in Jesus comes primarily to worship Him like Mary did to fall at his feet and exalt his name and to celebrate his saving work and to hear his word. Is that why you are a part of a church?

Lastly, Mary relies entirely on Jesus to meet her every need. She needed comfort, and she cried to Jesus, "Lord, if you would have been here, he would not have died. She comes reverently and humble, and pure out her heart to Jesus. She shares her deepest feeling with her Lord.

Listen, this is the exact same kind of faith that we are invited to, and Jesus responds with compassion. If we know Jesus and trust in Him, we will experience a compassion in him that will overwhelm our hearts. True faith lets Jesus bear our burden. And call out to him with pure heart letting him see our deepest feelings os he can comfort us. Which leads to this

B. God Cares

In a moment, this is where we will see the outrage of Jesus. But, before that, it says that when Jesu saw her weeping, make a mental note of that He saw her weeping and he saw everyone that came with her it says he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.

Because Jesus saw her weeping, it reveals that God cares for our sorrows, He was not disinterested, but his heart was pierced. God cares about his people.

Does it matter that God cares? Absolutely it does, and it should draw us to Him. It should make a difference when we understand that God cares about us when people actually realize you care about them; they pay more attention to you. The very God who calls you to kneel before his word has attentive ears to hear your cry and is close to your broken heart. He cares for you. Now you might say I thought this point was the outrage, and it is.

When it talks about him being profoundly moved and greatly troubled, that is not a nice little thing. However, what is it that Jesus is outraged at? Is he outraged at the people or what? Well, notice Jesus demand "what are you doing here" or "what is wrong with you," but instead, he simply asks, "Where have you laid him" the death of Lazarus is what burdened His soul and roused his anger. Jesus, not passive or aloof. He wages war against death and the grace wit ha passionate zeal. No warrior ever entered into the ranks of the enemy with a greater ferocity than Jesus did in warring with death. When he looks at death, he sees the wreckage and carnage caused by sins, and he sins the hand of Satan all over it, and he is outraged.

Even though we have the glorious hope of the resurrection, we still wage war against death with our serving hands and tearful prayers, and with our gospel witness, we are waging holy warfare under the banner of Christ. Now notice

C. God Has Feelings

Jesus is told come and see and then in verse 35 we simple read "Jesus wept" Charles Spurgeon says There is infinitely more in these two words than any sermonizer, or any student of the Word, will ever be able to bring out of them, even though he should apply the microscope of the utmost attentive consideration." Jesus wept destroys the argument that God does not have feelings God feels. They are different than our filing because they are never mixed with sin, but He feels.

Death is a cause for sorrow, and it is not wrong to weep over death. There is nothing wrong with a child of God shedding tears. In fact, I would say that if you seldom shed tears as a believer, especially in our world today, then may something is wrong.

We can have a zeal to share the gospel with a sinner but do their sins and, misery lead you to weep for them and with them. We rightly rally against the sin of abortion, but do you shed tears for the babies, the mothers, the abortion doctors? We get outraged at the promotion of homosexuality in our society, but do you weep fort he homosexual? In that grave, Jesus saw the ruin of sin in our world, and he wept.

Perhaps that is what is missing from our witness. Weeping for the lost. Just weeping is not the answer, but looking at the heart of Jesus and having a heart that shed teas at the misery of sin ad death is essential to our ministry of his grace in our world to our neighbors and our town. Lastly

D. God Loves

, "See how he loved him." Jesus' love for Lazarus was not ended by death. When you love someone you rejoice with their joys, you grieve with their grief because love shares and participates with others' feelings. This should encourage our ministry to one another, but the ministry of God's love is far superior to our own ministry of love. Oh, to understand that God loves. God, in His love, is the answer to every problem we face. Jesus did not start loving when grieved and wept, but when he grieved and wept, the people saw how much he loved them. I got to hurry notice

III. Jesus Is Our Power

Jesus is God; he has a purpose in everything he does; we do not know everything he is doing or why, but we can trust it is for our good and his glory. This miracle goes beyond removing their grief, but it was about the power of Jesus over death. They knew death's demise they had just witnessed it, and now Jesus proves his woes over death. Notice Jesu cried out in a loud voice; there was no denying who was in charge. No one could misunderstand what Jesus said or did.

Now notice that Lazarus was dead. What did Lazarus do to be raised from the dead? Nothing. He was dead; there was nothing he could do. Now, after Jesus told Lazarus to come forth, did he debate it? No death is merely obedient to the call of Christ. Don't miss the picture of salvation here. There is nothing we can do to bring our dead soul to life; we are utterly and totally dependent on the power of Jesus to believe. We are dead, and dead people can't do a thing until Jesus shows up and calls our name. Quickly notice that

A. He Is The Object Of Our Faith

Jesus is not just an example of faith; he is the object of our faith. Can you imagine the scene as Jesus asks for the stone to be rolled away and declaring that God always hears him, and before anyone can object, he calls Lazarus out of the tomb with a loud voice? The voice that called the cosmos into being calls the dead back to life. Jesus is a sailor in whom we cant trust, and in the face of death, we look to him, who is the conqueror of death. Because Jesus is the object of our faith and we ah the witness of the Word of God, we can lie on our deathbed confident of rising again.

I am so thankful for the power of the call of Christ that it can raise the dead. That it can take poor preaching and stammering witness and use that to have the power to save a soul. God takes dead people who have no interest in HiM, and he breathes new life into them and causes their soul to yearn for him in worship.

Now, after Lazarus came out, he still had the grave clothes on him, and Jesus said unbind him. Listen, Christian, we have been raised to a new life I pray you are not walking around wearing grave clothes reading of death. I prayer you have not embarrassed the call of Christ. I close with this.

IV. The Sin Of Unbelief

This account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is a case study of the nature of unbelief quickly three things. First notice

A. Unbelief Despite The Evidence

I am not certain what more proof was needed. They had the stench of a rotting body as the stone was rolled away from the tomb and heard Jesus' loud commas and saw a formerly dead man come out of a tomb still in his grave clothes, and yet some still did not believe. They had witnessed more than one miracle and refused to believe. Their unbelief was despite the evidence.

The same is true today. Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies we have eyewitness accounts of His teaching and miracles there is the empty tomb and changed lives. There is evidence of design all through creation. However, there is still unbelief which only reveals the hardness of the human heart and our desire to suppress the evidence.

Next, we see

B. Unbelief Because of Selfishness

At the heart of unbelief is selfish pride. They plainly say that if they let Jesus continue like this, then everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away their nation. They are vested in the system and afraid of losing it. Let me be clear humanity, satan, the environment, or a virus can't frustrate God nor His sovereign purpose. You can oppose him, and you may think you are winning, but you are not. They killed Jesus, but in the end, God wins. God will win, and everyone who stands against him will lose, and neutrality is not an option because it is the same as unbelief. Finally

C. Unbelief Even In The Religious Elite

I know we did not read this verse, so let me read it quickly. Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. . These people are not openly hostile to Jesus, but they were not committed either. They were churchgoers who went through the motions of church; they knew all of the rituals, but they were unwilling to stand for Christ.

I pray that is not a description of you. It is entirely possible to be devoutly religious, to attend church regularly, to partake of the Lord's supper, and yet not be fully committed to Jesus Christ, especially when that commitment might cost you something, and you will die in your sin and be cast into an eternal hell.

Conclusion

Jesus said I am the resurrection, and the Life do not be trapped in your unbelief. Jesus has proven that He is who he said he is, and there is ample evidence. Head the warning form Hebrew 3:12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

What are you doing with Jesus? You are either opposing him, neutral to him as you practice your religion, or you believe in him as your Savior and Lord no matter what it may cost you. There is only one of those options that lead to eternal life. If you believe in him, you will see the glory of God in Christ. But, if you see the miracles recorded in God's word and do not believe, you will be hardened in your sin, and the Savior will withdraw from you. This is not a place you want to be.\