No Grave- Easter 2020

John 11:1–16 NLT

A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.” But his disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?” Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.” Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.” The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.” Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.”

Jesus makes an interesting statement when warned about returning to Judea because of their concern for him to be stoned by the people....he says

John 11:9–10 NLT

Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.”

What is so cool about this is this story of Lazarus is right in the middles of a series of statements that Jesus makes about himself and theologians call them Jesus’ I am statements

I am the bread of Life John 6:35

I am the light of the world John 8:12

I am the door John 10:9

I am the Good Shepherd John 10:11

and in this story we are getting ready to see another I am statement by Jesus

Jesus is with Martha outside the city and she said......John 11:24

She was saying Jesus I know he is safe and he will rise at the great time of the ressurection

-she was saying I believe in the power of that day......I believe in the power of that established time

Jesus is saying I am the God who is going to make that day possible.....

I am the resurrection and the life John 11:25 that is the power behind that hope in which you have......its me believe in me, look to me and even now you will be saved NOT ONLY IN THE DAY TO COME, BUT ALSO IS THE DAY

The hope Martha had was for a day a time an a place .....which was good because what she said was true. The resurrection of the dead to life will be a glorious day and life will be new and final.....Jesus wanted her to believe in the person he was and the power he had so she would live in the power of the resurrection NOW.

Lets move on to John 20 where we see the victory of the work Jesus did on the cross.

Mary has gone to the tomb has seen it is empty

went to get Peter and John and they saw it was empty....they went home

Mary stayed and cried…Jesus appears to her she doesn’t realize it was him

Jesus came through the door and said PEACE BE WITH YOU! BOOM TRUTH BOMB!

Typical Jewish greeting but Jesus was now saying.....because I am with you PEACE IS YOURS

Just like he said in

John 14:27 NLT

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

John 16:33 NLT

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

I n my life time the goodness of Easter was good because I knew that Jesus had risen and like Martha I knew that I was going to have peace and Joy in the day when Jesus returned to get us........

-I went home to a sunny day and life was good because we had a huge lunch and the day was closed by the goodness of our life situation were we in.

Today we experience Easter differently......like the disciples that same resurrection Sunday they were behind closed doors and afraid

-maybe you are sitting home today and there is not straight out fear, but maybe you are experiencing anxiety....fears little brother.

-Maybe there is an uneasyness that you are hoping that Easter Sunday will quell

-The full church, loud music, big lunch, and great family and friends have all made Easter great for us in the past.

BUT JESUS CALLS US TO UNDERSTAND SOMETHING.....THE POWER OF EASTER IS NOT THAT LIFE IS PERFECT AND WE CAN GET BACK TO SOME NORMAL FEELINGS.

Jesus told us that if we are looking at the world to find peace WE WILL NEVER FIND IT.....Even after Corona passes and things try top get back to normal you might start to feel normal again, but that is not PEACE....

JESUS IS THE ONLY SOURCE OF PEACE THAT WE WILL EVER HAVE.....AND THERE IS NO GRAVE THAT CAN HOLD HIM.

LAZARUS’s GRAVE COULDN’T CONTAIN THE WORK OF GOD....

JESUS GRAVE COULD NOT HOLD BACK THE POWER OF GOD

THE PLACE WHERE YOU FIND YOURSELF TODAY STILL CAN NOT CONTAIN OR HOLD BACK THE POWER OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE.....SO THERE IS NO GRAVE THAT WILL HOLD YOU.

NO MATTER WHAT YOUR LIFE LOOKS LIKE AT THIS TIME.....THE LIFE OF JESUS IS AVAILABLE TO YOU RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THERE WAS NO GRAVE THAT COULD CONTAIN JESUS AND HE IS ALIVE AND AT WORK IN OUR LIVES AND OUR WORLD EVEN NOW THIS VERY MOMENT.

The power of God is not shown through the quality of your life’s situation, but the quality of the love that lives in you no matter your life situation.

WE can live in the truth of the resurrection today and have the peace that only Jesus gives because there was no grave that could hold him.

If you are listening today and this maybe the first time you have heard the story of Jesus’s resurrection…let me tell you it is not a story, but an event that changed that history of the world.

-you can have the peace I am talking about

-you can have the power of Jesus in your life today....no matter where you find yourself you can always start a relationship with Jesus because he has already been calling you and pulling on your heart.

If you would like to start a relationship with Jesus and you are within the sound of my voice today then tell him today in your heart and mind these things

Jesus I know I need you in my life....

I have no peace without you and I want you to be my King ....

I trust that you died and resurrected to give me new life.

I love you Jesus.

There is no grave that can contain the work that Jesus has done in your life right now and you can live in peace.

If you prayed that prayer for the first time please send me an email at the link below at [e-mail] or call me at 443-359-8053 and I would love to talk with you about your new relationship with Jesus and how I can walk with you and help you in this exciting time in your life.

Benediction:

May the loving power of God, which raised Jesus to new life, strengthen you in peace, enrich you with his love, and fill you with joy in the faith

Go this week and know that No Grave can contain our savior Jesus the Christ.

Go and know that you are loved!