The Power is in The Person

John 11:25–26 NASB95

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

The Power is in The Person

Intro

We all have religious protocols - procedures that we follow, a system that we adhere

a good system, sensible procedures - that’s how they became protocols . . . they work

they are proper responses to troubles in our lives

but we must remind ourselves that our faith should extend beyond a protocol, a system, a set of responses . . . because Power is not in the protocol, the power is in the person of Christ

Analogy

and though you may already know that, let me show you how easy it is for a good protocol can cause us to forget the person

celebrating a child’s birthday is a good thing, and we have good protocols to help us celebrate

location, food, guests, gifts and a birthday cake

Yet, I’ve seen the birthday girl/boy be forgotten because everyone is so focused on the birthday party protocols

we say the birthday is all about the child . . . this is your day

yet when the child want to eat candy for breakfast . . . we say no, it will ruin their appetite for the party later

some kids don’t want to go to Chuck E. Cheese because they are scared of the rat, or they want to go to the park . . . but we say no, we’re going anyway

already paid deposit, I want to be inside, this is only place close to everybody

at the place, they want to start playing right away . . . . but we say no, wait until your friends get here

at the party they want to keep playing with the games . . . but we say no, time to cut the cake

they want to cut the cake then . . . but we say no, we must sing the song first

just the past week a video when viral because of some fantastic singers at a child’s b-day party, and the child was forgotten

they want to swipe their finger on the cake and lick their finger . . . but we say no, you better not touch that cake, I’ll cut you a slisce, and then use silverware

they open their gifts and want to play with them now . . . but we say no, wait till you get home

so they say, can I go back to the games . . . and we say no, finish eating this pizza I paid for

they finally get back to the games and want to stay a little while longer . . . but we say no, I’m ready to go home

then we gauge the success of the party by the compliments of other parents, not the happiness of the child

and we meant no harm, but the party becomes about the protocols and procedures rather than the person

and that child was not allowed to change one thing

The same with good religion . . those procedures, responses and systems we put in place to honor, serve, and connect with God.

nothing wrong with good religion, but Jesus is not a child, he will change it up the party as he sees fit

and when he changes it up, we have an opportunity to demonstrate that we know the power is in the person of Christ

Scripture Background

two sisters and a brother: Mary, Martha, and Lazarus

Chapter eleven of John clearly states Jesus loved them and they loved him

Lazarus gets deathly sick, and the sisters call on Jesus because they believe Jesus can heal him

These are sisters of faith, they are believing in Jesus for a miracle

And the Bible tells us that Jesus delayed his coming on purpose, so that Lazarus would die so that God would get the glory

When Jesus finally arrives on the scene, Lazarus has been dead four days, this is important because the Jews believe that even if it were possible to raise someone from the dead, you had to do it within three days

Let’s jump in where Martha, upon hearing of Jesus’ arrival, runs out to meet Jesus

John 11:21 NASB95

21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.

Martha’s protocol, an understandable and sensible protocol, was to call Jesus in plenty of time, so that Jesus would come in time to heal her brother

But Jesus changed it up by delaying his coming, and thus messed up her protocol, and the only thing she could say is that . . . if you had been here, my brother would not have died

this statement demonstrates that it does not matter that Jesus is there right now, it doesn’t matter that the person with the power is right in front of her

She is so focused on how Jesus usually works, that she is not focused on Jesus

then she says . . .

John 11:22 NASB95

22 “Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

based on what she will say later, this is not a statement of faith, This is a further accusation

she is not saying, “ I know you can still help my brother and raise him from the dead”

She is saying, “I know God gives you whatever you ask” so why didn’t you show up earlier. . . in other words, not only if you had been here . . . but you should have been here

And that’s how we often feel, God I know you have the power, but why didn’t you come to my rescue

John 11:23–24 NASB95

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

Jesus responds, “your brother will rise again”

Martha again ignores the person of Christ and applies her timing protocol to the situation, “on the last day, my brother will rise again”

you must be talking about when God comes to judge the world, but this present situation is done

John 11:25–26 NASB95

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Jesus tries to shake her out of her timing protocol, and get her to see that the power is not in the timing, the power is in Him!

He says, I am the resurrection and the life

the power is not in the day, but in the creator of the day

the power is not in resurrection day, but the one who causes resurrection on that day

wherever I am, whenever I am . . . resurrection power is ready and available

Then he describes resurrection day

those who die will live again

those who are living at the time will never die

but Jesus teaches that the key to resurrection is the one with the the power! The power is in my person

it not about the timing, nor the day, it’s about those who believe in Me

then he asks Martha plainly, “Do you believe this?”

do you believe that I am the resurrection and the life?

do you believe that I am more than what you thought? . . . .more than you imagined?

I don’t bring healing . . . I am healing

I don’t bring resurrection, I am resurrection

I don’t bring life, I am life

peace . . . . joy . . . love . . .

John 11:27–28 NASB95

27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” 28 When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”

she responds, “yeah, I mean . . . I know you are the Christ, God’s son, come into the world . . uh . . . let me go get Mary”

Then she lies and tells Mary that Jesus was calling for her . . .

I’m not mad at you Martha, this is a lot to accept

Story Continues

Mary comes and has the same accusation, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died”

sounds like they have been complaining together

not saying “when Jesus gets here” . . . but if he had been here, he should have been here

Jesus ignores her question and asks them

John 11:34 NASB95

34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”

where is the body?

Where is your Lazarus?

that situation that needed a miracle, but Jesus did not show up

that situation where you called on the Lord, but he did not show up

that situation where you followed the proper protocols but Jesus did not show up . . . and you’re thinking, Lord if you had been here . .

I followed all the protocols

I read my Bible everyday . . . but you did not show up

had special prayer time every day

I fasted

I tried my best to live holy

I gave my tithes and offering

I blessed your name at all times

Jesus is calling on some of you to take him to your Lazarus . . . that situation that seems beyond repair

and when they got there

John 11:39 NASB95

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.”

Jesus orders them to remove the stone from the tomb, Martha again responds with the timing protocol

Jesus not only are you too late, you are so late that his body has already began decomposing

protocols can become so embedded in our mindset, that we forget that the power is in the person

and we are guilty of thinking that there is only so much that God can do

John 11:40 NASB95

40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

yeah, I know the protocol . . . but do you believe?

I know I didn’t come when you wanted me to come . . . but do you believe?

I know the situation is dead and buried . . . but do you believe

I know you’ve moved on from hope to mourning your loss . . . but do you believe

I can resurrect that relationship situation

health situation

financial situation

business

ministry

Martha, remove the stone and see the glory of God!

now I understand that God sometimes says we ask for, God has his purpose and plans

He told the Apostle Paul, “no, I am not going to give you what you are asking for, my grace is sufficient”

He told Jesus, “no, I will not take this cup of suffering from you” . . . and Jesus responded, “not my will but thy will be done”

But sometimes we turn a delay into a “no”

we turn a “I’ve never heard of anyone coming back from this” . . . into a no

we turn a “all of my protocols have failed” . . . into a no

I’ve prayed, I gave, I praised, I stayed . . . but Jesus did not show up . . . so I guess that’s a no

But God is calling on some of you to believe and remove the stone

by faith take a chance and remove the stone

how do I remove the stone?

for some start believing again for that thing you stopped believing for

for some start praying again about that thing that you stopped praying about

start planning again for that thing that you stopped planning for

start reaching out again to that person that you stopped reaching out to

start researching again about that thing that stopped researching on

start saving again what you stopped saving for

time for a new protocol . . . a protocol where you believe, past believing

where you hope, when hope should be lost

where you expect life, when everyone else expects a stinking body

apparently Martha believed because the Bible says they removed the stone

Jesus then said a short prayer, for the sake of the people standing around so that they could believe

and then Jesus says three simple words

John 11:43 NASB95

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

and Lazarus came forth . .

Jesus is all that he said he was! The resurrection and the life

He is so much the resurrection and the life, that Jesus took it a step further!

Jesus himself died and came back to life

He laid down his life for us

suffered, bled, and died on the cross to pay for our sins

and on third day, what we call Easter, Resurrection Day . . . he came forth on his on, because the power is in the person

so there’s nothing you are facing that he can’t handle

nothing that you are dealing with that he can’t resurrect!

Analogy

imagine if the owner of the Dallas Cowboys was your personal friend, and you asked him for tickets to the game, and you walk up to the ticket counter to see if Jerry left tickets for you, but they say that there are no tickets under your name

and since Jerry was your personal friend, you are disappointed, sad, and angry

but then Jerry shows up in person and says let’s go in

don’t say, “you should have left me a ticket”

if you did, I think Jerry would say, “I am the ticket”

when you’re with me, you don’t have to follow normal protocols

when you’re with me, not only do you not need a ticket, you can skip the lines, you can go to any part of the stadium . . . suites, players locker room, even the side lines during the game . . . why? because the Power is in the person

When you see Jerry, say . . . “ you’re here” . . . that’s all that matters . . .

same with Jesus, don’t complain, “Jesus, if you had been here”

instead Celebrate and say, “Jesus, you’re here”

hallelujah, You’re here

all that matters is that you’re here

all that counts is that you’re here

you’re the resurrection, bread of life, living Word

joy in sorry, hope for tomorrow,

peace in a storm

I’m so glad that you’re here!

Song - You Are the Living Word

Bread of life sent down from glory Many things you were on earth A Holy King, a carpenter You are the Living Word

Awesome ruler, gentle Redeemer God with us the Living Truth And what a friend we have in you You are the Living Word

Jesus, Jesus! That's what we call you Manger born, but on a tree You died to save humanity You are the Living Word