Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life

Introduction

Turn with me in your Bibles to John chapter 11. We’re going to be continuing in our study of the Gospel of John this morning. We’re going to be jumping over chapter 10—not because it’s not important, but simply so that we can land on the resurrection on Easter Sunday. We may come back sometime and pick up John 10, but in the meantime, I encourage you to read it, and then go back and read Ezekiel 34 for some context on what Jesus means by the “good shepherd.” I think our minds immediately jump to Psalm 23, which isn’t wrong, but Jesus is probably more specifically referencing Ezekiel 34 in his teaching on being the “good shepherd.” But this morning we’ll be in John 11.

Death is a universal truth for mankind. All of us will one day die. It may be sooner or later, we may live a long, full life or our life may be cut off at an early age, but “it is appointed unto man once to die.” Adam and Eve may have introduced sin and death into the world, but each of us is guilty of sin and will eventually pay the penalty of that sin in our death. It doesn’t matter how great a person you are, how important you are, how wealthy you are, or even how godly you are—you will die.

All of us have a timer hanging over our heads, counting down to the moment that our physical body will cease to live. And in that moment, we will face God and give an account for what we have done in this life.

FCF: Sin has brought about death and suffering into God’s creation. All of us will suffer in this life, experience the loss of loved ones, and we will all die.

Main Idea: But in John 11 we see that Christ has lifted the curse of sin and he offers eternal life to all who believe in Him. For those who have that life within them, death is not the end but rather the beginning of true life. They will be instantly reunited with their loved ones who have gone before them and with the God whom they have served. But for those who have rejected the Son of God and his offer of salvation, there is only more death. Which one are you?

Let’s read John 11 together, starting in v. 1.

Prayer for Illumination

Transition: Before we get to the main point of today’s sermon, I want to point out a few things from this passage.

Death points to something greater than this life (vv. 3-4)

Jesus intentionally allowed Lazarus to die

John 11:3–6 ESV

3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

Very similar to what we saw in Jn. 9:5

John 9:3 ESV

3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

There is an extra word in Greek in v. 6 (μέν) which serves as an exclamation point to highlight the shocking contrast of Jesus’ actions against what was expected.

We’re told that Lazarus is very sick and that Jesus loves Lazarus, and we know that he can heal the sick, so we would expect Jesus to jump right up and take off and heal Lazarus. But he doesn’t! In fact, he intentionally delays leaving in order to give time for Lazarus to die! And he does that because he loves Mary, Martha, and Lazarus!

Mary, Martha, and all their family and friends knew that Jesus could have prevented Lazarus’ death.

John 11:21 ESV

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

John 11:32 ESV

32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

John 11:37 ESV

37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

So why didn’t he?

Jesus knew that there is something profoundly more important than this life.

Jesus didn’t come to make everyone around him happy, healthy, and wealthy.

Lazarus eventually died again, as did Mary, Martha, all of Jesus’ disciples, and everyone there that day. Jesus could have prevented their deaths. But he didn’t. Why?

Because there is something greater than this life! So much greater that if you really understand it, you don’t want to live forever in this life!

Remember in Genesis 3 when God banishes Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden after they sin?

Genesis 3:22–23 ESV

22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

As a kid, this passage baffled me. Was God afraid that Adam and Eve might actually be able to overthrow him if they only had the fruit from the tree of life? Hadn’t they had access to that tree all along? Why now does God forbid it and banish them from the tree of life?

Because God knew that living forever in a sinful, broken world and in a sinful, broken body is not true life. Allowing man to die was an act of mercy! A release from this painful existence!

He didn’t come to bring immortality in the traditional sense of a physical body that never dies, but in the sense of a soul that never perishes!

Yet, many people—even Christians—live as if this life is the only life that matters. They pile up possessions, seek after the praise of other men, try to make themselves as comfortable as possible in this life. They say, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die!”

The sad irony is this—Those who seek happiness in this life will find it neither in this life nor in the life to come. And those who put their hope in the life to come and seek for happiness in eternity will find themselves happy and blessed both in the life to come and in this life. As Jesus put it:

Mark 8:35 ESV

35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

Jim Elliot: Story and Legacy

On January 2, 1956, five American missionaries made history and showed the world that they were living for more than just this life. Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Rodger Youderian, Pete Fleming, and Ed McCully were on a mission to reach the dangerous Waorani tribe deep in the jungles of Ecuador. The men knew that there had been no successful attempts to make contact with the violent group. The Waorani tribe (aka, “Auca”) was always at war with surrounding tribes and killed any outsiders who dared wander into their territory. Jim Elliot and his fellow missionaries knew that the Waorani needed Christ. Only he could change their hearts and end the bloodshed.

So, they formed a plan. After three years of language learning and preparation, they set out to reach the Waorani for Christ.

Nate Saint, a missionary supply pilot, came up with a way to lower a bucket filled with supplies to people on the ground while flying above them. He thought this would be a perfect way to win the trust of the Aucas without putting anyone in danger. They began dropping gifts to the Aucas. They also used an amplifier to speak out friendly Auca phrases. After many months, the Aucas even sent a gift back up in the bucket to the plane. Jim and the other missionaries felt the time had come to meet the Aucas face-to-face.

One day while flying over Auca territory, Nate Saint spotted a beach that looked long enough to land the plane on. He planned to land there and the men would build a tree house to stay safe in until friendly contact could be made.d

The missionaries were flown in one-by-one and dropped off on the Auca beach. Nate Saint then flew over the Auca village and called for the Aucas to come to the beach. After four days, an Auca man and two women appeared. It was not easy for them to understand each other since the missionaries only knew a few Auca phrases. They shared a meal with them, and Nate took the man up for a flight in the plane. The missionaries tried to show sincere friendship and asked them to bring others next time.

For the next two days, the missionaries waited for other Aucas to return. Finally, on day six, two Auca women walked out of the jungle. Jim and Pete excitedly jumped in the river and waded over to them. As they got closer, these women did not appear friendly. Jim and Pete almost immediately heard a terrifying cry behind them. As they turned they saw a group of Auca warriors with their spears raised, ready to throw. Jim Elliot reached for the gun in his pocket. He had to decide instantly if he should use it. But he knew he couldn't. Each of the missionaries had promised they would not kill an Auca who did not know Jesus to save himself from being killed. Within seconds, the Auca warriors threw their spears, killing all the missionaries: Ed McCully, Roger Youderian, Nate Saint, Pete Fleming and Jim Elliot.

Late in the afternoon of Sunday, January 8, Elisabeth Elliot, Jim's wife, waited by the two-way radio to hear Nate Saint and his wife discuss how things had gone that day. But there was no call. As evening turned to night, the wives grew worried. They knew the news was not good.

The next morning another missionary pilot flew over the beach to look for the men. He saw only the badly damaged plane on the beach.

News quickly spread around the world about the five missing missionaries. A United States search team went to the beach, found the missionaries' bodies, and buried them.

But don't think Operation Auca ended there because it didn't. In less than two years Elisabeth Elliot, her daughter Valerie, and Rachel Saint (Nate's sister) were able to move to the Auca village. Many Aucas became Christians. They are now a friendly tribe. Missionaries, including Nate Saint's son and his family, still live among the Aucas today.

Elisabeth Elliot even helped make a movie about Operation Auca called Through Gates of Splendor. It showed real life scenes of the five missionaries on the beach with the friendly Aucas. It also included footage of the two years she and her daughter spent living in an Auca village.

During his life, Jim Elliot longed for more people to become missionaries. In his death, however, he probably inspired more people to go to other countries to share the love of Jesus than he ever could have in life.

https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1901-2000/jim-elliot-no-fool-11634862.html

Without doubt, the most famous quote from Jim Elliot is something he wrote in his personal diary years before, a truth he lived and died by:

“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Jim Elliot and his friends knew that there was more than just this life. And they gave their lives to bring glory to God and reach not just the Waorani tribe, but countless thousands around the world for Christ through their legacy and the many missionaries whom they inspired.

Sin and grief tend to cloud our view of God (vv. 16, 32, 37. 39, & 47-53)

Some people, in their grief, despair of life. (v. 16)

Commentaries take Thomas’ statement in v. 16 as a statement of faith--”Let us go die with Christ.”

But, the usage of the pronouns in vv. 15-17 seem to point to Lazarus as the more likely referent. If that is true, then Thomas’ statement is one of despair, not faith, and directly contradicts Jesus’ statement that he is going to “wake him up.” (v. 11) Three points of evidence for taking Lazarus as the referent of ‘him’ in v. 16:

The disciples are not mentioned at all in the remainder of the passage, making it unlikely that we’re supposed to take Thomas’s statement as an expression of faith.

Verse 15 ends with ‘him’ (clearly ‘Lazarus’) and there is no signal given that we’re supposed to switch referents in v. 16. Verse 17 uses Jesus’ name and the pronoun ‘him’ again to refer to Lazarus.

The disciples seem universally oblivious to the fact that Jesus is going to die at the hands of the religious leaders. When he does, it seems to catch all of them off-guard.

Some doubt God’s goodness (vv. 32, 37, 39)

When we recognize that God is all-powerful and has the capacity to prevent tragedy from happening, the next logical question is “Why does he still allow it?”

The “question of evil”—”Why does a good and loving God allow tragedy, heartache, and suffering?”

The Sunday School answer is to say that “people have free will, they make bad decisions, etc.”

But it doesn’t take long to see through that. Not all suffering is caused directly by human sin. Tsunamis, earthquakes, and many deaths are not a direct result of sin.

This leads to three possibilities:

1) There is no God.

2) God is obviously not good.

3) God is good and he his purpose is to bring about a greater good than the evil and suffering he allows to happen, even when we can’t understand it.

Some fearfully cling to control and reject God’s interference with their life (vv. 47-53)

The Pharisees and Sadducees didn’t deny the miracles Jesus performed, but they still rejected him out of fear.

Fear often manifests itself as violence.

We can draw encouragement in our suffering from the fact that Christ has conquered sin and death! (vv. 23-27, 38-44)

The point of this entire passage is to show that Christ is the resurrection and the life.

We sometimes talk about this as the “Story of Lazarus,” but Lazarus is actually a pretty minor character in the story. He does nothing, says nothing—it’s all about Jesus and what he’s doing and saying!

The climax and point of the story is in verse 25--”I am the resurrection and the life...”

John 11:25–26 ESV

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?”

Do you believe it?

Conclusion

Your earthly life will come to an end, but your spiritual life doesn’t have to. Are you ready for that day?