2021 09/05- Sunday Morning Service

Kiwi caterpillar.

This morning. We're going to look at The Story of Lazarus in the 11th chapter of John. This is the final public miracle, that Jesus did. And it is the Capstone of all his miracles. Because of the nature of the situation, this miracle was done at a very strategic time. Just prior to the Passover in a place called Bethany, which is 2 miles east of Jerusalem on the road to Jericho that was literally filled with pilgrims heading to the Passover. So everybody coming that way would have heard the story of Lazarus, the raising of Lazarus, strengthened the faith of the disciples. It was not enough to cause them to fully believe in Jesus resurrection, but I hate to think of what they have done without this Rex Resurrection because it moved the needle, just a little bit The resurrection of Lazarus gave a preview of the resurrection of Christ, which helped them to believe that it could happen because they had seen his resurrection power in the case of Lazarus. The resurrection of Lazarus was so Monumental and so well-known, that forced the leaders of Judaism, the press the issue of the execution of Jesus because he was just having way too much influence. So that's kind of behind the scenes as we arrive at chapter 11, the whole chapter basically is about the miracle and its results. So we'll be looking at that for another couple of months and I want you to focus in the beginning of our lesson. This morning on verses 25 and 26 in Chapter 11. This is really kind of a high point. This is the essence of what is being conveyed in this miracle. And Jesus said to her. I am the resurrection and the life, the one who believes in me, will live even if he dies and everyone who lives and Believes In Me will never die. Do you believe this? Believing that Jesus is the resurrection and the life is aided by this immense miracle and that's why there's so much detail here and all of the detail is important, but the main focus is to demonstrate that he who was the resurrection and the life is the Son of God. And that believing in his name, brings Everlasting joy in heaven. And that's the whole point of the Gospel of John. This doesn't have anything to do really with International politics. This doesn't have anything to do with Nations coming and going. It really doesn't have much to do with religion. The primary message that you need to get here. Is you're going to die and you're not in charge of when where or how Even if you decide to kill yourself, you're not in charge of the circumstances that led you to that bad decision. At the moment of time, which is irrevocable. You're not in charge of your death and you better be ready when it happens. Ecclesiastes. 88 puts it this way. No one has authority over the wind to restrain the wind North 40 over the day of death. Jobe 1814 says, when that day comes, he is torn from the security of his tent and they March him before the king of Tears, king of Terrors is deaf. So is that it is that where Evolution has brought us after supposedly billions of years to this kind of non-existence Called Death? Is that all there is then all of us are stupid for not sucking everything out of this world that are lust and pleasure desires. The problem is, that's a lie. You are more than protoplasm waiting to become a newer every human being will live forever. That is the word from the Creator. That is the word from God. And not only will you live forever and spirit but you will live forever, in a resurrected bodily form both in heaven, or in hell in one place a body to absorb Eternal punishment in another place. A body to enjoy Eternal Bliss, but you will live forever. You will be raised from the dead. Every human being will Jesus. Made it clear in John 5:28 and 29 do not be amazed at this for a Time's coming. When all who are in the tombs, will hear his voice and will come out those who did the Good Deeds to a resurrection of Life. Those who committed the bad Deeds to a resurrection. Judgment. Everybody will be raised from the dead. There will be a resurrection body for hell and a resurrection body for having death is not the end of anyone. There are only two possible places to possible existence is after this life, one without God and one with God and the joys of blessing and reward. So how does one come to Heaven? Only one way by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ? That's why John wrote this gospel. Your Jesus not only says he will be the judge and the one who raises the dead, but he is, in fact, the resurrection and the life. It's not just something he does to give life. It is who he is. And that's how the Gospel of John began in the beginning, was the word meaning Jesus Christ. And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things came into being through him and apart from him, not even one thing came into being that his come into being in him was life and the life was the light of mankind.

He is the source of everything that lives. He is the resurrection and the life because he is life. He has the power to create out of nothing and he has the power to raise the dead, because he is life. He doesn't draw his life. From anyone else, or anywhere else, life itself exists in him. This is his nature and he is eternal life, who has been alive, eternally and that life. He granted to his creation, everything that exists in the spiritual and physical world. He made the inanimate and the animal things that live he made from the smallest sell to the most complex human being. He gave life to everything that lives. He is the creator of life and because he is the life, he will raise all of the dead and give them a body suited for their Eternal dwelling. Death is not the end. Death is a split-second transition here, in the resurrection of Lazarus. Jesus puts on a display of the power of life that he possesses. Now we have an a record already in the gospels that he raised two people. One with the daughter of gyrus. The young girl who was sick at home by the time Jesus got there. She was dead and then there's the case of the Widow who was taking her son to be buried with the procession of people who were morning and Jesus stop the procession, the procession raise the dead young man. Some might argue that since there was no way to be certain someone was dead. Perhaps, this was just a resuscitation of someone who was temporarily in that condition. But in the case of Lazarus, that's not possible because this is someone who's been dead for four days. Now that really does matter and just to help you know, how much that matters. I did a little research to find out what happens to a body in 4 days.

Are we ready? We have a little frog thing. So it's very interesting and I was amazed to find out that all of the bad stuff happens in 72 hours. The Jews did nothing to stop the K. They wrap the body and sprinkle spices on it to mitigate the smell. That's it. So, here's what happens. In 4 days. The heart to stop beating the body cells are then deprived of oxygen and they begin to die. Blood drains from the circulatory system and pools in the Low Places. Muscles, begin to stiffen in what is known as rigor. Mortis sets in after 3 hours by 24 hours. The body has lost all its heat, the muscles, then lose the rigor mortis in 36 hours by 72 hours, rigor mortis has vanished. All stiffness is gone in the body is soft. So looking a little deeper as the cells, begin to die. Bacteria goes to work. The bacteria begins to attack breaking the cells down, the decomposing tissue takes on a horrific look, and smell and emits green liquids by the 72nd hour. We're not done yet.

The tissue releases, hydrogen sulfide and methane as well as other gases. A horrible smell is emitted insects and animals will consume parts of the body. If they can get at it meet Lazarus. That's the condition. He's in when Jesus arrives. That's important because everyone knows. He is dead as Martha says, in verse 39, Lord by this time. There will be a stench for he has been dead for four days. Look, they lived in a world of death. They didn't live in a sterile world of mortuaries and Undertaker's and embalming fluids and all of that where the body disappears and you never see anything. But somebody in a casket who looks like the horizontal member of a cocktail party with a suit and tie dressed up. Made up, people lived with death, they lived with the realities of death. And that's very important. It's also very important to understand that there was certain expectations and it became a reality. In this case of what a funeral was, like when someone died, family friends, neighbors, even connected strangers poured into their life. Everybody showed up. In the case of Mary and Martha and Lazarus, they must have been a very prominent family, because we read as The Story begins. Let's pick it up and verse 17. So when Jesus came, he found that he had already been in the Tomb for days. Now, Bethany was near Jerusalem about two miles away. And many of the Jews had come to Mary and Martha to console them about their brother. There's a huge crowd there, which again, speaks to the prominence of this family. So we're going to come to the arrival of Jesus. Let me back up a little bit and kind of work our way to this point, in chapter 10. Jesus concluded his public Ministry. He was in Jerusalem, and they wanted to kill him. In fact, is chapter 10 closes two times in the conflict. They wanted to just let violence take over and execute him on the spot and he escaped protect his life because it's not time yet. They have rejected him as a nation. They have rejected him as a leader, the Son of God, the promised Messiah they have turned on him and then order to save his life. Until the appointed Time chapter 10 ends with him leaving, Jerusalem, leaving the surrounding area in the heart of it, all the temple, and he goes away across the Jordan, to a place called Bethany interesting Lee enough because the place right next to Jerusalem, or Mary Martha, and Lazarus, lived was also called Bethany. So, he takes his disciples, and he goes to a place across the Jordan, or John the Baptist launched his ministry, John. The Baptist influence is still there. In, Jesus shows up what John said is proven to be true. And he is exactly who John says he was too many people believed so and John 1042 ends with and many believed in him there. So the disciples and Jesus are in this place called Bethany and they're having great effective. Ministry. People are believing. It's in this environment. That Jesus says, I just got word. A messenger comes Lazarus is sick. And Jesus says he's not just sick. He's dead. We're going back to Judea. And of course they all say. That's suicide. They want to kill you there. You don't want to go back. Look at the success. We're having here. Look at the response. We're having their love and everything. John the Baptist laid, the groundwork. You can come right in and there's a harvest to be had here. Let's stay. Jesus says, now we're going. Thomas, resigned himself to the inevitable in verse 16. And Thomas says, let's all go so that we may die with him. They actually believed this was going to be it, but they had watched him get out of those kinds of Brinks of death experiences, but you walk right back into. It seems certainly to be fatal. That's what, that's not what Jesus had in mind immediately, but it is what he had in mind. Ultimately, because he was going back soon to die. Then this miracle takes place. When he returns. He gives life to a dead man and gives up his life in the same place. It's an amazing story. And I want you to see even more of the detail, never preoccupied with his own agenda, he comes because he's sympathetic. It's not just this compassion for them. It is the purpose of God, that he would, raise this man from the dead in a public place as it were on the very Road from Jericho. You go right by the village of Bethany, when you take the road from Jericho to Jerusalem, where the pilgrims would come in a very public place. This miracle will take place with a massive number of eyewitnesses because the funeral Has attracted this huge crowd of Jews. Everybody, there is going to become an eyewitness to a resurrection and they're going to tell their story far and wide. There are literally going to be hundreds of eye witnesses to this miracle. This very important to strengthen the faith of disciples, very important to put the Capstone on Miracles, that demonstrated his deity and more important to force the Jews to kill him, because he's having way too much impact. So that's the same as he arrives now, he can just go back quickly to note. If he comes to Bethany near Jerusalem, many of the Jews had come to console them. This was the custom. This is the tradition people came to console, sympathy was everybody's Duty. I think about how we do funerals. First of all, we don't know much about death because the body disappears. And that's the last. We know, then we go to a funeral and it lasts an hour, maybe two and we're gone. There's a little bit of comfort of that event, but it's mostly an event rather than an interaction. It's all over and we kind of go on with life. They didn't do that. By the way, I might say, is a footnote. The character of a church is not made known by how well it entertains young people. The character of a church is main owned by how well, it Embraces old people. The character of a church is not how well it can capture the light-hearted who are alive and young. It's how well it can capture. And hold the heart broken in The Grieving. How does a deal with suffering? How does it deal with old age? How does it deal with cancer? How does a deal with love? Loving people? At the worst of times? That's the measure of a church. Anybody can draw crowd, anybody can put on an event, anybody can do a rock concert and attract young people who are just looking for. The next gig, the measure of a church is how does it sustain relationships with people all the way to the Grave? Fully embrace them, love them right into death. That's the measure of a church. The measure of this church cannot be known by sitting here on a Sunday and listening to this. It's going on up here. The measure of this church is seen in the hardest time of life. The agonies of Life long drawn-out loadouts or terrible accidental deaths and how this church Embraces people at the low points, the hardest points life. That's the measure of a church. That's so absent from the Contemporary approach to church, which is the sit in the dark and watch a show. So Jesus was coming to a very crowded scene and there were all these people there. Dozens if not hundreds who are all being set up. They don't know it, but they're being set up to be eyewitnesses of a resurrection. There is here, kind of analogy to the Incarnation. He is away with his own. He humbles, himself comes back to a scene of death. That's essentially what the Incarnation is. He comes back to a scene of death announces that he is the life and gives life. So Jesus comes and makes his great claim. The first thing we saw was his coming, then his calm in verse 20. So then Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. She heard that Jesus was coming and went to meet him. But Mary stayed at the house. Now here we come to these two sisters again. And they perform according to their personality and their temperament. If you go back to Luke 10 for a minute, this is where we meet them early in the ministry of Jesus. Jesus and his disciples are traveling long in the Ender's Bethany that same Village and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister called Mary who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to and talk, but Martha was distracted with all our preparations, and she came up to him and said, Lord, do you not care? That my sister has left me to do all the serving alone. I mean that's pretty bold lady. Then tell her to help me, but Jesus answered and said, to her Martha, you're worried and bothered about so many things, they just don't matter. Only one thing is necessary for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her. No way. I'm going to tell her to go to the kitchen, fuss around. She's chosen the right thing. So there's the initial characterization. Mary is the pensive, thoughtful inward, kind of personality. And Martha is the busy one, the active one, the aggressive one. Show me. See that again to go back to Johnny Lovin. The word comes. She gets the words of Jesus is on the way. And as soon as she gets the word that he's on the way she charges in that direction verse 20. Mary stays back. She's brokenhearted. She's pensive. She's deep in sorrow. She doesn't even know. Jesus is coming. She doesn't even know that because she doesn't find it out until first 28, when Martha comes back and tells her, she's just caught up in the agonizing loss of this brother that she loved but is Martha reach. Jesus. The thought that have no doubt, plagued her brain, and she had shared it with Mary, for the four days, was, the Jesus should have been here, and if Jesus have left, this wouldn't have happened. So, Martha says, to Jesus Lord, if you'd been here, my brother would not have died. Here, she's telling me what to do again.

Yeah.

We're not going there. This is definitely her. The first time she said anything to Jesus at all. She told him what to do the second time. She scolds him again and tell him if he had done, what he should have been doing. You would have been there. And this never would have happened. Did she know he had healing power? Sure, but what about the healing of gyrus daughter? The raising of her from the dead. What about the raising of the young man in the funeral procession again, maybe the speculation was that they weren't really dead because for whatever reason she has no confidence, if he can deal with dead people, he has no question about his ability to heal the sick because he did that virtually his entire Ministry. She did believe that not only could he heal the sick but he would definitely have healed Lazarus from a sickness because he loved Lazarus. That's what she said. And verse three him who you loved, but Jesus healed strangers strangers to whom. He had no clue. Action, no relationship. Surely his love, would have compelled him to heal Lazarus. But instead of being there and being able to do that. He'd left. She knew we loved him. She knew he was capable of healing his illness, but her faith come short of believing if he could raise him from the dead. That was because if nothing else as she declares. In verse 39, it's been dead for four days. Clearly. This is death. And this is death verified physically. If Jesus had only been there, she and Martha talked about that in a sense. They were sitting in judgment on Jesus. There's no doubt. Questions about his wisdom and even about his power, but then there's kind of a little window of Hope in verse 22. Even now. I know that whatever you ask of God. God will give you, what's that? Listen, Martha knows who she's talking to. She says, Lord and verse 21, then verse 27. Yes Lord. I have come to believe that. You are the Christ, the son of God, and he who comes into the world. She's got some sound theology. She understands the lordship of Christ. She understands that he is Messiah. She understands if he possesses the nature of God, he is the Son of God. She understands that he came from Heaven into the world. That's the Incarnation. She also understands by the testimony that she gives him verse 22 that he in his Incarnation has submitted himself to the will of the father. And only does what the father shows him to do and what the father Wills him to do. But what he asks, the father consistent with his will, the father would give him the power to do. The lady got a solid theology lesson while she was in the kitchen overhearing. What he was saying to Mary, she got it, but somehow with all that she knew there was this pain testifies to a faith come short of believing his power to raise the dead. She says in verse 22, even now, I know that whatever you ask. God God will give you verse 23, Jesus response. Jesus said to her, your brother will rise from the dead. She shows off a little more of a theology first 24. Martha says, I know that he will rise in the Resurrection on the last day. She's got the resurrection in our arsenal of doctoring. She knows there's a future resurrection. And how does she know that? She knew Daniel 12:2 the promise that the Saints will rise to everlasting life. But others will rise to Everlasting contempt. This is in a real sense of very disciple women because all of this had to come from Jesus, she understood or Old Testament Promises of Resurrection. She had heard Jesus, teach this. This is not a misinterpretation of scripture, because Martha got the same thing from Jesus. It is the truth. You will rise to life or damnation. You will receive a body fraternity. Then Jesus says verses 25 and 26. I am the resurrection and the life, the one who believes in me, will live even if he dies and everyone who lives and Believes In Me will never die. You believe this. This is the fifth of seven. I am in the Gospel of John. I am the resurrection and the life he doesn't. Say I can raise the dead. I am the resurrection. I can pray the father to give life. I am life. The one who believes in me, will live even if he dies and everyone who lives and Believes In Me will never die. Do you believe this? So here? Is this great claim to be the I am to be the one who was the source of life. I am the embodiment of life. I am the life just as in John 14:6. I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father, except through me, not in the future. I will be in the present. I am. Here is the IM Jesus is the life itself. He is everlasting life, that's everlasting life. By the way, that's resurrected life in heaven. Is for anyone who believes? Do you believe that's the compelling, question. Do you believe if you do not believe you are without excuse. If you do not believe that he is the resurrection and the life you are without excuse, why you must believe, he is the life. He created everything that lives. You must believe he is the resurrection because he not only raise the dead, but he himself raised from the dead and because he lives we live also, he is the primary one who has come through the graves and out the other side and one the resurrection to eternal life for all who believe in him. Do you believe? There's plenty of evidence to believe you have him as the Creator and if he can create out of nothing, everything that lives than raising bodies out of nothing is just what he does. Just who he is. Do you believe that is the question? Do you believe that he is the resurrection and the life that he is the Messiah who came down from heaven, the Son of God, the savior of the world. Do you believe he is, Lord? She believed all that. Jesus said to her. I am the resurrection and the life. He said, you believe this and verse 27. She said to him. Yes. Lord. I have believed. I already believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God. I do believe that's the path to Salvation. She didn't even know about the cross yet because he hadn't died. She didn't know about his resurrection yet because it hasn't happened, but she believed everything. That had been revealed up to that point. That's a question for everybody here. Do you believe if you don't believe, it's not because there's no evidence. The testimony of his, a power about to be displayed before these eye witnesses, in the case of Lazarus, as well as a testimony to his resurrection. After his resurrection. He appeared to the apostles. He appeared to 500 Brethren all at once in one place. There's so much evidence. If you do not believe it's not because there's not enough evidence, this entire gospel is written, so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ and the believing, you might have eternal life in his name. If you do not believe, then you're like the Jews. You do not believe because you hate righteousness and love sin. You do not believe because you love your evil Deeds, the evidence is in she believed verses 28 through 30. When she had said this she left and called. Marry her sister saying secretly. The teacher is here and is calling for you. And when she heard that, she got up quickly and came to know, Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still at the place where Martha met him. So Martha goes back, Whispers, a secret Mary's year that Jesus is there and they rushed to the place where he would be waiting. And here we get a little picture again of this kind of comfort that was provided by friends, verse 31, then the Jews who were with her in the house and we're consoling her when they saw that, Mary had gotten up quickly and left. They followed her thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there. She's inconsolable. This is for Days Inn, and they're still there and comforting and consoling, Mary, but she jumps up and goes. They just think she's transferring or sadness to the to Like people visiting a grave. This is more eyewitnesses. Get them out of the house. Get them all to the Grave. Let's get everybody. There to see this miracle verse 32. So when Mary came to the place where Jesus was, she saw him and fell at his feet, saying to him. Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Where'd you hear that? Martha passes on her discontent to her poor sister. She just parrots the line of her sister. If you'd been here, my brother would not have died. You could have stopped it all this. Didn't even need to happen. Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping. He was deeply moved, and spirit. And was troubled. He's sad cuz he's lost his friends. He loved Mary and Martha. There's no question that you love them. But there's more than that. It's not just the pain that he feels in the loss of a friend. He feels a far more Transcendent pain. He understands that he is surrounded by unbelievers. Who are representative of a nation of unbelievers who are all being catapulted into Eternal judgment because they will not receive him. He understands that looking down through human history. He understands the pain and suffering of all Humanity, that faces the same inevitable hour of human loss to understand. That's how severe this loss is when you're when, you know, you're losing one to Hell forever. This is a massive moment of Agony, maybe a little bit like his Agony in the garden as he anticipates, the sin bearing. He deeply enters in not only to the wounded hearts and Sorrows of people who are broken because they've lost the one they love. But he sees way more than that. He understands what sin has done to the world and what unbelief is done to these people who are gathered around him. He felt every pain. Not only the pain of his loss of his own friend would have his own pain. Not only the pain of Mary and Martha. Not only the pain of all the rest of the people who had lost their friend, but the pain that will literally be imposed on every human family yet to live on this planet. That faces the same reality and worse the pain of unbelief, and it's horrendous results. Feels it all verse 34, and 35. And he said, where have you laid him? They said to him Lord, and see Jesus wept. These are not the mourners tears. This is the men Man of Sorrows acquainted with grief as Isaiah said and he can't contain it because he sees what's going on in his own loss, in the loss of the sisters and in the unbelief of the crowd and in the coming generations of people who will feel the same agonizing separations that soon as produce. These are not sentimental tears. This is an outburst of sympathy. Verse 36. So the Jews were saying, see how he loved him. They were right? His tears. Stood out, from everybody else's. See how he loved him. That was true, but they didn't see the whole picture. They didn't know that what led to that Outburst was far more than his affection for Lazarus. It was all the reality of sin and death and unbelief and judgment hell. That was behind that scene. And there he stands at the edge of the Tomb. Sobbing and what happens next is astonishing will find out next month. Let's pray.

Lord, we thank you for the richness of your word. What a gift it is. Thank you for making Jesus real to us. We believe that he is the Son of God. We believe that he is the resurrection and the life and that he can give life to Sinners who believe. Open Hearts and Minds to respond positively to the question. Do you believe? Lord hope and hearts to that Faith. Send us on our way, with the grace of the Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God, and The Fellowship of the holy spirit. Amen. Thank you, and you are dismissed.