Lazarus - Part 2 (John 11:28-46)

Announcements

Bible Study & Prayer is currently suspended until we complete the renovations in the Activity Room. I believe, those renovations will be finished either this week or next week, so my estimate is that Bible Study & Prayer will start again on October 20th as we continue to study through the Psalms.

We’re still looking for volunteers in various ministries both internally and externally—during the summer, we heavily emphasized evangelism and outreach until we started working on getting this building renovated for services. We still need to focus on evangelism and outreach because as a church plant, we simply won’t grow if we don’t reach out for people around us. We definitely need help with that, if you can help, please talk with Natalie as soon as possible. In addition, we would like more volunteers to read Scripture, lead in prayer, and lead in the worship team. If you’d like to volunteer in any of those ministries, please contact me as soon as possible.

In your worship guides, you’ll see an update concerning the renovations. We’re to the point now, where we’ve tapped out the money that we had set aside for the renovations—that’s due to a number of reasons: (1) high cost of materials, (2) a lot more repair work than we anticipated, and (3) there were several things that we paid for that was supposed to be handled by the landlord, which ended up not being handled whatsover.

All said and done, we’ve spent about $7,250.

I originally estimate $10,000 (though I did mention that $10,000 was a really conservative estimate.

There’s a breakdown in your worship guides with rough estimates for everything left, which totals about $6,910 more, which puts us $4,110 over budget.

I do want to explain that what’s given in the offering box is separate from the renovation fund. The offering box goes directly to our General Fund which essentially pays our operating costs. The only money that has gone to the renovation fund is money that was given specifically for the renovations, which we’ve tried to get as much as possible from the generous giving of private donors and other churches.

And I do want to explain that some of the estimated costs in the worship guide have been pledged by people already. So, the $6,910 that we need would be if no one had pledged anything, but I wanted to give you the full estimate and not partial estimates.

Speaking of giving, let me remind you to continue worshiping the Lord through your giving. To help you give, we have three ways for you to do so: (1) in-person giving can be done through the offering box by the entrance, (2) debit, credit, and ACH transfers can be done either by texting 84321 with your $[amount] and following the text prompts, or (3) by visiting us online at graceandpeacepa.com and selecting giving in the menu bar. Everything you give goes to the building up of our local church and the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Prayer of Repentance and Adoration

Call to Worship (Psalm 32)

Psalm 32 ESV

A Maskil of David. 1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah 5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah 6 Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. 7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah 8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9 Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. 10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. 11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Congregational Singing

God, the uncreated one

Come behold the wondrous mystery

All Hail the power of Jesus Name

Scripture Reading (John 11:1-27)

John 11:1–27 ESV

1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 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. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” 17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 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.” 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?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Sermon

Introduction

Our passage this morning is a continuation of our series in the Gospel according to John. We’re currently studying through the account of Lazarus’ resurrection, which we started last week and which we’ll continue in this week and next week. Last week, we studied through John 11:1-27, which records Jesus getting the initial message that Lazarus was ill and in that section we noted that it was a little unusual in the way that Jesus handled the whole situation because he didn’t seem concerned about Lazarus’ illness whatsoever. Instead, he notes that Lazarus’ illness is for the glory of God and then he says that Lazarus is dead and he’s glad he wasn’t there, “so that [the disciples] may believe.”

As Jesus speaks to Lazarus’ sister Martha, he makes the claim that “[her] brother will rise again” and then he states “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” We spoke at length about great difficulties in life that cause distress; and I suggested that these great difficulties are situations in which we can have joy because Jesus is utilizing each situation for his glory and he is ultimately in control of all things. I suggested that it is through life’s difficulties and us seeking Jesus through those difficulties, that we are strengthened in our faith and through these scenarios, we bring glory to Jesus Christ.

This morning’s message is a continuation of this account in which we’ll discuss genuine concern for unbelievers and the glory of God in John 11:28-46. Read John 11:28-46 with me and then we’ll jump into Scripture.

John 11:28–46 ESV

28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 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.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” 38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” 45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

As we study this passage together, we’re going to split it into two parts: (1) Vs. 28-37, Mary and Jesus Weep, this continues the account by continuing in the narrative. Jesus and Mary have a brief discussion together, after which the Bible tells us Jesus weeps; but a question of doubt comes out from the people, which we’ll look at briefly this morning. (2) Vs. 38-46, is The Resurrection of Lazarus, which shows us the miraculous event itself, it records a brief prayer of Jesus, and it ends with the belief or lack thereof of the Jews that witnessed the miracle. Remember, as we study this passage, that the resurrection of Lazarus does two things in particular beyond just raising someone from the dead—it foreshadows the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and it also confirms what Jesus claims about himself. He is the resurrection and the life or put another way, he is the source of life and resurrection and thus, he has control over life and resurrection.

Prayer for Illumination

Mary and Jesus Weep (28-37)

Our passage this morning continues in the narrative by saying in Vs. 28, “When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, ‘The Teacher is here and is calling for you.’”

The passage is clearly a continuation from the past section because it utilizes the conjunction when, which shows us that this event happens directly after the event at hand. That event is after “she had said this.” The she is referring to Martha and the this refers to the previous statement that she made in Vs. 27, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

So, Martha makes this claim to believe in Jesus as the anointed Son of God; and then we’re told that she goes to her sister Mary and tells her that “The Teacher is calling for you,” and Mary “rose quickly and went to him.”

Remember that as Jesus and his disciples had approached the village of Bethany, Martha made the effort to go and meet with them before they entered the village, which means that Jesus and his disciples aren’t actually in Bethany yet, so for Mary and Martha to go and meet with him, they not only had to leave their home, but they had to leave their village, which they do.

Now of course, because they’re mourning the loss of their brother, they aren’t the only people in their home. Vs. 31, tells us that there were other Jews with them in their house in order to console or comfort them, but when they saw Mary “rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.”

In reality, what Scripture tells us is that she isn’t going to the tomb to weep, she’s going out to meet Jesus, who Martha calls “The Teacher.”

Nevertheless, Mary goes out to meet with Jesus and the people who were trying to comfort her, follow her; and when Mary finds Jesus, Vs. 32 says, “She fell at his feet, saying to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’”

I suggest, that this was probably spoken in the same way that Martha made the same statement in Vs. 21, when she said, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

It gives us a bit of insight into their emotional state as they speak with Jesus as well as their level of belief.

You might think that their grief would be an obvious response to the death of a loved one, but every person responds to grief and death in different ways. In the case of Martha and Mary, there is genuine sorrow, which is the only reason why they would make the statement that if “Jesus had been there, he would’ve lived.”

It is right to experience grief and sorrow, the author of Ecclesiastes makes the statement that “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: . . . a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” It was right for Mary and Martha to experience grief and even to exhibit their grief.

Now you might question how exactly their statements about Jesus’ presences being able to prevent Lazarus’ death are about their level of belief; and let me just briefly point out the statements themselves.

Martha says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Mary says “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Why else would they make that statement unless they had genuine belief that Jesus could heal Lazarus before his death?

Even in their grief, they exhibit some amount of belief—in the case of Martha, it’s clear that she believes in Jesus as the Messiah because she makes a proclamation of belief in Vs. 27 “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God.” It’s a little uncertain in this passage as to whether or not Mary believes in Jesus as the Messiah—it could just be that at this moment in time she believes that he can work miracles and could’ve healed Lazarus, but whether or not she believed in Jesus as the Messiah at this particular moment is unclear.

In making this statement that if Jesus had just been there, Lazarus wouldn’t have died, Mary and Martha both exhibit grief and some level of belief.

And when Jesus sees this grief, this weeping, this mourning—coming not just from Mary, but also all the Jewish people he is deeply moved and greatly troubled. Vs. 33-35, “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept.”

Jesus himself exhibits an emotional response, though I would argue that in Vs. 33-35, this response actually isn’t about Lazarus, and Jesus’ emotional state is different than the people surrounding him.

Remember the Jews, Mary, and Martha are grieving the death of Lazarus, so we could look at Jesus weeping during this passage and think that he’s also grieving the death of Lazarus, but remember, while everyone else thought of Lazarus as being dead, Jesus had already made it clear that Lazarus wasn’t going to remain dead.

All the way back in Vs. 23, “Jesus said to [Martha] ‘Your brother will rise again.’” When he speaks to his disciples in Vs. 11, he says “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him” and that Lazarus’ illness does not lead to death.

In hindsight, we know for a fact that in Vs. 38-44, Jesus does in fact resurrect Lazarus, so why would he be weeping the death of Lazarus? It wouldn’t really make sense that Jesus is weeping for the death of Lazarus if he knows that Lazarus isn’t going to remain dead.

So, I would argue that Jesus’ weeping isn’t necessarily a form of grief towards Lazarus’ death, but quite possibly his emotional response to the people’s response.

And it’s actually not seen very well in the ESV or the KJV, but if we read Vs. 33, in the NLT, we see it better, “When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled.”

The ESV in its footnote for Vs. 33, says that Jesus was indignant in his spirit and greatly troubled.

This differentiates Jesus’ response from the Jews, Mary, and Martha’s response.

Why is Jesus’ response different?

Whereas Mary, Martha, and the Jews are grieving the death of Lazarus and they’re actually conforming to the first century custom of Jewish mourning practices with loud weeping and wailing Jesus is indignant and troubled in his spirit.

So, despite the fact that the Jews thought he was weeping for the death of Lazarus in Vs. 36, Jesus is weeping for a completely different reason. What could those reasons be?

Some have suggested that Jesus is weeping with compassion towards Mary, Martha, and the rest of the mourners; which would make sense, if the text didn’t mention that Jesus was indignant in his spirit and greatly troubled. Being indignant isn’t the same as being compassionate.

Let me offer a suggestion, we see in this chapter, Jesus starts off by making the claim that he was going to awaken Lazarus from the dead. His disciples knew this. When Jesus speaks with Martha, he directly tells her that “[her] brother will rise again.”

The disciples and Martha had both heard Jesus make this claim and both the disciples and Martha claimed to believe in Jesus as the Messiah, the anointed one.

It could then be assumed that when Martha went and called her sister in private, that she probably told Mary the statements that Jesus had made about Lazarus rising again. And it could then be assumed that Martha would tell Mary of her belief in Jesus as the Messiah.

And yet, when Mary sees Jesus, she still makes the accusation that if he had just been there, Lazarus wouldn’t have died. And she weeps. Then Jesus sees all the jews that had also come with her weeping; and they’re all weeping and wailing at the loss of Lazarus

Despite the fact that he had already told them multiple times that he was going to raise Lazarus, that he was going to awaken Lazarus, that Lazarus wasn’t going to remain dead.

It makes sense then, that Jesus would be indignant, that he would be angry and upset, and it would make sense that he responds with weeping.

But he isn’t weeping about Lazarus, he’s weeping because despite all that Jesus had said and despite all the miracles that he had already performed, the people still didn’t believe. The people were still faithless.

This is why Jesus is weeping in this instance, it has nothing to do with the fact that Lazarus died, because he knew that he was going to resurrect Lazarus, it all had to do with the fact that despite him doing all these miraculous events and despite the people hearing him say that he was going to raise Lazarus, no one believed him.

And their lack of belief in Jesus is seen in their confusion in Vs. 36-37, “So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?’”

Their thoughts here would actually be legitimate if Jesus was weeping over the death of Lazarus, but again think logically with me, why would Jesus weep over the person that he knew he was going to resurrect?

That means that their thoughts here represent a lack of belief rather than true concerns. When the Jews say, “see how he loved him!” They’re right in their assessment that Jesus loves Lazarus, but they’re wrong in the reasoning for his tears.

When the others pose the question, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept this man from dying?” They’re right in their assessment about the power that Jesus has, but they aren’t asking out of true belief in Jesus.

They’re posing it as a question to validate their unbelief in Jesus—in other words, if Jesus was truly the Messiah and if Jesus truly cared for this man, he would have saved him from dying.

Mary, Martha, and the Jews are all weeping because of the death of Lazarus, but Jesus isn’t weeping for Lazarus’ death, he’s weeping because of the unbelief of the people.

Which makes complete sense because Jesus has been proving his divinity over and over throughout his years of ministry,

He had performed multiple miracles—the turning of water into wine at the wedding in Cana, the multiple healings—the official’s son, the man at the pool of Bethesda, and the blind man. He walked on water and fed the multitude.

Remember, throughout all of these miracles, he was teaching—he taught the necessity of being born again, he claimed to be equal with God with authority from the Father, he claimed to be the bread of life, the source of living water, and the light of the world. He took the name that God gave for himself to Moses and applied it to himself.

And don’t forget, the author John, makes the statement in John 20:30-31, that “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ.”

Or in other words, what we’ve read in John 1-11 is just a fraction of what Jesus had done to prove his divinity, but according to John 20, what he’s written is sufficient for a person to believe.

But what we see in John 11, is that despite seeing all of these miracles and despite hearing Jesus teaching, the people still don’t believe and it brings up an indignation in Jesus as seen through his troubled spirit and his weeping.

Jesus wept because the people refused to believe in him. And then the passage continues with yet another miracle performed by Jesus. Read with me Vs. 38-46.

The Resurrection of Lazarus (38-46)

John 11:38–46 ESV

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” 45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

That first phrase, “then Jesus, deeply moved again” is a repetition from Vs. 33 and remember in Vs. 33, the idea was that Jesus was indignant, he was upset. Thus, in Vs. 38, Jesus is again indignant or upset as he came to the tomb; and I think the NLT again captures the idea better than the other English translations. The NLT says, “Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb.”

So, it’s not that he was upset in Vs. 33 and then he stopped being upset before they got to the tomb and all of a sudden, he’s upset again.

He’s been upset or angry or indignant the whole time, which means that he’s been upset about their lack of unbelief through the whole passage and he’s upset at their unbelief as he arrived at the tomb of Lazarus.

And he’s indignant because of their unbelief as he performs the miracle that he’s about to perform.

And he comes up to the tomb, which “was a cave, and a stone lay against it.” Vs. 39, “Jesus said, ‘take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?’”

So, they come up to the tomb and of course tombs then were different than how we imagine tombs today, so you have to change your perspective of how burials were done in the first century. Today, we typically bury a person and we usually put them in a stone vault underground to keep animals from being able to smell the body.

In the first century, it was common for families to share a tomb, which was typically a cave. We see that all the way back in Genesis 23 when Abraham purchases a cave in Machpelah as the family tomb. If the family couldn’t afford a tomb, they’d often at least have a place for burial of their dead. Some persons who weren’t considered worthy of a burial place (think of criminals in particular) were carried outside of the city and burned along with the city’s refuse in the Valley of Hinnom or what’s sometimes referred to as Gehenna.

Lazarus’ family had at least some amount of wealth and was able to afford a tomb, so Lazarus was placed within the memorial tomb of the family. And since the family seemed to be a family of some means, we can assume that they prepared the body with oils and spices to ease the smell of decay. Nevertheless, what we see in Vs. 39 is a concern that the smell would have been unbearable due to the length of decay.

Jesus responds to Martha’s concern of an odor with, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?

Jesus isn’t concerned with Martha’s objection to removing the stone, he simply reminds her of his promise from Vs. 25-26, that “[he is] the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in [him], though he die, yet shall he live.” It is a reminder from Vs. 23, that he has already told her that Lazarus would rise again.

It also shows us that when Jesus made the claim to be the resurrection and the life and that when Jesus made the claim that Lazarus was going to rise again, that she didn’t understand that conversation with Jesus. If she did, she wouldn’t have objected to opening the tomb.

Jesus’ rhetorical question “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God” is a reminder for the reader and for the disciples, that Jesus had stated all the way back in Vs. 11, that he was going to awaken Lazarus for the glory of God and for the glorification of the Son.

Lazarus’ illness was for the glory of God and his death was for the peoples’ belief and by positing this rhetorical question, Jesus urges Martha to not focus on the apparently hopeless situation before her concerning Lazarus’ death, but to focus on the glory of God that will be revealed in what is about to occur.

Jesus’ rhetorical question seems to be enough for Martha because we see in Vs. 41 the opening of the tomb and the miracle itself. “So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’”

The miraculous resurrection of Lazarus starts with a brief prayer from Jesus to the Father and there are a few things that I want to point out concerning the prayer itself because it is remarkable in its simplicity:

First, let me point out that in this prayer, he doesn’t actually pray that God would raise Lazarus from the dead, in fact, in this prayer, Jesus is speaking as if God had already done the miracle “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.” It’s all past tense, which implies that Jesus has already prayed for the resurrection of Lazarus.

Second, often when we pray, we pray for our own benefit, but in this prayer, he specifically states that he says this “on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” There’s a purpose in this prayer and he isn’t praying it just for his own benefit, but rather for the people to believe that God had truly sent him. That happens in two ways, (1) this prayer shows the people the intimate relationship between the Father and the Son, and (2) it shows that Jesus does nothing by himself, he and the Father work together.

Colin Kruse, “On this occasion Jesus’ prayer was not for his own benefit, but for the benefit of those standing around him. His public prayer was to make it clear that what he was about to do was connected with his commission from God. All this was to make it easier for the people, his disciples, Mary, Martha, and ‘the Jews’, to believe that he had been sent by God.”

It is this prayer that precedes the miracle itself, and much like the rest of the miracles that we’ve read about throughout the text, there really isn’t much detail about the miracle itself.

We aren’t given the details of how this all happened, we aren’t told the medical side of how a formerly dead body is brought back to life, we don’t know if Lazarus’ muscles had atrophied and how they were brought back to proper use. This is all that Scripture teaches us about the miracle of Lazarus’ resurrection: Vs. 43, “When [Jesus] had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’”

And like I’ve said before, the lack of detail in how the miracle itself occurred is intentional. Just like every other miracle we’ve looked at in the Gospel according to John, the point isn’t the miracle itself, it’s what Jesus had taught throughout the miracle.

What all did Jesus teach throughout this whole account?

Think back through with me in chapter 11:

Vs. 4, “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.” Jesus makes it abundantly clear at the beginning of the chapter that the miracle itself isn’t the point, God’s glory and the glorification of the Son is the point.

Vs. 14-15, “Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.” Jesus makes it apparent that the miracle itself isn’t the point, but the miracle will strengthen the faith of the disciples.

Jesus speaks with Martha prior to coming to the tomb and he tells her in Vs. 25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” Jesus makes it clear that the miracle itself isn’t the point, but the miracle proves that Jesus has control and power over life, death, and resurrection.

Just before Jesus resurrects Lazarus, what does he say to Martha? “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God? Jesus makes it clear that the miracle isn’t the point, God’s glory is the point.

Just before Jesus resurrects Lazarus, what is his prayer? Vs. 41, “Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”

Jesus is utilizing the resurrection of Lazarus to teach the people something in particular, and it’s actually quite simple.

Jesus is using the resurrection of Lazarus to prove that he has power and control over life, death and resurrection. Who else has power over life, death, and resurrection? God the Father.

Jesus is using the resurrection of Lazarus to strengthen the faith of the disciples, how does he do that? By showing them that just like God the Father, he has power over life, death, and resurrection.

Jesus is using the resurrection of Lazarus for God’s glory and the glorification of the Son by showing the disciples the relationship that he has with the Father and by showing the people that he can do the same things that the Father can do because Jesus is God.

And because Jesus is God, he has power over life, death, and resurrection, which means that as God, he deserves the same glory that the Father deserves; and as God, the people should have faith in him.

Some of them, do. Read with me the last two verses of today’s text, Vs. 45-46, “Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.”

Just like every other miracle that Jesus performed, some people chose to believe in him

But many others rejected him and in this case, went to the Pharisees to tell them about what Jesus had done.

Now that we know that Jesus resurrecting Lazarus was done specifically for God’s glory, the strengthening of the disciples, and the affirmation of Jesus as the Son of God, the question really then becomes, how do we apply this text to our lives? In our remaining few minutes, let’s look at some specific application:

Application

First off, as a whole, we’d be foolish to read this passage and miss one of the main points that John has been repeatedly making throughout the text. Again, John records a miracle performed by Jesus for the express purpose of proving that Jesus is truly from God because he is God.

Jesus has repeatedly made claim after claim about who he is

That he alone provides salvation, that he gives living water, that he is equal with God and has authority as the Son of God. He is the bread of life that provides sustenance and eternal life, that he is the good shepherd.

Jesus has made several claims in which he took titles and names given to God himself and applied it to himself; and he’s also taken titles given about the Messiah in the Old Testament and has applied them to himself as well.

All of which are substantiated and proven by the various miracles that he performed throughout his lifetime—from turning water into wine, healing various people, walking on water, and now resurrecting Lazarus.

It would be foolish for us, to read all of Jesus’ claims and not actually believe in the claims that he’s proven throughout his life.

We believe in Jesus as the Christ because he fulfills the Old Testament. We believe in Jesus Christ because he didn’t just make the statements that he did—to be the Son of God and to be the provider of salvation.

We believe because he proved it by fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah.

Which brings us to our application for the whole book, do you actually believe that Jesus is the Christ? The Son of the Living God? Who is the resurrection and the life and gives life to all who believe?

Do you believe that Jesus is truly the Messiah? And if you do believe that Jesus is the Messiah—have you repented from your sins and called on the name of the LORD for your salvation?

True salvation comes through repentance of sins and belief in Jesus as the Christ—let me encourage you to reflect and be sure that you’ve truly believed in Jesus. For those that have, the rest of our application is for you:

Mary and Jesus Weep (28-37)—we see Mary and Jesus both weeping, but it’s clear that Jesus is weeping for something that Mary isn’t weeping for. Mary, the Jews, and Martha are all weeping and wailing at the death of Lazarus, but I clarified that Jesus wouldn’t be weeping for the death of Lazarus because he knows that he’s going to resurrect Lazarus. As we carefully worked our way through the text, we realized that Jesus’ weeping was caused by the unbelief of the people, which resulted in him being deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. The application for this section is simple and it stems around one question: Are you moved like Jesus was moved over the unbelief of the people around you?

When you consider those around you, the majority of whom are probably unbelievers, do you care?

It is easy for us, in our world today, to live lives in which we only associate with those who believe—you come to church and you’re surrounded by believers, you go out with your friends who are believers, you live in a bubble surrounded only by those who claim to believe.

But at some point during your week, I guarantee you run into people who aren’t believers—maybe it’s someone in your family, maybe it’s at the grocery store, or maybe it’s at work.

Do you weep over their unbelief?

If you truly believe what Scripture says, then you have to come to the realization that there is a heaven and a hell

Those that repent and believe in Jesus Christ are the only ones going to heaven, whereas those who refuse to believe are already headed to hell.

Despite the fact that our modern-day world seems to think that hell is a 24/7 party, in reality, Scripture teaches us that hell was originally intended for Satan and his demons—that it is filled with fire and brimstone and the gnashing of teeth. There is true anguish in the absence of the LORD.

And those who refuse to call on the name of the LORD are headed that direction—does that concern you whatsoever? Do you care?

Dr. Bob Jones III used to remind all ministry students at Bob Jones University of one simple truth and he used to say it so frequently, that I actually have it memorized. He used to remind all of us, that the most sobering reality of the world today, is that thousands of people are dying and going to hell today.

Do you care about those people?

I’ve mentioned this before, but I think it’s worthwhile to mention again, but many of you know a man by the name Penn Gillette. He’s a magician who has had a great performing career throughout his life.

He has made it abundantly clear that he does not believe in God whatsoever—he is completely atheistic

However, he has also mentioned numerous times that he has high respect for people who claim to believe and who actually try to bring people to know Jesus Christ

And his reasoning is quite simple—he says, if you actually believe in a heaven and a hell; and that only those who believe will enter into heaven while those who don’t, enter into hell—how much could you hate someone to not warn them ahead of time?

Jesus weeped because the people refused to believe, are you weeping because people refuse to believe? Or do you care at all?

If you find yourself in the situation of not really being concerned with those who don’t believe in Jesus, let me encourage you to do two things:

Check your heart—be sure that you truly do believe, because if you do believe, you should have a concern for those who aren’t believers.

And pray that God will develop a deeper concern within you for those who don’t believe—we’re told to go and make disciples of every nation. One part of making disciples is confronting unbelief and lovingly showing unbelievers who Jesus is.

If you don’t care about unbelievers, you can’t possibly be active in making disciples, because disciples are made out of former unbelievers who repent and believe in Jesus Christ.

If you find yourself in the situation of not really being concerned with those who don’t believe in Jesus, let me exhort you to repent:

Because you’re wrong in your lack of concern.

Jesus cared enough to weep over unbelief, if you don’t care, then you haven’t learned to love what Jesus loves.

Care for those that are in unbelief and seek to show them Jesus Christ.

The Resurrection of Lazarus (38-46)—in the last section, we read about the actual resurrection of Lazarus, which substantiates two points that Jesus makes—that Lazarus’ death was for the glory of God and for the belief of the people in Jesus Christ. We’ve already discussed the issue of belief and unbelief, but I do want to make application for the concept of the glory of God.

We often think that our world revolves around us, which is understandable because the world often teaches us that everything revolves around us.

The world teaches us to do whatever is best for you, to seek your own happiness, and to do whatever you can for yourself.

But the issue is that the Bible teaches us that the world really isn’t all about you. Colossians 1:16 says, “For by [Christ] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.”

And just so that you’re aware, when the Bible says, “all things were created for him” you are one who was created—so you are created for him.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism starts with this question, “What is the chief end of man?” And the answer is, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

You exist for God and you exist for God’s glory, just like Lazarus’ resurrection was for God’s glory. Now the question might be that we’ve seen how God’s glory was evident in Lazarus’ resurrection because Jesus brought him back from the dead; but how are we to glorify him today?

And the answer for glorifying God today is found in The Word of God because the Word of God is the only rule to direct us in how we may glorify and enjoy him.

2 Peter 1:2-3 says that “Grace and peace [will] be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” and it continues to say that “his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”

Or in other words, obedience to God through Scripture provides everything that we need for us to be able to glorify him.

We glorify Jesus by obeying what God has breathed out through the Bible, which is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction in righteousness, that you may be complete, equipped for every good work.

You glorify God by your obedience to what he has said. So, while you probably will never experience someone physically being resurrected in the same way that Lazarus was resurrected and more than likely, you’re probably never going to resurrect someone

You can and should still seek to glorify God through your active obedience to his word

Which entails the rejection of sin, seeking after God, and living in such a way that those who are unbelievers around you, would want to know Jesus as well.

Put simply, what we learn from John 11:28-46 and the resurrection of Lazarus is this: (1) we exist for God’s glory and to glorify God through our life; (2) glorifying God starts by truly repenting from sin and believing in him; and (3) by developing a true concern for unbelievers around us and by living in a way that unbelievers would want to repent and believe in him as well.

Pastoral Prayer

Congregational Singing

Yet Not I but through Christ in Me