2021 Nov 7- Sunday Morning Service

Chapter is about one event. And that's the raising of Lazarus from the dead Lazarus was the member of a little family. We only know, three of them Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. We don't know a lot about them except that they were a host family to Jesus and that he had come to know them very well to the degree that he not only love them with the spiritual and divine love but he loved them with a personal affection. They were a group of believers who believe that Jesus was the Christ, the son of God, they believed he was the one who had come down from heaven and Martha gives testimony to that in this chapter. So this is a family that he had come to know and love not just as his children, but for whom he had a personal affection that Drew out of him, a very painful experience when he came to the tomb and stepped into the situation of all. These people would come around to mourn and weep and wail over the loss of this family. Mary and Martha were weeping over the loss of their brother in Jesus stepped into that situation and it doesn't just them weeping. It was a huge crowd chapter 11 tells us of mourners. They're there would always be professional Wailers. People who did that very well and sort of ignited the Wailing, then there would be the legitimate mourners who are sorrowful. They apparently came from many places in verse 19. It says, many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to consoled them about their brother. This is Jewish tradition would last for 7 days, and then they would go back to their own homes with sort of commit themselves to being available for comfort and consolation for. Of at least 30 days. This is a community event that is going on and Jesus steps into it. Lazarus has been in the ground for 4 days. And after 3 days, complete decomposition is set in Jesus arrives and he comes to the tomb, he is sorrowful. He's sad. It isn't just that he's weeping because he lost a friend. It isn't just that he's weeping because he sees the pain of these two ladies over the loss of their brother. He's not weeping because the community feels bad about it. There's a kind of Agony. He not only loses a friend in this, he not only sees that sorrow, but he's able to process immediately. The sorrow of every death in every human relationship in every human family. He can project his omniscience to grasp all of human sorrow and suffering in the face of death. Not only that. He's surrounded by unbelief, a whole nation of unbelievers. And even by the tomb, and in the home, they're a group of unbelievers. So he's literally in golfed in unbelief. He also grasps the reality of death and eternal punishment and eternal judgement. So this is an agonizing moment for Jesus matched. Only by his Agony in the garden where he comes to face-to-face, confrontation with sin, which he himself will bear. This takes his w**** to another level. But here I think is the greatest Agony in the life of Jesus up to this point, as he faces, the deadly reality, and the Eternal consequences of death and how far-reaching it is. In the agony. He comes to the tomb and in verses 43 and 44. He says, Lazarus come out out. Came the man who died bound hand and foot with wrappings and his face was wrapped around with a cloth and Jesus said to them, I'm buying him and letting go And the curtain Falls, we don't know anything more about that scene. We have no further information. We don't know anything about the reunions of Mary and Martha. We don't know anything about the shock and all that must have just literally Ward through the mourners. We don't know anything about that. We don't know anything about the conversation, the Lazarus had after this. You can imagine the questions. Can you tell us where you were? Can you tell us what you saw? What was it? Like we have no information. Why not? Because it isn't about the psychology of reunions. This isn't about the rest of Lazarus life. This isn't about our curiosity of Heaven. What is this about verse for says? This sickness is not meant for death. But as for the glory of God so that the Son of God may be glorified in it. All we're interested in is the glory of the Sun and what he said, Lazarus come out and in a moment Lazarus was standing there. That's the point of the story. The rest is irrelevant. In fact, and verse 40. Jesus says to Martha, did I not say to you that if you believe you will see the glory of God and they The purpose of this was to bring glory to God and glory to God incarnate the Lord Jesus Christ. So when the curtain fell last time at the end of verse 44, the CNN's. So we pick it up and verse 45 and this is an important final scene in this incredible drama. But before we look at it, I'm going to tell you. This is the aftermath, this is the effect here come the responses and they are predictable their predictable because we see them all throughout the Gospel of John. But before we look at that, I want to remind you about a statement made by Peter. Peter was preaching in Jerusalem in the temple, Courtyard, with the masses of Jewish people there. It was his second sermon after the Ascension of Christ. After the day of Pentecost, after the birth of the church in dites, the Jews with an astonishing accusation. He says to them and ask 315, you put to death the Prince of Life. You killed the Prince of Life, how ironic you killed the life Giver. John 1334 says all things came into being through him and apart from him. Not even one thing came into being that has come into being in him was life. And the life was the light of mankind later. As we've seen. He says, I am the resurrection and the life. I am the way, the truth and the life. He doesn't give life. He is life. You killed the Prince of Life more. Ironically. Peter says, Xanax 314, but you diss on the holy and righteous one, and ask for a murderer to be granted to you. You killed the Prince of Life and you gave life to a killer. That's the nature of unbelief and the crime has no parallel. It's without equal and its magnitude. It have been the desire of the religious leaders in Israel to kill Jesus for a long time. And it now reaches a point where they cannot let him live any longer. This miracle is the final boiling point. And so this raising of Lazarus triggers our desire to kill him now and not wait, which is part of God's plan because God wants him to be the sacrificial, lamb the next week on Friday at the Passover. They don't know that of course, but they're not operating on their schedule. They're operating on God's, they've tried to kill him before. But now after this miracle, they can't wait any longer. In fact, it's all sort of summed up down and verses, 47 48, when they call a council and they say, What are we doing in regard to the fact that this man is performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, all the people will believe in him and the Romans will come and take over both our place and our nation completely oblivious to the fact that he raised the dead man. On top of everything else. Remember. It's a radical claim for someone to say, he is God and is to be summarily rejected. No matter who says it with one exception and that's Jesus. He said he was God. And then he demonstrated the truth of that claim. Now, you have two choices. You can believe or not believe when he said he was God, he was either telling the truth or he was lying. You can look at the evidence and there's plenty of it in the four gospels and the testimony of the rest of the New Testament and the testimony of the Old Testament, leading up to it and the testimony of Living Church ever since there's plenty of evidence that what he claimed is true and there is no indication there. What he said is false. You can look at the evidence, but you only have two options. You believe it or you don't there's no third possibility. There's no safe Middle Ground, Luke. 11:23. Jesus said the one who is not with me is against me and one who does not gather with me scatters. And all the evidence of scripture demands, believe still no matter what he did, no matter what he said, no matter how the evidence made the case, clear unmistakable undeniable. They hated him leaders did, it was an aggressive hostile violent kind of unbelief. They tried to Stone him to death of Nazareth after one sermon in his own Hometown. They accused him over and over of being demon possessed or being under the power of Satan. They said he was a violator of the law God and of the religious law and tradition. They said he was a blasphemer, a drunkard, a friend of sinners, the low-life crowd who are outcast They said, his teaching was unacceptable. His authority was self invented, everything that they viewed him as being, led them to the need to kill him. That's the Hostile unbelief. There's another kind of unbelief. There were a lot of people who followed him because of his miracles and they were curious and fascinated and interested and they even were healed and fed, but it was superficial there with ours was the kind of unbelief that isn't hostile or violent or angry. It isn't murderous. It's just in different. It's not a safe place to be a nominal believer in Jesus. To just feel sentimental about him. That's a very dangerous place you might as well be hostile, but there are those who were hostile And there were those who were just curious and indifferent. Thirdly, there will always be those who believe. They were the few who found the narrow way. They were the ones Jesus called the little flock. They were the 12 - Judas who left everything to follow him. They were like those Martha, and Mary, and Lazarus who confessed that he was the Son of God. The Messiah, the one who came down from heaven. There were those who repented like Zacchaeus like the Royal official in his household in John chapter 4. They were like the blind man in John 9, who believed and then many and chapter 10. The cross. The Jordan where Jesus went with his disciples and proclaimed. His messiahship, and many believed there were others there definitely was a little flock of believers. So these were the responses that we've seen in the Gospel of John, there is belief and unbelief and two kinds of unbelief as we come to verse 45. Then we leave the scene behind us. And we now meet these three groups. We meet the Believers. We meet the Violet haters and then we meet the in different people. So, we have here at the end of this chapter, a microcosm of what you see through the whole Ministry of Jesus. And actually, what you even see today. There are people who believe in the Lord, Jesus Christ. There are people who are violently hostile and hateful towards him. Then there is that massive group of people who have some sort of marginal sentimental attitude equally damning. So let's meet Group 1. Mm versus 45 there. For many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what he had done believed in him. Here is the many who believed in him and who are these many back to verse 19, many of the Jews have come to Martha and Mary to consoled them about their brother. People knew them. They knew who they were. You've got villagers and Bethany plus people coming out of Jerusalem to visit them. I don't know what the many is. Many mourners came and they have been there now for days already. Now the resurrection has happened in the mourners are still there. They have known the family known Lazarus. They know he was dead. And in the gray for 4 days, they get it, he comes out of the grave, but the miracle is so clear. Unmistakable and undeniable their hearts are open to the reality that this is truly Who Martha said he is the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who came down from heaven, God incarnate, they believed and they should believe. What would you believe if you saw that they're convinced? Now not all belief is legitimate, but genuine belief is mentioned in chapter 112. But as many as received him to them, he gave the right to become children of God. To those, who believe in his name, they believed and they were given the right to become children of God. Their sins were forgiven. They were redeemed. They ceased being the children of the devil. They are the believing many. Many of the numbers that were there, not many of the nation. They believed there's a kind of believing that doesn't save. At the end of John Chapter 2. He was in Jerusalem at the Passover and this is the beginning of his ministry and many believed in his name, observing the signs and miracles he was doing. But Jesus knew that the kind of believing that was in them was not sufficient to save them. It wasn't sufficient to make a genuine connection and it's Illustrated in John 3 1 through 3. Now, there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, ruler of the Jews. This man that came to Jesus at night and said to him. Rabbi. We know that you have come from God as a teacher for no one can do these signs that you do. Unless God is with him. Jesus responded and said to him. Truly truly. I say to you. Unless someone is born again. He cannot see the kingdom of God. They believed he was a teacher. That's not enough. That's true. He didn't say you're the Messiah, the Son of God. The one who came down, from heaven, like Martha did. So there's a kind of face faith. That is superficial. It's not enough. We see it again. And chapter six disciples following him, listening to him who turn and go the other way and walk. No more with him. A superficial temporary kind of belief like the seeds, sown in the rocky soil, and the weedy soil, it never produces fruit and it dies. In chapter 8, you see the same kind of thing? Again. This may be more characteristic of The Superficial in different group that will see you in a minute than anything. Many came to believe in him. Well, what kind of faith is it? What does it mean to believe? Jesus said you will know the truth and the truth will make you free. You're not free from sin or judgment or from Everlasting punishment yet. But if you continue down this path, you will come to the knowledge of the truth that saves. So there is a kind of faith that can only be at the can be only initial only a kind of beginning faith that isn't sufficient to save. But in the case we have here, we see the believe the Jesus spoke out and saw Illustrated in Martha earlier in the chapter. So now check this out or maybe a week before the death of Jesus, and there's a flurry of things happening to the souls of people before, Jesus came a week. Before that. He had been beyond the Jordan and many were believing in him there. That's what we saw at the end of chapter 10. So, in the last week of his life, as he preaches, the gospel and puts on display, has Sovereign power, many or believing? That's group. One throughout all of the history of the gospel and the teaching in the reading of the scripture. There will be those who believe the Lord has his people everywhere in the world. He'll draw them out of every tongue and tribe and people and Nation. A group two is the murderers group. One is, the many group two is the murderers. They took up the bulk of the rest of this section. The Pharisees were very powerful. They were basically The Architects of Jewish synagogue religion. They have the power and control over the people. They dominated the people with their laws and rules and Sabbath restrictions and restraints. The people pretty much knuckled under the Pharisees. As if you didn't do that you got thrown out of the synagogue and if you got thrown out of the synagogue you might as well be a leper. So everybody sort of took whatever abuse the Pharisees laid out in order to stay in the system. Some of those conformers are there morning at this event. When they see what's going on, they decide to report to the Pharisees. Psalm verse 46 with some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things with Jesus had done what they tell him. Erase the dead is what? He did. He went to the tomb, gave them a story. You raised him from the dead. They gave the report. They are concerned more about the Pharisees. Then they are about their own Souls. This is what false religion does. False religion allows you to give up your own soul to please somebody, it was the destroyer of your soul. So they report they saw a miracle. They described the miracle, knowing how much the Pharisees hate Jesus already. And knowing that this is going to enrage them even further, but they're complicit with the Pharisees because they sold their souls to the devil. This is the hardness of the human heart, in the face of literally, overwhelming, evidence evidence, means nothing. Why do they hate Jesus? So much. Jesus said that John 7. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that it's Deeds, are evil. They hated him because he told them they were evil not evil in their sin. But evil in their religion. If you tell Sinners their evil in their sin, they can usually handle that. But you telling their evil in their righteousness and they'll hate you for it. You see the depths of unbelief the profound Fortress of anti-god ideology and ideas and religion. It put his glory on display through his son. They didn't see it. Verse 47 there for the chief priests in the Pharisees, convert convened, a council meeting, and they were saying, what are we doing in regard to the fact that this man is performing many signs. Why are we letting this man go on, like this? We got to stop him. Do they fear? The political implications? Not really. They just hate what he says. So, they create a theoretical imaginary disaster because they want Jesus dead. They don't believe this, but they invented. And this is it for this man is performing many signs. Now, there you have it. The testimony of the people who hated Jesus that what he was doing was miraculous. Why are these liberals living now? Who deny the Miracles when the enemies of Jesus, who were there? Don't even deny them. Nobody denied him. He's performing many miraculous Feats verse 48. If we let him go on like this, all the people will believe in him. That sounds like a politician to me. And the Romans will come and take over both our place, and our nation will lose our position. In our power, talk about a doomsday scenario. This is the end of everything. We can't allow this to go on. We got to stop it. We've got to act or we're going to lose it all. This is an idea concocted as a pretense to kill Jesus first teaching, which tore at the fabric of their system. By the way. This is the same exact thing. They said the pilot later. Well, if you don't crucify Jesus, you're no friend of Caesar because Jesus is going to lead a revolution and it's not going to make Caesar happy. The apostles went to a festival and I can act 17 and Paul and Silas are preaching in the synagogues and Jews are believing with some of the Jews didn't believe in their Furious about what's going on. So, they started to go after the Christians. And how do they defend? This bizarre behavior? They defend it with these words. They all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar saying. There is another king, they stirred up the crowd, the Jews doing the same thing long. After this, in the book of Acts saying, the Christians are going to start a revolution in the Romans were going to come, and there's going to be a huge conflict and we're going to lose our freedom. They know Jesus wasn't a revolutionary. What did Jesus say said render to Caesar? What is Caesar's give to God? What is God's? Jesus never picked up a sword. You never started a revolution. Jesus wasn't anti Roman. He didn't try to free the slaves. Jesus didn't try to balance economics. He can get caught up in social justice. He didn't start an army. You didn't call people to defend him. He was Meek, gentle and compassionate. He didn't go around killing people. He went around making dead people live, they knew, but this was a ploy. We've got to create a massive potential scenario here, so that we can justify Killing Jesus or else everything. Everybody is going to believe in him. Which again, is another testimony, that the validity of his miracles. His worst enemies, the very people who really crucified him using the hands of the Romans believed in his miracles. They had no other choice. So Caiaphas the high priest steps up and he is that in that office because Rome allowed him to be there. He knows that he was the guy who was there, because he's not a threat to Rome knows. His position is only his as long as he pleases rum uses that as a ploy. And by the way, I think it's interesting that it mentions a little later and first 51 being high priest that year. It's just something about that year. The grab me because that year was the final year of any high priest. Why? Because a week later. The veil was shredded in the Priestly system was null and void. He is the last of the somewhat official high priest. Now, this shows up as we follow the history that the office declined and continued to Drift Away by the time you get to the 23rd chapter of Acts. Paul is called before the Sanhedrin. It was many years later and he's looking at verse 1, through 5 Brothers. I have lived my life with an entirely good conscience, before God up to this day with the high priest ananias commanded, those standing beside him to strike him on the way, on the mouth. While walking on the mouth for what? So this guy wax Paul in the mouth. Then Paul says to him, God is going to strike you. You whitewashed wall. I confess I really like that.

Do you sit to try me according to the law and in violation of the law order me to be struck with those present said, are you insulting God's high? Priest? And Paul said I was not aware brothers that he is the high priest. Now, that will tell you. What the high priesthood had descended to, Paul didn't even know who the high priest was there. Shouldn't even have been a high priest, so that kind of corruption starts with Herod who appoints three or four of the early ones and then the Romans appoint the rest. So okay, back to Caiaphas inverse bunny trail. The versus 49 and 50, but one of them Caiaphas who was high priest that year said to them, you know, nothing at all, nor you taking into account that it is in your best interest. That one man died for the people and that the whole nation, not perish. Instead. Don't you get it? It's beneficial. This unscrupulous man is trying to get rid of the biggest obstacle to his own power popularity in Theology. And that is this Jesus. He wants him dead and he says, don't you get it? If we don't kill him, we all die again. More political nonsense. Either one man, Jesus parishes or the whole nation perish has So the conclusion of the council is follow the witch wishes of the high priest that's going to be the plan. We got to kill Jesus to save the nation or we're going to have a revolution in the Romans are going to come. We're going to lose our power. We're going to lose our nation. So look at the words again in verse 58 is in your best interest. That one man died for the people and that the whole nation, not perish instead, if we kill J's, Jesus, we save the nation. How strangely true is that statement would not in the way he thought. The words of Caiaphas have a deep resonating reality of truth that he never even understood, but notice versus 51 and 52. Now, he did not say this on his own, but as he was high priest that year, he prophesied, that Jesus was going to die for the nation and not for the nation only. But in order that he might also gather together into one, the children of God who are scattered abroad. Do you know what this self exalting, dictatorial, brutal. Corrupt, man? Did he gave a clear statement on the substitutionary. Atonement sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He has no idea what he's saying. Not surprising God, used the mouth of Cyrus to give a prophecy. God, used the mouth of a false. Prophet Balaam. God use the mouth of balaam's Jackass to speak for him.

There's no limit to what God can do. Do you have no idea what he was talking about? He meant one thing but God meant something different. Joseph's words in Genesis 50. You meant it. For evil. God, meant it for good. This is a Divine irony. By the way. Nothing in scripture says that the pie priest had any prophetic gift. It just so happened. That God, ordered every word and gave it a completely different meaning. But every word was correct. So through Caiaphas words, God declares the true impact of the death of Jesus. He will die to save the nation but not physically in 70 AD. They are all going to perish in the Roman Holocaust, but spiritually, he will die for the Salvation of the world. He died for the sins of his children all over the globe. Traverse 53. So from that day on the plan together to kill him, Caiaphas his speech worked. They decided to kill him, didn't take them long. They were amped up to put it mildly in at the end of the next week. They were able to accomplish it in the purpose of God. There's a final group to add to these murderers. Verse 54. Therefore Jesus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews, but went away from there, to the region near the Wilderness into a city called a frame. And there he stayed with the disciples. He becomes an outlaw has to escape at least for a few days until he comes back next week. That brings us the 55, which is the final group, the multitude versus 55 and 56. Now the Passover, the Jews were near and then he went up to Jerusalem from the country prior to the Passover in order to purify themselves. So they were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple area. What do you think that he will not come to the Feast at all. Now the chief priests in the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was he was to report it so that they might arrest him. They're all Gathering and they're seeking Jesus. Why? Because he was the focal point of the previous two passover's. Where is he? He was a topic of conversation through the whole nation. They know how the teacher leaders feel, they are very clear about that. They know he's hated. What can I say about the crowd curious? Sure. They knew about Jesus. They wanted to see him. They wanted to see his miracles. What happened? When he came chapter 12 tells us they shouted at him Hosanna blessed. Is he who comes in the name of the Lord? Even the king of Israel fear. Not Daughter of Zion. Behold. Your king is coming Seated on a donkey's Colt. Wow, triumphal entry Monday by Friday. What were they crying crucified?

Those are the only options, really when it comes to Christ. You believe in all the evidence supports that you believe or you reject was superficiality with indifference. But there's only Heaven, There's Only Hell. Whether you reject Jesus with hatred or reject him with sentimental good feelings, you end up the same hell. You're dying, your sins. Jesus said, and where I go. You will never come because you do not believe. Either you believe on Christ or you will perish. The question is the same. The Jesus asked Martha. Do you believe? Osprey.

Father, we thank you for the time that we've been able to look at this amazing chapter. And again and up where we always end up. Facing the decision of all decisions to believe or not believe.

I pray that you will produce. Faith comes from heaven. May the realities of the claims of Christ in the evidence come to life. May the reality of heaven and all its Joys and hell with all its Horrors become real. Thank you for the power of your word. Take your truths and poured into us and then out from us and use us For Your Glory. Jesus name we pray. Amen. Thank you. You are dismissed. Have a great week.