Jesus is The Resurrection and the Life

Last week we finished up the first major section of John’s Gospel that started in John 1:19 and went through John 10:42.

These next 2 chapters John 11 & 12, are transition chapters in John’s Gospel.

A time between the end of Jesus’ Public ministry in Jerusalem and his return to Jerusalem to prepare for his crucifixion.

This is Jesus’ last sign before his crucifixion.

It is the pinnacle and ultimate display of his claims to be sent by God and to be God in flesh.

What’s interesting is that this sign isn’t on full display for everyone to see.

He wasn’t in the center of Jerusalem.

He was outside the city. In a small community.

Demonstrating to his close friends and disciples that he has power over death.

Jesus’ first sign, turning water to wine, and last sign raising Lazarus from the dead are on display not for the whole world, but for those he cared deeply about.

John’s gospel pays special attention to Jesus’ divinity.

The claim that Jesus is God and that he has come to seek and save the lost.

But John doesn’t solely focus on Jesus’ divinity.

He also shows us the reality of his humanity.

The cool thing is we get to see what it means to be truly human by looking at Jesus.

By watching how he reacts and treats situations and people.

Cause Jesus is the only post fall, perfect human to ever walk the face of the earth.

So we get to see his perfect love.

Perfect compassion.

Perfection on full display.

John 11:1–6 CSB

1 Now a man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair, and it was her brother Lazarus who was sick. 3 So the sisters sent a message to him: “Lord, the one you love is sick.” 4 When Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was.

Jesus’ Love

At the beginning of this story we are introduced to a problem.

The problem is that Lazarus is sick.

And Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, send Jesus word that he is sick.

They were expecting Jesus to come an heal Lazarus.

We learn here that Jesus loves Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

They were friends.

Jesus spent time with them.

We even learn from John here that Mary is “the one who anointed the Lord with perfume.”

John is telling us this about Mary before he even tells us about the anointing.

Why does he tell the readers about Mary here?

Couple of reasons

As a masterful story teller, John is helping us to anticipate something that is going to happen later in the story.

But not only that, Most likely the story of Mary washing Jesus’ feet was a widely known and beloved story in the Christian Community.

So twice, in v. 3, and v. 5, we are told that Jesus loves this family.

Jesus loved them b/c they were his friends.

He had deep affection for them.

That’s a beautiful thing to think about.

Jesus wasn’t some robot walking around, unattached from the world or people.

He had great love and compassion for his friends and family.

And here’s some really good news for us.

Jesus calls his disciples friends.

So if you are a disciple of Jesus, then you are a friend of Jesus.

And if you are a friend of Jesus, then you can know and believe that Jesus loves you.

The creator of the universe loves you.

Deeply.

You can rest in that.

You can celebrate in that truth.

Don’t forget it.

It isn’t just some word salad.

It is a deep and resounding truth.

Jesus loves me.

Jesus loves you.

Remember it is his love that compelled him to come to earth.

It is his love that compelled him to willingly lay down his life.

It is his love that offers salvation to his friends.

His loves moves him toward our brokenness so that he can restore us.

It’s beautiful.

It’s awe inspiring.

It’s amazing.

Here’s something that interesting.

Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus so much that he didn’t go immediately to Bethany to heal Lazarus.

That may sound a little backward for us.

Instead of making the journey immediately, Jesus stayed 2 more days.

That doesn’t sound very loving to our ears.

Why didn’t Jesus immediately take the pain away.

Why didn’t he heal Lazarus from a distance like he did the officials son in Chapter 4.

He could have simply spoke a word and Lazarus would have lived.

But he stayed.

Insuring that Lazarus would die.

What is Jesus up to?

Why wait?

Why delay?

Why allow the pain to set in?

He tells us in verse 4.

John 11:4 “4 When Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.””

I want us to realize something.

The most loving thing that Jesus can do is show us the glory of God.

And God’s glory doesn’t always mean sparing us from pain, heartache, and even death.

God’s glory doesn’t always mean that we will avoid difficulties.

God’s glory doesn’t always mean that life will be smooth sailing.

In fact, most often the Glory of God is most seen on the other side of suffering.

Here’s a truth we need to have ingrained in our hearts and minds.

His love for us and our love for him can never be based on the circumstances that surround us.

He loves Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

And he knows that there is going to be pain.

That there is going to be hurt.

There is going to be weeping, but all of that is going to lead to God’s Glory.

After the days had passed, it’s time for Jesus to head out to Bethany.

But there is some reservation on behalf of Jesus’ disciples.

John 11:7–16 CSB

7 Then after that, he said to the disciples, “Let’s go to Judea again.” 8 “Rabbi,” the disciples told him, “just now the Jews tried to stone you, and you’re going there again?” 9 “Aren’t there twelve hours in a day?” Jesus answered. “If anyone walks during the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks during the night, he does stumble, because the light is not in him.” 11 He said this, and then he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I’m on my way to wake him up.” 12 Then the disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well.” 13 Jesus, however, was speaking about his death, but they thought he was speaking about natural sleep. 14 So Jesus then told them plainly, “Lazarus has died. 15 I’m glad for you that I wasn’t there so that you may believe. But let’s go to him.” 16 Then Thomas (called “Twin”) said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go too so that we may die with him.”

Confrontation with Disciples

Jesus is ready to move.

The time has come.

But the disciples are hesitant.

“Jesus you know that these guys just tried to stone you, and your wanting to go back?”

Jesus quickly rebukes them.

There is still work to be done.

He goes into this little sermonette about the working while there is daylight.

Similar to what he said in John 9.

In the Ancient world, they didn’t have electricity or light bulbs.

So they split the day into two 12 sections.

The day is for doing work.

The night is for sleeping/resting.

Why b/c its more dangerous to do work at night b/c you can’t see where you’re going.

You can’t see the ground beneath your feet.

You are susceptible to stumbling.

But the Disciples have the light of the world with them.

Jesus is the light. So he is their protection.

He is their guiding light.

He is there to help them avoid stumbling, falling, and faltering.

Jesus is not interested in letting the fear of crucifixion stop him from doing the Father’s work.

He is the light and b/c of that they can trust that the work that needs to get done is going to get done.

The darkness is going to be when he is taken away and crucified, but while he is still with them, they won’t stumble.

They won’t fall.

B/c he is the light that is guiding them.

The work that needs to be done right now is to awaken Lazarus.

B/c he has fallen asleep.

At least that’s what Jesus tells them in v. 11.

And the disciples don’t get it.

They don’t understand what Jesus means.

If Lazarus is just sleeping, he will eventually wake up.

There’s no need for us to go and place ourselves in danger.

There’s no reason that we need to go back to a place full of people that wished to kill you.

Jesus then clarifies what he means.

Lazarus isn’t simply sleeping, he’s dead.

Outside of Jesus doing something, he ain’t gonna get up.

And he tells them right here in v. 15

John 11:15 “15 I’m glad for you that I wasn’t there so that you may believe. But let’s go to him.””

Jesus tells them that he delayed going to heal Lazarus b/c he wanted to help them believe.

There is purpose in his delaying.

The disciples don’t see it.

Mary and Martha won’t see it, yet.

And often times we don’t see it.

But again the purpose in the waiting is for God’s glory to be revealed and for there to be belief.

John continues to go back to the purpose of his writing this book.

Found in John 20:31 “31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Belief in Jesus is the chief aim of all that he does.

All that he teaches.

There is always a motive or purpose behind Jesus’ actions

When Jesus decides that it’s time to go, we get one last remark before their departure.

John 11:16 “16 Then Thomas (called “Twin”) said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go too so that we may die with him.””

Thomas gets a lot of heat for being “Doubting Thomas” at the end of John, but here Thomas show some gumption.

He shows some courage here.

He knows that death may await, but he is willing to go.

Isn’t that the true call of any disciple.

Whether we like it or not, we are called to follow Jesus.

Even unto death.

Marching against the enemy.

Where ever he leads I’ll go.

That should be the heart beat of a follower of Jesus.

What lies ahead may be scary.

It may be dangerous.

It may go against all our instinct.

But we can be sure of one thing, whether we survive or die when following Jesus we will see his glory.

Every valley, Every storm, and Every dark period of our lives we are strengthened if we trust Jesus.

If we listen to him.

If we follow him.

John 11:17–22 CSB

17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem (less than two miles away). 19 Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. 20 As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. 22 Yet even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

Confidence in Truth

John gives us some information when Jesus’ arrives.

The first thing that He tells us is that Lazarus had been dead for 4 days upon Jesus arrival.

Immediately after death, Jewish custom was to bury the deceased.

Now this four days is important, b/c we have historic documents that tell us that many Jewish people believed that the soul would hover or stay near a body for three days after death.

Hoping to return to the body if any signs of life were present.

But at the end of the third day the soul would leave knowing that the death was final.

We also learn that Bethany is pretty close to Jersualem.

Which is why so many people are gathered to mourn Lazarus’ passing.

Here’s the deal.

Mourning was serious business in Judaism.

They truly mourned the loss of the dead.

The family of the deceased customarily sat in the home for days just to mourn and grieve their loss.

Some wealthy families would hire professional mourners to ensure that the sorrow was felt.

So some of these people here were probably family and friends, but also some were most likely hired mourners.

Mary, Martha, family, and friends were mourning Lazarus’ death and then Martha heard that Jesus was coming.

She ran out to see him.

Mary stayed home.

These actions were both consistent with who we know Mary and Martha to be from other gospels.

Mary was the quite reserved one and Martha was the busybody always on the go.

Martha meets Jesus and said to him:

John 11:21-22 “... “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. 22 Yet even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.””

Those are some pretty bold statements from Martha.

But let’s not forget she’s speaking from a place of grief.

Grief and confidence in who Jesus is.

She didn’t want her brother to die.

She didn’t want to experience the grief that comes with losing a loved one.

She was confident that Jesus could have saved Lazarus.

She knew that if he would have arrived just a few days earlier, Lazarus would be well.

Yet she is still holding onto hope.

Knowing that the father listens t Jesus’ prayers.

Jesus isn’t going to try and comfort her with vail platitudes or empty words.

He is going to present to her the truth about the situation.

The truth about who he is.

The truth about what he came to do.

John 11:23–27 CSB

23 “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her. 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. 26 Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who comes into the world.”

Confidence in Truth

Jesus tells Martha that Lazarus will rise Again

And Martha responds with an orthodox belief at the time.

That there will be a final resurrection on the last day.

This was taught by many of the religious Jewish Leaders, specifically the Pharisees, but not all clung to the hope of Resurrection.

The Sadducees didn’t believe in the supernatural.

Or the Resurrection.

That’s why their Sad-u-see.

And Martha believed in a final resurrection.

But Jesus was going to reveal to her something greater than a final resurrection.

John 11:25 “25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live.”

She doesn’t have to wait for a resurrection in the future, the Resurrection had arrived.

This is the fifth of the 7 I am statements found in John.

But Jesus isn’t just the Resurrection.

He is the life too.

These are two truths that Martha is confronted with.

Jesus doesn’t just have life.

He is life.

All life that exists flows from him.

Exists for him.

There is no resurrection or life outside of Jesus.

But for those that Jesus loves he gives both resurrection and life.

This the truth that Martha needs to hear.

Resurrection and life isn’t an abstract principle.

It isn’t some idea or impersonal force.

Resurrection and life is a person.

And she is standing face to face with him.

This is for you too.

Resurrection and life is a person.

His name is Jesus.

If you believe in him.

If you trust in him.

If you follow him.

Then you will never die.

Your body may leave this earth, but you will be alive with him.

And then when he proclaims the resurrection.

You will rise to be with him.

But this isn’t only true in the future.

If you are his. Then you are eternally alive now.

You have been raised from death to life.

Much like Jesus asked Martha, I want to ask you.

“Do you believe this?”

Do you believe that life is found in Jesus.

Do you believe that in him you will have life eternal.

Do you believe that he is the son of God, who came to save the world?

Do you believe that you are a sinner separated from a holy God who needs to be made a live and forgiven?

And that Jesus is the way to reunite with the Father?

If you believe, then you will have eternal life.

Proclaim with Martha,

John 11:27 ““I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who comes into the world.””

John 11:28–37 CSB

28 Having said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 As soon as Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Jesus had not yet come into the village but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 The Jews who were with her in the house consoling her saw that Mary got up quickly and went out. They followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to cry there. 32 As soon as Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and told him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died!” 33 When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked. “Lord,” they told him, “come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Couldn’t he who opened the blind man’s eyes also have kept this man from dying?”

Compassion

Martha runs back to get Mary and let her know that Jesus is here.

Mary quickly repeats what Martha said to Jesus.

John 11:32 “32 As soon as Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and told him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died!””

Jesus’ response to Mary was different than his response to Martha, in fact, he didn’t say anything at first.

John tells us that he looked around at all those crying.

The mourners.

The sisters.

He saw their pain and we are told “he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled.”

Unfortunately, this phrase in Every English translation doesn’t quite capture what John actually says.

When read outside of the bible the word here refers to the snorting of a horse.

The flaring of the nostrils in anger and frustration.

When applied to humans it is not troubled, but suggests “anger, outrage, or emotional indignation”

Simply put, Jesus is Mad. He is angry. He is outraged.

But what is he angry about?

Some have suggested that Jesus is angry b/c he is being forced or manipulated to perform the miracle.

That’s incoherent with the beginning of the passage where Jesus is sure he is going to do something about the death of Lazarus.

Others suggest that he is upset about the hypocritical mourners.

The mourners for hire.

But their mourning isn’t portrayed as any different from Mary and Martha’s mourning.

I believe that Jesus’ anger stems from 2 places.

One, the unbelief of Mary and Martha.

They knew and Martha even proclaimed that he was the Resurrection and the Life.

She said she believed him.

And yet she is weeping without hope.

She is weeping in dispair.

And that unbelief has to stir up some anger in Jesus.

But More importantly, I think Jesus is angry at the reality of death.

The reality of sin.

The reality of the brokenness that we find ourselves in.

Sin and death have power in this world.

Power to separate loved ones from each other.

Power to cause grief and despair.

And this isn’t how life was supposed to be.

We weren’t meant to feel the sting of death.

We weren’t meant to know sin and brokenness.

Yet it is our reality b/c of our rebellion.

B/c of our desires to sin.

Here me: Jesus does not like death. Death and sin are his enemies.

He hates them.

They anger him.

And that is on full display here.

But I want you to know and see that Jesus’ anger at sin and death doesn’t thwart his compassion towards those mourning.

We read in v. 35 the shortest and one of the most extremely profound verses in all of scripture. “Jesus Wept.”

Jesus shows us once again what it means to be human.

He weeps b/c of his perfect love for his friends.

He has compassion on them b/c he knows the pain and heartache they feel.

Even though he knows that he is going to fix their problem he still weeps with them.

Paul encourages us to weep with those who weep. Mourn with those who mourn.

And Jesus puts that on full display in this story.

We don’t serve a God who avoids the pain.

We don’t serve a God who can’t sympathize with loss.

We don’t serve a God who is divorced from us.

Rather we serve a God who perfectly loves us.

He weeps.

Jesus is the all powerful, all knowing, creator of the universe.

Yet he still weeps when you weep.

He feels your pain.

He knows you hurt.

He stands beside you and comforts you when things go crazy.

Jesus is the epitome of compassion.

If you are broken, hurting, and weeping Jesus is with you.

How can you be sure that he’s with you?

Because he loves you.

You are his.

Run to him for comfort.

Run to him for compassion.

Run to him for sympathy.

He knows you.

He sees you.

He hears you.

He loves you.

Those who see Jesus’ tears are trying to understand exactly what’s going on.

They see that Jesus loved Lazarus.

They are questioning why he didn’t keep Lazarus from dying.

He healed the blind man. He could have healed Lazarus.

But it was precisely b/c of Jesus’ Love for Lazarus that he didn’t heal him.

As They are standing there looking at the tomb, Jesus’ begins to give instructions.

John 11:38–44 CSB

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 “Remove the stone,” Jesus said. Martha, the dead man’s sister, told him, “Lord, there is already a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you heard me. 42 I know that you always hear me, but because of the crowd standing here I said this, so that they may believe you sent me.” 43 After he said this, he shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out bound hand and foot with linen strips and with his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go.”

Resurrection

They arrive at the tomb and Jesus again is angered by the reality of death.

And we are told that there is a stone covering the tomb.

This is a tomb much like the one that Jesus will be buried in.

Jesus tells them to remove the stone.

But Martha tells Jesus that they shouldn’t b/c its gonna smell bad.

Unlike the Egyptians, the Jewish people didn’t embalm their dead, so the decomposition process takes place pretty quickly.

Especially in the heat of the desert.

After all Lazarus has been dead for 4 days the smell would be pungent.

Jesus responded to her that if she believes she will see God’s Glory.

They remove the stone.

And Jesus begins to Pray:

“Father, I thank you...”

That’s an amazing prayer.

Father, I thank you. That should be a prayer you and I say every day.

Jesus continues praying not for his own benefit, but for the benefit of those around.

There is a crowd gathered and Jesus desires that they all see God’s Glory on display so that they may believe that the Father Sent him.

Jesus shouts with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”

And b/c he holds the power of life and death.

B/c he is the resurrection and the life.

B/c he is the creator God.

Lazarus walks out of the tomb.

One pastor said that Jesus had to say Lazarus’ name b/c of the power of life in his command.

If he wasn’t specific all the dead would have rose and walked out.

That’s the power of our God to raise the dead with just a word.

And here’s a beautiful message for us today.

Though we are not physically dead, Jesus still made us alive.

He has the power to take what is dead and make it alive.

Ephesians 2:4–7 CSB

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, 5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Jesus b/c of his grace.

And b/c of his mercy makes us alive.

Do you believe that.

This picture of Lazarus being raised from the dead is a beautiful picture of what Christ does in us at the moment of salvation.

He takes these dead bones and makes them alive.

He gives us a new life.

And we get to experience it with him.

If you aren’t a follower of Jesus.

This gift is available to you today.

He wants to make you alive so that God will be glorified.

He’s calling your name.

Will you answer him.

Let’s pray.