March 18, 2018
Morning Service

In chapters 9 we saw Jesus’ healing power as He gave sight to a blind man; a feat that had never been done before.  In chapter 10 He described Himself as the Door to the sheepfold and as the Good Shepherd.  We are His sheep and just as the shepherd loves, protects and knows his sheep; Jesus does the same for us.  He is watching over us and will make sure that we have all we need.  Think of that a moment.  The God who created this universe with His Words describes Himself to us as our Good Shepherd.  He is telling us, “Don’t worry I know and love you and I am here to guide and protect you.”  The most glorious part of all that there is nothing He can’t do; all things are within His control.  He proves that to us again today with our lesson about Lazarus.

John 11:1-6  And there was a certain sick one, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.  (2)  (And it was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)  (3)  Then his sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”  (4)  When Jesus heard, He said, “This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God might be glorified by it.”  (5)  And Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  (6)  Therefore, when He had heard that he was sick, then indeed He remained two days in the place where He was.

·        This was a family that Jesus knew, loved and had spent time with.  The sisters sent to Him asking that He come because they believed in Him.  Jesus knew the end result of what was about to happen, but in order for that to occur the people He loved would have to endure a time of grieving over their lost loved one. 

·        There are time is our lives that God will have us endure some tough times of trials, suffering and heartaches.  He asks us to do that in order for us to grow in our faith and also that through us He can be glorified.  We can’t control the circumstances He brings our way, but we can control how we react to them.  At those tough times, it is a time that we need to trust our Good Shepherd to guide and protect us.  We may not understand, but we can know and trust He is in control.

 

John 11:7-16  Then after that He said to the disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.”  (8)  The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews lately have sought to stone You, and do You go 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 the world.  (10)  But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles because there is no light in him.”  (11)  He said these things; and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps. But I go so that I may awaken him out of sleep.”  (12)  Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get well.”  (13)  But Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He had spoken of taking rest in sleep.  (14)  Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.  (15)  And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, in order that you may believe. But let us go to him.”  (16)  Then Thomas (he being called Twin) said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

·        The disciples are concerned with Jesus’ choice to go back to Judea where He had twice walked away from a crowd wanting to stone Him.  Jesus refers to the short time that He has left here as the daytime.  He must not walk fearfully, but purposely before night comes and His earthly ministry is over.

·        The disciples are also confused that Jesus refers to Lazarus’ death as he has fallen asleep.  Sleep would be good for someone who is sick, but Jesus speaks clearly that He has died.  He waited two more days to remove any doubt that Lazarus was indeed dead so that His power over death could be displayed for all to see.  This is building up to His climactic resurrection on Easter morning that we will celebrate soon.

 

John 11:17-27 Then when Jesus came, He found him already being held in the tomb four days.  (18)  And Bethany was near Jerusalem, two miles away.  (19)  And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary in order to comfort them concerning their brother.  (20)  Then when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she met Him. But Mary was sitting in the house.  (21)  Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  (22) But I know that even now, whatever You will ask of God, God will give You.”  (23)  Jesus said to her, “Your brother shall rise again.”  (24)  Martha said to Him, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” (25)  Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection and the Life! He who believes in Me, though he die, yet he shall live.  (26)  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”  (27)  She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who has come into the world.”

·        Martha in speaking that she had confidence that Jesus could have healed Lazarus had He been there also, in an indirect request, asks Him to raise her brother from the dead.  Jesus assures her that he will rise again and makes the fifth “I AM” statement of the gospel of John; “I am the Resurrection and Life.”  As John began this book He stressed that all things were created through Him and in Him was life and the light of man.  This proclaimed that He is Lord of all even life and death and He is about to prove it.  Martha’s statement of faith is the same response we should give when we are confronted with difficult circumstances in our lives.  We may not understand, but we know and trust Him.

 

John 11:28-37  And saying these things, she went away and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, “The Teacher has come and calls you.”  (29)  As soon as she heard, she arose quickly and came to him.  (30)  Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met Him.  (31)  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw that Mary rose up hastily and went out, they followed her, saying, She is going to the tomb to weep there.  (32)  Then when Mary had come where Jesus was, seeing Him, Mary fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”  (33)  Then when He saw her weeping, and also the Jews who came with her weeping, Jesus groaned in the spirit and troubled Himself.  (34)  And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”  (35)  Jesus wept.  (36)  Then the Jews said, “Behold how He loved him!”  (37)  And some of them said, “Was not this Man who opened the eyes of the blind able also to cause that even this one should not have died?”

·        Mary did not pull any punches, she told Jesus exactly what was on her mind stating her disappointment that He had not come in time as she began to weep for what could have been.  What happens next is one of the most amazing revelations about our Savior that I have come to understand about Him.  He cares for us and when we hurt, He hurts.  Jesus wept as He saw those He loved suffering.  When I weep, my Lord, Savior and Creator weeps with me.  Not only is He present in the times of trouble but He shares with us the pain that we are experiencing.

 

John 11:38-44  Then Jesus, groaning in Himself again, came to the tomb. And it was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.  (39)  Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who died, said to Him, “Lord, by this time he stinks. For it is the fourth day.”  (40)  Jesus answered her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”  (41)  Then they took away the stone where the dead were laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  (42) and I know that You hear Me always, but because of the people who stand by I said it, so that they may believe that You have sent Me.”  (43)  And saying these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!”  (44)  And he who had died came out, bound hand and foot with sheets, and his face was bound with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go!”

·        Can you imagine being there, the seconds of anticipation as He called and then you waited to see if this could really happen?  Then imagine the wonder and elation that you would have felt as you saw this man come out of the cave in his grave clothes!  That is the Lord we serve, He did that!   All my hope is in Him!  I, like Martha, believe that He is “the Christ the Son of God who has come into the world.”   He has not come to condemn us but to save us.  He loves us and watches over us as our Good Shepherd.  Our hope is that He will come again and resurrect all who have fallen asleep to live with Him for eternity.  This life is only a stepping stone into the next that will never end. 

·        Let these things that are written build your faith cause you to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and in believing you may have the hope of life in His Name.

 

Thank You Father that You have called us to “Come Forth” from this world of sin and live forever with You.