STUDY THEME: WHO IS JESUS? 4-20-03

"THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE."

John 11: 1-4, 21-22, 23-27, 38, 39-40, 43-44.

PLEASE OPEN YOUR BIBLE TO JOHN 11.

This coming Sunday is Easter and our lesson is on Jesus’ being the resurrection and the life but it is not actually about Christ’s resurrection Himself. It is about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. This technically was not a resurrection but rather a "resuscitation." There is a major difference between the two. When a person is resuscitated, that person will die again. When a person is resurrected that person never dies again. Jesus was resurrected on Easter Sunday but Lazarus was resuscitated.

This lesson is also our evangelism lesson. It is to be hoped that we will bring non-Christians to Sunday School with us to hear about Jesus’ power to raise Lazarus from the dead. We will study a passage of Scripture that contains one of the most important verses in the entire Bible. It is Jesus’ claim for Himself.

The suggested "Biblical Truth" for the lesson is that because of Jesus’ resurrection, those who trust in Jesus as Savior experience new life now and will be raised to live with Him forever after death. The suggested "Life Impact" for this lesson is that it will help us live confidentially as believers in view of Christ’s promise of resurrection and eternal life.

The sickness and death of Lazarus illustrate the reality of these things for all people. The confident hope of victory over death is based on the One who is the Resurrection and the Life. Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead foreshadowed His own unique resurrection from death. This makes him unique as compared to other religious founders. In Moscow you can go look at the body of Lenin. The tombs of others are venerated but all are dead. At Easter there will be a line at the empty tomb in Jerusalem. Jesus is alive.

As this Chap. 11 begins, Jesus stands in the shadow of facing the cross. The little time He had in the area beyond the Jordan came to an end. John picked up the story after Jesus moved back into the area of Jerusalem and His death was only a few days away. The main theme of John 11 is the raising of Lazarus from the dead. This Lazarus is named only in the Gospel of John. His name means "God is my help."

It will readily be conceded that the story found in the first 53 verses of this eleventh chapter of John is one of the most wonderful in all the records of our Lord’s ministry. It is full of color, of life, of movement. In it there is a remarkable merging of pathos and of power. It is at once a picture of sorrow, and an anthem of victory.

In the first 27 verses we have the story leading to the account of the final sign or miracle recorded in John’s Gospel, the raising of Lazarus. >From Vs. 28 to 53 we have the story of the sign itself. Vs. 1-3 take us to Bethany. Then we cross over Jordan in to Perea in Vs. 4 to 16. Finally we return to Bethany in vs. 17 to 27.

Two towns bore the name "Bethany" in Jesus’ day. One was located "on the other side of the Jordan" (that is, the east side) and was the place where John the Baptist baptized. The other Bethany was a village located east of the Mount of Olives some two miles from Jerusalem and was the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha.

In Vs. 4 when Jesus said that the cure of Lazarus would glorify Jesus, he was sharing that He knew perfectly well that to go to Bethany and to cure Lazarus was to take a step that end in the cross----which indeed it did. For Jesus there was no other way to glory than through the Cross.

When Jesus said in vs. 4 "this sickness is not unto death" the statement did not mean that Lazarus would not die. As a matter of fact Lazarus was dead when the messenger arrived. The word of Jesus meant that death was not the final word.

We certainly do not want to omit the brave statement of the one we often call "Doubting Thomas." In Vs. 16 he said, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him." Only a few days later Thomas will not demonstrate this courage when in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus is betrayed and arrested. Thomas ran for his life, as did all the disciples.

Vs. 17 points out that when Jesus came to Bethany "He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. It had taken the messenger one day to reach Jesus. Jesus delayed two days and took another day to travel from Bethabara to Bethany.

In Bethany there was mourning for this brother of Martha and Mary. As soon as Martha had heard that Jesus was coming she went and met Him.

Vs, 1 sounds as though Martha is angry with Jesus; even accusing Him for letting her b rother die. Vs. 22 seems to have been said in a different tone.

A member of the adult men’s Bible class at Immanuel was dying of cancer. He was one of my closest friends. I visited him almost every day during the weeks of his illness. The thing he seemed to enjoy when we visited was to plan his funeral. One day he was repeating the plan and I was writing down the details. Suddenly his son came into the room and almost shouted, "You are just a bunch of vultures waiting for him to die." I excused myself and went back to my office. In a few minutes he called to apologize. I replied that he owed no apolagy as I knew he was speaking from a hurting heart. He loved his Dad and was angry because there was nothing we could do. I was not offended by his words.

Martha must have felt some of that same kind of pain when she spoke those harsh words of accusation to Jesus. Her’s was an expression of grief at losing her brother and a strong expression of faith that Jesus could have healed her brother had He been in Bethany.

Even though she may not have formed a strong belief about what Jesus would do, Martha’s words show she was willing to leave he issue in Jesus’ hands. She was confident God would enable Jesus to do whatever was needed. I don’t think she was thinking that Jesus could raise Lazarus from the grave.

Of all Jesus’ "I Am" statements this one speaks most clearly to our human plight and claims the most for Jesus. He made two promises. The first one in Vs. 25 relates to His title as the resurrection, and the second one relates to His title as the life. A good summary: Jesus is the resurrection: hence, "he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. Jesus is the life; hence everyone who lives and believes in me shall never, never die."

The words translated though he were dead are clearer when translated "though he may die," or "even though he dies." Jesus was acknowledging death’s reality for everyone, including His followers; but He was promising that death is not the end. The one who is the Resurrection will deliver believers from and through death into life.

Notice three things about Vs. 25-26. (1) Jesus made two promises; victory over death and everlasting life beyond death. (2) This victory over death is not found through belief in a doctrine but in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. (3) We experience eternal life when we come to know Jesus.

The greater part of the statement is not "I am the resurrection," great as it is. The greater part is "I am…the life." This is true because He went on to interpret what He had said, and His interpretation was not concerned with resurrection. It was concerned with life.

Then He looked at Martha and said, "Believest thou this?" I think, perfectly wonderful was her answer. She said, "Yea, Lord," and then as though she halted and was almost afraid of what she had said. "I have believed that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, even He that cometh into the world." She made the full confession there, but yet she seems to have hesitated.

Her answer is a confession of faith that reads much like Peter’s confession of faith at Caesarea Philippi in Matt 16:16. Also, like Peter, the confession showed growing faith. Hers was the faith of a pilgrim who was still learning and growing. She affirmed her faith in Jesus as the Messiah of Israel (the Christ). She also believed that revelation had shown Jesus to be the Son of God. He also was the One who had been promised to come into the world. I see Martha in the same perspective as the man born blind. She responded to divine light, each time she received new light.

John 11:25-26 is a passage often read at funerals. For true believers, this is a precious promise: but too many lack the faith to claim Jesus promise. The play "The Best Man" contains a poignant scene about facing death. Two politicians are discussing God, religion, and the hereafter. Both men admit that they believe neither in God nor in life after death.

One man is an old veteran politician. He tells his younger colleague that he is dying of cancer; the doctor has given him a few months to live. The younger man is shocked and deeply concerned about his friend, but he cannot think of anything reassuring to say. Finally he tries by saying:" But there’s hope in this: Every act we made sets off a chain of reaction, which never ends. And if we are reasonably…good, well, there is some consolation in that, a kind of immortality." The old politician replied dryly, "I suggest you tell yourself that when you finally have to face a whole pile of nothing’ up ahead."

In these preliminary things two matters stand out. First, the disciples: We do not see the critics here, though the Jews were round about. Hostility is not manifest so far. The twelve were there. Thomas has spoken and so has Martha. What do you see? Faced by death, they were groping in darkness, and filled with despair. Over against them we see the Lord, the Lord of life walking in the light, and inspired in all He did by love.

Jesus obviously had strong feelings. What cause His anger or His deep emotion? Some feel that Jesus was angry, or at least greatly upset, by the unbelief of the mourners. Some even include Martha and Mary among those with whom Jesus was upset. Others believe that Jesus was upset by the deep grief of humanity in the face of death or that He was upset about sin and death that plague people. The most natural way to understand Jesus’ tears is that He entered into the grief felt by the sisters and by al who are bereaved. He was going to raise Lazarus to life, yet He was touched by their grief. Without a doubt we can see this, as a sign that the Lord is sympathetic with those who lose loved ones.

No one watching the actions of Jesus before He came to the tomb of Lazarus could have predicted what He would do. His tears at the death of Lazarus may have led the mourners to believe that He was as helpless as they to reverse the death. Mary, like Martha, only wished that Jesus had come sooner. It is interesting to note that the miracle Jesus would perform was not the result of faith but was intended to create faith once accomplished. We can all be grateful that God does not limit His blessings to us based on the size of our faith.

John mentioned the deep emotions that Jesus experienced as He arrived at the tomb. Those emotions can only be expressions of sympathy and grief over the legacy of death that sin brought into the world. Jesus understands and sympathizes with our grief in times of loss. Jesus may also have seen in this setting a preview of His own death and burial in a tomb sealed with a stone. This was a cave with an above ground entrance.

Jesus command to take away the stone may have been interpreted by those present as a desire to view the body of His friend. Not even Martha, who expressed belief in Jesus as the Christ and Son of God, anticipated the real reason for opening the tomb. She protested, reminding Jesus there would be a bad odor after four days of decomposition.

Martha seems to have been the older of the two sisters. She apparently had to agree to allow the tomb to be opened. The fact that she initially objected was out of her sense of respect for her brother. In fact, she gave as her reason for objecting the fact that Lazarus had been dead four days and his decomposing body would have a bad odor. The Jews believed the soul lingered near the body for three days, thus a person who had been dead four days was hopelessly dead. Decay was beginning. This is why the Bible emphasizes that Lazarus had been dead four days.

The Gospels record three instances in some detail when Jesus raised someone from the dead. In Mark 5:35-43 He raised a little girl who had been dead for a short period of time. In Luke 7:11-15 He raised a widow’s son who was being carried to the place of burial. Lazarus had been dead four days. No one could deny the fact of his death. This would be the greatest of Jesus miracles. Jesus promised to Martha that she would see the glory of God fulfill His prophecy to His disciples in John 11:4. Glory refers to the majesty of God; seeing God for who He is. These words apparently caused Martha to allow the tomb to be opened. In John 11:41-42 Jesus spoke audibly to His Father. He wanted the people to know it was the Father who would grant this miracle. Jesus was proving He was from the Father. The miracles Jesus performed authenticated the words He spoke.

Everyone present at the time must have strained to look into the darkness of the cave after Jesus commanded Lazarus to come out. Jesus had raised His voice so that the crowd might hear. He spoke as to somebody who could hear Him. Lazarus, clothed in the shroud of death, appeared. Jesus instructed those present to take off the grave clothes and let him go. Shock must have been followed by joy and celebration as they laughed, wept, and embraced the man who had been buried four days earlier. Jesus had demonstrated dramatically that He indeed is the resurrection and the life. He is sovereign even over death itself.

The raising of Lazarus was the event that pushed the enemies of Jesus to intensify their plans to kill Him. It would now be necessary to kill Lazarus also, as he would attract people to Jesus. Soon Jesus would demonstrate that death could not hold Him in its power either. His tomb would be found empty on the first Easter morning. Jesus power over death assures us as believers that we will not be held by the power of death. When we die physically, Luke 23:43 says our souls go immediately to heaven. When Jesus returns, according to 2 Cor. 15:51-52, we will receive resurrection bodies like His.

The invitation today is if you have never received Jesus as your Savior, believe in Him now. He will give you an abundant life now, and an eternal life in heaven after death or rapture. 4-20-03

NEXT SUNDAY WE TURN BACK TO JOHN 6: 1-59 FOR THE LAST OF OUR "I AM" LESSONS. JESUS DECLARED "I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE." A.V. DAUGHERTY