WEBVTT 00:00:00.270 --> 00:00:04.110 We continue our sermon series. What is in a name, 00:00:04.129 --> 00:00:05.790 or what's in a name, where we're looking at the 00:00:05.790 --> 00:00:09.429 names, titles, distinctives of Jesus in the book 00:00:09.429 --> 00:00:12.269 of John, where there are a lot, and we're only 00:00:12.269 --> 00:00:14.810 looking at about 12 of them for this sermon series. 00:00:15.089 --> 00:00:18.489 And this one is going to be kind of a part one, 00:00:18.510 --> 00:00:21.570 part two. So part one now, part two will be actually 00:00:21.570 --> 00:00:24.629 during Holy Week, as we will be talking about 00:00:24.629 --> 00:00:26.809 the resurrection and the life, obviously through 00:00:26.809 --> 00:00:28.969 Easter, because that is when that is on display. 00:00:32.039 --> 00:00:35.399 four, and it's one that you hear a lot about 00:00:35.399 --> 00:00:38.320 in church. It's one that's preached a lot, and 00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:40.880 that is kind of the resurrection of Lazarus and 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:43.840 the understanding of what actually is happening. 00:00:44.259 --> 00:00:46.820 And there are some key cultural things that we 00:00:46.820 --> 00:00:49.399 need to understand this morning, which makes 00:00:49.399 --> 00:00:53.520 what is already an unbelievable miracle. One 00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:55.399 that, I mean, if we were to rank them, you know, 00:00:55.399 --> 00:00:57.799 give like the SportsCenter top ten of Jesus' 00:00:58.020 --> 00:01:01.140 miracles, my guess is this one's number one always, 00:01:01.240 --> 00:01:04.040 outside of himself resurrecting from the dead, 00:01:04.180 --> 00:01:08.879 would be someone that was dead being not dead, 00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:12.859 being alive, in more simplistic terms. So we're 00:01:12.859 --> 00:01:15.739 going to be in John 11 today. So John chapter 00:01:15.739 --> 00:01:19.180 11, we're going to start with verse 17, and we 00:01:19.180 --> 00:01:22.319 need to kind of understand this moment of despair 00:01:22.319 --> 00:01:29.540 that is going on. Now, as we in the United States, 00:01:29.579 --> 00:01:32.560 kind of the Western Hemisphere in context of 00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:38.519 the United States, death for 90%, a statistic 00:01:38.519 --> 00:01:42.120 I just made up right now, we kind of all walk 00:01:42.120 --> 00:01:45.180 through death the same way when it comes to making 00:01:45.180 --> 00:01:47.340 arrangements. And this is a weird thing to hear, 00:01:47.459 --> 00:01:50.319 and I don't hope this for my congregation, but 00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:53.120 it's an area that fascinated me in seminary was 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:56.540 this idea of the sacredness of someone's, which 00:01:56.540 --> 00:01:58.620 we don't really do last rites, that's more of 00:01:58.620 --> 00:02:01.599 a Catholic ideology, but what I call a bedside, 00:02:01.620 --> 00:02:05.120 sitting with people, sometimes when they physically 00:02:05.120 --> 00:02:08.159 breathe their last, sitting with someone as they 00:02:08.159 --> 00:02:11.530 go from death, or from life, I've yet to have 00:02:11.530 --> 00:02:13.449 someone go from death to life. That would probably 00:02:13.449 --> 00:02:16.949 freak me out. But from life to death, I will 00:02:16.949 --> 00:02:20.629 always remember Lillian Kevers. Died two, three 00:02:20.629 --> 00:02:23.150 years ago, maybe even closer to four now. I remember 00:02:23.150 --> 00:02:27.930 we did three bedsides because I got texts from 00:02:27.930 --> 00:02:31.770 Kevin and the family going, we think Pastor Hospice 00:02:31.770 --> 00:02:34.689 said this is it. And so if I can, I try to be 00:02:34.689 --> 00:02:38.949 there with those of the church. To help shepherd 00:02:38.949 --> 00:02:40.729 them into glory, though I'm not doing anything. 00:02:40.849 --> 00:02:42.830 I'm just holding their hand or praying or singing 00:02:42.830 --> 00:02:45.870 or crying or D all of the above. And we did that 00:02:45.870 --> 00:02:48.729 three times because she just, just though they 00:02:48.729 --> 00:02:50.849 thought that the body was starting to, all of 00:02:50.849 --> 00:02:54.129 a sudden it wouldn't. And there's a journey there 00:02:54.129 --> 00:02:56.090 when you get to kind of that palliative care 00:02:56.090 --> 00:02:59.770 or that hospice understanding. And bodies go 00:02:59.770 --> 00:03:01.949 through some, they go through some, let's just 00:03:01.949 --> 00:03:03.750 be honest, they go through some weird stuff. 00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:06.780 I still remember that just mere days before my 00:03:06.780 --> 00:03:09.960 sister passed, she was up eating. And then when 00:03:09.960 --> 00:03:12.759 that cancer hit her brain, it just kind of faded 00:03:12.759 --> 00:03:15.620 out, and life just kind of faded. And the thing 00:03:15.620 --> 00:03:17.780 I can say is, though it follows similar patterns, 00:03:17.960 --> 00:03:22.060 nobody is the same when they go. And I remember 00:03:22.060 --> 00:03:24.840 Lillian opening up her eyes and saying, I see, 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:28.960 I see the angels. Again, I'm never going to say 00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:30.500 that she didn't see it or that she was crazy 00:03:30.500 --> 00:03:32.800 or hallucinating. I truly believe, and I think 00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:34.580 it's right too, that she was getting a glimpse 00:03:34.580 --> 00:03:38.039 of glory. That the Lord was calling her home. 00:03:38.199 --> 00:03:41.319 Her room was ready. The table was prepared for 00:03:41.319 --> 00:03:45.060 her. As we look at John in the Psalms. My hope 00:03:45.060 --> 00:03:47.099 and my prayer is that we can all peacefully go 00:03:47.099 --> 00:03:50.099 into that. That we can enter glory. But here's 00:03:50.099 --> 00:03:53.599 the thing. This isn't really hard to understand, 00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:57.759 though it is. When that happens. There's no coming 00:03:57.759 --> 00:04:00.939 back. And if we're being honest, we don't want 00:04:00.939 --> 00:04:03.360 to come back. I've heard people say, like, man, 00:04:03.379 --> 00:04:07.439 I really hope heaven's a lot like here. I don't 00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:10.860 at all, right? I don't want heaven to be anything 00:04:10.860 --> 00:04:13.180 like the earth. Though we are promised a new 00:04:13.180 --> 00:04:15.699 heaven and a new earth, we can't wrap our minds 00:04:15.699 --> 00:04:18.540 around what that is. As Paul says in Corinthians, 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:21.550 what we see lit dimly in a mirror. One day we'll 00:04:21.550 --> 00:04:24.550 see face to face. One day we'll see in 4K. But 00:04:24.550 --> 00:04:26.930 right now we don't. We don't get it. We don't 00:04:26.930 --> 00:04:29.250 fully understand it. And for us to want heaven 00:04:29.250 --> 00:04:32.509 to be what earth is, I think that's foolish. 00:04:32.810 --> 00:04:35.230 I think that shows an immaturity. And that shows 00:04:35.230 --> 00:04:37.189 that you're probably in love with something here 00:04:37.189 --> 00:04:39.470 that you shouldn't be. But that's a whole other 00:04:39.470 --> 00:04:42.410 sermon series. So we have the moment of despair 00:04:42.410 --> 00:04:45.790 in John 11. And what we have to understand here, 00:04:45.970 --> 00:04:52.649 it's purposeful. Jesus arrives. Day four. So 00:04:52.649 --> 00:04:55.009 just hold on to that as we jump into verse 17 00:04:55.009 --> 00:04:58.870 of John chapter 11. Now when Jesus came, he found 00:04:58.870 --> 00:05:01.069 that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four 00:05:01.069 --> 00:05:04.269 days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles 00:05:04.269 --> 00:05:06.949 off. And many of the Jews had come to Martha 00:05:06.949 --> 00:05:09.389 and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 00:05:09.610 --> 00:05:12.870 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she 00:05:12.870 --> 00:05:15.829 went and met him. But Mary remained seated in 00:05:15.829 --> 00:05:18.600 the house. Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you 00:05:18.600 --> 00:05:20.879 had been here, my brother would not have died. 00:05:21.399 --> 00:05:23.819 But even now I know that whatever you ask from 00:05:23.819 --> 00:05:29.019 God, he will give you. So we hear that despair. 00:05:30.079 --> 00:05:33.560 And we see the two different approaches to Jesus. 00:05:34.100 --> 00:05:37.939 That when death comes, and this probably covers 00:05:37.939 --> 00:05:41.240 all of us, you fall in one or two camps. Either 00:05:41.240 --> 00:05:45.000 you accept it early on. And you walk through 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:47.360 the arrangements and find closure. That's why 00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:51.060 I always encourage family to do something. You 00:05:51.060 --> 00:05:53.100 know, we think of the Achterhoffs and the Princes 00:05:53.100 --> 00:05:55.819 and bringing closure to Twyla's life, knowing 00:05:55.819 --> 00:05:57.879 that was mere months after they did that with 00:05:57.879 --> 00:06:01.040 Twyla's husband, Doug's brother, Jeff. But that 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:03.720 you talk to them, and it was a time of family 00:06:03.720 --> 00:06:06.240 coming together. When families don't do that, 00:06:06.300 --> 00:06:08.639 or they don't want anything, it's kind of like 00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:11.769 a comma at the end of the sentence. It's not 00:06:11.769 --> 00:06:13.569 a period. There's still feelings that have to 00:06:13.569 --> 00:06:16.170 come to closure. And we see one going and meeting 00:06:16.170 --> 00:06:18.290 Jesus and saying, we're going to walk through 00:06:18.290 --> 00:06:22.970 this. Okay. Jesus is here. Great. Yet we see 00:06:22.970 --> 00:06:27.209 one standoffish. We see one that is sitting there 00:06:27.209 --> 00:06:30.910 and waiting for Jesus to come comfort them. Both 00:06:30.910 --> 00:06:34.290 of them, I submit this morning, are okay positions 00:06:34.290 --> 00:06:38.899 to be in. That for some of us, We engage death 00:06:38.899 --> 00:06:42.199 in a way that can early on make sense, and later 00:06:42.199 --> 00:06:45.160 we fall apart with doubt or anger or we just 00:06:45.160 --> 00:06:48.720 miss them. But for some, it takes a while. And 00:06:48.720 --> 00:06:51.060 for those of us that have lost people in our 00:06:51.060 --> 00:06:53.680 lives that maybe weren't at the end of life, 00:06:53.740 --> 00:06:56.079 weren't rounding third on life, where we can, 00:06:56.220 --> 00:06:58.259 you know, you're in your 90s. Okay, it kind of 00:06:58.259 --> 00:07:01.519 makes sense. I don't know anybody in their 90s 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:05.660 that wishes they lived until 120. Okay? Some 00:07:05.660 --> 00:07:07.699 of our 90s club, when I've talked with them, 00:07:07.819 --> 00:07:10.959 the most would have won was Archie Buzine. And 00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:12.899 he said, Jim, I loved my life. And he died at 00:07:12.899 --> 00:07:16.379 98, 97 years old. He goes, but I'm so excited 00:07:16.379 --> 00:07:19.259 for what comes next. Now, this is a man that 00:07:19.259 --> 00:07:21.339 preached that for years and years and years. 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:25.800 But nobody that I've met then talked with of 00:07:25.800 --> 00:07:28.459 faith in their 90s go, Pastor, I wish I could 00:07:28.459 --> 00:07:32.939 do it all over again. You don't get that. But 00:07:32.939 --> 00:07:35.560 for those of us that have lost people when we 00:07:35.560 --> 00:07:38.500 in our kind of fleshly way go, that should not 00:07:38.500 --> 00:07:41.819 have happened. I think of my sister. I know for 00:07:41.819 --> 00:07:44.139 some of you lost people in their 20s and 30s 00:07:44.139 --> 00:07:47.100 when numerically we go, this should not happen. 00:07:47.939 --> 00:07:51.180 God, why did you do this? Why in the world would 00:07:51.180 --> 00:07:54.579 you call a 36 -year -old home to glory, mom of 00:07:54.579 --> 00:07:58.339 three kids, all the things? And we can enter 00:07:58.339 --> 00:08:01.259 with just sitting. and waiting for the Lord to 00:08:01.259 --> 00:08:05.259 make sense of death for us. And guess what? He 00:08:05.259 --> 00:08:08.360 will give us, I think, a glimpse of that. But 00:08:08.360 --> 00:08:10.639 for some of us, we engage it. We get to the forefront 00:08:10.639 --> 00:08:15.420 and we engage it. The four days is important 00:08:15.420 --> 00:08:18.500 today, friends. That is four days after Lazarus 00:08:18.500 --> 00:08:22.259 died. And in Jewish tradition, there was an understanding 00:08:22.259 --> 00:08:26.620 that after the close of the third day, death 00:08:26.620 --> 00:08:32.190 was irreversible. Now, we don't really have that, 00:08:32.370 --> 00:08:34.610 right? All of our, you know, whether you were 00:08:34.610 --> 00:08:36.809 a fan of ER or whether you were a fan of Grey's 00:08:36.809 --> 00:08:39.210 Anatomy, which probably, this is going to be 00:08:39.210 --> 00:08:41.009 a hot take, should have been done 10 years ago, 00:08:41.110 --> 00:08:46.090 but it's still going on. Understand that when 00:08:46.090 --> 00:08:49.490 all of a sudden you hear the err on the, what 00:08:49.490 --> 00:08:51.950 is it that does that? Oh, the heart monitor. 00:08:52.029 --> 00:08:55.470 That makes sense. Okay, thanks. Is when we know 00:08:55.470 --> 00:08:58.309 that that person's dead. I will always remember 00:08:58.309 --> 00:09:02.289 Danny Carter. He was part of, he was kind of 00:09:02.289 --> 00:09:04.549 our adoptive grandparents in Crown Point, Marianna 00:09:04.549 --> 00:09:06.929 Danny Carter. And within three weeks, he went 00:09:06.929 --> 00:09:09.029 from getting his toe run over by a car to going 00:09:09.029 --> 00:09:12.450 to glory in three weeks for a myriad of reasons 00:09:12.450 --> 00:09:13.830 that I'm not going to get into. But I remember 00:09:13.830 --> 00:09:16.090 we were all holding hands at community. We were 00:09:16.090 --> 00:09:18.389 all singing Great is Thy Faithfulness. And almost 00:09:18.389 --> 00:09:21.769 on cue, we were done. And all of a sudden, the 00:09:21.769 --> 00:09:24.730 nurse came in and said he was gone. Now I can 00:09:24.730 --> 00:09:26.529 say now it was the joke because he wanted us 00:09:26.529 --> 00:09:29.559 to stop singing. But understanding. That was 00:09:29.559 --> 00:09:32.120 a joke, you can laugh. But understanding that 00:09:32.120 --> 00:09:34.559 when that comes, we engage that as death. The 00:09:34.559 --> 00:09:41.480 Jewish culture kept hope for three days. Now, 00:09:41.500 --> 00:09:43.879 do I believe in my research that they were keeping 00:09:43.879 --> 00:09:48.240 on that hope because they thought that this person 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:51.049 would rebound? I don't think so. But I think 00:09:51.049 --> 00:09:53.330 there was a hope of the relationship with the 00:09:53.330 --> 00:09:56.669 creator because they knew what was written in 00:09:56.669 --> 00:09:58.730 the Old Testament. They knew what was written 00:09:58.730 --> 00:10:03.370 about hope, about Yahweh doing these miracles. 00:10:03.470 --> 00:10:07.009 So they allowed themselves three days of hope 00:10:07.009 --> 00:10:10.750 that they would see this individual again. For 00:10:10.750 --> 00:10:13.269 those of you in the medical field, I think you 00:10:13.269 --> 00:10:15.110 would know that doesn't exist in the hospital. 00:10:16.070 --> 00:10:18.309 That almost, it seems like too quick because 00:10:18.309 --> 00:10:21.100 they want to... get the room reset. They get 00:10:21.100 --> 00:10:22.799 the body out, they do all the things, and they 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:25.620 have to do it all over again. But I found it 00:10:25.620 --> 00:10:27.960 fascinating this week that the Jewish culture 00:10:27.960 --> 00:10:31.580 wanted to hold on hope of some kind of resurrection 00:10:31.580 --> 00:10:35.860 for those three days. Which then when you insert 00:10:35.860 --> 00:10:39.639 Jesus on the fourth day, it really props up this 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:42.139 name and this claim, two of them actually, of 00:10:42.139 --> 00:10:46.519 Jesus, the resurrection and the life. We see 00:10:46.519 --> 00:10:49.600 Martha expressing faith mixed with sorrow. And 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:52.980 friends, that's okay. Lord, if you had been there, 00:10:53.019 --> 00:10:56.659 my brother would not have died. What is she banking 00:10:56.659 --> 00:11:00.460 on? She's banking on the three miracles prior 00:11:00.460 --> 00:11:03.559 of those kind of being dead or being really sick 00:11:03.559 --> 00:11:06.399 or close to death to being alive. Or Jesus going, 00:11:06.500 --> 00:11:09.440 she's not dead, she's sleeping. They heard about 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:12.600 all of that. Yeah, feeding the 5 ,000 the water 00:11:12.600 --> 00:11:14.519 into wine. Sure, I'm sure that made it into the 00:11:14.519 --> 00:11:17.659 gossip mill. But things like thought was dead 00:11:17.659 --> 00:11:20.639 is now alive. Notice how those were all pretty 00:11:20.639 --> 00:11:24.360 much in the moment. This one is not. This one's 00:11:24.360 --> 00:11:28.460 four days later. Friends, that is significant, 00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:31.740 and that means something. She believes, Martha 00:11:31.740 --> 00:11:36.580 believes, that Jesus is power, but struggles 00:11:36.580 --> 00:11:42.559 because in... Her mind, he was not on time. Now, 00:11:42.580 --> 00:11:45.279 we don't know if she expected this. Well, they're 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:47.179 really good friends, so Jesus should have known 00:11:47.179 --> 00:11:49.120 her from across the town. He could have just 00:11:49.120 --> 00:11:51.820 done that and saved them. So the timing here 00:11:51.820 --> 00:11:55.720 is important. In the ancient world, mourning 00:11:55.720 --> 00:12:00.259 was communal. It was a deep communal practice. 00:12:00.919 --> 00:12:04.960 Families would weep together for days. In this 00:12:04.960 --> 00:12:07.919 culture, there were professional mourners. which 00:12:07.919 --> 00:12:10.000 I've always thought, one of the weirdest things 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:12.179 that I learned in seminary was that there were 00:12:12.179 --> 00:12:15.799 people who were hired to mourn with families. 00:12:17.259 --> 00:12:20.919 I engage that and go, that's the coolest and 00:12:20.919 --> 00:12:25.179 dumbest job I have ever heard in my life. That 00:12:25.179 --> 00:12:28.700 you're paid to mourn. And it's probably a little 00:12:28.700 --> 00:12:31.940 more drama and wailing the better. So we think 00:12:31.940 --> 00:12:33.700 about that. I look out at you and go, some of 00:12:33.700 --> 00:12:37.409 you would make fantastic mourners. I'm not going 00:12:37.409 --> 00:12:41.809 to name any names. Some of you would make terrible 00:12:41.809 --> 00:12:46.309 mourners. And that's okay. We don't do that now. 00:12:46.850 --> 00:12:49.490 Smith's Funeral Home, Schroeder Lauer, they don't 00:12:49.490 --> 00:12:52.529 hire professional mourners. So if your family 00:12:52.529 --> 00:12:54.529 is close to doing that, don't worry about it. 00:12:54.629 --> 00:12:57.990 They don't do that. But the weight of death was 00:12:57.990 --> 00:13:01.730 visible. The weight of death was unavoidable. 00:13:02.440 --> 00:13:04.419 That it was an understanding and a principle 00:13:04.419 --> 00:13:08.539 in life, you will live and you will die. Many 00:13:08.539 --> 00:13:11.919 Jews believed in the future resurrection because 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:14.600 of the prophet Daniel. In Daniel 12, he talks 00:13:14.600 --> 00:13:17.440 about it, but did not expect that to be immediate, 00:13:17.620 --> 00:13:20.559 hence the three days. So we have this understanding 00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:24.820 that Martha assumes Jesus is speaking about the 00:13:24.820 --> 00:13:30.779 distant future, not the present moment. Really 00:13:30.779 --> 00:13:34.220 what we can take from this is which one do you 00:13:34.220 --> 00:13:38.019 sit with? Mary or Martha? Are you engaging Jesus 00:13:38.019 --> 00:13:40.340 regularly in life and talking about, you know, 00:13:40.360 --> 00:13:42.100 Jesus, I know you have the power to heal. You 00:13:42.100 --> 00:13:45.500 can ask all the questions and you take that prayer 00:13:45.500 --> 00:13:48.639 time so seriously that you truly believe and 00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:51.179 truly put in God's hands these things. Or are 00:13:51.179 --> 00:13:55.120 you more standoffish? And your prayer life is 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:57.440 really signified by, Lord, your will be done 00:13:57.440 --> 00:14:01.720 in my life. Both of those are okay places to 00:14:01.720 --> 00:14:04.519 be with the Father. Okay understandings of how 00:14:04.519 --> 00:14:08.159 he encourages us and engages us in our expectations. 00:14:08.899 --> 00:14:12.279 But then leave it to Jesus to turn it completely 00:14:12.279 --> 00:14:15.419 on its head. So we're going to continue in verse 00:14:15.419 --> 00:14:22.039 23. Jesus says to her, your brother will rise 00:14:22.039 --> 00:14:25.379 again. Martha said to him, I know that he will 00:14:25.379 --> 00:14:27.860 rise again in the resurrection on the last day. 00:14:28.350 --> 00:14:31.549 Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and 00:14:31.549 --> 00:14:35.250 the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, 00:14:35.570 --> 00:14:38.889 yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and 00:14:38.889 --> 00:14:43.289 believes in me shall never die. Let's stop there, 00:14:43.350 --> 00:14:46.610 but keep it up, Nikki. You're Mary and Martha, 00:14:46.850 --> 00:14:51.389 and what if he just stopped there? How are you 00:14:51.389 --> 00:14:55.500 engaging that? Where it says, and everyone who 00:14:55.500 --> 00:14:59.440 lives and believes in me shall never die. Here's 00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:02.340 the curveball that came to me on Wednesday afternoon, 00:15:02.580 --> 00:15:06.320 and I didn't want to preach this sermon. Anyone 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:10.600 guess what that curveball might have been? Again, 00:15:10.700 --> 00:15:13.039 if we just stop there, not the do you believe 00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:15.039 this part, we'll get that. The sermon has to 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:21.399 start sometime. If she's hearing this, and everyone 00:15:21.399 --> 00:15:24.200 who lives and believes in me shall never die, 00:15:24.600 --> 00:15:31.759 what would that curveball be? What? Exactly. 00:15:32.059 --> 00:15:33.779 I knew someone would get it. That's why I didn't 00:15:33.779 --> 00:15:37.220 put lunch on it. But understand, if anyone, Nikki, 00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:43.399 you can be louder. My brother believed in you. 00:15:44.620 --> 00:15:48.659 My brother was one of your best friends. We saw 00:15:48.659 --> 00:15:51.440 you talking. We saw you joking around. We saw 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:54.620 you in community. He was your biggest cheerleader. 00:15:54.740 --> 00:15:56.240 Now, that's me reading into the text, but they 00:15:56.240 --> 00:15:59.080 were close. I'm sure he talked about all the 00:15:59.080 --> 00:16:01.940 miracles. He talked about all the things. I'm 00:16:01.940 --> 00:16:04.580 sure even in there, there was a profession. Again, 00:16:04.700 --> 00:16:07.220 that's the gospel according to me, but that's 00:16:07.220 --> 00:16:10.139 how I would read that. Then what in the world, 00:16:10.200 --> 00:16:14.909 Jesus? I know he believed in you. Why did he 00:16:14.909 --> 00:16:18.990 die? And for some of us, that's where we are 00:16:18.990 --> 00:16:22.970 with death. For some of us, we don't fully understand 00:16:22.970 --> 00:16:27.370 why we have to die. Believe it or not, in 20 00:16:27.370 --> 00:16:29.450 years, I've had this conversation more than I 00:16:29.450 --> 00:16:32.269 can count, even with my shoes off. That people 00:16:32.269 --> 00:16:36.110 go, why do we have to go through death? in order 00:16:36.110 --> 00:16:38.230 to have the relationship with Jesus. And I say 00:16:38.230 --> 00:16:41.110 you have it turned on itself. You have life and 00:16:41.110 --> 00:16:43.389 life to the fullest, and then it gets better 00:16:43.389 --> 00:16:46.690 when we get with Jesus. It's better when we get 00:16:46.690 --> 00:16:50.750 to glory. It's the wine skins all over again. 00:16:51.370 --> 00:16:55.049 The best wine was at the end. If you're in love 00:16:55.049 --> 00:16:57.570 with your life now, and you hold your life up 00:16:57.570 --> 00:17:00.389 so high that you don't think heaven's going to 00:17:00.389 --> 00:17:03.470 compare, then I really doubt your relationship 00:17:03.470 --> 00:17:06.839 with Jesus. Because you're buying into here. 00:17:07.980 --> 00:17:11.220 Take a look at our world today. Turn the news 00:17:11.220 --> 00:17:15.359 on for five minutes. This is going to be better 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:18.140 than that? Friend, I think you're sorely mistaken. 00:17:19.799 --> 00:17:24.619 The best is yet to come. So he doubles down and 00:17:24.619 --> 00:17:28.180 he asks her the question, do you believe this? 00:17:30.440 --> 00:17:33.480 Because he makes this claim. I am the resurrection 00:17:33.480 --> 00:17:37.259 and the life. He who believes in me, though he 00:17:37.259 --> 00:17:41.400 die, yet shall he live. Jesus is not just promising 00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:44.579 future resurrection, but declaring his power 00:17:44.579 --> 00:17:51.960 over life and death right now on day four. So 00:17:51.960 --> 00:17:54.960 he is taking the Jewish ideology, blowing it 00:17:54.960 --> 00:17:59.579 up, and saying, I am something better. The Heidelberg 00:17:59.579 --> 00:18:02.900 Catechism question answer 45 asks, how does Christ's 00:18:02.900 --> 00:18:07.200 resurrection benefit us? First, by his resurrection, 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:11.440 he has overcome death. Second, we are already 00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:14.940 raised to new life with him. And third, his resurrection 00:18:14.940 --> 00:18:18.839 is a guarantee of our glorious resurrection. 00:18:20.700 --> 00:18:23.460 Friends, you know that when you die, you will 00:18:23.460 --> 00:18:27.779 be resurrected. It's not going to be like Lazarus. 00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:31.740 John Crist is one of my favorite comedians and 00:18:31.740 --> 00:18:35.420 he does a whole bit about taking this story from 00:18:35.420 --> 00:18:38.680 Lazarus' point of view. And I find it hilarious 00:18:38.680 --> 00:18:41.839 that Lazarus is up there hanging out with all 00:18:41.839 --> 00:18:44.119 the prophets, hanging out with Moses. He's hanging 00:18:44.119 --> 00:18:46.880 out with Aaron and Joshua. And then like someone 00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:51.420 comes up to his door. Excuse me, Mr. Lazarus. 00:18:52.519 --> 00:18:57.210 You got to go back down. Clearly you don't find 00:18:57.210 --> 00:18:59.190 it as funny as I do or as ironic, and that's 00:18:59.190 --> 00:19:01.349 okay. But you think about that. If he is with 00:19:01.349 --> 00:19:03.930 Jesus, and again, I'm not going to go super deep 00:19:03.930 --> 00:19:06.009 theological with John Chris, but understanding 00:19:06.009 --> 00:19:10.470 that this is a complete shift. This is a complete 00:19:10.470 --> 00:19:14.130 different understanding of how life actually 00:19:14.130 --> 00:19:18.579 works with Jesus. That our resurrection is guaranteed. 00:19:18.599 --> 00:19:21.859 We have a glorious resurrection. Jesus' resurrection 00:19:21.859 --> 00:19:25.220 is not just an event, but it's a foundation of 00:19:25.220 --> 00:19:29.660 our life in him. Because I will rise, so you 00:19:29.660 --> 00:19:36.119 will rise. That we will rise from the dead. And 00:19:36.119 --> 00:19:40.900 then that question, do you believe this? Verse 00:19:40.900 --> 00:19:45.730 27. She said to him, yes, Lord, I believe that 00:19:45.730 --> 00:19:49.509 you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming 00:19:49.509 --> 00:19:54.069 into the world. Jesus ends this statement with 00:19:54.069 --> 00:19:56.589 a personal challenge, not only to her, but for 00:19:56.589 --> 00:20:00.890 us today. Martha's response is a powerful confession 00:20:00.890 --> 00:20:04.950 of faith. Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the 00:20:04.950 --> 00:20:09.250 Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the 00:20:09.250 --> 00:20:14.200 world. So we see her. We see this movement. We 00:20:14.200 --> 00:20:18.180 see this closure. We see this, we kind of see 00:20:18.180 --> 00:20:20.819 this mental gymnastics or emotional gymnastics 00:20:20.819 --> 00:20:23.880 that she's going through with Jesus himself. 00:20:24.440 --> 00:20:29.099 She moves beyond abstract theology to a personal 00:20:29.099 --> 00:20:34.400 trust in Jesus as her savior. Because friends, 00:20:34.460 --> 00:20:39.519 that's why you believe. If you profess that Jesus 00:20:39.519 --> 00:20:43.130 is Lord and believe in your heart, That what? 00:20:44.950 --> 00:20:50.009 God raised him from the dead. You shall be saved. 00:20:50.130 --> 00:20:53.410 Why is it mouth and heart? Why is it not head 00:20:53.410 --> 00:20:56.890 or mouth? Or mouth then head? Why is it not actions? 00:20:56.950 --> 00:20:58.950 Why in the world would Paul write it that way? 00:21:00.529 --> 00:21:03.349 Because there are too many people that just think 00:21:03.349 --> 00:21:06.190 about it up here. That just cognitively think 00:21:06.190 --> 00:21:09.630 Jesus is the Savior. We can say that. We have 00:21:09.630 --> 00:21:11.789 kids right now that can say, yes, Jesus is the 00:21:11.789 --> 00:21:13.789 Savior. Jesus rose from the dead. We celebrate 00:21:13.789 --> 00:21:16.690 it on Easter. That's different than a profession. 00:21:17.049 --> 00:21:20.509 The profession has to come. That true faith from 00:21:20.509 --> 00:21:23.430 Lord's Day 7 is the knowledge and conviction 00:21:23.430 --> 00:21:28.829 that Jesus is who he says he is. That Jesus in 00:21:28.829 --> 00:21:33.750 bodily form rose from the dead. Belgian Confession 00:21:33.750 --> 00:21:37.380 Article 22 helps us with this. We believe. That 00:21:37.380 --> 00:21:39.819 for us to acquire the true knowledge of this 00:21:39.819 --> 00:21:43.619 great mystery that Evan was talking about, the 00:21:43.619 --> 00:21:46.559 Holy Spirit kindles in our heart a true faith. 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:52.079 Faith is not just an intellectual asset that 00:21:52.079 --> 00:21:54.940 we have. And some of you are very wise when it 00:21:54.940 --> 00:21:57.140 comes to theology. You know all the things. You 00:21:57.140 --> 00:21:59.759 loved your time in catechism. You learned the 00:21:59.759 --> 00:22:02.599 knowledgeable building blocks of faith. Awesome. 00:22:02.700 --> 00:22:05.960 Praise the Lord. But it's a work of the Spirit, 00:22:06.200 --> 00:22:10.940 regenerating the heart. And from there, the mind 00:22:10.940 --> 00:22:13.339 is transformed. Set our mind on things above, 00:22:13.559 --> 00:22:16.500 not on earthly things, as Paul says in Colossians. 00:22:16.519 --> 00:22:19.960 Why? Because you died, and your life is hidden 00:22:19.960 --> 00:22:23.519 with Christ. And when Christ appears, you will 00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:29.759 appear with him in glory. So it's a mighty, mighty 00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:33.029 teaching. And here's the thing. We haven't even 00:22:33.029 --> 00:22:36.589 gotten to the miracle yet. Think about what's 00:22:36.589 --> 00:22:41.630 going to happen. She makes this confession. She 00:22:41.630 --> 00:22:44.569 makes this profession. Jesus does the teaching. 00:22:45.230 --> 00:22:48.769 And guess what? We could have been done with 00:22:48.769 --> 00:22:51.910 that account. We could have just moved on. Go 00:22:51.910 --> 00:22:53.910 to the next thing. Get closer and closer to the 00:22:53.910 --> 00:22:57.789 Last Supper. Good Friday and Easter. But we get 00:22:57.789 --> 00:23:01.440 somewhere next week. Where the miracle actually 00:23:01.440 --> 00:23:06.140 happens. That he actually is going to do something 00:23:06.140 --> 00:23:10.980 huge. So Jesus' question for us before we get 00:23:10.980 --> 00:23:15.000 to our application is, do you believe this? Is 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:17.859 our faith in Christ's resurrection power real 00:23:17.859 --> 00:23:23.200 and personal for you today? Or is it something 00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:25.920 just kind of far off? Something you're like, 00:23:26.019 --> 00:23:30.240 I get all the Jesus stuff. death thing, I really 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:33.400 just need a lot more convincing, or I need a 00:23:33.400 --> 00:23:36.819 lot more scientific understanding. Friend, at 00:23:36.819 --> 00:23:40.220 some point, that falls off. And it takes faith 00:23:40.220 --> 00:23:44.900 in Jesus' resurrection power. So as we lead into 00:23:44.900 --> 00:23:47.920 the miracle for next week, where do we go from 00:23:47.920 --> 00:23:51.140 here? Well, for our head, we need to know the 00:23:51.140 --> 00:23:53.900 resurrection. Study the biblical teachings on 00:23:53.900 --> 00:23:56.960 the resurrection. Go to 1 John 15, Philippians 00:23:56.960 --> 00:24:00.460 3. And then reflect, how does Christ's resurrection 00:24:00.460 --> 00:24:06.079 shape your understanding of eternal life? For 00:24:06.079 --> 00:24:09.740 our heart, trust the resurrection. Rest in the 00:24:09.740 --> 00:24:13.420 assurance that death has been defeated in Christ. 00:24:13.539 --> 00:24:17.000 Let this truth bring you to comfort in times 00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:22.319 of fear or grief. And then reflect, are you living 00:24:22.319 --> 00:24:25.799 with resurrection hope? Or do you live with the 00:24:25.799 --> 00:24:29.400 fear of death? or the fear of the unknown. And 00:24:29.400 --> 00:24:31.519 then finally, the work to go out this week is 00:24:31.519 --> 00:24:35.019 to proclaim the resurrection. We share the hope 00:24:35.019 --> 00:24:38.440 of the resurrection with those who do not know 00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:44.279 Christ. Funerals are one of the, should be for 00:24:44.279 --> 00:24:46.279 pastors and preachers and officiants, should 00:24:46.279 --> 00:24:48.339 be one of the greatest places to preach the gospel. 00:24:48.819 --> 00:24:50.779 Because you're not preaching the deceased, you're 00:24:50.779 --> 00:24:53.910 preaching... Christ, a resurrected Christ. So 00:24:53.910 --> 00:24:55.890 share the hope of the resurrection with those 00:24:55.890 --> 00:24:57.650 who don't know Jesus. So here's our challenge. 00:24:58.329 --> 00:25:01.269 Who in your life needs to hear the message of 00:25:01.269 --> 00:25:04.869 the resurrection? How can you share this hope 00:25:04.869 --> 00:25:09.549 with him? And so next week, we're going to see 00:25:09.549 --> 00:25:13.059 one truth. That Jesus does not merely offer resurrection, 00:25:13.359 --> 00:25:16.680 but he is and will be the resurrection and the 00:25:16.680 --> 00:25:19.920 life. We find out not just hope for the future, 00:25:20.039 --> 00:25:23.740 but his power for today. His victory over death, 00:25:23.900 --> 00:25:28.160 his victory of life, that he is our life. That 00:25:28.160 --> 00:25:31.099 we can share that life with others. Let's pray.