WEBVTT 00:00:00.460 --> 00:00:07.080 If you would, please open up your Bibles to John 00:00:07.080 --> 00:00:13.939 chapter 11. John 11, today we're going to look 00:00:13.939 --> 00:00:19.519 at verses 1 through 46 as we continue in our 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:22.660 sermon series through some, not all, but some 00:00:22.660 --> 00:00:27.079 of the miracles of Jesus and no doubt the one 00:00:27.079 --> 00:00:31.280 that we come upon today. is a miraculous miracle. 00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:35.780 It is a miracle that prepares us for what Jesus 00:00:35.780 --> 00:00:40.960 will do when Jesus will lay down his life and 00:00:40.960 --> 00:00:44.799 then take it up again. And so let's look at this. 00:00:45.060 --> 00:00:54.780 John chapter 11, 1 through 46. Now a certain 00:00:54.780 --> 00:01:00.549 man was ill. Lazarus of Bethany, the village 00:01:00.549 --> 00:01:05.670 of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who 00:01:05.670 --> 00:01:08.930 anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his 00:01:08.930 --> 00:01:12.930 feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was 00:01:12.930 --> 00:01:16.629 ill. So the sisters sent to him saying, Lord, 00:01:16.829 --> 00:01:20.569 he whom you love is ill. But when Jesus heard 00:01:20.569 --> 00:01:24.409 it, he said, this illness does not lead to death. 00:01:24.680 --> 00:01:29.799 It is for the glory of God so that the Son of 00:01:29.799 --> 00:01:34.579 God may be glorified through it. Now, Jesus loved 00:01:34.579 --> 00:01:39.879 Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he 00:01:39.879 --> 00:01:43.079 heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days 00:01:43.079 --> 00:01:47.099 longer in the place where he was. Then after 00:01:47.099 --> 00:01:49.959 this, he said to the disciples, let us go to 00:01:49.959 --> 00:01:53.480 Judea again. The disciples said to him, Rabbi, 00:01:53.579 --> 00:01:56.959 the Jews were just now seeking to stone you and 00:01:56.959 --> 00:02:01.560 are you going there again? Jesus answered, are 00:02:01.560 --> 00:02:04.400 there not 12 hours in the day? If anyone walks 00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:07.579 in the day, he does not stumble because he sees 00:02:07.579 --> 00:02:10.639 the light of this world. But if anyone walks 00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:14.639 in the night, he stumbles because the light is 00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:17.780 not in him. After saying these things, he said 00:02:17.780 --> 00:02:20.500 to them, our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. 00:02:20.759 --> 00:02:25.900 But I go to awaken him. The disciples said to 00:02:25.900 --> 00:02:29.699 him, Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover. 00:02:30.479 --> 00:02:33.960 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought 00:02:33.960 --> 00:02:37.219 that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus 00:02:37.219 --> 00:02:41.219 told them plainly, Lazarus has died. And for 00:02:41.219 --> 00:02:44.599 your sake, I am glad that I was not there. So 00:02:44.599 --> 00:02:48.580 that you may believe, but let us go to him. So 00:02:48.580 --> 00:02:52.699 Thomas called the twin. said to his fellow disciples, 00:02:52.819 --> 00:02:57.120 let us also go that we may die with him. Now 00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:00.460 when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already 00:03:00.460 --> 00:03:03.780 been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near 00:03:03.780 --> 00:03:07.639 Jerusalem, about two miles off. And many of the 00:03:07.639 --> 00:03:10.680 Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them 00:03:10.680 --> 00:03:13.259 concerning their brother. So when Martha heard 00:03:13.259 --> 00:03:16.819 that Jesus was coming, she went and met him. 00:03:17.240 --> 00:03:20.830 But Mary remained in the house. Martha said to 00:03:20.830 --> 00:03:24.050 Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother 00:03:24.050 --> 00:03:27.750 would not have died. But even now I know that 00:03:27.750 --> 00:03:30.710 whatever you ask from God, God will give you. 00:03:31.129 --> 00:03:35.009 Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again. 00:03:35.969 --> 00:03:38.610 Martha said to him, I know that he will rise 00:03:38.610 --> 00:03:41.930 again in the resurrection on the last day. Jesus 00:03:41.930 --> 00:03:46.349 said to her, I and the resurrection and the life. 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:50.020 Whoever believes in me though he die yet shall 00:03:50.020 --> 00:03:53.879 he live and everyone who lives and believes in 00:03:53.879 --> 00:03:58.780 me shall never die Do you believe this? She said 00:03:58.780 --> 00:04:02.599 to him. Yes, Lord I believe that you are the 00:04:02.599 --> 00:04:06.180 Christ the Son of God who is coming into the 00:04:06.180 --> 00:04:10.020 world When she had said this she went and called 00:04:10.020 --> 00:04:12.719 her sister Mary saying in private the teacher 00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:16.550 is here and is calling for you And when she heard 00:04:16.550 --> 00:04:20.110 it she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus 00:04:20.110 --> 00:04:23.230 had not yet come into the village, but was still 00:04:23.230 --> 00:04:26.870 in the place where Martha had met him. When the 00:04:26.870 --> 00:04:29.170 Jews who were with her in the house, consoling 00:04:29.170 --> 00:04:32.490 her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed 00:04:32.490 --> 00:04:35.589 her, supposing that she was going to the tomb 00:04:35.589 --> 00:04:39.410 to weep there. Now when Mary came to Jesus, to 00:04:39.410 --> 00:04:42.029 where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his 00:04:42.029 --> 00:04:46.100 feet saying to him, Lord, If you had been here, 00:04:46.459 --> 00:04:50.579 my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw 00:04:50.579 --> 00:04:53.699 her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her 00:04:53.699 --> 00:04:58.759 also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit 00:04:58.759 --> 00:05:03.060 and greatly troubled. And he said, where have 00:05:03.060 --> 00:05:06.120 you laid him? And they said to him, Lord, come 00:05:06.120 --> 00:05:13.199 and see. Jesus wept. So the Jews said, See how 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:16.139 he loved him But some of them said could not 00:05:16.139 --> 00:05:18.879 he who opened the eyes of the blind man also 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:23.279 have kept this man from dying Then Jesus deeply 00:05:23.279 --> 00:05:26.779 moved again came to the tomb. It was a cave and 00:05:26.779 --> 00:05:30.199 a stone lay against it Jesus said take away the 00:05:30.199 --> 00:05:33.279 stone Martha the sister of the dead man said 00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:35.800 to him Lord by this time there will be an odor 00:05:35.800 --> 00:05:39.800 for he has been dead four days Jesus said to 00:05:39.800 --> 00:05:42.300 her Did I not tell you that if you believed you 00:05:42.300 --> 00:05:45.860 would see the glory of God? So they took away 00:05:45.860 --> 00:05:49.839 the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, 00:05:50.040 --> 00:05:53.480 Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I 00:05:53.480 --> 00:05:56.279 knew that you always hear me, but I said this 00:05:56.279 --> 00:05:59.120 on account of the people standing around, that 00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:02.939 they may believe that you sent me. When he had 00:06:02.939 --> 00:06:05.319 said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, 00:06:05.379 --> 00:06:09.730 Lazarus, come out. The man who had died came 00:06:09.730 --> 00:06:13.750 out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips 00:06:13.750 --> 00:06:17.790 and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said 00:06:17.790 --> 00:06:22.290 to them, unbind him and let him go. Many of the 00:06:22.290 --> 00:06:25.129 Jews therefore who had come with Mary and had 00:06:25.129 --> 00:06:28.790 seen what he did believed in him. But some of 00:06:28.790 --> 00:06:32.189 them went to the Pharisees and told them what 00:06:32.189 --> 00:06:39.310 Jesus had done. This is God's Holy Word, let 00:06:39.310 --> 00:06:47.910 us pray. Holy Spirit, as you have inspired the 00:06:47.910 --> 00:06:52.709 words of the text of the Bible, these words, 00:06:53.129 --> 00:06:56.470 we also ask that you would open up our hearts 00:06:56.470 --> 00:07:00.449 and our minds to understand what is here, to 00:07:00.449 --> 00:07:03.750 apply this text to our lives, and to more and 00:07:03.750 --> 00:07:07.720 more follow after Jesus. with complete trust, 00:07:08.279 --> 00:07:15.560 these things we ask in his name. Amen. There 00:07:15.560 --> 00:07:23.279 was once a Sunday school teacher, a class with 00:07:23.279 --> 00:07:27.459 a bunch of small children. And on this particular 00:07:27.459 --> 00:07:31.399 day in this class, the teacher was going over 00:07:31.399 --> 00:07:34.540 some facts from the Bible, some Bible trivia, 00:07:34.540 --> 00:07:38.139 if you will. And so the teacher asked the students, 00:07:39.100 --> 00:07:40.800 how many books of the Bible are there? And the 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:45.980 kid screamed, 1 ,000. She said, no, no, no. There's 00:07:45.980 --> 00:07:50.000 66. And she said, can anyone tell me who was 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:53.420 it that was in the den with the lions? And the 00:07:53.420 --> 00:07:56.680 kid screamed out, it was David. She said, no, 00:07:56.699 --> 00:08:00.779 no, no. It was Daniel. Can anybody tell me what 00:08:00.779 --> 00:08:07.069 happened in the book of Jonah? Don't know and 00:08:07.069 --> 00:08:09.790 the teacher began to get exasperated. Why don't 00:08:09.790 --> 00:08:14.110 these children know anything? She said I she 00:08:14.110 --> 00:08:16.810 said to herself. I'll give them a softball question. 00:08:16.829 --> 00:08:20.889 I'll give them an easy one What's the shortest 00:08:20.889 --> 00:08:23.970 verse in the Bible and all the kids screamed 00:08:23.970 --> 00:08:31.829 Jesus wept Why is it that we remember that fact 00:08:32.910 --> 00:08:36.769 So much so over other things I can remember being 00:08:36.769 --> 00:08:39.750 a boy and knowing that Jesus wept being the shortest 00:08:39.750 --> 00:08:43.129 verse in the English Bible I probably knew that 00:08:43.129 --> 00:08:45.169 before I ever knew that there was a book called 00:08:45.169 --> 00:08:51.110 Philemon in the Bible I Think that we know this 00:08:51.110 --> 00:08:56.110 one because it's short But we need to know more 00:08:56.110 --> 00:09:00.110 than just the trivia We need to know the context 00:09:00.110 --> 00:09:05.529 we need to understand why Jesus wept. And so 00:09:05.529 --> 00:09:10.889 for this, we have this amazing text. Now, it 00:09:10.889 --> 00:09:14.210 is a longer text, and so I want to break this 00:09:14.210 --> 00:09:17.929 up into three parts so maybe we can understand 00:09:17.929 --> 00:09:20.570 it better. I want us to look at the sickness 00:09:20.570 --> 00:09:25.309 of Lazarus from verses one to 16, the sorrow 00:09:25.309 --> 00:09:30.029 over Lazarus in 17 through 37, and the summoning 00:09:30.029 --> 00:09:34.389 of Lazarus. in 38 through 45. Let's start with 00:09:34.389 --> 00:09:37.210 the sickness of Lazarus. You can see within this 00:09:37.210 --> 00:09:41.750 text that Jesus really loved Lazarus, and he 00:09:41.750 --> 00:09:45.809 really loved Mary and Martha, but they are in 00:09:45.809 --> 00:09:50.149 Bethany. And when Lazarus gets sick, Jesus is 00:09:50.149 --> 00:09:53.740 not there, right? Where is Jesus? Well, if you 00:09:53.740 --> 00:09:56.259 look in the context in chapter 10, you can see 00:09:56.259 --> 00:09:58.980 that he was elsewhere. He was doing his work. 00:09:59.259 --> 00:10:02.039 Verse 42 of chapter 10 says, and many believed 00:10:02.039 --> 00:10:05.360 in him there. So Jesus is doing a wonderful work, 00:10:05.480 --> 00:10:10.460 but he's not in Bethany. And yet when he gets 00:10:10.460 --> 00:10:13.860 word that Lazarus is sick, what does he do? According 00:10:13.860 --> 00:10:17.580 to the text, he does not go immediately to Lazarus, 00:10:17.700 --> 00:10:21.559 does he? You might say, why not? Why doesn't 00:10:21.559 --> 00:10:25.460 Jesus hustle to the side of his dear friend? 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:30.240 Look in verse six. When he heard that Lazarus 00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:34.039 was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place 00:10:34.039 --> 00:10:37.259 where he was. We're reading this, and if you 00:10:37.259 --> 00:10:39.379 didn't know the context, if we hadn't read all 00:10:39.379 --> 00:10:41.440 of this, you might be thinking, Jesus, how is 00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:44.539 this friendship? How is this love and kindness? 00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:50.679 Get there, right? But Jesus has a special purpose. 00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:55.159 for not being there right then. And you can see 00:10:55.159 --> 00:10:58.740 the purpose statement that's written in verse 00:10:58.740 --> 00:11:03.059 four. When Jesus heard it, meaning Lazarus's 00:11:03.059 --> 00:11:06.480 illness, he said this illness does not lead to 00:11:06.480 --> 00:11:11.740 death. It is for the glory of God so that the 00:11:11.740 --> 00:11:15.039 Son of God may be glorified through it. And so 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:20.100 what is on the line with this story? It is the 00:11:20.100 --> 00:11:24.299 very glory of God. And yet, you see what Jesus 00:11:24.299 --> 00:11:28.200 says here. For when God is glorified, the Father 00:11:28.200 --> 00:11:32.460 glorified, so is the Son. Why? Because the Son 00:11:32.460 --> 00:11:35.539 and the Father, they're on the same page, aren't 00:11:35.539 --> 00:11:39.360 they? Conversely, when those do not honor the 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:43.340 Son, do not honor the Father. And we can see 00:11:43.340 --> 00:11:45.840 from this text, because it says it over and over 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:51.159 again, that God the Father glorified when people 00:11:51.159 --> 00:11:57.039 believe in God the Son. God is surely glorified 00:11:57.039 --> 00:11:59.799 by this. You remember other texts that tell us 00:11:59.799 --> 00:12:02.440 that there is a celebration in heaven when people 00:12:02.440 --> 00:12:05.779 believe and no doubt as people believe in this 00:12:05.779 --> 00:12:10.259 text we can expect that same sort of celebration. 00:12:10.600 --> 00:12:13.120 But you can see in the beginning of this as Jesus 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:16.379 is talking to his disciples they don't fully 00:12:16.379 --> 00:12:22.620 understand everything do they look down in verse 00:12:22.620 --> 00:12:30.580 14 Jesus here speaks to them plainly Lazarus 00:12:30.580 --> 00:12:34.639 has died and for your sake I am glad I was not 00:12:34.639 --> 00:12:40.820 there so that you may believe the disciples at 00:12:40.820 --> 00:12:43.320 first think that Jesus is just talking about 00:12:43.320 --> 00:12:46.679 Lazarus sleeping Jesus puts it, as I said, very 00:12:46.679 --> 00:12:49.759 plainly for them. He's not just sleeping. He 00:12:49.759 --> 00:12:58.059 is really dead. Friends, we're like the disciples, 00:12:58.120 --> 00:13:01.919 aren't we? Sometimes we just don't know everything. 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:06.240 Sometimes we don't understand what is God doing? 00:13:06.600 --> 00:13:09.139 Why am I suffering like this? Why am I going 00:13:09.139 --> 00:13:11.820 through this? Why would God put me through these 00:13:11.820 --> 00:13:14.889 things? Sometimes we just don't know. or waiting 00:13:14.889 --> 00:13:17.730 for something to happen and it just never seems 00:13:17.730 --> 00:13:21.669 to get there. We can take heart from this passage 00:13:21.669 --> 00:13:25.570 that everything that God ordains is right even 00:13:25.570 --> 00:13:29.470 when we don't understand it. We can take comfort 00:13:29.470 --> 00:13:32.710 in the fact that God's timing is always perfect. 00:13:32.929 --> 00:13:35.690 I don't know what you're waiting for. I don't 00:13:35.690 --> 00:13:38.789 know what you're waiting on. But you can trust, 00:13:38.809 --> 00:13:43.210 you must trust that his timing is perfect. Jesus 00:13:43.210 --> 00:13:46.840 had a perfect timing. He had purpose to his delay. 00:13:47.259 --> 00:13:50.840 And you can see that everything worked out perfectly. 00:13:51.879 --> 00:13:54.159 Now, as I said, these disciples don't understand 00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:57.860 everything that's going on, but they are committed, 00:13:57.899 --> 00:14:01.759 aren't they? Look at what Thomas says. I think 00:14:01.759 --> 00:14:05.879 it's in verse 16. So Thomas called the twin, 00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:09.379 said to his fellow disciples, let us also go 00:14:09.379 --> 00:14:13.129 that we may die with him. Again, they don't understand 00:14:13.129 --> 00:14:16.210 everything, but they are committed. Thomas is 00:14:16.210 --> 00:14:18.769 saying, hey, we're going with him. If he's going 00:14:18.769 --> 00:14:21.990 to die, we're going to die with him. And Thomas 00:14:21.990 --> 00:14:24.970 doesn't know how right he is, does he? For we 00:14:24.970 --> 00:14:29.070 know this about the disciples, right? That excluding 00:14:29.070 --> 00:14:32.009 Judas, of course, and excluding John, they were 00:14:32.009 --> 00:14:35.289 all martyred. And so Thomas, while they're not 00:14:35.289 --> 00:14:37.470 going to be killed at the same time as Jesus, 00:14:37.710 --> 00:14:41.210 they will be. And so Thomas is very, very right. 00:14:41.629 --> 00:14:44.730 For this reason and many more, I hope that the 00:14:44.730 --> 00:14:47.769 doubting Thomas nickname that he has, I hope 00:14:47.769 --> 00:14:50.690 that that is gone in glory. I am certain it will 00:14:50.690 --> 00:14:54.909 be because he shows commitment to Jesus here. 00:14:55.830 --> 00:14:57.750 Well, as I said, we also want to look at the 00:14:57.750 --> 00:15:01.250 sorrow of the passage. Not just the sorrow of 00:15:01.250 --> 00:15:05.549 Jesus, but let's start with the sorrow of Martha 00:15:05.549 --> 00:15:11.559 and then Mary. we said Jesus delays coming to 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:15.399 Bethany and Martha is the first one to go to 00:15:15.399 --> 00:15:20.460 Jesus and it's four days it's on the fourth day 00:15:20.460 --> 00:15:25.740 since Lazarus died you might think why four I 00:15:25.740 --> 00:15:30.679 thought three was the biblical number right well 00:15:30.679 --> 00:15:34.039 according to some sources in rabbinical teaching 00:15:34.039 --> 00:15:38.879 the teaching of rabbis in Jesus's day that a 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:42.919 person's spirit hovered over them for three days. 00:15:42.940 --> 00:15:46.200 But after three days, the spirit was gone, meaning 00:15:46.200 --> 00:15:50.940 that there was no opportunity to revive the person. 00:15:51.000 --> 00:15:53.820 This was the teaching of rabbis at the time. 00:15:55.000 --> 00:15:58.360 Sproul says here, by delaying his return, Jesus 00:15:58.360 --> 00:16:02.519 let enough time pass to make it absolutely certain 00:16:02.519 --> 00:16:06.700 that the raising of Lazarus was completely against 00:16:06.700 --> 00:16:10.460 nature. and could not be seen as anything other 00:16:10.460 --> 00:16:15.460 than a miracle. And so, as this is a sermon series 00:16:15.460 --> 00:16:19.100 on the miracles, how perfect is this? And so, 00:16:19.340 --> 00:16:22.519 Martha comes to Jesus first. Look in verse 21. 00:16:23.740 --> 00:16:27.039 She says these agonizing words here. She says 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:31.600 to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother 00:16:31.600 --> 00:16:36.639 would not have died. And Mary, utters a very, 00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:42.080 very similar thing in verse 32. This is what 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:44.620 Jesus has to hear, if you would have just been 00:16:44.620 --> 00:16:48.139 here. But verse 22 also shows us that Martha 00:16:48.139 --> 00:16:52.440 believes that Jesus can do all things. And so 00:16:52.440 --> 00:16:55.000 he's talking to her about this and look in verse 00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:59.639 24. After Jesus says, I know your brother, he 00:16:59.639 --> 00:17:02.139 says, your brother will rise again. Martha says, 00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:05.509 I know. He will rise again in the resurrection 00:17:05.509 --> 00:17:09.269 on the last day. And so she's thinking about 00:17:09.269 --> 00:17:12.930 the return of Jesus here. I would like to say 00:17:12.930 --> 00:17:17.769 this. Martha has really good theology. Many people 00:17:17.769 --> 00:17:20.490 in Jesus's day did not believe in the resurrection 00:17:20.490 --> 00:17:23.690 of the dead. The Sadducees, notably in Matthew 00:17:23.690 --> 00:17:26.950 22, reject the resurrection of the dead. Martha 00:17:26.950 --> 00:17:30.309 has good theology. She just doesn't know exactly 00:17:30.309 --> 00:17:35.480 what Jesus is going. to do here. And it's the 00:17:35.480 --> 00:17:40.339 same with us. We have good theology, prayerfully, 00:17:40.500 --> 00:17:42.420 we're giving ourselves, committing ourselves 00:17:42.420 --> 00:17:45.480 to the teaching of the Bible, but we don't know 00:17:45.480 --> 00:17:48.559 all things. Just this week I've been asked questions 00:17:48.559 --> 00:17:51.700 about the hardening of Pharaoh's heart. And then 00:17:51.700 --> 00:17:54.019 I was asked about free will versus sovereignty. 00:17:54.299 --> 00:17:56.579 And then I was asked about polygamy. And then 00:17:56.579 --> 00:17:58.500 I was asked what in the world is going on in 00:17:58.500 --> 00:18:01.299 Romans chapter nine. We have a lot of questions, 00:18:01.299 --> 00:18:08.799 don't we? But we must seek the answers in faith. 00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:13.559 And that's what I believe Martha is doing here. 00:18:14.359 --> 00:18:18.279 Jesus makes it plain again. Look in verses 25 00:18:18.279 --> 00:18:26.039 and 26. this incredible line from Jesus. I am 00:18:26.039 --> 00:18:29.539 the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes 00:18:29.539 --> 00:18:33.259 in me, though he die yet, shall he live. And 00:18:33.259 --> 00:18:36.140 everyone who lives and believes in me shall never 00:18:36.140 --> 00:18:38.880 die. And then he asked this question that I ask 00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:45.640 all of you today. Do you believe this? Do you 00:18:45.640 --> 00:18:50.410 believe? Nod your heads. that Jesus is the resurrection 00:18:50.410 --> 00:18:55.190 and the life. He is. Praise God. Jesus had to 00:18:55.190 --> 00:18:58.170 come to die in order to be raised. A friend asked 00:18:58.170 --> 00:19:01.049 me not too long ago, why did Jesus have to be 00:19:01.049 --> 00:19:05.190 raised? And I said, so that you will be. Jesus 00:19:05.190 --> 00:19:10.769 goes before us. And he is raised. And he demonstrates 00:19:10.769 --> 00:19:17.640 this through this miracle with Lazarus. But also, 00:19:17.700 --> 00:19:21.059 please see this, Jesus is not giving a lecture 00:19:21.059 --> 00:19:25.960 here. He's not just dispensing information, is 00:19:25.960 --> 00:19:32.180 he? We can see this because you have Martha crying. 00:19:33.640 --> 00:19:37.700 You have Mary. They're both so burdened, right, 00:19:37.700 --> 00:19:43.660 for Lazarus. But Jesus also is burdened too, 00:19:44.140 --> 00:19:48.160 isn't he? And that takes us to that trivia question, 00:19:48.839 --> 00:19:51.980 the shortest verse in the English Bible, Jesus 00:19:51.980 --> 00:19:59.319 wept. Please see that Jesus is fully God and 00:19:59.319 --> 00:20:04.539 fully man. And how remarkable is it that Jesus, 00:20:04.539 --> 00:20:08.660 who knew what he was going to do, he knew that 00:20:08.660 --> 00:20:13.019 he was going to raise Lazarus, and yet he still 00:20:13.019 --> 00:20:17.089 weeps. over his friend. Jesus demonstrates that 00:20:17.089 --> 00:20:22.769 line, weep with those who weep. This is Jesus 00:20:22.769 --> 00:20:27.569 with his friends. And so please understand this. 00:20:27.789 --> 00:20:32.789 Your Savior is not distant. Your Savior is not 00:20:32.789 --> 00:20:36.710 aloof. Your Savior sympathizes with your weaknesses, 00:20:37.390 --> 00:20:46.109 right? Your Savior is Emmanuel. God with us. 00:20:46.710 --> 00:20:50.049 Look in verse 37, though. People are wondering, 00:20:50.809 --> 00:20:54.490 what do we do with this weeping rabbi? Some of 00:20:54.490 --> 00:20:58.210 them said how he loved him. And others said, 00:20:58.369 --> 00:21:00.509 could not he who opened the eyes of the blind 00:21:00.509 --> 00:21:05.490 man also have kept this man from dying? Remember, 00:21:05.630 --> 00:21:09.289 though, the purpose of all of this so that people 00:21:09.289 --> 00:21:14.230 would believe. So in verse 38 Jesus begins the 00:21:14.230 --> 00:21:18.049 miracle look there Jesus deeply moved again came 00:21:18.049 --> 00:21:23.470 to the tomb And it's a cave and a stone lay Against 00:21:23.470 --> 00:21:26.250 it and we are reminded here that Lazarus has 00:21:26.250 --> 00:21:30.430 been dead four days and then look in verse 40 00:21:30.430 --> 00:21:35.390 Jesus said to Martha did I not tell you that 00:21:35.390 --> 00:21:37.849 if you believed you would see the glory of God 00:21:37.849 --> 00:21:40.839 so just a reminder I'm doing the very thing that 00:21:40.839 --> 00:21:43.339 I told you I would do, showing you the glory 00:21:43.339 --> 00:21:47.799 of the Father. And then what does Jesus have 00:21:47.799 --> 00:21:51.400 done? He has the stone rolled away, not so that 00:21:51.400 --> 00:21:55.440 Jesus could go in, but so that Lazarus, the dead 00:21:55.440 --> 00:22:01.440 man, could come out. This demonstrates the power 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:05.819 of Jesus to command life, the man who was really 00:22:05.819 --> 00:22:10.259 dead. for four days comes walking out, wrapped 00:22:10.259 --> 00:22:14.220 up, just as he had been placed into the tomb. 00:22:14.519 --> 00:22:18.019 And this is amazing. And it has many witnesses, 00:22:18.059 --> 00:22:21.559 right? That here comes the dead man. And really 00:22:21.559 --> 00:22:24.200 what this illustrates, what this story illustrates 00:22:24.200 --> 00:22:28.579 is exactly what God does in us at conversion. 00:22:29.000 --> 00:22:34.599 Go back earlier into John, chapter five, verse 00:22:34.599 --> 00:22:39.420 25. to see what happens in us when Jesus makes 00:22:39.420 --> 00:22:47.380 us spiritually alive. John 525, truly, truly 00:22:47.380 --> 00:22:52.940 I say to you, an hour is coming and is now here 00:22:52.940 --> 00:22:56.799 when the dead will hear the voice of the Son 00:22:56.799 --> 00:23:02.779 of God and those who hear will live. This is 00:23:02.779 --> 00:23:07.700 getting at something that Reformed Christians 00:23:07.700 --> 00:23:11.500 like to call the effectual call the Holy Spirit 00:23:11.500 --> 00:23:15.759 awakening those who believe in Jesus with the 00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:20.079 gift of faith Friends, you know this we cannot 00:23:20.079 --> 00:23:24.359 save ourselves For without the work of the Holy 00:23:24.359 --> 00:23:28.059 Spirit regenerating us. We are spiritually dead 00:23:28.059 --> 00:23:33.440 But with faith given to us by God we are made 00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:36.539 spiritually Alive and that's one of the reasons 00:23:36.539 --> 00:23:39.160 that I think that this miracle stands out so 00:23:39.160 --> 00:23:43.000 beautifully Because it demonstrates not just 00:23:43.000 --> 00:23:46.460 Jesus's power over the grave But it reminds us 00:23:46.460 --> 00:23:49.819 what God does in our hearts that Jesus does something 00:23:49.819 --> 00:23:54.880 that we could not do That Jesus saves us from 00:23:54.880 --> 00:23:59.140 eternal death and gives us eternal life This 00:23:59.140 --> 00:24:02.059 also demonstrates the very sovereignty of God 00:24:02.059 --> 00:24:06.960 look in verse 45 Many of the Jews, therefore, 00:24:07.500 --> 00:24:09.559 who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, 00:24:09.660 --> 00:24:13.039 believed in him. But some of them went to the 00:24:13.039 --> 00:24:17.279 Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 00:24:18.640 --> 00:24:21.400 And so you see the whole purpose of this that 00:24:21.400 --> 00:24:24.859 started kind of small with the disciples and 00:24:24.859 --> 00:24:27.460 Mary and Martha just keeps getting bigger as 00:24:27.460 --> 00:24:30.619 more people believe and yet not everybody believes, 00:24:30.859 --> 00:24:35.400 right? And what all of this is doing is showing 00:24:35.400 --> 00:24:38.279 us that, yes, this is an incredible miracle, 00:24:38.299 --> 00:24:41.380 but it's also designed to do something else. 00:24:41.700 --> 00:24:47.559 It sets the ball in motion for Jesus to lay down 00:24:47.559 --> 00:24:51.019 His life. Look in verse 53. I know that's outside 00:24:51.019 --> 00:24:56.319 of our reading today. Verse 53, it says, So from 00:24:56.319 --> 00:25:01.500 that day on they made plans to put Him to death. 00:25:01.609 --> 00:25:06.470 So because of what Jesus does with Lazarus, the 00:25:06.470 --> 00:25:09.210 people make plans to put him to death. This shows 00:25:09.210 --> 00:25:13.670 that faith is a gift, and God is sovereign over 00:25:13.670 --> 00:25:18.009 all, right? And yet we know this. Jesus had to 00:25:18.009 --> 00:25:21.289 go to the cross for us. Jesus had to die for 00:25:21.289 --> 00:25:24.910 us. This is what Jesus does for us that is great 00:25:24.910 --> 00:25:29.390 as this miracle is. Death. would come again for 00:25:29.390 --> 00:25:33.509 Lazarus. There would be more tears shed for Lazarus. 00:25:33.650 --> 00:25:36.529 Friends, it's not just enough to stay alive. 00:25:37.490 --> 00:25:41.369 We need eternal life, for you know what happened 00:25:41.369 --> 00:25:44.630 in the fall. You know that Adam, as our representative, 00:25:45.369 --> 00:25:48.029 disobeyed God when he ate the fruit and brought 00:25:48.029 --> 00:25:52.049 sin to every person who is conceived in natural 00:25:52.049 --> 00:25:58.089 generation. And so from then on, death reigned 00:25:58.089 --> 00:26:02.029 For the wages of sin is death but thanks be to 00:26:02.029 --> 00:26:07.289 God Jesus on the cross Exclaims it is finished 00:26:07.289 --> 00:26:13.549 and he defeats death and the devil and sin What 00:26:13.549 --> 00:26:19.109 he does when Jesus goes to the cross is he undergoes 00:26:19.109 --> 00:26:22.690 Everything for us as our substitute the story 00:26:22.690 --> 00:26:26.799 doesn't end even with death Even with Jesus' 00:26:27.039 --> 00:26:29.680 death, because he undergoes resurrection for 00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:32.680 us too, so that one day when death comes for 00:26:32.680 --> 00:26:37.799 us, when our days are up, they have really just 00:26:37.799 --> 00:26:44.359 begun. Puritan Thomas Watson said this, we are 00:26:44.359 --> 00:26:48.539 more sure to arise out of our graves than out 00:26:48.539 --> 00:26:53.390 of our beds. Think about that. We are more sure 00:26:53.390 --> 00:26:57.609 to arise out of our graves than out of our beds. 00:26:58.150 --> 00:27:02.150 This is the truth for Christians raised to everlasting 00:27:02.150 --> 00:27:05.529 life, not to everlasting death, that though we 00:27:05.529 --> 00:27:11.130 weep now, Jesus will dry our eyes in the resurrection. 00:27:12.329 --> 00:27:15.569 I begin to close here with this. Perhaps you 00:27:15.569 --> 00:27:20.369 know this passage from Revelation chapter 21. 00:27:21.230 --> 00:27:26.890 Verse 4 He will wipe away every tear from their 00:27:26.890 --> 00:27:31.609 eyes and death shall be no more Neither shall 00:27:31.609 --> 00:27:35.089 there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore 00:27:35.089 --> 00:27:40.890 For the former things have passed away Church 00:27:40.890 --> 00:27:45.930 family take heart Jesus's comment about being 00:27:45.930 --> 00:27:48.980 the resurrection and the life And the fact that 00:27:48.980 --> 00:27:51.900 he was raised, Jesus was raised himself, gives 00:27:51.900 --> 00:27:56.900 you the surety, the certainty to know that one 00:27:56.900 --> 00:28:01.920 day you, just like Jesus, will also be raised 00:28:01.920 --> 00:28:06.759 to eternal life with him. Thanks be to God. Let 00:28:06.759 --> 00:28:07.220 us pray.