Lazarus Lives Again
Sermon text for March 9, 2008:
John 11:1-44
“If you want to see the Kingdom of God,” Jesus told Dr. Nicodemus, “you must be born again.”
Lazarus is dead. His sisters, Mary and Martha, are distraught. Mary, Martha and Lazarus are good friends of Jesus. Some say that they were disciples. They live in Bethany which is a short walk to Jerusalem. Jesus and the disciples often stayed with Lazarus and the sisters when they journeyed to Jerusalem. But now Lazarus is dead and his body is in a tomb and a heavy stone door separates him from the living.
Earlier, Lazarus was stricken with a serious illness and his worried sisters searched for Jesus believing that he would heal him. When they found him they said, “He whom you love is ill.” Jesus has the power to make their brother well, but he must hurry. “His illness is not unto death,” Jesus told them. “It is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.”
The memory of those words must have been small comfort to the sisters when Lazarus died. “His illness is not unto death,” Jesus said. But Lazarus died. “It is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.” But Lazarus died and his sisters can’t believe it. Why didn’t Jesus hurry? Why did Jesus mislead them? God might be glorified, but Lazarus is dead and Mary and Martha are filled with grief and fear.
We know how Mary and Martha felt. Each of our stories is different, but we hold this in common: death has intruded upon each of our lives. I am reminded of a faithful Christian woman I know. She is an elder in the church, and a long time mission worker. A few years ago her beloved husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer and she could not accept the doctor’s prognosis. She prayed fervently for her husband’s life. She reminded God that her husband was a good man, always ready to help someone in need. Certainly it could not be God’s will for him to die.
She was convinced that God was healing her husband. She believed he was being healed even when it was obvious to everyone else that he was wasting away. She became obsessed with her need for him to live. She seldom slept and ate only sparingly. She told everyone who would listen, “I know God is healing my husband.” And then one day he died.
Her whole world collapsed. She felt betrayed and wondered if God really loved her. If God did not love her, then her whole life was a lie. And soon she descended into a dark hole of depression.
“If you want to see the Kingdom of God,” Jesus said to Nicodemus, “you must be born again.”
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming she went to meet him. “Lord if you had been here,” she said, “my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Martha is desperate. She needs Jesus to set her world right again. “I know that whatever you ask … God will give you.” At first it appears that Martha is asking Jesus to make Lazarus live again. But I don’t think that’s it. I think that she wants Jesus to help her live again. She wants new life beyond her grief and fear. Listen to how this conversation develops.
Jesus said, “Your brother will rise again.” And Martha answers, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Martha has faith in a general resurrection that all believers will experience on the “last day,” but doesn’t seem able to consider the possibility that Jesus will resurrect Lazarus.
“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day Jesus.”
“Martha, I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me though he die, yet shall he live.” Martha seems to be mulling over what Jesus said, when he asks, “Do you believe this Martha?” She answers, ‘Yes Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.” She does not say, “I know you can make Lazarus live again.”
Martha left Jesus to tell Mary that he is near. Mary who is overcome with emotion runs to Jesus and falls at his feet weeping, “Lord,” she said, “if you had been here my brother would not have died.”
Jesus is deeply troubled by Mary’s tears. She and Martha are good friends and worthy disciples who are close to seeing the Kingdom of God. They sense that Jesus has power over the forces of death and evil. But they don’t yet trust that in “life as well as in death” believers belong to God, and in either condition we are safe.
They need yet one more lesson. Jesus goes to the tomb of Lazarus. Mary and Martha are there as were their friends and neighbors, and they are overcome with the power of death. Only Jesus knows that even in the tomb Lazarus was safe. But Jesus also mourns. He mourns for the sorrow that Lazarus’ death brought to people he loves.
At the tomb Jesus is in total control and he orders the mourners to remove the stone from the grave. Martha protests that Lazarus has been dead for four days and there will be a terrible smell. But Jesus is sure of what needs to be done. Jesus says to Mary and Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
He offers a prayer for the benefit of the mourners. They need to know that God sent Jesus into the world armed with all of God’s power. At the end of the prayer he commands Lazarus to come out of the tomb. And the Bible tells us that Lazarus lived.
Most people believe that this story is about a dead man who is brought back to life. I think it is about two women who come to deeper faith in stages. Finally, by the end of the story, they have themselves been reborn and can see the kingdom of God.
You may wonder about the woman whose husband died. It took a long time for her to work through her grief and her crisis of faith. But gradually, she also was able to see that “in life and in death we belong to God,” and she became convinced that in life and in death both she and her husband are safe in God’s love.
Jesus said, “If you want to see the Kingdom of God, you must be born again.”
Copyright © 2008 by Dwight R. Blackstock
John 11:1-44
“If you want to see the Kingdom of God,” Jesus told Dr. Nicodemus, “you must be born again.”
Lazarus is dead. His sisters, Mary and Martha, are distraught. Mary, Martha and Lazarus are good friends of Jesus. Some say that they were disciples. They live in Bethany which is a short walk to Jerusalem. Jesus and the disciples often stayed with Lazarus and the sisters when they journeyed to Jerusalem. But now Lazarus is dead and his body is in a tomb and a heavy stone door separates him from the living.
Earlier, Lazarus was stricken with a serious illness and his worried sisters searched for Jesus believing that he would heal him. When they found him they said, “He whom you love is ill.” Jesus has the power to make their brother well, but he must hurry. “His illness is not unto death,” Jesus told them. “It is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.”
The memory of those words must have been small comfort to the sisters when Lazarus died. “His illness is not unto death,” Jesus said. But Lazarus died. “It is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.” But Lazarus died and his sisters can’t believe it. Why didn’t Jesus hurry? Why did Jesus mislead them? God might be glorified, but Lazarus is dead and Mary and Martha are filled with grief and fear.
We know how Mary and Martha felt. Each of our stories is different, but we hold this in common: death has intruded upon each of our lives. I am reminded of a faithful Christian woman I know. She is an elder in the church, and a long time mission worker. A few years ago her beloved husband was diagnosed with terminal cancer and she could not accept the doctor’s prognosis. She prayed fervently for her husband’s life. She reminded God that her husband was a good man, always ready to help someone in need. Certainly it could not be God’s will for him to die.
She was convinced that God was healing her husband. She believed he was being healed even when it was obvious to everyone else that he was wasting away. She became obsessed with her need for him to live. She seldom slept and ate only sparingly. She told everyone who would listen, “I know God is healing my husband.” And then one day he died.
Her whole world collapsed. She felt betrayed and wondered if God really loved her. If God did not love her, then her whole life was a lie. And soon she descended into a dark hole of depression.
“If you want to see the Kingdom of God,” Jesus said to Nicodemus, “you must be born again.”
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming she went to meet him. “Lord if you had been here,” she said, “my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Martha is desperate. She needs Jesus to set her world right again. “I know that whatever you ask … God will give you.” At first it appears that Martha is asking Jesus to make Lazarus live again. But I don’t think that’s it. I think that she wants Jesus to help her live again. She wants new life beyond her grief and fear. Listen to how this conversation develops.
Jesus said, “Your brother will rise again.” And Martha answers, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Martha has faith in a general resurrection that all believers will experience on the “last day,” but doesn’t seem able to consider the possibility that Jesus will resurrect Lazarus.
“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day Jesus.”
“Martha, I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me though he die, yet shall he live.” Martha seems to be mulling over what Jesus said, when he asks, “Do you believe this Martha?” She answers, ‘Yes Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.” She does not say, “I know you can make Lazarus live again.”
Martha left Jesus to tell Mary that he is near. Mary who is overcome with emotion runs to Jesus and falls at his feet weeping, “Lord,” she said, “if you had been here my brother would not have died.”
Jesus is deeply troubled by Mary’s tears. She and Martha are good friends and worthy disciples who are close to seeing the Kingdom of God. They sense that Jesus has power over the forces of death and evil. But they don’t yet trust that in “life as well as in death” believers belong to God, and in either condition we are safe.
They need yet one more lesson. Jesus goes to the tomb of Lazarus. Mary and Martha are there as were their friends and neighbors, and they are overcome with the power of death. Only Jesus knows that even in the tomb Lazarus was safe. But Jesus also mourns. He mourns for the sorrow that Lazarus’ death brought to people he loves.
At the tomb Jesus is in total control and he orders the mourners to remove the stone from the grave. Martha protests that Lazarus has been dead for four days and there will be a terrible smell. But Jesus is sure of what needs to be done. Jesus says to Mary and Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
He offers a prayer for the benefit of the mourners. They need to know that God sent Jesus into the world armed with all of God’s power. At the end of the prayer he commands Lazarus to come out of the tomb. And the Bible tells us that Lazarus lived.
Most people believe that this story is about a dead man who is brought back to life. I think it is about two women who come to deeper faith in stages. Finally, by the end of the story, they have themselves been reborn and can see the kingdom of God.
You may wonder about the woman whose husband died. It took a long time for her to work through her grief and her crisis of faith. But gradually, she also was able to see that “in life and in death we belong to God,” and she became convinced that in life and in death both she and her husband are safe in God’s love.
Jesus said, “If you want to see the Kingdom of God, you must be born again.”
Copyright © 2008 by Dwight R. Blackstock
posted by Dwight Blackstock | 11:41 AM
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