Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5

“The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” (Isaiah 2:1–5, ESV)

New Testament Reading: John 11:45-57

“Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, ‘What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.’ But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.’ He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples. Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, ‘What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?’ Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.’” (John 11:45–57, ESV)

Introduction 

As we considered the story of the rising of Lazarus last week I made the point that this is one of those places in scripture where we are given a rare glimpse into the inner workings of a trial, or difficult circumstance. Typically we are not able to see how God is working in the trials of life. We are often left to speculate concerning God’s purposes. But the story of the raising of Lazarus demonstrates that, though it is true that God is control of all things and is able to act, he does allow trials of various kinds to enter our lives for his glory and our good. But the story also demonstrates that Jesus truly loves those who belong to him, though he may allow a variety of trials for a time. We saw that Jesus wept. All of this was demonstrated before our eyes as we considered the story of the rising of Lazarus last week.

Notice that something else is demonstrated in the passage that is before us today. Instead of a demonstration of the love that Christ has for his sheep, we have here a demonstration of the depth of man’s depravity. John 11:45-57 is a demonstration of just how blind and wicked the heart of man is apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.

While it is certainly more enjoyable to set our eyes upon the image of Christ weeping for his friends, it is necessary that we also ponder this less pleasant thing. There are lessons to be learned here. Though it is true that we have believed upon Christ and are not like these who persist in stubborn unbelief, there is something to be learned from the sin of those who persisted in their unbelief. The sin that these men committed is the same sin that tempts us. May we learn to run from it!

Remember that Jesus raised a man from the grave who had been dead for four days. Tell me, if you had never heard this story before, what would you expect the result of this miracle to be? Would you not expect all who were present – all who were eye witness to this miracle – to believe in Jesus? How could anyone remain in a state of unbelief after witnessing a miracle of this magnitude? How could anyone reject such a magnificent sign? We would expect everyone who was there, and many more who would hear their testimony to believe!

And yet what do we read? Verse 45: “Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.” (John 11:45–46, ESV)

The Unbelief of the Jews Demonstrates the Blindness of Man’s Heart to the Things of God Apart from the Regenerating Work of the Holy Spirit

The first thing I want you to notice in this passage is how the unbelief of the Jews serves to demonstrate the blindness of man’s heart to the things of God apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.

It is true that verse 45 starts by informing us that many of the Jews believed in Christ after witnessing the miracle of the raising of Lazarus. This is the result that we would expect – belief in Christ. The fact that many believed is not surprising to us. How could they not after seeing such a thing?

The surprising thing is that not all believed! We would expect that all who witnessed such a great miracle would walk away believing in Jesus. But the text only says “many”. And it also reveals something more surprising. Some of the eyewitnesses to this miracle actually took it upon themselves to go to the Pharisees to tell of all that Jesus had done.

Now please do not misunderstand their intentions. I suppose that you could read verse 46 thinking that these people went to the Pharisees because they were excited and proud of what Jesus had done. It is possible to think that these went to the Pharisees as disciples of Christ – his evangelists and missionaries. But no. The ones who went to the Pharisees are contrasted with those who believed. They went to Pharisees in unbelief. They went in order to accuse Jesus. They went to tattle on him. Isn’t that something!

This all becomes clear as the story unfolds. For when the chief priests and the Pharisees hear about what Jesus had done they do not rejoice; they do not respond by repenting, or by falling to their knees in faith. No, they call a counsel and ask the question, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” (John 11:47–48, ESV)

Notice that these are the chief priests and the Pharisees who are talking this way. These are the men who are supposed to lead the people to God, and yet here they are found conspiring against God, and seeking to hinder the people from seeing what is true. They come together, not in humble submission to the Word of God, but in order to oppose him.

I cannot help but see here a vivid demonstration of the blindness of man’s heart to the things of God. Jesus called a man back to life from four days in the grave. Many people saw it with their physical eyes, but only some perceived the significance of it with their spiritual eyes. Others were blind to it.

Does this episode not demonstrate what has already been revealed in John’s Gospel concerning what is needed in order for someone to believe in Jesus? Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:44, ESV) “Jesus answered [Nicodemous], ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” (John 3:3, ESV)

We know that the Spirit of God must work if someone is to believe – John’s Gospel has made that clear. We know that God must call, or woo, or draw a sinner to himself if he is to believe. We know that Christ must heal our blindness – just as he physically healed the man who was blind from birth, so too much he provide a remedy to our spiritual blindness. We know these things because the Gospel of John has told us so. But I cannot think of a more potent and vivid demonstration of these truths than the text that is before us. If anything were to get the attention of natural man wouldn’t it be this? And yet so many persisted in their unbelief.

I’m reminded of the story that Jesus told about a rich man and man named Lazarus (not the same Lazarus as in this passage). This story is found in Luke 16 and goes something like this: Lazarus – a poor man died and wend to Abraham’s bosom. A rich man also died and was in torment in Hades – there is much to be said about this story but he point I am making is this – he made this request of Abraham, saying “‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’” (Luke 16:27–28, ESV) And what was Abraham’s response in this story? Luke 16:29:

“But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” (Luke 16:29–31, ESV)

Such is the depth of our depravity! Such is our blindness apart from the regenerating work of the Spirit. Even if a man is raised, be it Lazarus of Bethany, or Jesus of Nazareth himself, the natural man will not believe.

I’m also reminded of what Paul had to say about man’s natural condition apart from the regenerating work of Christ. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:14, saying, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they [that is, the things of God] are spiritually discerned [judged, evaluated, understood.]” (1 Corinthians 2:14, ESV)

When Jesus rose Lazarus from the grave, the Spirit of God used that miracle to prepare some men and women for faith. The Spirit also used the miracle to confirm those who already believed in the faith – their faith was made stronger. But those with whom the Spirit was not at work, as surprising as it to us, remained in their unbelief, even though they saw this miracle with their own eyes. Their unbelief demonstrates the blindness of man’s heart to the things of God apart from the work of the Spirit.

The Unbelief of the Jews Demonstrates the Self-Centeredness of Man’s Heart Apart from the Regenerating Work of the Holy Spirit

The second thing that I want you to see in this text how the unbelief of the Jews demonstrates the self-centeredness of man’s heart apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.

It has been said that sin at its essence is love turned inward. I think this can be easily demonstrated by looking at Genesis 3 and the account of the fall. Adam and Eve had all that they needed. They lived in paradise. They enjoyed perfection. The pinnacle of their paradise existence was their intimate and unbroken relationship with the God who made them. But when the serpent came he brought temptation with him. And what was the essence of the temptation except the suggestion that perhaps God was holding out on them? Perhaps there was more to be had than what God had provided. Perhaps life would be even better if they ate of the forbidden fruit. Perhaps they could elevate themselves even higher by casing off the restraints that God had laid upon them.

Adam and Eve fell because they began to love themselves more than they loved God. They should have loved God supremely, obeying his word forever. But they listened to the voice of the tempter instead, and they began to turn the love that was once so perfectly directed towards God, inward. Believing the lie, they began to love themselves. And being more concerned about themselves they began to act according to that world, satanic, counterfeit wisdom which.The end was destruction and death.

Notice that chief priests and Pharisees are possessed by the same spirit of self-love  and the same desire for self-exultation.

They received word that Jesus had raised a man from the dead. And instead of believing, as you would expect, they began to reason amongst themselves. They called a counsel. They began to converse with one another (if we have learned anything from our past it is that bad things happen when humans get together to reason with one another, disregarding the Word of God).

And what is their concern? Verse 47: “So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, ‘What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.’” (John 11:47–48, ESV)

That he preformed many signs, they could not deny. And the fact that those signs were genuine and true, leading many to believe, they had to admit. But if they allowed him to continue unchecked, “everyone would believe in him”, they said. Instead of believing in Christ they were more concerned that the Romans might get word of all of this and come and take away their place and their nation.

The Romans did not like movements like the one that was brewing around Jesus. Movements like this were viewed as a threat to national security. And so the Jews were right. If things got out of hand they might suffer at the hands of the Romans. It was possible that the temple be destroyed, and the nation overthrown. The leaders claim to be concerned with the wellbeing of the nation, but what do you think they were really concerned with? They were concerned about loosing their prestigious position. They we concerned that following Jesus would mean that they themselves be humbled. It is true that the Romans posed a threat, but that what all hypothetical. The real threat to them was Jesus himself. To believe in Jesus would require that these men bow before him. To believe in Jesus would require that they humbly submit to him. Faith in Christ would have demanded that these men, in one way or another, be humbled from their place of high standing.

This is what they were concerned about. And this, folks, was simply to much to ask. These powerful men were far to concerned with maintaining their prestigious position than to bother paying attention to insignificant things such as a man being raised to life after four days in the grave.

Self-centeredness, self-protection, self-love has a way of blinding us to the most obvious of things. Love is like a flashlight, it only illuminates our path when it is pointed outwards – first towards he one true God, and then towards others. When love is turned inward it has the opposite effect. It blinds us to the truth instead of making it visible to us. Even obvious things become impossible to see.

And yet this is our natural condition. We are born into this world lovers of self. And so instead of saying, what is truth? I will do whatever it takes to live according to the truth. I’ll even even lay down my life! We say, how can get ahead? How can I be comfortable? How can I profit in the here and now? To heck with the truth so long as damage is not done to my little kingdom. This is the way of the natural, unregenerate man. The unbelief of the Jews in this story demonstrates the self-centeredness of man’s heart apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.

The Unbelief of the Jews Demonstrates the Callousness of Man’s Heart Towards God Apart from the Regenerating Work of the Holy Spirit

The third thing that I would like you to see in this text is how the unbelief of the Jews demonstrates the callousness of man’s heart towards God apart from the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.

These men not only remained in their unbelief, they actually conspired to put Jesus to death. This is the depth of their depravity – this is how hard their hearts were.  They respond to Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead with a death sentence – a death sentence for Jesus and, as we will see in chapter 12, a death sentence for Lazarus! His testimony was to strong.

Most astonishingly, it was the high priest himself who initiated the plan. Verse 49: “But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.’” (John 11:49–50, ESV)

Caiaphas was a skilled politician. He waited until the right time, he spoke boldly, he spoke persuasively, he spoke with clarity, giving the counsel direction. And what was his advice? It would be better to murder one innocent man than for the whole nation to suffer under Rome, should things get out of hand.      

Remember, this was the high priest of Israel! This was the one who was to mediate between God and the people! This was the one who was to walk in purity and uprightness, teaching the people the ways of God. Instead he behaves like a tyrant.

Interestingly, John points out how the high priest’s words turned out to be prophetic. Of course Caiphas meant one thing with these words, but there was irony in them. His words would be fulfilled by Jesus in a way that Caiphas would never have expected. Jesus would indeed die for the nation! He would died for the sins of all his sheep from among the Jewish nation. And “not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.” Christ would die, not only for the sins of Jews, but also for the sins of gentiles. His sheep from both would be united into one body, one church, one family of God.

The point to be noticed is this: God was in control. He was in control even of Caiphas’ words, directing him in his moment of wickedness to speak prophetically concerning the will of God. Jesus would not be killed unwillingly. He came to lay down his life for the sheep. And not only for the sheep of the fold of Israel, but for the sheep of the fold of the gentiles as well.

Isn’t it astonishing, though, the way that God accomplishes his purposes even by and through men with unregenerate hearts?  The purposes of God simply march on. He is not hindered in the least. His will is accomplished, not only by and through the righteous, but by and through the blind, self-centered, and calloused of this world. This is the God that we serve. He is Lord of all. Take comfort in that fact, Christian, as you live in this world.

Conclusion

So how does all of this apply?

Some might be thinking, what does all of this have to do with us? We are believing in Christ? We have confessed him as Lord! We are not like these unbelieving ones!

But that would assume that all who are here today are in fact believing in Christ. It may be that are some who have not believed in Christ. If that is you, I would say consider the works of Christ. Consider all that he did in his life as a demonstration of his power from on high. Consider this work – the raising of Lazarus – and the way that it serves as a precursor to the even greater work of his own death and resurrection. In these works Christ is demonstrating that he indeed has power over the grave. He has the power to give life eternal.

See the works, die to self, and give glory to God. Stop trying to hold on to your life as the unbelieving Jews did. For in holding on to it, you will loose it, whereas in letting it go, you will find it. Repent and believe upon Jesus who is the Christ, the Savior of the world. That is the application for the unbeliever.

But the passage is also applicable to the Christian. It is true that you are numbered among the many Jews who went away believing in Christ. But the sin of the unbelieving Jews serves to warn us of the propensity of the remaining corruptions within us.

Are we not still tempted, even in Christ, to turn a blind eye to the truths of God? Are we not tempted to neglect and doubt his word? Are we not tempted to go at it alone, relying upon our own human wisdom to deal with the demands of life? I know that you are tempted in this way. I have been tempted in this way.

But may it never be! May we forever live with eyes fixed upon the Word of God. May we forever give attention to the truth that God has revealed to us. May we look squarely upon it, receive it by faith, and live according to it all the days of our life. The Spirit of God has blessed us with the ability to see with spiritual clarity. He has cured our blindness so that we might see his face. How tragic and wasteful it is to squander the gift of spiritual sight by fixing our eyes upon the garbage of this world when we could gaze perpetually upon our Savior, the eternal Word of God. He has opened our eyes! Let us fix them upon him, the author and finisher of our faith.

And are we not also tempted to turn away from Christ, our bridegroom, the lover of our souls.?We are tempted to turn back to old lovers. The most seductive of them all is named self.  The desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, the pride of life – these are the things that keep many from ever turning to Christ.  But they even call out to those who are in Christ, tempting the bride of Christ to turn back.

May it never be of us. May we never forget that the love of the world and the love of self leads only to death and destruction. May we never forget how good it is to know Christ and to walk in his ways. It is a satisfaction that never grows stale, but increases with the passing of time, and will increase on into eternity, as we walk with him. Die to self and live to Christ.

Brothers and sisters, if you have turned your eyes from Christ, and have directed your love towards other things, why are you surprised that your heart has grown calloused towards God and toward your neighbor? It is a love for God and his word which make makes our heart soft towards his.

Let me close with this warning from Hebrews 3:12-14:

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. [Run to him today] …that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” (Hebrews 3:12–14, ESV)

New Testament Reading: John 11:1-44

“Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ But when Jesus heard it he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

Then after this he said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?’ Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.’

After saying these things, he said to them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.’ Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’ So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’

Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house.

Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.’ When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, ‘The Teacher is here and is calling for you.’ And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him.

Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’  When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept. So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?’

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?’

So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’”

Introduction 

Chapter 11 is a very significant chapter in John’s gospel. Notice that in chapter 12 we will enter into what is known as the passion week of Jesus’ life. Chapters 12 through 19 will tell us about things that happened in the week leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. Think about that for a moment. Chapters 1 through 11 tell us about Jesus’ earthly ministry, which lasted about 3 years. And yet 8 chapters (12 through 19) are devoted to the one week leading up to Jesus’ death. The significance is this: the death of Jesus was very important to John. Jesus came to die. His mission from the Father was to lay down his life for the sheep that he might take it up again. Chapter 11 is significant in that it serves as the conclusion to the first half of John’s gospel, which focused upon the earthly ministry of Jesus in general. We will, once we move on from here, give attention to last week of Jesus’ life.

But this chapter is also significant in that it contains the last miracle of Jesus recorded in John’s Gospel (besides Jesus’ own resurrection). The miracles of Jesus play a very important role in John’s Gospel. The pattern is this: there will be some claim made concerning Jesus – some teaching concerning his person or his work – and then John will tell us about a miracle that Jesus preformed, which serves to illustrate, or demonstrate, that what has been said of Jesus is in fact true. The miracles of Jesus are called signs, in John’s Gospel. They are called signs because they point to the fact that what was said by Jesus, or about him, was in fact true. Jesus, for example, claimed to be the light of the world in chapter 8 – in chapter 9 we read about him healing a man who was blind from birth. The man lived his whole life in darkness but Jesus, who is the light of the world, gave him light. This is how miracles function in John’s Gospel – they signify things that are true of Jesus – they demonstrate truths about Jesus.  This miracle is no different.

I think you would probably agree that this miracle is really spectacular. It is the last of Jesus’ miracles as recorded by John, but is also the biggest, if you will. I suppose it could be said that a miracle is a miracle – it doesn’t matter if it involves turning water to wine, healing a man lame or blind from birth, or raising up a dead man – a miracle is a miracle. And there is a certain degree of truth to that. But I think you would agree that this is big. Consider that Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were well known. Also, this miracle was preformed in a very public way so that it would have been very hard to deny.  Also consider that the man Lazarus was in the grave for four days. He was obviously dead, and everyone new it. And lastly, consider what it was that Jesus overcame. He overcame the power of death – our most formidable foe. This was the climax of Jesus’ miracles as presented to us in John’s Gospel.

But what was the significance of it? What did Jesus demonstrate when he called Lazarus out of that grave?

Let us consider three things:

In the Raising of Lazarus, Jesus Demonstrates that He is the Son of God

First of all, in the raising of Lazarus Jesus demonstrated that he was in fact the Son of God, as he had claimed.

We should not to quickly forget the preceding passage. The Jew’s had picked up stones to stone Jesus because he claimed to be equal with God. To them this was blasphemous! And it would have been blasphemy if indeed Jesus were only a man making himself out to be God. But Jesus continued to insist that he was in fact the eternal Son of God, come in human flesh.

After reasoning from Psalm 82 with the unbelieving Jews, he said in 10:37, “If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” (John 10:37–38, ESV)

Jesus understood that the things he was claiming concerning himself were incredible and hard to believe from a human perspective. And so he exhorted the Jews to look at the works that he had preformed. Look at the works, he said. So you don’t believe my words, that I am from the Father? At least look at the works! Look at the miracles that I have preformed! These are clearly from the Father! And once you see that the works that I preform are from the Father, then you must see that I am from the Father, and believe in my name.  That was his reasoning.

It is after these words that John tells of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. If we still had doubts concerning Jesus’ divine origins – if we were still struggling to accept his claims – then surly this would get our attention (or so you would think). The raising of Lazarus from the grave demonstrated that Jesus was in fact the eternal Son of God, come in human flesh, as he claimed.

In the Raising of Lazarus, Jesus Demonstrates that He is the Resurrection and the Life

Secondly, notice how in the act of raising Lazarus from the grave Jesus demonstrates that he is the resurrection and the life. This, I think, is at the heart of this passage. We are shown that Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

You probably noticed how Martha and Mary take center stage in this story. They are the ones who send for Jesus when their bother falls ill. They are the ones whom the Jews from Jerusalem come to console (indicating that they were prominent and well respected women). And they are the ones who come out to meet with Jesus once he arrives in Bethany – first Martha, and then Mary. Both sisters are understandably filled with sorrow.

Look at how Jesus consoles them. Verse 23:  “Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’” As a pastor this is exactly how I would comfort a Christian who is grieving the loss of a loved one in the Lord. I would say, You will see him again, or, you will see her again in the resurrection. They have not died – they have merely passed from this life to the next. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. And your loved one will rise again. This is probably how the Jews who came from Jerusalem were consoling Mary and Martha. Most of the Jews believed in the resurrection at the end of the age, and so they were likely encouraging the sisters, saying, “your brother will rise again.”

Martha’s response:  “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” (John 11:24, ESV)

She knew these things. She was probably taught this from childhood. Jesus probably taught her these things too. But look at how Jesus responds to her. He says in verse 25, “I am the resurrection and the life.”

This is quite a claim. It is yet another “I am” saying of Jesus –  “I am the bread of life”; “I am the light of the world”; “I am the door”; “I am the good shepherd”. Here it is, “I am the resurrection and the life”. The resurrection and the life that the Jews were looking forward to – the resurrection and the life that the Jews were comforting the sisters with – the resurrection and the life that Martha was hoping in is found in Jesus! He is the resurrection and the life.

He goes on to say in verse 25, “…Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”

Notice three simple things:

One, it is those who believe in Jesus who benefit from the resurrection power and life that is in him. Jesus says, “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” Belief, or faith, is the instrument, or conduit, which brings the benefit of Jesus’ resurrection power to us. We must believe in him – trust in him – follow him, if we are to live in the way that he has described.

Two, notice that those who believe in Jesus who die according to the flesh, in fact go on living. You say, how can that be? The answer is simple: though followers of Christ still face physical death, they have passed from death to life according to the spirit.  The body will die, but the soul of the Christian goes on living.  Paul puts it this way, saying, “Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8, ESV)

Three, notice that those who are living according to the flesh will never die according to the spirit. Jesus put the same truth another way in John 5, saying, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24, ESV) The one who believes in Jesus has passed from death to life. He or she existed in a state of death – spiritual death, that is – but in the moment they believed they were made alive in the spirit. They moved from a state of death to life.

This is the power that Jesus has within him.

The question posed to Martha – and to you and I by way of extension – is, “do you believe this?” Her response is the model response. Verse 27:  “She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” Why did John write this Gospel? He tells us in John 20:30-31: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” And what did Martha confess? “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” (John 11:27, ESV) She is a model for us. We ought to confess what she confessed.

How could it be that Jesus has this resurrection power? How could he have the ability to give life? He could give it because he was and is the Christ, the Son of God. He has the power to give life because of who he is.

The raising of Lazarus from the grave was a demonstration of the fact that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. He claimed to have power over death. He claimed to have within him the ability to give eternal life. He claimed to be the one who would bring about the bodily resurrection at the end of the age. But those are just claims. Anyone can say these things. The miracle that Jesus preformed in raising Lazarus from the grave was a demonstration of the life giving resurrection power that he has within himself. He is the resurrection and the life, and he proved it in accomplishing this work.

In the Raising of Lazarus Jesus Demonstrates the Great Love that He has for His Friends

Thirdly, see that in the the raising of Lazarus Jesus demonstrates the great love that he has for his friends.

Notice that there is a tension that permeates this story from beginning to end – I’m sure you noticed it as it was read. The tension is created by these two realities:

On the one hand we are told time and again how much Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Did you notice the repetition? Verse 3: “So the sisters sent to him, saying, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’” Verse 5: “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” And so we are told from the outset that Jesus loved these three.

But on the other hand we observe Jesus behaving in such a strange way. After Jesus received word of Lazarus’ illness, and after we are reminded of how much Jesus loves these three, we read in verse 6, “So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” This is an odd way for any person to behave who’s loved one is ill. It is especially strange for Jesus to respond in this way, given that he had the power to do something about Lazarus’ sickness.

The sisters noticed this. The first thing that Martha said to Jesus was, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21, ESV) Mary complains in the same way saying, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:32, ESV) The Jew’s who were there consoling Mary and Martha also took notice, saying, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” (John 11:37, ESV)

The tension in the story is so thick that you can cut it with a knife. Jesus claims to love these three, and yet he deliberately left them alone in their moment of need. He withheld his presence. He did not come in answer to their heartfelt plea. There is a tension that exists between the claim that Jesus loves these three and what we know that Jesus allowed them to suffer.

That same tension exists in the life of God’s people still today, doesn’t it? We are told that Jesus loves us. We are his sheep; he is the good shepherd. We are told that the Father cares for us. We are his beloved children in Christ Jesus. And we know that God is able to do anything he pleases! Nothing is impossible for him! And so we pray to him. We cry out to him. We say, Lord, come and do this or that. Lord, would you heal? Lord, would you take away this suffering? Lord, would you heal this sorrow? Lord, would you save? And often there is no answer. It seems as if God is distant. It seems as if God is withdrawn. That he could act, we all know to be true! But what are we to think when he determines to withhold?

These scenarios create tension in our lives. We might start to wonder if God is able. We say to ourselves, perhaps he has not answered my prayer because he is unable to act? Or we reason, perhaps he is able, but he does not care. And so we are left with this tension in our lives.

This passage is immensely helpful in that it provides a rare glimpse into the inner workings of one of these scenarios. When you and I experience trouble in life and wrestle with the reality of unanswered prayer, rarely, if ever, are we able to see the answer to the question, why? Why, Lord? Why have you allowed this in my life? Rarely are the answers revealed to us fully in this life. Sometimes we are given a glimpse of the answer to the question why? after the trial has passed. But often times we are left to wonder. But Christian, don’t you see that God’s word reveals why. God’s word lays bare the answer to the question, why? 

This is one of those places in scripture where we are given a glimpse into the inner workings of a trail. The book of Job also comes to mind. Job, a righteous man, suffered much. He pleaded with the Lord to take away the suffering, but there was no answer – not for a long time. The story of Joseph also comes to mind. Again, a righteous man who suffered long and hard, who’s prayers seemed to go unheard for a time. So too, Mary and Martha and Lazarus – friends of Jesus – people loved by Jesus – and yet Jesus stood back and allowed them to experience suffering and sorrow for a time.

Why does God do this? Certainly we will not understand it fully until we see him face to face in eternity, but the scriptures do point us in the right direction. All of these stories reveal that the sufferings we experience in this life are for the glory of God and our ultimate good.

Notice that Jesus is primarily driven by the impulse to obey the Father and to glorify his name.

Look at 11:4: “But when Jesus heard it he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’” (John 11:4, ESV) Also, listen to how Jesus spoke to Martha before raising Lazarus up:  “Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?’” (John 11:40, ESV)

The suffering that Mary, Martha and Lazarus endured was used to glorify God in such a tremendous way as they continued to trust in Jesus. Did they have questions for Jesus? Yes. Did they experience authentic sorrow in their hearts? Yes. But notice that they went on believing in Jesus, and in the process of time Jesus used it all for his glory by raising Lazarus from the dead.

The non-believer hears all of this and says, if this is what it means to follow Jesus, then I’m out! But the one called by God considers all of this and says, I’m in! For what can be better than to be used by God to bring glory to his name?

The Christian understands that all things happen in order to ultimately bring glory to God, but they also understand this: “…that for those who love God all things work together for good…” (Romans 8:28, ESV) When we read that all things work together for good we are to think, not only of those things that we would consider good but even those things which seem to us to be pure evil.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2–4, ESV)

“In this [your salvation] you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:6–7, ESV)

After Jesus announced to his disciples that Lazarus had died he said, “…and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.” (John 11:15, ESV)

I’m not saying that this information makes enduring suffering easy. But I am saying that this information is vital if you are to bear up under the pressures of life, maintaining a deep love for God and others. You must understand that God is real and powerful and sovereign, and that he sometimes allows suffering to come into our lives and to remain, but it is not without purpose. It is for a reason. It is for his glory and our ultimate good. And the last thing that you must be assured of is that, if you are in Christ Jesus – if he has called you friend – he does indeed love you. He loves you deeply, authentically, and from the heart. This is true even if the circumstances of your life seem to point in the other direction.

If anything is clear in this passage it is that Jesus loved Mary and Martha and Lazarus, through he clearly allowed them to suffer for a time. Verse 32:

“Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept. So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’” (John 11:32–36, ESV)

Is it true that Jesus delayed in order to accomplish the will of God? Indeed it is true! But that does not mean that Jesus’ heart was cold and indifferent towards his friends! This emotion that we read of was genuine emotion. Jesus was “deeply moved”. He was “greatly troubled”. He was filled with a righteous anger concerning the suffering and death experienced by his friends. The scriptures tell us that “Jesus wept”. It has been pointed out by some that this is the shortest verse in the Bible. But how important it is! When we begin to consider the unavoidable truth that God almighty sometimes allows his people, the people whom he loves, to suffer tribulation for a time, it is easy to think that perhaps his heart is cold towards us. No. Look at Jesus. Jesus weeps with us. He is troubled by the troubles we encounter. He sympathizes with his people. Hebrews 4:15:

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15–16, ESV)

Conclusion

When you are in the midst of a trial, big or small, remember that God is in sovereign – powerful – in control. Remember also that he sometimes allows trials and tribulations, but those are for a purpose. They are for his glory and our good. And if you are in Christ never forget that Jesus loves you. Hold the image of him troubled and moved and weeping close to you heart knowing that he, as the only mediator between God and man, has suffered with us and for his. He sympathizes with us in our weaknesses.

Cling to Jesus. He is the Son of God. He is the resurrection and life. He is our only hope for life now, and life eternal.