Sermon: John 11:1-44: I am the Resurrection and the Life

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.