There’s this joke about a conversation between two men. Both of the men were devout Christians who took part in a weekly Bible study and were some of the more knowledgeable men within the group, and they were both members of the same church congregation. One of the men was a regular attendant at his church, while the other one was a very infrequent one. One day, the man who attended church nearly every week asked his friend why he didn’t come to church that much; after all, being such a devout Christian, he knew the importance of church. His friend told him that he felt like every time he went to church, the preacher would say the same things. He felt like he was hearing the same old message each and every time he sat in the pews. The friend who regularly attended church said, “Well, if you went more than just Easter Sunday you might hear a different message every now and then.”
I tell you this joke not to poke fun at anyone who might attend a worship service this morning and yet most Sundays choose not to. I realize that there are a whole host of reasons why people have to miss corporate worship on Sunday mornings. I tell you this because it brings up an interesting point. You see, we celebrate the resurrection this day, and for good reason. We celebrate the empty tomb on Easter Sunday because it means everything to us. And that’s just it; it does mean everything to us. It doesn’t just mean everything to us today and then tomorrow it goes back to being just something else, it’s still everything. You see, the things that we celebrate on Easter Sunday (the empty tomb, the resurrection, the conquering of sin and death) are all things that should be celebrated each and every day of our lives.
Throughout our look at John’s gospel, an endeavor that we have been on now that we have been on for the better part of the past ten months, we have seen Jesus continuously tell those around him that his hour had not yet come. In our text today, we see him tell Andrew and Philip, two of his disciples, that it has finally come. He tells them that it is time for the Son of Man to be glorified. And they are confused somewhat as to what exactly this means. We know what it means. The glorification, the resurrection, of the Son is the very thing that we celebrate this day. However, our Savior doesn’t just stop with telling us that the time has come for him to lay down his life. No, Jesus goes on to say many more things about the coming hour that has long been anticipated.
One of the things that Jesus says is the paradox, or irony, of the Christian life. “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” It seems so odd that we would say that we gain our life my losing it. You see, we find life in dying, dying to self and following Christ. We know that later on in John’s gospel, that Jesus will speak in much the same manner about going away. Peter will ask Jesus where he is going. Jesus will respond by telling Peter that where he is going, that Peter cannot follow him then, but that he will afterward. For us, we have always been in the afterward. The great dividing line so-to-speak is the cross and the resurrection. If you’re going to be a Christian, you are going to have to follow him. You’re going to have to walk in the shadow of the cross. We will not only participate in his resurrection and his glorification, but we will also participate in his humiliation. That is what we celebrate this day.
Verse 27 of our text tells us that Jesus is troubled. The word used here carries with it a sense of horror or revulsion. In other words, Jesus is horrified by what he is facing. Yes, he is horrified by what he knows is to come, what he is going to do and what he is going to endure. However, what is he going to do, ask the Father to save him and have him not go through what he is about to experience? In Luke’s gospel, a text that we looked at Thursday evening, we’re told that Jesus prayed and wept so hard that he began to sweat blood, our Savior’s perspired blood over the agony of facing what was before him. However, this is what Jesus was sent into the world to do. All we have to do is look at the final works of Jesus here as he says, “Father, glorify Your name.” He doesn’t ask for his name to be glorified, but he asks for the Father to be glorified by the satisfaction of His justice upon the cross. When the Son paid the debt owed for sin, God would be glorified.
There are three occasions in the Gospels where the Father spoke from heaven, and this is one of them. The Father speaks to Son and tells him that His name is and will be glorified. All the people around hear this voice and they cannot tell whether it is a voice or whether it is thunder or an angel. Jesus tells them that this voice was speaking to him, but that it was spoken aloud so that they could all hear it. You see, the Son of Man is soon to be lifted up. The throne of grace, the ruler of all nations, is taking his rightful place, and yet the people still do not understand. They do not understand how he can be the Son of Man, the Messiah, and yet he is speaking about his death. You see, this king is not like any other king. This king wears no crown of gold, but only a crown of thorns. This king has no golden chariot pulled by magnificent stallions, but only a cross, drug and carried by himself upon his back. This king has no great military conquests to speak of, yet he has conquered the ultimate enemy of death. This is what we celebrate this day.
Our celebrations should not end, however, with this day. The words of this text, the words of the various accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial, and resurrection in the other gospel accounts ring just as true tomorrow as they do today. They ring just as true in six months as they do today. Today is Easter Sunday, a day truly worthy of celebration. However, Jesus’ resurrection is just as real at all times as it is on Easter Sunday. Our cries and celebrations and mottos of “He is Risen” on Easter Sunday are very much warranted, but how many of will wake up tomorrow morning and shout “He is Risen?” How many of us will go to our Facebook accounts if you into that and post something about Our Savior exiting the tomb? How many of us will gather our families together for a time of celebration and rejoicing like we typically do on Easter Sunday next weekend just because? I’m not trying to downplay the significance of Easter and the days leading up to it, not at all. What I’m trying to get at is that what we celebrate this particular Sunday is something that is very much real and active every other day of the year as well. Jesus means everything to us yesterday, today, and forever. There is no point in time when the cross means any more or any less to any one of us. There is but one shepherd, and he reigns supreme over all the earth, at the right hand of the Father in heaven. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
John 12:9-19 "The Triumphal Entry"
We begin our text today with Jesus in Bethany, where we have just seen him enjoy a meal and have his feet washed and anointed with oil by Mary. One of the people gathered around the table with Jesus is Lazarus, the man whom he had recently raised from the dead. News has already begun to spread about Lazarus’ resurrection and many have decided to go out and see him. As we’re told in our text, they aren’t really going to see Jesus, but to see Lazarus. In other words, they aren’t looking for Christ, but the work that he has done. Now, if you recall, the Sanhedrin, the chief priests and Pharisees, had pretty much put out an ABP on Jesus so that they could find him, arrest him, and kill him. Well, they hear about where he is and they hear that he is with Lazarus and they hear about all of these people who are not only going to see Jesus, but that are really going to see Lazarus. These people have heard that Lazarus has been raised from the dead by Jesus and in essence they don’t fully believe it until they see it with their own eyes. The Sanhedrin decides that they not only should carry through with killing Jesus, but that they should now kill Lazarus as well. You see, this whole talk about resurrection will go away once Lazarus is dead. If they kill him, then they can begin to spread their own rumors about the fact that Lazarus was never really resurrected and that it was just a myth propagated by those who supported Jesus.
As luck would have it, the Council never has to send anyone out to find Jesus because the very next day he was coming into Jerusalem. Now, I absolutely love this quick account here of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is one of my favorite texts in all of Scripture, and the reason for that is because of how rich it is with historical and archaeological information. Nearly every detail of this account carries with it some significant meaning, all pointing to the greatness of Christ and the coming of the Messiah. Details that seem insignificant or miniscule in fact are of vital importance.
The first thing that we think of when we remember the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday are the palm branches. Just as some of the children came in to begin our worship service today by laying palm branches at the foot of the cross here, the people of Jerusalem lined the streets with palm branches, waving them at Jesus. The estimated number of people there lining the streets as it is figured by church historians studying the regular attendance at this festival is thought to be somewhere around two million people. To put that in perspective, it is about 3x the estimated amount of people who attend a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday, and all two million are lining this street, this road entering into Jerusalem, waving palms, and looking for Jesus. Now, they are waving palm branches because that was the symbol of victory in the Jewish culture. During the intertestamental period, the 400 years between the Old and New Testaments, the Jews had waved about palm branches immediately after any major military victory. After a period of time, the palm branch became somewhat of a symbol of freedom and victory for the Jewish people. So much so, that after this account, after the Jews revolt against the Romans, sometime in the 60’s AD, the people of Jerusalem minted their own coins with the image of a palm branch on them. So you see, the palm branch was the people’s way of acknowledging the freedom and victory that Jesus represented. Now it should be noted that their ideas were not what actually came to pass, seeing as how many of them who waved branches this day shouted for Jesus’ life to be taken only a few days later.
Even the words that they are shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel,” carry with them special significance. First off, the word Hosanna comes from the Hebrew word that means “save now.” They are shouting for something immediate. The phrase “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” is taken from the hallel, a series of psalms that were sung every morning during the Feast of Tabernacles, which consists of Psalms 113 through 118. These words would have been known by heart by every Jew in attendance. As they are shouting “Save now,” and reciting their most cherished of songs and calling Jesus the “King of Israel,” they are making it known that they are looking to Jesus for salvation. They are looking for him to save them, although most likely they are thinking that he will save them in some military sense.
And finally, we have the lowly donkey. Typically, when any royalty or anyone of status rode anywhere it was on a horse. And not just any horse, but a noble steed; a horse fit for such a prominent person. Jesus, however, does not enter Jerusalem on top of a horse. He enters Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey. Mind you, the donkeys ridden around the Holy Land are not like the donkeys that we see around the US. The donkeys over there are much shorter. An average person, even someone as short as I am, would have to bend their knees in order to ride one. Also, it isn’t as if Jesus’ donkey is a well-trained traveling animal, this donkey is young and has never been ridden before. It should be noted, however, that Jesus’ entering on a donkey is not strange at all, but it actually fulfills a messianic prophesy from the Old Testament. The prophet Zechariah said that the King, the Messiah, would enter into Jerusalem riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey (9:9). He was coming in lowliness, meekness, and humility. I often wonder how many of those who were lining the streets were disappointed at Jesus’ coming in such a humble manner. Even more to the point, I wonder how few of them, if any, were actually excited to see him come in on a donkey. I wonder if any of them remembered the words of Zechariah as they saw their Savior enter into Jerusalem. We know from our text that the disciples most certainly didn’t recall the words of Zechariah; that is, until after Jesus’ resurrection.
We see in the final verses of our text that there is a focus once again upon Lazarus. After all, the raising of someone from the dead was something that Jesus had done that there was no disputing. People could explain all of his other miracles away as mistakes in interpretation or illusions, but there was no disputing that someone who was dead and buried was now up and walking around. You see, this miracle, more than any of his other works, placed a great deal of focus upon Jesus Christ. Even the Pharisees acknowledge that this is the case. Their worst nightmare is becoming a reality. The man known as Jesus is gaining fame and notoriety by the minute. From their perspective, it seemed like the entire world was going after Jesus and searching for him so that they could speak with him and learn from him and eventually follow him. Boy, how great would it be if that were actually the case then as well as today?
Ultimately, we find in our passage that people are interested in Jesus. They are curious about who he is and they are full of false expectations as to what he is to accomplish. Over the course of the next few days, their ideas and hopes will seemingly be dashed. The great military victory that they are celebrating with such vigor is not what is coming. We know that what is coming is a turning of the people away from Jesus. As they cheer his name in adoration now, they will shout his name in anger in only a few days’ time. They will feel as if they wasted the good surprise on Jesus. You know, that moment when you’re trying to surprise someone and you accidentally surprise the wrong person. You see, all too soon the people will reject him, but as the prophet Zechariah said, he would become the chief cornerstone, the tent peg, the battle bow, and the ultimate ruler. Jesus was coming to be the foundation upon which our lives is to be built. The time has come, his hour is at hand. This entrance into Jerusalem is the beginning of the most significant and important week in the history of mankind. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
As luck would have it, the Council never has to send anyone out to find Jesus because the very next day he was coming into Jerusalem. Now, I absolutely love this quick account here of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is one of my favorite texts in all of Scripture, and the reason for that is because of how rich it is with historical and archaeological information. Nearly every detail of this account carries with it some significant meaning, all pointing to the greatness of Christ and the coming of the Messiah. Details that seem insignificant or miniscule in fact are of vital importance.
The first thing that we think of when we remember the triumphal entry on Palm Sunday are the palm branches. Just as some of the children came in to begin our worship service today by laying palm branches at the foot of the cross here, the people of Jerusalem lined the streets with palm branches, waving them at Jesus. The estimated number of people there lining the streets as it is figured by church historians studying the regular attendance at this festival is thought to be somewhere around two million people. To put that in perspective, it is about 3x the estimated amount of people who attend a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday, and all two million are lining this street, this road entering into Jerusalem, waving palms, and looking for Jesus. Now, they are waving palm branches because that was the symbol of victory in the Jewish culture. During the intertestamental period, the 400 years between the Old and New Testaments, the Jews had waved about palm branches immediately after any major military victory. After a period of time, the palm branch became somewhat of a symbol of freedom and victory for the Jewish people. So much so, that after this account, after the Jews revolt against the Romans, sometime in the 60’s AD, the people of Jerusalem minted their own coins with the image of a palm branch on them. So you see, the palm branch was the people’s way of acknowledging the freedom and victory that Jesus represented. Now it should be noted that their ideas were not what actually came to pass, seeing as how many of them who waved branches this day shouted for Jesus’ life to be taken only a few days later.
Even the words that they are shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel,” carry with them special significance. First off, the word Hosanna comes from the Hebrew word that means “save now.” They are shouting for something immediate. The phrase “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” is taken from the hallel, a series of psalms that were sung every morning during the Feast of Tabernacles, which consists of Psalms 113 through 118. These words would have been known by heart by every Jew in attendance. As they are shouting “Save now,” and reciting their most cherished of songs and calling Jesus the “King of Israel,” they are making it known that they are looking to Jesus for salvation. They are looking for him to save them, although most likely they are thinking that he will save them in some military sense.
And finally, we have the lowly donkey. Typically, when any royalty or anyone of status rode anywhere it was on a horse. And not just any horse, but a noble steed; a horse fit for such a prominent person. Jesus, however, does not enter Jerusalem on top of a horse. He enters Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey. Mind you, the donkeys ridden around the Holy Land are not like the donkeys that we see around the US. The donkeys over there are much shorter. An average person, even someone as short as I am, would have to bend their knees in order to ride one. Also, it isn’t as if Jesus’ donkey is a well-trained traveling animal, this donkey is young and has never been ridden before. It should be noted, however, that Jesus’ entering on a donkey is not strange at all, but it actually fulfills a messianic prophesy from the Old Testament. The prophet Zechariah said that the King, the Messiah, would enter into Jerusalem riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey (9:9). He was coming in lowliness, meekness, and humility. I often wonder how many of those who were lining the streets were disappointed at Jesus’ coming in such a humble manner. Even more to the point, I wonder how few of them, if any, were actually excited to see him come in on a donkey. I wonder if any of them remembered the words of Zechariah as they saw their Savior enter into Jerusalem. We know from our text that the disciples most certainly didn’t recall the words of Zechariah; that is, until after Jesus’ resurrection.
We see in the final verses of our text that there is a focus once again upon Lazarus. After all, the raising of someone from the dead was something that Jesus had done that there was no disputing. People could explain all of his other miracles away as mistakes in interpretation or illusions, but there was no disputing that someone who was dead and buried was now up and walking around. You see, this miracle, more than any of his other works, placed a great deal of focus upon Jesus Christ. Even the Pharisees acknowledge that this is the case. Their worst nightmare is becoming a reality. The man known as Jesus is gaining fame and notoriety by the minute. From their perspective, it seemed like the entire world was going after Jesus and searching for him so that they could speak with him and learn from him and eventually follow him. Boy, how great would it be if that were actually the case then as well as today?
Ultimately, we find in our passage that people are interested in Jesus. They are curious about who he is and they are full of false expectations as to what he is to accomplish. Over the course of the next few days, their ideas and hopes will seemingly be dashed. The great military victory that they are celebrating with such vigor is not what is coming. We know that what is coming is a turning of the people away from Jesus. As they cheer his name in adoration now, they will shout his name in anger in only a few days’ time. They will feel as if they wasted the good surprise on Jesus. You know, that moment when you’re trying to surprise someone and you accidentally surprise the wrong person. You see, all too soon the people will reject him, but as the prophet Zechariah said, he would become the chief cornerstone, the tent peg, the battle bow, and the ultimate ruler. Jesus was coming to be the foundation upon which our lives is to be built. The time has come, his hour is at hand. This entrance into Jerusalem is the beginning of the most significant and important week in the history of mankind. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
John 11:45-12:8 "Stand Up for Your Faith"
Last Sunday, we saw the resurrection of Lazarus. We said that it was the greatest of all Jesus’ miracles and the climax of all the prior works that he had done pointing to who he was. After the raising of Lazarus from the dead, it doesn’t take long for word to spread. The Jews who witnessed this miracle run and tell those that they know about what happened. What an outstanding witness and I’m sure a huge growth for the “Jesus movement” that was taking place. I mean, we are told that many of those in attendance now believed in Jesus, a radical break from what had been only a few days prior. However, there were some who still didn’t believe in him, and that group runs and tells the Pharisees what has just taken place and that some have now begun to believe in Jesus as a result of these events.
So, the Pharisees and the chief priests gather together and try and figure out what they are going to do. They know that if they keep letting Jesus walk around and perform his works, that eventually everyone will believe in him. However, they aren’t worried about everyone believing in him from the standpoint of heresy. No, they are worried about everyone believing in him from the standpoint of self-preservation. You see, they’re worried that if the people begin to unite under Jesus, that the Roman government will come in and assume complete control and remove those Pharisees and chief priests that have enjoyed some positions of power even during the Roman occupation.
I want to take a second and draw a comparison between the chief priests and Pharisees in Jesus’ day with the American church of today. You see, the Pharisees were once the pillars of orthodoxy and religious leadership. Originally, their intentions were solely focused on maintaining the purity of the matters dealing with God. Their aim was to have everyone live in a manner that was worthy of being a child of God. They sought to shape culture in the image of God. However, somewhere along the way, their vigor for religious purity began to become corrupted both by their surroundings and from within. As the Roman Empire took over areas inhabited by the Pharisees, mainly Jerusalem, the Pharisees desire for maintaining orthodoxy gave way to their desire to keep the peace. It’s very similar to how the American church has given way in order to keep the peace. When we look at the early church and we look at the Apostle Paul, there was a vim and vigor there that Paul was going to place to the matters of God above civility with a particular government and over his own physical health and status. Now, I’m not entirely blaming Christians of today. This is something that has taken many, many generations to do. We live in a world that seeks to keep the peace. We hear things on the news that don’t quite sit right with us from a Christian perspective. Now, I’m just as guilty of this as anyone else, maybe even more so. We hear things that we disagree with, yet we say nothing about it to anyone other than those who we already know to be Christians. When was the last time that you go into a discussion, not a debate or an argument, but a discussion about your faith with a non-Christian? We live in a world that says often times that anything is fair game for conversation except for religion or politics. Well, last I checked, politics is not a matter of eternal salvation. There are Bible-believing Christians out there who have a different political affiliation than I do. However, there is no salvation apart from our Savior Jesus Christ, the one who we Christians worship.
As far as Jesus’ day is concerned, no other figure represents this notion of lax religious standards in order to keep the peace greater than Caiaphas. You see, Caiaphas, the high priest that particular year (a position that he corruptly bought), is the primary person promoting the killing, the murdering of Jesus Christ. He rationalizes in his own mind that it is better for this one person to die than it is for an entire nation of people to be punished as a result of the Roman government being upset. Such rationalizing reminds me of our own minds so often. We stay silent when faced with golden opportunities to proclaim the gospel, yet we rationalize that we don’t want to come off as being some type of religious nutjob or as a “Jesus Freak.” We tell ourselves that by keeping quiet and not coming off too pushy, we are doing greater work for God’s kingdom than we would do by speaking up.
I find it humorous, as well as outstanding, that Caiaphas prophesied here without even really knowing what he is saying. As he was speaking about the need for Jesus to die, he really had no clue how accurate he was. John, the Evangelist, the writer of this gospel account clarifies for us just how true the words from Caiaphas really are. He provides us with his own commentary on Caiaphas’ words. John tells us that Caiaphas says aloud that it is time for Jesus to die. He then provides the insight that Jesus’ death will not only come, but that it will save a nation. Not only will it save a nation, but it will bring about a gathering together of God’s children that are currently scatted all over. You see, Caiaphas wants to accomplish his own sinful wishes, but what he is actually doing is accomplishing the work of God. There’s a reason why so often we are brought to a low point in our lives before we can truly see the works of God. That reason is because God works through the natural things of this world to bring about His will. He uses our pain and our suffering to bring about even greater glory to Himself, just as He is using Caiaphas and the Pharisees own sinful desire for self-preservation to accomplish the ultimate work of His Son dying upon the cross and paying the price owed for the sins of all mankind.
Now, immediately following this account of a compromising religious official, John provides us with a true example of worship. We are told of an event mentioned earlier and that is the account of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with oil. Remember, Mary is one of the two sisters of the Lazarus, the man whom Jesus has just recently raised from the dead. We are told that while having a meal with Jesus in her home, that Mary took a “pound of expensive ointment” and “anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.” Now, there are two things about this gesture that are noteworthy. First, this bottle of oil or ointment was expensive. The cost of this bottle would have been equivalent to about one year’s pay for the average person (one denari was equal to one day’s pay). Secondly, not only does Mary anoint Jesus with this oil, but she does so on his feet. You see, the feet were considered to be the most disgusting and vile of all body parts at this time. A disciple, or student, was responsible for the care of their master/teacher. However, the extent of care always stopped short of their feet because it was simply too humiliating for a person to be asked to care for the feet of another. Yet, here is Mary, not only caring for Jesus’ feet, but doing so willingly and in such a grand manner, using expensive oil and drying them with her own hair.
Now, it’s interesting that we have this woman, Mary, showing such devotion and humility towards Jesus, while the supposed top religious official in Jerusalem, Caiaphas, wants Jesus to be killed. You would think that the chief religious official, if he were truly a man in touch with God, would be the one wanting to wash the feet of Jesus. For that matter, Jesus’ own disciple, Judas, is there to witness the washing of Jesus’ feet and even he thinks it is crazy. Of course, we see in this account and our own knowledge of his future betrayal, that he is a man motivated by selfish means and money. However, Mary is willing to be bold in her faith. She is willing to take something that is of great earthly value and us it for Christ. Caiaphas should have been willing to risk his position of power and his comfortable lifestyle for the sake of Christ. We should be willing to risk our comfort, our security, our friends, and even our family for the sake of Christ. I’m not advocated giving up all that we have and leaving everyone that we care about behind, but I’m simply saying that in a list of priorities that God should always be at the top. Former United States Vice President Thomas Riley Marshall once said that in a list of the most influential forces in his life, that God was first and family was second. We have to be willing to make the tough choices in order to advance the kingdom of God. You see, God doesn’t need us to advance His kingdom. It is a blessing, an honor, and a privilege to be able to do so.
Judas doesn’t get it. Caiaphas doesn’t get it. Both of these men are focused upon themselves. Mary gets it. She has seen God at work. She has seen Jesus raise her brother from the dead. She knows that Jesus is greater than all things. She knows that everything in this world is a gift from God. We know that too. We have recorded for us in both Scripture and extra-biblical writings how much we owe to God. We will openly admit that apart from God that we have nothing. However, the time is now to start living like that. We need to move beyond saying that God is everything and start living like God is everything. When we live as if we have nothing apart from Christ, then that is where true faith is displayed. When the world says one thing and our faith says another and there is no conflict or hesitation to cast aside the worldly desire, then that is a greater witness that any speech, movie, or production could ever manage for God’s kingdom.
I want this text to challenge each of us in the coming days and weeks. From the outside it would seem as if the religious official or the disciple would be the one to show faith. However, it was this average woman. I want all of us to have the faith of Mary. I want all of us to be able to make the tough choices for God and for our faith. I want all of us to be able to abandon the things of this world in order to serve God. As I said, I’m not asking for everyone to take up a vow of poverty, but I’m just saying to place such priority and importance on God in your life that nothing else matters. I want God to be what matters most in your life. For it is only when that has taken place, that we can truly begin to worship Him fully and enjoy Him in the greatest sense. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
So, the Pharisees and the chief priests gather together and try and figure out what they are going to do. They know that if they keep letting Jesus walk around and perform his works, that eventually everyone will believe in him. However, they aren’t worried about everyone believing in him from the standpoint of heresy. No, they are worried about everyone believing in him from the standpoint of self-preservation. You see, they’re worried that if the people begin to unite under Jesus, that the Roman government will come in and assume complete control and remove those Pharisees and chief priests that have enjoyed some positions of power even during the Roman occupation.
I want to take a second and draw a comparison between the chief priests and Pharisees in Jesus’ day with the American church of today. You see, the Pharisees were once the pillars of orthodoxy and religious leadership. Originally, their intentions were solely focused on maintaining the purity of the matters dealing with God. Their aim was to have everyone live in a manner that was worthy of being a child of God. They sought to shape culture in the image of God. However, somewhere along the way, their vigor for religious purity began to become corrupted both by their surroundings and from within. As the Roman Empire took over areas inhabited by the Pharisees, mainly Jerusalem, the Pharisees desire for maintaining orthodoxy gave way to their desire to keep the peace. It’s very similar to how the American church has given way in order to keep the peace. When we look at the early church and we look at the Apostle Paul, there was a vim and vigor there that Paul was going to place to the matters of God above civility with a particular government and over his own physical health and status. Now, I’m not entirely blaming Christians of today. This is something that has taken many, many generations to do. We live in a world that seeks to keep the peace. We hear things on the news that don’t quite sit right with us from a Christian perspective. Now, I’m just as guilty of this as anyone else, maybe even more so. We hear things that we disagree with, yet we say nothing about it to anyone other than those who we already know to be Christians. When was the last time that you go into a discussion, not a debate or an argument, but a discussion about your faith with a non-Christian? We live in a world that says often times that anything is fair game for conversation except for religion or politics. Well, last I checked, politics is not a matter of eternal salvation. There are Bible-believing Christians out there who have a different political affiliation than I do. However, there is no salvation apart from our Savior Jesus Christ, the one who we Christians worship.
As far as Jesus’ day is concerned, no other figure represents this notion of lax religious standards in order to keep the peace greater than Caiaphas. You see, Caiaphas, the high priest that particular year (a position that he corruptly bought), is the primary person promoting the killing, the murdering of Jesus Christ. He rationalizes in his own mind that it is better for this one person to die than it is for an entire nation of people to be punished as a result of the Roman government being upset. Such rationalizing reminds me of our own minds so often. We stay silent when faced with golden opportunities to proclaim the gospel, yet we rationalize that we don’t want to come off as being some type of religious nutjob or as a “Jesus Freak.” We tell ourselves that by keeping quiet and not coming off too pushy, we are doing greater work for God’s kingdom than we would do by speaking up.
I find it humorous, as well as outstanding, that Caiaphas prophesied here without even really knowing what he is saying. As he was speaking about the need for Jesus to die, he really had no clue how accurate he was. John, the Evangelist, the writer of this gospel account clarifies for us just how true the words from Caiaphas really are. He provides us with his own commentary on Caiaphas’ words. John tells us that Caiaphas says aloud that it is time for Jesus to die. He then provides the insight that Jesus’ death will not only come, but that it will save a nation. Not only will it save a nation, but it will bring about a gathering together of God’s children that are currently scatted all over. You see, Caiaphas wants to accomplish his own sinful wishes, but what he is actually doing is accomplishing the work of God. There’s a reason why so often we are brought to a low point in our lives before we can truly see the works of God. That reason is because God works through the natural things of this world to bring about His will. He uses our pain and our suffering to bring about even greater glory to Himself, just as He is using Caiaphas and the Pharisees own sinful desire for self-preservation to accomplish the ultimate work of His Son dying upon the cross and paying the price owed for the sins of all mankind.
Now, immediately following this account of a compromising religious official, John provides us with a true example of worship. We are told of an event mentioned earlier and that is the account of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with oil. Remember, Mary is one of the two sisters of the Lazarus, the man whom Jesus has just recently raised from the dead. We are told that while having a meal with Jesus in her home, that Mary took a “pound of expensive ointment” and “anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.” Now, there are two things about this gesture that are noteworthy. First, this bottle of oil or ointment was expensive. The cost of this bottle would have been equivalent to about one year’s pay for the average person (one denari was equal to one day’s pay). Secondly, not only does Mary anoint Jesus with this oil, but she does so on his feet. You see, the feet were considered to be the most disgusting and vile of all body parts at this time. A disciple, or student, was responsible for the care of their master/teacher. However, the extent of care always stopped short of their feet because it was simply too humiliating for a person to be asked to care for the feet of another. Yet, here is Mary, not only caring for Jesus’ feet, but doing so willingly and in such a grand manner, using expensive oil and drying them with her own hair.
Now, it’s interesting that we have this woman, Mary, showing such devotion and humility towards Jesus, while the supposed top religious official in Jerusalem, Caiaphas, wants Jesus to be killed. You would think that the chief religious official, if he were truly a man in touch with God, would be the one wanting to wash the feet of Jesus. For that matter, Jesus’ own disciple, Judas, is there to witness the washing of Jesus’ feet and even he thinks it is crazy. Of course, we see in this account and our own knowledge of his future betrayal, that he is a man motivated by selfish means and money. However, Mary is willing to be bold in her faith. She is willing to take something that is of great earthly value and us it for Christ. Caiaphas should have been willing to risk his position of power and his comfortable lifestyle for the sake of Christ. We should be willing to risk our comfort, our security, our friends, and even our family for the sake of Christ. I’m not advocated giving up all that we have and leaving everyone that we care about behind, but I’m simply saying that in a list of priorities that God should always be at the top. Former United States Vice President Thomas Riley Marshall once said that in a list of the most influential forces in his life, that God was first and family was second. We have to be willing to make the tough choices in order to advance the kingdom of God. You see, God doesn’t need us to advance His kingdom. It is a blessing, an honor, and a privilege to be able to do so.
Judas doesn’t get it. Caiaphas doesn’t get it. Both of these men are focused upon themselves. Mary gets it. She has seen God at work. She has seen Jesus raise her brother from the dead. She knows that Jesus is greater than all things. She knows that everything in this world is a gift from God. We know that too. We have recorded for us in both Scripture and extra-biblical writings how much we owe to God. We will openly admit that apart from God that we have nothing. However, the time is now to start living like that. We need to move beyond saying that God is everything and start living like God is everything. When we live as if we have nothing apart from Christ, then that is where true faith is displayed. When the world says one thing and our faith says another and there is no conflict or hesitation to cast aside the worldly desire, then that is a greater witness that any speech, movie, or production could ever manage for God’s kingdom.
I want this text to challenge each of us in the coming days and weeks. From the outside it would seem as if the religious official or the disciple would be the one to show faith. However, it was this average woman. I want all of us to have the faith of Mary. I want all of us to be able to make the tough choices for God and for our faith. I want all of us to be able to abandon the things of this world in order to serve God. As I said, I’m not asking for everyone to take up a vow of poverty, but I’m just saying to place such priority and importance on God in your life that nothing else matters. I want God to be what matters most in your life. For it is only when that has taken place, that we can truly begin to worship Him fully and enjoy Him in the greatest sense. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
John 11:28-44 "The Resurrection of Lazarus"
Last Sunday, we gathered together and looked at the account of the death of Lazarus. We saw that Lazarus, along with his sisters, Mary and Martha, were friends of Jesus. The sisters had sent word to Jesus that Lazarus was ill and would soon pass away. Instead of rushing to his side and to his rescue, Jesus and his disciples waited two days before going to him. If you recall, Jesus’ waiting was done for a couple of reasons. The first reason is so that the Son of God might be glorified through the work that was to come. The second reason is so that the disciples will believe and their faith will be strengthened. We saw last week that by the time Jesus arrives, that Lazarus has been dead for four days and that his body is already in the tomb. Remember that it was thought that once a person had been dead for four days, then they were beyond all hope of ever rising up again. With the stage set as it is and our understanding what the mindset would have been of those around Jesus, we can now begin to fully understand and comprehend the magnitude of what takes place in our text for today.
We ended last week with Martha telling Jesus that she still believed in him, she still believed him to be the Christ. After she had told Jesus these words, she went to get her sister, Mary, who was still in their home being comforted by those who had come to offer their condolences. Martha tells Mary, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” We’re told that Mary almost immediately gets up and runs out of her house in search of Jesus. Now, the people who have gathered around her are a little confused and figure that she is going to mourn at Lazarus’ tomb, so they follow her thinking that she will need even greater support once she looks upon the final resting place of her beloved brother.
As Mary arrives at Jesus we see that she falls down at his feet and says something very similar to what Martha, her sister, said to Jesus the first time she saw him follow Lazarus’ death. Mary tells Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Now, much like the words of Martha last week, I do not think that Mary’s words here are a rebuke of Jesus. I take them as a frustration and quite honestly, a statement of fact as far as Mary is concerned. She is completely convinced that had Jesus arrived sooner, then Lazarus would still be alive.
Jesus sees Mary weeping. He also sees that those who have followed her to Lazarus’ tomb are weeping as well. We’re told that this sight causes Jesus to be “deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.” Some of your translations may even say that he became angry. I want to clarify something here about Jesus’ being troubled or angry. You see, there are some biblical scholars who have interpreted these words to mean that Jesus was angry with those around him weeping because it makes it seems as if they doubt that he has the power to “fix” the situation. I see it in a completely different manner. I see it as Jesus being angry at death itself, the ultimate enemy, one that he himself will come in direct conflict with only a few days later. My grandmother has been dealing with Alzheimer’s for nearly five years now. Each and every time I’m in Meridian and go and visit her I can see the effects of this horrible disease consuming her more and more. After almost every visit, I sit in my truck for just a moment and I think to myself, “I hate this disease. I hate what it does to people. It just makes me so angry that someone should have to go through this.” You see, I don’t hate my grandmother for having this disease, but I hate the effects of this enemy, just as Jesus became angry here with the effects of the ultimate enemy that is death and hated it so.
Jesus then has them show him where Lazarus is laid and we’re told that he wept upon seeing the tomb. Verse 39 is well-known for being the shortest verse in all of Scripture, but it is also possibly the most profound in terms of teaching us of Jesus’ humanity. Here is Jesus, knowing exactly what he is about to do in raising Lazarus from the dead, and yet he still weeps and mourns over the loss of a dear friend. As Romans 12:15 tells us, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep,” and that is exactly what Jesus is doing. He wept alongside those who were unaware as to what was about to occur. That is one of the many great things about the Christian faith; we have a God who understands what it is like to be human with all of our frailties and emotions. Jesus, the Son, God Himself, wept alongside these people over the loss of Lazarus.
Jesus tells them to take away the stone. Martha, who mind you had just stated that she still believes in Jesus, speaks up to stop him and seems to be reminding him that it is too late and that there is nothing that he can do. What a far cry she has come from simply answering yes when asked if she still believed. Jesus says to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” In essence, he is reminding her of those very words that she had just spoken. The stone is moved and Jesus turns his face toward heaven and says to God, “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.” Jesus is seemingly saying to God, “Father, you and I have already had this conversation. I know that you have heard me already. I do not have to tell you what I want for you already know what is to be done. You have given me the power and authority to raise this man from the dead and I have assurance that you will listen to my request. I know this, but I say all of these things aloud so that those around me may hear and that they may glorify you and believe in you.”
Jesus shouts into the cave, “Lazarus, come out.” Notice, there’s no ceremony, no ritual, no traditional action being performed here. Jesus simply tells this lifeless body to rise up and come out of the tomb. Immediately, life is restored to this man. His heart begins to beat again, his neurons begin to fire once more, and his rotting flesh that in other accounts we are told “stinks” or “stinketh” is restored anew. We’re not talking about something that resembles a zombie from a Vincent Price movie here. We are talking about being completely restored to life. The man known as Lazarus is alive and well once more. He comes walking out of the tomb, “his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth.” Can you imagine what must have been going through the minds of those in attendance? Imagine the disciples. Imagine the Jews who were just there to console Mary and Martha. Imagine Mary and Martha. I’m sure that many of those around this tomb stood paralyzed in disbelief over what they had just witnessed. I’m sure that there were folks wiping their eyes, slapping their faces, and pinching themselves to make sure that this was actually happening.
This may have been the greatest of all Jesus’ miracles during his earthly ministry. This was the climax to all the other signs that he had done thus far to point to who he really was. The raising of Lazarus from the dead is a glorious picture of what Jesus has done not only for Lazarus, but for us. You see, we were dead too. We were, as Paul tells us in his letter to the church in Ephesus, “dead in our trespasses and sins.” Jesus, the resurrection and the life, has raised us up from spiritual death. He has raised us up and made us alive together with Himself. We should stand in awe, just as we do this day, of such love and power. We should fall to our knees and confess that Jesus Christ is the life-giving Savior and worthy of all glory. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
We ended last week with Martha telling Jesus that she still believed in him, she still believed him to be the Christ. After she had told Jesus these words, she went to get her sister, Mary, who was still in their home being comforted by those who had come to offer their condolences. Martha tells Mary, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” We’re told that Mary almost immediately gets up and runs out of her house in search of Jesus. Now, the people who have gathered around her are a little confused and figure that she is going to mourn at Lazarus’ tomb, so they follow her thinking that she will need even greater support once she looks upon the final resting place of her beloved brother.
As Mary arrives at Jesus we see that she falls down at his feet and says something very similar to what Martha, her sister, said to Jesus the first time she saw him follow Lazarus’ death. Mary tells Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Now, much like the words of Martha last week, I do not think that Mary’s words here are a rebuke of Jesus. I take them as a frustration and quite honestly, a statement of fact as far as Mary is concerned. She is completely convinced that had Jesus arrived sooner, then Lazarus would still be alive.
Jesus sees Mary weeping. He also sees that those who have followed her to Lazarus’ tomb are weeping as well. We’re told that this sight causes Jesus to be “deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.” Some of your translations may even say that he became angry. I want to clarify something here about Jesus’ being troubled or angry. You see, there are some biblical scholars who have interpreted these words to mean that Jesus was angry with those around him weeping because it makes it seems as if they doubt that he has the power to “fix” the situation. I see it in a completely different manner. I see it as Jesus being angry at death itself, the ultimate enemy, one that he himself will come in direct conflict with only a few days later. My grandmother has been dealing with Alzheimer’s for nearly five years now. Each and every time I’m in Meridian and go and visit her I can see the effects of this horrible disease consuming her more and more. After almost every visit, I sit in my truck for just a moment and I think to myself, “I hate this disease. I hate what it does to people. It just makes me so angry that someone should have to go through this.” You see, I don’t hate my grandmother for having this disease, but I hate the effects of this enemy, just as Jesus became angry here with the effects of the ultimate enemy that is death and hated it so.
Jesus then has them show him where Lazarus is laid and we’re told that he wept upon seeing the tomb. Verse 39 is well-known for being the shortest verse in all of Scripture, but it is also possibly the most profound in terms of teaching us of Jesus’ humanity. Here is Jesus, knowing exactly what he is about to do in raising Lazarus from the dead, and yet he still weeps and mourns over the loss of a dear friend. As Romans 12:15 tells us, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep,” and that is exactly what Jesus is doing. He wept alongside those who were unaware as to what was about to occur. That is one of the many great things about the Christian faith; we have a God who understands what it is like to be human with all of our frailties and emotions. Jesus, the Son, God Himself, wept alongside these people over the loss of Lazarus.
Jesus tells them to take away the stone. Martha, who mind you had just stated that she still believes in Jesus, speaks up to stop him and seems to be reminding him that it is too late and that there is nothing that he can do. What a far cry she has come from simply answering yes when asked if she still believed. Jesus says to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” In essence, he is reminding her of those very words that she had just spoken. The stone is moved and Jesus turns his face toward heaven and says to God, “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.” Jesus is seemingly saying to God, “Father, you and I have already had this conversation. I know that you have heard me already. I do not have to tell you what I want for you already know what is to be done. You have given me the power and authority to raise this man from the dead and I have assurance that you will listen to my request. I know this, but I say all of these things aloud so that those around me may hear and that they may glorify you and believe in you.”
Jesus shouts into the cave, “Lazarus, come out.” Notice, there’s no ceremony, no ritual, no traditional action being performed here. Jesus simply tells this lifeless body to rise up and come out of the tomb. Immediately, life is restored to this man. His heart begins to beat again, his neurons begin to fire once more, and his rotting flesh that in other accounts we are told “stinks” or “stinketh” is restored anew. We’re not talking about something that resembles a zombie from a Vincent Price movie here. We are talking about being completely restored to life. The man known as Lazarus is alive and well once more. He comes walking out of the tomb, “his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth.” Can you imagine what must have been going through the minds of those in attendance? Imagine the disciples. Imagine the Jews who were just there to console Mary and Martha. Imagine Mary and Martha. I’m sure that many of those around this tomb stood paralyzed in disbelief over what they had just witnessed. I’m sure that there were folks wiping their eyes, slapping their faces, and pinching themselves to make sure that this was actually happening.
This may have been the greatest of all Jesus’ miracles during his earthly ministry. This was the climax to all the other signs that he had done thus far to point to who he really was. The raising of Lazarus from the dead is a glorious picture of what Jesus has done not only for Lazarus, but for us. You see, we were dead too. We were, as Paul tells us in his letter to the church in Ephesus, “dead in our trespasses and sins.” Jesus, the resurrection and the life, has raised us up from spiritual death. He has raised us up and made us alive together with Himself. We should stand in awe, just as we do this day, of such love and power. We should fall to our knees and confess that Jesus Christ is the life-giving Savior and worthy of all glory. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
John 11:1-27 "The Death of Lazarus"
Over the next couple of weeks we are going to look at a resurrection account in John’s gospel. No, it’s not the big one that you might all immediately think of when you hear the word resurrection in a church setting. Instead, it is the death and resurrection of a man named Lazarus. You see, Lazarus, along with his sisters Mary and Martha, all lived together in the village of Bethany, just a few miles outside of the city of Jerusalem. They all loved the man known as Jesus and he in turn loved and cared deeply for each of them. Mary, as we are reminded in our text, is even the one who anoints Jesus’ feet with oil and dries them with her hair, as we will see in a few Sundays. This was a family who believed Jesus to be the Christ, the promised Messiah. However, as we find at the end of this text, even they do not fully understand exactly what that means.
Mary and Martha get word to Jesus telling him that their brother has fallen ill. We see that they do indeed acknowledge him as Lord. They also refer to Lazarus not by name or as their brother, but as “he whom you love.” Both of these things just add to the intimacy that existed between Jesus and these three siblings. Jesus responds to their concern by saying, “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.” Jesus says these words in order to calm his disciples down who undoubtedly are worried about this man who is a close friend of Jesus. I’m sure that they were worried about Lazarus as soon as they heard the news, but imagine how much more their anxiety grew over the coming days. After all, we’re told in verse 6 that Jesus stayed where he currently was for two days after hearing the news of his friend Lazarus before telling his disciples that they needed to go to Judea.
Now, it seems as if the disciples concern for Lazarus takes a backseat to their fear, fear for themselves and fear for Jesus. In essence they tell Jesus, “Um, don’t you remember the last time you went to Jerusalem? After all, it wasn’t too long ago. Well, in case you don’t remember, let me remind you. The Pharisees tried to stone you and have you killed. You had to escape the city before they arrested you and followed through on that punishment. And now you’re telling us that you want to go back there again?” Jesus then answers his disciples in a way that quite honestly seems confusing at first glance. He talks about day and night and that when we walk in the night that we don’t stumble but walking in the dark will cause us to stumble. It really seems kind of out of place given what is going on at this time. However, if we think back to the very beginning of this gospel in John 1:9 where Jesus is referred to as the true light that was coming into the world, then these verses take on a whole new meaning. You see, keeping in mind that Jesus is God taking the form of man and saying that he is the true light, we see that Christ is telling those around him that there is no fear to be had when we believe. There is nothing that we cannot do when we have the power of God working in and through and to us. In essence, it is the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:13, “That I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Immediately after saying these words, Jesus goes on to say to the disciples, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” In essence, Jesus has said, “Yes, I know that some want to kill me, but as long as God is in control (and He always will be), then we have nothing to fear and no reason not to do good works in His name. So, let’s go to Lazarus and heal him.” The disciples once again don’t understand Jesus when he uses the word “awaken” instead of something like “cure” or “heal.” Jesus has to them in the plainest language that Lazarus is not asleep, but that he has died. I can only imagine the shock that must have gripped the disciples at this point. Here they are, having waited two days since receiving news of this man’s illness, and now they find out that they are too late and that he has already passed away. Oh the questions that must have been going through their minds at this time. However, Jesus tells them something that most likely took their minds off of the loss and turned their focus towards Jesus. He said to them, “For your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.” Seeing that there is no stopping Jesus from returning to the region of Jerusalem, Thomas, being ever the optimist, tells the other disciples that they might as well go with Jesus since there doesn’t seem to be any way to convince him not to go. He’s even so positive about returning to Jerusalem that he thinks that they will all soon end up in the same state as Lazarus, dead. Thomas is sure that once the Pharisees see Jesus and his disciples that they will surely all be killed.
So, they arrive in Bethany and they find that Lazarus is indeed dead and has already been buried in the tomb for four days. Now, the fact that it was been four days is significant because it helps us understand the reason for Jesus’ waiting a couple of days before going to Bethany. You see, the rabbinic teachings during Jesus’ day taught that when a person died, their spirit hovered above the body for three days before “moving on.” If the person was somehow resuscitated, then the person’s spirit would return to their body. After three days had passed, then the body was thought to be beyond resuscitation and all hope of that person rising up again was lost. So, according to this line of thinking, Lazarus was beyond all hope over ever being revived. Jesus is well aware of this teaching and knows that when Lazarus is resurrected, a text that we will look at next Sunday, that the Jewish authorities would not be able to say that his spirit was still hovering over his body. This may all sound trivial to us, but it was crucial to Jesus’ ministry. The raising of Lazarus from the dead was to be completely against nature as the Jews perceived it, and could be seen as nothing other than a miracle from God himself.
After finding Lazarus in the tomb, Jesus does not immediately perform this great miracle, but instead goes to Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, to console them. Martha, hearing that Jesus was near, went out to meet him and said to him, “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.” Well, first of all, Jesus didn’t have to be near Lazarus for him to be healed of the illness. Jesus could have healed him simply by commanding that it be done. With that being understood, the second thing that I think is important to understand here is the tone in which we interpret Martha’s words. She did not fault Jesus for his not being there in time as if to say, “Some friend you are. If you would have hurried up and gotten here then my brother would still be living.” No, if she had meant that, then she most likely would have stopped after saying that here brother had died. You see, Martha adds in that part about God doing what Jesus asks. It is as if she is saying, “Lord, even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will do it. Even though Lazarus died, my confidence in you remains, and I know that you’re in such harmony with God that this has to be of God.”
Jesus then tells this grieving sister that her brother will rise again. Martha believes the words of Jesus, just not how he means them. She thinks that he is speaking of the resurrection that is to come on the last day, a belief that was present in the teaching of the Pharisees at this time. However, it should be noted that not everyone believed in such a resurrection. The Sadducees did not teach of such a resurrection. Jesus hears her acknowledgement and her misunderstanding and answers her with one of the seven “I am” statements found in John’s gospel. He says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” In other words, I hold the keys of life and death in my hands. I am the power of life itself. I have the power to raise the dead from their graves. I don’t just teach about resurrection, I am resurrection; the same as he did not just teach about God, but he is God. He goes on to add, “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” In other words, even if your brother is to remain dead, he has entered into a new life. His time on this earth may have come to an end, but he still lives. He lives in heaven with God the Father Almighty.
Jesus then asks Martha if she believes. What Martha gives him is quite possibly the greatest profession of faith in all of Scripture, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” It can’t be easy for Martha to say these words. She has just seen her brother die and yet continues to praise God. She has just seen the one hope that she had to heal him not make it in time to revive him and yet she continues to praise God. Now, when she is point blank asked if she still believes, she says yes. Notice that in this affirmation there are no “if, ands, or buts.” There is no “yes, but if you would have said him…” There is only a complete and total affirmation of Jesus being the Son of God, the Promised Messiah.
It’s easy for us to praise God during the good times. It’s easy for our faith to be strong when life is moving ahead as planned. It’s easy for us to say that we believe when the waters of life are calm and there is nothing but smooth sailing ahead of us. It’s an entirely different thing to praise God when the waves are crashing and the rocks are jagged and the flashes of lightening and rolls of thunder are growing more numerous by the second. Those times are what separate those who profess with their mouths from those who profess with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. This passage sets the stage for a resurrection that is to come, one that we will see next Sunday. This passage sets the stage for THE resurrection that we will celebrate at the end of this month. However, neither of these two resurrections, Lazarus’ or that of Christ, really mean anything to us without believing in Jesus Christ. For it is only by faith that we are recipients of Christ atoning work and redeeming sacrifice. For it is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone that we are justified, that we are cleansed of our sins and declared righteous in the sight of the God. Friends, let the faith of this woman, Martha, be a shining example for all of us to continue to praise God no matter what we are going through. There may be times of sorrow, this of pain, and times of loss in our lives, but we are to continue to follow and believe. Just as we sang a few moments ago, there is no other place to look for strength. On Christ the solid rock we stand, all other ground is sinking sand. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Mary and Martha get word to Jesus telling him that their brother has fallen ill. We see that they do indeed acknowledge him as Lord. They also refer to Lazarus not by name or as their brother, but as “he whom you love.” Both of these things just add to the intimacy that existed between Jesus and these three siblings. Jesus responds to their concern by saying, “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.” Jesus says these words in order to calm his disciples down who undoubtedly are worried about this man who is a close friend of Jesus. I’m sure that they were worried about Lazarus as soon as they heard the news, but imagine how much more their anxiety grew over the coming days. After all, we’re told in verse 6 that Jesus stayed where he currently was for two days after hearing the news of his friend Lazarus before telling his disciples that they needed to go to Judea.
Now, it seems as if the disciples concern for Lazarus takes a backseat to their fear, fear for themselves and fear for Jesus. In essence they tell Jesus, “Um, don’t you remember the last time you went to Jerusalem? After all, it wasn’t too long ago. Well, in case you don’t remember, let me remind you. The Pharisees tried to stone you and have you killed. You had to escape the city before they arrested you and followed through on that punishment. And now you’re telling us that you want to go back there again?” Jesus then answers his disciples in a way that quite honestly seems confusing at first glance. He talks about day and night and that when we walk in the night that we don’t stumble but walking in the dark will cause us to stumble. It really seems kind of out of place given what is going on at this time. However, if we think back to the very beginning of this gospel in John 1:9 where Jesus is referred to as the true light that was coming into the world, then these verses take on a whole new meaning. You see, keeping in mind that Jesus is God taking the form of man and saying that he is the true light, we see that Christ is telling those around him that there is no fear to be had when we believe. There is nothing that we cannot do when we have the power of God working in and through and to us. In essence, it is the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:13, “That I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Immediately after saying these words, Jesus goes on to say to the disciples, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” In essence, Jesus has said, “Yes, I know that some want to kill me, but as long as God is in control (and He always will be), then we have nothing to fear and no reason not to do good works in His name. So, let’s go to Lazarus and heal him.” The disciples once again don’t understand Jesus when he uses the word “awaken” instead of something like “cure” or “heal.” Jesus has to them in the plainest language that Lazarus is not asleep, but that he has died. I can only imagine the shock that must have gripped the disciples at this point. Here they are, having waited two days since receiving news of this man’s illness, and now they find out that they are too late and that he has already passed away. Oh the questions that must have been going through their minds at this time. However, Jesus tells them something that most likely took their minds off of the loss and turned their focus towards Jesus. He said to them, “For your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.” Seeing that there is no stopping Jesus from returning to the region of Jerusalem, Thomas, being ever the optimist, tells the other disciples that they might as well go with Jesus since there doesn’t seem to be any way to convince him not to go. He’s even so positive about returning to Jerusalem that he thinks that they will all soon end up in the same state as Lazarus, dead. Thomas is sure that once the Pharisees see Jesus and his disciples that they will surely all be killed.
So, they arrive in Bethany and they find that Lazarus is indeed dead and has already been buried in the tomb for four days. Now, the fact that it was been four days is significant because it helps us understand the reason for Jesus’ waiting a couple of days before going to Bethany. You see, the rabbinic teachings during Jesus’ day taught that when a person died, their spirit hovered above the body for three days before “moving on.” If the person was somehow resuscitated, then the person’s spirit would return to their body. After three days had passed, then the body was thought to be beyond resuscitation and all hope of that person rising up again was lost. So, according to this line of thinking, Lazarus was beyond all hope over ever being revived. Jesus is well aware of this teaching and knows that when Lazarus is resurrected, a text that we will look at next Sunday, that the Jewish authorities would not be able to say that his spirit was still hovering over his body. This may all sound trivial to us, but it was crucial to Jesus’ ministry. The raising of Lazarus from the dead was to be completely against nature as the Jews perceived it, and could be seen as nothing other than a miracle from God himself.
After finding Lazarus in the tomb, Jesus does not immediately perform this great miracle, but instead goes to Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, to console them. Martha, hearing that Jesus was near, went out to meet him and said to him, “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.” Well, first of all, Jesus didn’t have to be near Lazarus for him to be healed of the illness. Jesus could have healed him simply by commanding that it be done. With that being understood, the second thing that I think is important to understand here is the tone in which we interpret Martha’s words. She did not fault Jesus for his not being there in time as if to say, “Some friend you are. If you would have hurried up and gotten here then my brother would still be living.” No, if she had meant that, then she most likely would have stopped after saying that here brother had died. You see, Martha adds in that part about God doing what Jesus asks. It is as if she is saying, “Lord, even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will do it. Even though Lazarus died, my confidence in you remains, and I know that you’re in such harmony with God that this has to be of God.”
Jesus then tells this grieving sister that her brother will rise again. Martha believes the words of Jesus, just not how he means them. She thinks that he is speaking of the resurrection that is to come on the last day, a belief that was present in the teaching of the Pharisees at this time. However, it should be noted that not everyone believed in such a resurrection. The Sadducees did not teach of such a resurrection. Jesus hears her acknowledgement and her misunderstanding and answers her with one of the seven “I am” statements found in John’s gospel. He says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” In other words, I hold the keys of life and death in my hands. I am the power of life itself. I have the power to raise the dead from their graves. I don’t just teach about resurrection, I am resurrection; the same as he did not just teach about God, but he is God. He goes on to add, “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” In other words, even if your brother is to remain dead, he has entered into a new life. His time on this earth may have come to an end, but he still lives. He lives in heaven with God the Father Almighty.
Jesus then asks Martha if she believes. What Martha gives him is quite possibly the greatest profession of faith in all of Scripture, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” It can’t be easy for Martha to say these words. She has just seen her brother die and yet continues to praise God. She has just seen the one hope that she had to heal him not make it in time to revive him and yet she continues to praise God. Now, when she is point blank asked if she still believes, she says yes. Notice that in this affirmation there are no “if, ands, or buts.” There is no “yes, but if you would have said him…” There is only a complete and total affirmation of Jesus being the Son of God, the Promised Messiah.
It’s easy for us to praise God during the good times. It’s easy for our faith to be strong when life is moving ahead as planned. It’s easy for us to say that we believe when the waters of life are calm and there is nothing but smooth sailing ahead of us. It’s an entirely different thing to praise God when the waves are crashing and the rocks are jagged and the flashes of lightening and rolls of thunder are growing more numerous by the second. Those times are what separate those who profess with their mouths from those who profess with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. This passage sets the stage for a resurrection that is to come, one that we will see next Sunday. This passage sets the stage for THE resurrection that we will celebrate at the end of this month. However, neither of these two resurrections, Lazarus’ or that of Christ, really mean anything to us without believing in Jesus Christ. For it is only by faith that we are recipients of Christ atoning work and redeeming sacrifice. For it is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone that we are justified, that we are cleansed of our sins and declared righteous in the sight of the God. Friends, let the faith of this woman, Martha, be a shining example for all of us to continue to praise God no matter what we are going through. There may be times of sorrow, this of pain, and times of loss in our lives, but we are to continue to follow and believe. Just as we sang a few moments ago, there is no other place to look for strength. On Christ the solid rock we stand, all other ground is sinking sand. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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