Raising of Lazarus

What heavy words you give and take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. It's easy when he blesses us with such sweet gifts as he does give us good gifts. He is the father of light who gives us good gifts. But what if he takes away those gifts? Will he still be worthy of praise? And yes, yes he is. The life of Jefferson Park Baptist Church is full of blessings. We are in the full cycle of a church. We have celebrated two babies being born. We've celebrated two baptisms, and it's not even halfway through February yet. We've also had two funerals. We've seen the full cycle of life in the church. We're looking forward to two weddings. Blessed be the name of the Lord. We have a full cycle of life, births, celebrating being born again, marriage and death. Praise God for every season that causes us to rejoice and remember we've been blessed. And that means we have great responsibility. Lord willing, we will celebrate more births as we do expect more births coming soon. We will celebrate more baptisms as the word of God continues to be proclaimed, and we trust it that it will not return void. We will celebrate more weddings. These are things that we pray, Lord willing. There's something we know will happen. We will have more funerals. It is appointed each man to die. There will be more funerals. There will be more mourning and grieving over death. And this morning, we're mourning and grieving with a brother and sister, Michael and Melinda Sprinkle. Melinda's father passed away, who many of us have seen here. I see Michael, I don't see Melinda right now. I just want to lift her up as a model of godly Christian love. God designed the cycle of life that her father cared for her when she needed care. And God designed her to care for her father when he needed care. And she fulfilled that calling with grace. She was a model of the gospel. And our hearts go out to you all as you mourn the loss. And we rejoice that we were able to see the love of Christ in Melinda as she cared for him these last few years. Will you join me in praying for the sprinkles? Father, we thank you for Michael and Melinda and the way they have served and cared for this body and that we've seen the gospel in their care for us. We thank you for the abundant blessing that she was to her father. In his last years, as his body and mind deteriorated, that he knew the love of a daughter, that he was cared for, that he was loved, We thank you for his life. We thank you for the way you provided for him. We pray that as they go and remember his life that you've blessed him with and they remember the resurrection and the funeral service next weekend. Lord, I pray that you would bless them, be with Mike as he seeks to care for his wife and his children through this difficult time. In Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. It has appointed every man to die. Something we do too often is cover how painful death really is. A funeral shouldn't be a celebration of life only. Yes, we remember we celebrate the life, but death is painful. It's part of the curse. Death is extremely difficult. Of course, we celebrate the life and remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but to deny the pain that that death brings is to not allow it to have its proper effect that God has given it. It's a harsh reality and a reminder that we're sinners. It's a harsh reality that life is that there's a judgment. It's a harsh reality that we lose loved ones. It's meant to be difficult because it's part of the curse. It's a consequence of our sin. This morning, we're going to be looking at death and we're going to see that it is difficult and it is painful. Even Christ weeps at the death of his beloved friend. But we see also there's always hope when we are loved by Christ and believe in him. If you're new with us, we are studying the Gospel of John. We're right in the middle. We're in the middle of the middle of the story, actually, the story that that is a transitional middle story of the Gospel of John. We are dead in the middle of it. We're on page 898 in the Pew Bible. If you do not have a Bible, please feel free to use that and turn with us. We are in John chapter 11. It's a transitional story. The first half of John covers the first three years of Jesus' ministry. The second half covers the last six days. And it points us to the passion, his suffering, where he he enters in Jerusalem when his triumphal entry and he he is betrayed. He's falsely accused, he is hung on a cross and he rises from the dead. The Gospel of John begins with the great beautiful poem. In the beginning was the word, and then we hear that that word became The main point is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The entire first half of the book is establishing you can trust this one, Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God who has been sent by the Father. He has identified himself with God. He is fully God. He is fully man. And he's come to take on our flesh so that he can take on our sin. The second half, only six days, demonstrates that he will accomplish what he came to do. What we have here in chapter 11 is the story of the rising of Lazarus. And we see here it's the seventh sign. John has patterned his book. He's a very intentional writer. The first sign, the first miracle was the turning water into wine. And here's the last sign. And obviously it's a climactic sign. It's pointing us to the end. It's a model and pattern for what will happen to Christ. He died. He was buried. The stone was rolled away and he rose again. But we'll also see that's a very different resurrection. His hour has been looming since the very beginning. They've been seeking to kill him over and over again. But in God's providence, his hour happens at just the right time. He will be lifted up, not for worship, but to die. Really, our story is a continuation, if you turn back to chapter nine. Jesus heals a man born blind. And they can't accept What this healing really means that this is the son of God and we should believe in him. And so they sought to kill him. And in the midst of asking, are we blind to he declares, I'm the good shepherd. I am the king of Israel. And then he flees Jerusalem. And here in the death of Lazarus, he's getting closer, he's coming back to Bethany, he's coming back to the danger. And if you look in chapter 11, you see this danger as he says, we will go back and the disciples say, but they're they just try to stone you. And after they declare they're going to go back, Thomas in verse 16 says, let us also go that we may die with him. not realizing that the call of the disciple after he had risen, after they received the Holy Spirit, they will die for being his disciples. We saw last week, I want to repeat some of what we saw because of the significance of it. We only covered half the chapter, half the story. He is committed to his friend. Jesus has committed to go and care for his friend Lazarus. There's some important things we know about him. First and foremost, Lazarus is beloved by Jesus. And Jesus has said in verse four, very important, we're going to hear it repeated. This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so the son of God may be glorified through it. This illness is an occasion for the glory of God. Secondly, Jesus says, this is happened. I'm glad I wasn't there. He's now dead so that you may believe the glory of God is revealed. His people are encouraged in faith. As Martha hears that he's coming closer, Martha being the the busy woman she is that can't sit still, she goes out and declares, if only you'd been here. And then Jesus declares the two powerful declarations. I. am the resurrection and the life. I am the resurrection and the life by declaring I am. He's identifying himself with the God of Israel, but by these two these two promises, these two truths, he is the one who will give life again for everyone who dies and everyone dies. If you are in Christ, you will be risen to a new life again. Secondly, we're all spiritually dead, as we read in Colossians, but Christ gives new life. We're no longer dead to the things of God and against God and indifferent to God. No, when Christ renews the heart, we now see what life really is. It's enjoying God and delighting in God and obeying God and trusting him. Jesus is the one who has come to give us a new life that can never be taken from us and to give us the hope of the resurrection. Let's turn to verse 28 now, as we continue the story of the resurrection of Lazarus. Verse 28. When she had said this, speaking of Martha, 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 were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary arise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now, 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 those standing around that they may believe that you sent me. When he said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out. The man who 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. Will you pray with me? We thank you for this powerful reminder of the resurrection that the Word of Christ that declares us His children, the Word of Christ that declares us innocent and forgiven, is powerful. And the Word of Christ that declares He and She are alive in me. That we can trust that proclamation and that declaration. Help us to hear Your Word. Help us to trust it. Help us to know that it is able to do what You have intended to do. You've given us your word so that we may have life. Help us, Lord, to trust you. Help us, Lord, to believe so that we may see your glory. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. She's already gone in private. She goes to Mary, and it appears that Martha, being the sister she is, and being the personality we think she, well, the personality we revealed from the Gospels, she can't sit still. So she's been blessed by Jesus Christ. She has to go get somebody else so they can be blessed as well. And the first person she goes and gets is her sister Mary, who's also mourning and weeping the death of their brother. It makes sense. She's just been comforted by Christ, so she seeks to go and comfort Someone else, this is the model we see in 2nd Corinthians 1. Those of us who receive the comfort of Christ, we share it. Martha goes and tells her sister. Mary, she runs. She bows down before him and notice what she says. Martha says first to Mary, the rabbi is here. He's calling for you. Now, this stands out on some level because rabbis didn't have women disciples. Women should not be able to call Jesus rabbi, but here you see Christ had women disciples. Now, there's a 12 disciples that are given the authority of the keys of the kingdom and their profession of faith. But here we see the women calling him a title that other women were not allowed to call other rabbis. We see the beauty of Galatians 328. We're all one in Christ. This is good. It gets the the culture of the time that would have said there are two different classes or of citizenship. No, in the citizenship of heaven, there's there's one. There's another male or female. We are all equal in worth and dignity as being created in the image of God. We're all sinners. Receiving the same grace that saves us and gives us a new identity, there's not two kinds of citizens in heaven. Now, this doesn't erase the different roles God has designed for us, but it declares to us we are equal and one in Christ and being made in his image and called to the same grace. In this story, the two women that respond the same, they both have the same declaration, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But she bows down. You already see what's going to happen in chapter 12, verses 1 and 8. Mary is the one who anoints his feet with the oil. Her words are the same, and we see a sister mourning. Look at verse 33, how Jesus responds. When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews all around her were weeping, he was deeply moved. Now picture this scene. He's been sitting outside the city. Everybody has followed Mary out for this supposed to be a private occasion for Mary, but they've all followed her. So now everyone is weeping. And Jesus' response is that he was deeply moved. Now the ESV, which we use, which is in the pew, the NIV, and the King James, they all translate the Greek word there as troubled. And that is a possible, that is within the scope of the Greek meaning, but I don't think it really captures what's happening here. The New Living Translation and the Holman Bible, they actually have it clearer. He was angry in his spirit. He was full of deep anger, deep anger welled up within him. The word there isn't just troubled, it's anger. Jesus is angry. He has internal indignation. But what? Because Jesus is angry when there's people weeping all around him? What is this getting at? Well, we can look in John and we can see how this word is used in other places. Chapter 12, verse 27. He's upset regarding what lies before him in the matter of the day. In chapter 13, verse 21, he's frustrated that one of the men he has loved and has been with him for three years has betrayed him. So you see there the sense of anger connected with the word. Now, what does it mean that Jesus is angry? Well, he's not angry like we're angry. So we can have a just, righteous cause. We can be angry at a righteous cause, but we never respond righteously. We're always taken too far with our anger. It's called rage. Anger is out of control in our hearts because we're not righteous like Christ. So when we think about Jesus being angry, it's not exactly like our anger because we're sinners and we always overreact with our depravity. Let's see, what would he be angry about? One option is that everyone around him is weeping. That this is a possible interpretation that some have proposed. Especially if you see the crowd voicing the question, he opened the eyes of the blind. Could he not have kept him alive? Now, that's not been said yet, but it may be possible that he's angered that they're all weeping in unbelief. I find this somewhat unlikely because, well, one, he joins them in weeping. He weeps with them. And we see that Mary is weeping and having faith. The second most likely is that remember, this is God who came down. This is God who took on flesh and he's expressing clearly a human emotion with the heart of God. And he sees his people suffering and hurting and mourning and grieving. God came down. because he hates sin and death. God came down because he sees sin and death and the devil as our enemies that conquer us. And so you see the righteous anger of God is against our enemies here, I believe. He sees what we are suffering and that the anger of God wells up within him against these enemies that he has come to conquer. See, these enemies, they have victory over us. There's nothing we can do against sin. There's nothing we can do against death. There's nothing we can do against the devil in our own power. But Christ. Almighty God, he comes as our victor. He has victory over sin. He has victory over death. He has victory of the grave. So while there's weeping, there's there's hope. He came to die to destroy sin. Jesus asked, where's the grave? They point him in the right direction and he weeps. It's the shortest verse in the Bible and a very powerful verse. It shows us the great love he had for this man. It shows us the great love of God who he has for his friends. There's compassion. There's weeping because of those around him that are suffering. But there's also a very clear he's moved because of the loss of his friend. He himself is experiencing the pain of death, the reality of losing a loved one. Now, he's the creator. This is very clear from Genesis 1. He's the creator. He's the one who breathes life into us. He's the author of life. And here he is, looking at death, angry at what it causes, and weeping over it. Here's a savior, he's sympathizing with us in our distress. Notice the response of the crowd. Some are astonished at his love. Look how he loved him. Others, you love these people, the naysayers. Could he have not saved this man who healed the blind? We assume that the same people who are doubting Jesus, even in the midst of his love and the miracle, that must be the people who went and told the Pharisees and chief priests right after this, so that Jesus's life will be taken from him. Jesus makes a bold declaration. He tells them to roll away the stone. Take away the stone. Martha being the pragmatist, it's been four days. We know what happens within four days of a body. There's going to be an odor, Jesus. Why would you would you add the shame on top of the pain here? There's going to be an odor. Jesus already told her, do you not believe that I'm the resurrection of life? Yes, she believes it. But obviously, the full truth of the gospel has not yet been clear. Jesus responds, if you believe, you will see the glory of God. Her faith leads her to follow. God has chosen this occasion as a climactic moment of the gospel. The stone is taken away and Jesus prays. 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 me that they may believe that you sent me. There's a few interesting aspects of this prayer. First, he prays to God as father. This is unique for Christianity. This is unique for those who believe in Jesus Christ, because Jesus is the true son. And the only reason we get to call God father is that we believed in Jesus and he has given us an inheritance and adopted us as sons. It's a great privilege to go to God with such an intimate relationship. This is our benefit from Christ. He shows his authority and his identity by praying to God as father. He himself is equal with God and he has been sent by God. He is the son who the father has sent. This is the entire development of the entire first half of the book. Secondly, he thanks God. Now, this can only lead to one conclusion. He's already been praying for this. Ever since he heard Lazarus was sick, ever since he heard Lazarus was dead, he's been praying, Father, raise him up. So he doesn't make a request here. He thanks God. Thank you for hearing me. He knows he's asked God. He knows that the privilege position he had before God, he's thanking him for already hearing what he has requested and accomplishing it. So why is he praying? He tells us very particularly, very specifically. But I said this on account of the people standing around that they may believe that you sent me. Now, we've had a few lead prayers here, and it's such a blessing to be led in prayer, to join with somebody else as they are going in the presence of God in the sun, to be able to join them in that. Can you imagine what it would be like to be led in prayer by Jesus Christ? There on the moment to actually get to experience the blessing of the son uniquely letting you share in his conversation with the father. He shares that with them so that they would believe. Now, here's the truth, if you're a Christian, you get to join in Jesus prayer constantly. There's a challenge before you. You get to do this constantly because he is your mediator forever now standing before the father on your behalf. So if you want to know what that looks like and experience that, it's not just hearing the audible words of Jesus in the setting. It's yours to experience now. And we get to experience with one another as we lead one another in prayer. He makes the declaration. Lazarus. Come out. By the power of his word, new life is given. Can we trust the power of this word? Well, if we trust the entirety of John, who says that this is the same God who spoke all things into existence, this is the God who has the power of life in his word. He is the one who breathed life into man. He is the one who can declare this one is mine. He is the one who's able to say you are alive when you were dead. The dead is raised to life four days later, it's an astounding miracle. Lazarus comes out and Jesus ends the story. John ends the story very powerfully. Unbind him and let him go. Some people call this the miracle of the miracle. It's not just that he was given new life, but he was released from the power of sin and death. Notice how people respond. Some believe and some are going to go and tell on Jesus. Some are going to get him in further trouble, according to God's will, so that he will die for their sins. Let's meditate upon what this story teaches us that's important for us. First, Jesus conquers our death with his death. This is the last sign of John. This is the last sign. It's a climactic sign that helps us realize this is what's going to happen later. It's only after Jesus has died and risen again that the apostles and Mary and Martha probably realize, ah, this is what was happening. This is why Jesus did this. This is why Jesus waited so we could see the fullness of His glory. Now, death is not miraculous. Your death most likely will not be miraculous. It's going to be from natural causes, whether it be from just old age and the body stopping, or cancer, or an accident. We all die of natural causes. What I want you to see is that Jesus' death is supernatural. He didn't die naturally. It had to be supernatural first. We die of natural causes because we're all sinners. That is part of the curse. Jesus was not a sinner. He was not born under Adam's curse. He never sinned. His death is miraculous first because God made it happen. Remember, Jesus says they can't take my life from me, but the Father has granted me authority to lay down my life. They can only kill Jesus because God left them and even leads them to kill. I've been meditating on Acts 3, this great declaration of Peter, they killed the author of life. That's beautiful. Let that be your gospel meditation. Let that be your gospel meditation for the week. They killed the author of life. Creatures can't kill the creator. Those who are dependent for a life can't kill the one they're dependent upon. He's independent. He doesn't need them. What can they ever take away? But yet he, as a supernatural act, submitted himself to their cross to die for them. Second, his death is miraculous because our sin was counted against someone who is not a sinner. That is a miraculous act of God. to count something as it is not supposed to be. It is a supernatural act. He transformed rocks into bread. That was a supernatural act. He fed by a thousand just a few loaves. That's a supernatural act, but not like this one. He made dead people alive. He took sin that was ours and should have been the wrath of God against us, and he placed it upon this sinless one and crushed him for our iniquity. He transferred our transgressions and the record of debt, and he nailed it to the cross in Jesus Christ. That's a supernatural act. Jesus' death was a miracle. We can now celebrate that our death is dead in Christ. The death of death and the death of Christ. It is appointed every man to die. Every man must die. But some people. They will die and they will enter into glory. Other people, they will die and they will enter into judgment and wrath. Now, what makes these two people different? Some will die and they'll enter into glory and love. Some people will die and they'll enter into judgment and wrath. What makes these two different groups different? Well, first, it's not good people and bad people. It's not good deeds and bad deeds. It's not who had more good deeds and who had more bad deeds. It's not who was more religious. It's not who went to church and served the church as part of the church. It's who rests in what Christ has done. Who believes that he died, making a full atonement for their sins, satisfying the wrath of God, who believes and rests only in what Christ did. Now, here's here's kind of the beauty of the gospel. You know, you're resting in Christ when you're gladly obeying him. I don't want you to hear that, oh, I don't have to do anything and I'll be able to enjoy the rest of Christ. No, when you're resting in Christ, when you're trusting what he accomplished, that's when you see the fruit of obedience. Only those who are resting in Christ are truly obeying him. We don't trust in our works and our obedience. We trust in Christ and we seek to follow him. The second meditation we have is not just that the death is miraculous. Obviously, the resurrection of Christ is miraculous. The resurrection of Lazarus points us to the resurrection of Jesus. For anyone to rise from the grave, that's a miracle. But here, it's not just that it's not a miracle and it was a miracle. No, it's so much greater because of the scope It's all much greater because in Christ and all who believe in him, we get to share in that resurrection. Lazarus died eventually. He died again and he wasn't risen there from the grave being called out. He would be able to rise in the last day when Christ calls him out of the grave. Jesus' resurrection is greater because it's for other people. Those of us who believe in him, we get to participate in the resurrection and we get to hope in it. We know that he's victorious over the grave. We know that he's victorious over death. We know he's victorious over sin. He came to give life and life more abundantly. The third and final meditation we have in Jesus in this story is that he is our perfect high priest. It's so sweet to see the love of the Savior here. It's so sweet to see that the shepherd holding his sheep. It's so, so powerful to see the God who knows everything that's going to happen. He's still so moved by the grief and the loss. He weeps. He's there with them to give them words of comfort, words of care, words of promise. In the midst of our suffering, in the midst of our temptation, we can participate in Christ if we trust him. Listen to the words of Hebrews chapter 2 beginning in verse 14. Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver all who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers in every respect so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. In our moments of suffering, Christ is able to comfort us. I've already mentioned the chapter, 2 Corinthians chapter 1 is another great chapter where we see the comfort and care of God. We need to find the comfort of Christ in the midst of our suffering. There in Christ, we experience the one who has the greatest love and the greatest power and is able to care for us and comfort us. The comfort of Christ does not lead us to pretend our problems don't exist. His balm does not always free us from the exact sickness, pain, and suffering we're under. But His balm always cares for our soul in the midst of that suffering. You see, as we're suffering and we seek the comfort of Christ, there's a few things that the care of Christ and that the balm of Christ teaches us. Our suffering isn't meaningless. We can suffer for the glory of God. We can praise him even when we can't do anything for him, even while on our bed and not able to move and do the things that we find our identity in. We can praise him and glorify him. We can say, Lord, you've taken away. Blessed be your name. He gives us great hope for the resurrection. You see, the bond that Christ has is that we see that nothing happens to us by chance. It's always under the sovereignty of God and it's always used by God. He is always with us and he is always for us. Jesus may not always heal our suffering, but he always intends to use our suffering to heal our soul. If we respond to that suffering, trusting Christ. As we conclude, I want to read a meditation that was actually yesterday's devotion from Octavius Winslow, which is actually a meditation on John chapter 11, verse 4. This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby. The season of sickness is the schooling of the soul. More of God is unfolded then, and more of His truth is learned than perhaps in any other circumstances. Oh, how the character and the perfections and the government of God become unfolded to the believer's mind by the teachings of the Spirit of Truth. His dim views are cleared. His crude ideas are ripened. His erroneous ideas are rectified. He contemplates God in another light, in truth, through another medium. But the sweetest effect of all is the personal appropriation of God to his own soul. He can now say, this God is my God, is my Father, and is my portion forever. Words of assurance that hitherto, strange to his lips, the promises of God were never realized as so precious. The doctrines of grace were never felt to be so established. And the precepts were never seen to be so obligatory and so sanctifying as now. Blessed results of a hollowed possession of the season of sickness. And what a pruning of this level of branch has taken place. What severance from the engrossing claims of the earthly calling, from an under-attachment to created goods, from an under-attachment to created goods, from the creature, from the world, and what is the greatest attachment of all, from the idol of self. What humility of mind, meekness of spirit, and self-renunciation follow. He entered that chamber as a proud man. He leaves it as a little child. He went into it with much of the spirit of a grasping, coveting, worldly minded professor. He emerges from it with the world under his feet. Consecration to Christ, holiness to God, written upon his substance and engraved upon his brow. He has been near to eternity. He has been looking within the veil. He has been reading his own heart. He has been dealing with Christ. He has seen and felt how solemn a thing it was to approach the gate of death, to enter the presence of God. And from that awful point of vision, he has contemplated the world and life and human responsibility as they are. He has come back like a spirit from another sphere, clothed with all the solemnities of eternity. To live now is one soon in reality to be there. Truly, his sickness was for the glory of God, the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Friends, as we all suffer, as we all suffer with one another, this is the opportunity to enter into that suffering as a proud man and to allow the work of the Spirit and the truth of Christ and the doctrines of grace to change us. To help us to see that there is an idol of self and our worth in things beyond Christ. May we all desire to be purified in our sickness and suffering. We pray with me. Father, we thank you that you have sent your son. That we can trust him, that we can know him, that we can know his comfort in the midst of suffering. We thank you that we see our Lord and Savior weeping We thank you that our Lord and Savior is forever our mediator to comfort us, to lead us. We thank you for giving us your Holy Spirit so that even when we don't know how to pray, you are interceding for us. Gloria, thank you for the resurrection, that it gives us the hope we need. It gives us the life we could not attain. It has changed us. We pray that we would live following our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, risen from the grave. In His name we pray. Amen.