Funeral Service #2 (This Is A Sermon For A Christian Man Or Woman)

For example, if you drive through the mountains of North Carolina on some of the old dirt roads where neighbors live five and ten miles apart, you will notice that the people in the yard will stop what they are doing when you drive by, smile, and wave at you. That is so different from people who live in the big city. There are people who live in the city that do not even know or speak to the people who live next door to them.

Lazarus, Martha, and Mary lived in a small village called Bethany. But one day tragedy struck this town, Lazarus became very sick and he died.

Immediately the sad news went throughout the community, and immediately the loving neighbors came to the home of Martha and Mary to comfort them over the death of their brother.

News had reached the Lord that he was sick.

John 11:3, we read, “Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.”

The Lord and these people had a very special relationship. He loved them and they loved Him. For example:

• In verse 2 we read about the great love that Mary had for him. (It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

For a woman to dry his feet with her hair displayed the great love she had for him.

They not only loved the Lord, the Lord loved them.

• Look at verse 5, we read, “ Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.”

The people of Bethany knew the Lord loved Lazarus.

• In verse 36, when the Lord appeared at Lazarus’ tomb, we read, “Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him.”

Then when the message was sent to Jesus telling Him that Lazarus was sick, the message was this:

• In verse 3, “…Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.”

The Bible makes it crystal clear, THEY LOVED HIM and HE LOVED THEM.

But the Lord did something very strange when he heard the news about Lazarus.

Look at verse 6. We read, “When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.”

This is the reason we said the Lord did something very strange. When we hear that someone is sick, and at the point of death, we drop what we are doing and rushed to his or her side. But the Bible says he purposely stay two days in the same place.

Martha must have gotten upset with the Lord for tarrying two days after He was told about the serious condition of His good friend.

WHY DO WE SAY THAT?

Because when he arrived, we read in verse 21, “Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”

What she said was true, the Lord could have rushed to his bedside and instantly healed him.

WAS MARTHA PLACING THE BLAME ON HIM?

Yes, she was. She said, “…If thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”

But the Lord stayed away for three reasons:

(1) Look at verse 4. We read, “When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”

This death, the Bible says, was THAT THE SON OF GOD MIGHT BE GLORIFIED THEREBY.

But he stays two more days for another reason.

(2) Hebrews 9: 27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

When the Lord heard the news that Lazarus was sick, He knew that Lazarus had an appointment with death, and NO ONE, not even Himself would keep him from making that appointment!

When death comes to us, we will not be one second late. Only a few days ago, Brother ____________________ had an appointment with death, and I am here to tell you that:

• No doctor

• No loved one

• No Medicine

Could save him.

When our time of death comes, NO ONE can save us and keep us from making that appointment.

But the Lord tarried for two more days for another reason.

(3) Can you imagine the pressure that would have been placed on the Lord while Lazarus was lying on his deathbed?

Both sisters would be pleading with him to heal him and raise him up.

Lazarus’ friends would congregate around him, and remind him that he had performed all kinds of miracles, and He could do this for his good friend.

The Lord chose not to go to Bethany for these reasons, and perhaps many more.

Lazarus’ time had come, and now Mary and Martha were left behind with sad hearts.