John 11:17-37 Am I willing to rise and live?
A good mate of Jesus had died; Jesus knew of his death it appears, even before the news had reached him in an earthly way.
If we read the passage that precedes the one that we have read today we can also see that Jesus used Lazarus death to answer some questions about who he was, who he is.
Jesus was going to use the death of Lazarus as a display of who he was and also the power of God.
With death comes grief, Lazarus had lived and died in the town of Bethany, a town that was a couple of miles from Jerusalem and it appears he was a fairly popular kind of a bloke as we see in John Chapter 11:18 That “many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.”
Jesus himself was not in Jerusalem at the time he was back across the Jordan River in the place where John the Baptist had carried out baptisms in the early days of Jesus ministry. At the end of John Chapter ten it’s recorded that “in that place many believed in Jesus” (John 10:42). He had received news (probably by snail mail) from Lazarus’s sisters that Lazarus was not at all well, he was really crook. Jesus had reached the outskirts of Bethany and discovered that Lazarus had been dead for four days (hold up four fingers).
There’s an interesting aside to this story and that’s that the Jewish people believed that ‘a persons spirit’ would hang around the tomb for three days (called the days of mourning) looking for an opportunity to re-enter the body but after those three days would leave the location of the body, so on the forth day it was thought decomposition of the body would begin. Four days after Lazarus’s death is where we find Jesus arriving at Bethany. For all intension purposes Lazarus was decomposing! We find his sisters grieving their loss.
Lazarus’s sisters were; Martha as we know from scripture was the ‘go getter’, always busy and Mary who was quiet and contemplative.
Now days we would probably say that it was likely Martha was an Extravert and Mary an Introvert.
Martha went out to meet Jesus as he was on the way to their house, Mary stayed home to be comforted until she heard Jesus was with Martha.
Both of them on meeting Jesus used the same words; “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
The message that Jesus gave to Martha who he encountered first was this, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha‘s reply was; “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
She had faith that the dead would rise at the last day, so what was Jesus reply? Now this is strange…really strange and I would pick that this was the first time ever in history these words had been spoken.
Out of Jesus mouth comes this bold statement. “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Jesus had said “I am the resurrection and the life.” This statement was practically the same as saying (I am the giver of life).
Let’s go way back in time as they say, back to the time when Moses was a shepherd. God had visited Moses through a burning bush and told him to front up to the Pharaoh, Moses was a bit put out and said, this is the Moffatt paraphrased version “well if I go and tell the other Israelites who sent me, what do I say. Who do I tell them sent me?”
We read in Exodus 3:14 NIV “God said to Moses, “I AM Who I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ “
Jesus in repeating this name of God, “I Am” was indeed bold, this was the fifth I AM statement Jesus had made.
Jesus made it clear that these things ‘resurrection and life’ were his, not only that they were his, but were him – these two things were dependant on his being.
What does he say? “I am the resurrection and the life.”
1) Up until that time; some had believed in the resurrection from death of those who believed in God, on the final day. Jesus makes it clear this will happen as he is the resurrection and the life.
Paul who came to believe in Jesus after Jesus death and resurrection when he was writing to another disciple Timothy wrote this; …it has been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
The word gospel here means “Good News”
Now this is important – this is key – this is good news. I would go as far as to say this is the best of news, if not the ‘best news.’
Let me take you to a time in your existence, a place in time when; and if you haven’t been there I’d be surprised; when you wondered, when you realised your morality and at that time, and this is speaking from personal experience, you were hit by a wave of dread – you were one day going to die!
Don’t fear.
Jesus because of his life and death, his miracles, witness and teaching made it clear that those who call on his name will be raised from the dead.
Through Jesus own death and resurrection we have victory over death.
Don’t fear.
2) Jesus took the teaching of the Old Testament and the words of the book, words such as these words of David, these prophetic words about Jesus.
“Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life.” (Psalm 16:9-11)
Jesus took those words from the scriptures from the book, he took them from the paper and put them into ‘a person’, into the person of himself. John’s gospel his Good News begins with, “In the beginning was the Word.” Jesus the word made flesh said it, “I am the resurrection and the life!” you see, Jesus has power over life and death (SBI)
When we are in that relationship of faith with Jesus, we no longer need to fear death.
God speaking through the Old Testament prophet Hosea said this about his people.
“I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where O death are your plagues?” [Paul quoting this passage said ‘Where O death is your sting’ (1 Corinthians 15:55)] Hosea continues “Where O death is your destruction?” (Hosea 13:14).
We are saved when we come to faith in Jesus, the sting of death is gone, and there is no need to dread it.
To quote the Salvation Army’s sixth doctrine “We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has by his suffering and death made an atonement for the whole world so that whosoever will may be saved.” We believe it, Jesus has power over life and death (SBI).
This doctrine, and the gospel, that good news, in the person of Jesus becomes personal it becomes ours as we leave our old ways and follow God, because of the faith we have in Jesus, as we are transformed by the Spirit of Jesus, we are saved, we know we are saved, death has no sting, we are eternally alive in Christ. Jesus has power over life and death (SBI)
3) With Lazarus being raised from the dead Jesus not only talked the talk, one of those things that is oh so human. He walked the walk! He said it and he did it!
He took the whole belief that some time in the future, some time in the distant, way off future the dead would be raised.
Jesus took it from way off when, to right then. He said it “…I Am the resurrection and the life…” (John 11:25a)
His words as he stood outside the tomb, “Lazarus, come out!”
What were the others thinking? ‘There should have been a bad smell when we rolled the stone away’. ‘Now this Jesus has performed miracles what is he going to do here?”
Don’t fear!
Jesus has power over life and death (SBI)
“The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.’ (John 11:44)
So what does that mean to us?
4) All those present, Martha, Mary, the others all said “If Jesus had been here “He could have prevented Lazarus from dying.” (John 11:37) They were all looking at the past, Jesus knew it If only. They were looking to the future, They had a belief of resurrection in the future.
They were looking back, they were looking forward – they were in this fuzzy place of what if? Their focus was blurred.
Jesus made it clear, he made their sight clear, 20/20 vision, he drew their attention to the present to the there and then; as he draws our attention to the here and now.
Ask your self is my hope in the Jesus of Christmas, this little baby, or is your hope in the Jesus of Heaven, who one day you will meet – the resurrection from the dead is here and now. Life in relationship with God through Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit is in the here and now.
God’s resurrection power was available then and is available now. Lazarus came out of that tomb wrapped in the coverings of a dead man. Four days he’d been dead – Jesus spoke and he was alive again. Jesus has power over life and death (SBI).
That power is available to us; we who believe – As Paul wrote to the Galatians “I have been crucified with Christ and no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
Paul who had as I have discussed many times, was the persecutor of the early Christians, and the risen Jesus; had meet Jesus, after Jesus resurrection from the dead – he had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He now knew what it was to be alive as Jesus was now living in him. He was made alive in Chirist.
You may ask how Jesus was ‘the resurrection and the life’ living in Paul, living in the other Christians. He was through The Holy Spirit, aka The Spirit of Christ, Otherwise known as the Spirit of God.
We are able to go from living in sin. Our ways those that are outside of God’s way for us, our ways of evil to living, from ways that separate us from God to being really alive. We can go from Evil-Live. To being alive in Christ. Christ lives in us, we become his body here on earth.
These are the words of Jesus at Pauls encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus “Saul, Saul why do you persecute me? (Remember this was after Jesus resurrection and ascension to heaven, Paul was persecuting the church, the body of Christ) ‘Who are you Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied.”
“Why do you persecute me?” Jesus church was being persecuted, because Paul was persecuting Christians those who the Spirit of Jesus dwelt in. Those who were now alive in Christ, they were alive in and Christ then, they are alive in Christ now.
They did not fear because they knew Jesus has power over life and death (SBI). Paul had to be blinded before he could see and his vision of the reality of Christ became the out pouring of his life’s work. He was able to truly live.
We can this very day if we haven’t already become alive in Christ Jesus. We can be filled with His Holy Spirit. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. When we are filled with His Spirit, that life in him is eternal; though our earthly frame may be broken and decaying we have eternal life. Jesus has power over life and death (SBI). Salvation can be ours and when it is ours we are truly alive in Christ.
Any doubts? Is this one of those times in your life when you are wondering is Jesus really this I Am; is he really the resurrection and the life? Think about this Jesus said I Am, but maybe the question you could ask is, am I?
Am I willing to accept that he is – is who he said he is, that he is still alive and willing to live in me through his Spirit, the Spirit who brings life today and life eternal because, he does have power over life and death. Am I willing to go beyond just satisfying this perishable tent / this body that I live in. Just feeding it clothing it, satisfying its wants and desires, to doing what God would have me do.
It could be that this is the first time that you have ever said I am willing to accept this as true or it could be that you’ve wandered a little in your journey and that you’re feeling distant from God. There is no need for that distance. In either case we have a place here called the mercy seat, if you’d like to come and meet with God at this place here that we call the mercy seat. Before the music team come and lead us, ask yourself am I willing to rise and live?
