Isaiah 3:24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.
John 11: 35 Jesus wept.
Genesis 8:21
And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.
I. Lazarus was a friend of Jesus.
A. He had two sisters Mary and Martha.
B. Jesus would occasionally hang out with them. They would cook for him. They were his Friends.
John11: 3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
Verse 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
II. Some kind of friend Jesus turned out to be!
A. John 11: 6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
B. I’m sure there was some anxiety from these sisters who knew their brother was dead.
C. How could Jesus seem so lackadaisical while his friend was being wrapped in grave clothes and placed in a tomb.
D. THE POINT TO REMEMBER IS: The reason Jesus doesn’t run around in a tail-spin like the Tasmanian devil when things go haywire is because no death, no sickness, no circumstance can separate us from the love of God and nothing takes God by surprise!
E. God is not setting on the thrown scratching His head wondering what in the world to do because of your problems, He has everything under control and the answer will come when He’s ready to let it happen!!!
III. The disciples didn’t understand Jesus’ patience. Jesus made a few statements concerning the matter.
A. John 11: 4 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.
B. How could He say this? Lazarus was dead!
C. John 11: 11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
D. Jesus blew their socks off with His response.
E. He was saying you guys have so little faith in me I’m glad I was here with you instead of there with Him, because if I were there it would never have escalated to grave clothes.
THREE POINTS I WANT TO MAKE TO YOU TODAY.
1. Jesus did not heal Lazarus when he was sick. Jesus waited until he was dead.
A. Jesus does so much for most of us that we take His blessing for granted.
B. We become as spoiled brats and wine when things don’t go our way.
C. Mary, Martha and Lazarus had been with Jesus when He healed and cast out devils and cured the blind. They knew He was for real.
D. But only from a spectator position. From the stands. From afar.
E. They could talk about Him. But deep down they didn’t know what it was like to be dead.
F. When your dead, it doesn’t matter what happened in Brownsville, or Toronto, or in the revival of 1999.
G. When your dead doctors and medicine can’t get the credit.
H. When your dead your skeptical family can’t make fun of you and doubt what God can do.
I. When your dead God knows in His infinite wisdom no one else will get the Glory but HIM!!!
2. Lazarus wasn’t just dead, he stunk.
A. John 11: 39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
B. Stink brings humility.
C. When we smell good, look good, appear good. We may be dead inside but those around us don’t even notice.
D. But when we began to rot. When we began to internally rot from the inside out. You cannot hide it from anyone.
3. Jesus cares. Jesus loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way.
A. John 11: 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.
34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
35 Jesus wept.
B. The shortest verse in the Bible, Jesus wept.
C. There are no scriptures where Jesus laughed.
D. There are no scriptures anywhere else in the Bible where Jesus cried.
E. I believe there are times in our life when we are dead. When we stink. When it seems there is no way out. Jesus seated at the right and of the Father, looks down from His thrown and sees our tears and says, HOLD ON JUST A LITTLE BIT LONGER! I AM THE RESURRACTION AND THE LIFE: HE THAT BELIEVETH IN ME, THOUGH HE WERE DEAD, YET SHALL HE LIVE.
F. John 11: 43
And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
G. There was Lazarus, bound from head to toe. All Jesus did was speak his name.
H. MANY BELIEVE THAT IF Jesus had not spoke his name every dead body in that grave would had raised from the dead.
Daniel 3:27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
Pearl Habor. 3000 Died. The USS Arizona. 1,000 are in tombed.
