Introduction: Bethany is a small village, about 2 miles from Jerusalem. It is the place where Jesus found a safe refuge. Bethany is the place where "Simon the leper" lived and the home of three of Jesus closest friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus. This village may justifiably be called the Judean home of Jesus, as He appears to have preferred to lodge there rather than in Jerusalem itself. Bethany was the place where Jesus found some real friends, friends with whom he could let down his hair. It is the place where few of his conversations are recorded. It was a place where he could be himself. He could sit anywhere, relax and be at ease. In Bethany, they were no Pharisee trying to catch him in his words, no one came for healing and no one was trying to get anything from him. Every man of God needs a Bethany. Even Messiahs need friends. The truth is that many pastors and leaders today are starving for that kind of friendship.
Our lesson carries us back to Bethany, where Jesus friends find themselves in great distress. Lazarus, the younger brother of Mary and Martha was sick unto death. The faithful sisters sent for Jesus but Jesus was delayed in coming them. By the time Jesus arrives, Lazarus had been dead four days. What do you do when Jesus is late? He didn’t make it to the home, nor the funeral, nor the grave side service. Even though, Jesus loved this family, they were still subject to great trials of afflictions. John’s gospel gives us only eight signs to prove that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. He alone records the raising of Lazarus from the dead. This is a necessary miracle because many of us face dead situations. From relationships that died on the vine to brothers, sisters and loved ones who maybe dead in some sin, others bound by some vice that cripples them and has the potential to destroy them.
John began his miracles with Jesus at a wedding, and in this passage, we find him on the road to a funeral. Jesus shares in all that concerns us, and most of all in our grief. What do you do when there is trouble in the house? Can you still believe when dealing with dead situations? Has the Pandemic and loss shattered your faith? There is hope and help available! The sisters decided to send for the Master. His presence will make all things work for good. Although Mary and Martha are surrounded by people, these two bereaved sisters are longing to see the Lord. Without Jesus our friends are miserable comforters. They struggle to find the right, they don’t what to do and sometimes they unintentionally make bad matters worse. As soon as Martha hears of her Lord coming, she goes out to meet. Martha had earnestly expected the Lord's coming, and her active spirit led her to meet him. In this she is an example to us: our faith and hope and prayer, should go forth to meet the Lord in his ways of providence and grace. Her faith is engaged and she believes Jesus can still make a difference.
The purpose of the miracle seems to have been: (1) to show Jesus, Himself to be Lord of life and death just before He should be Himself condemned to die; (2) to strengthen the faith of His disciples; (3) to convert many Jews who were trapped in doubt (4) to cause the priests to hasten their movements so as to be ready when His hour had come (Plummer, HDB, III, 87). To deal successfully with dead situations, we must believe! Even during a deadly pandemic, we must believe! Even when we have suffered the loss of a loved one, we must keep believing.
1. We must believe enough to petition God in behalf of others.
John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? Jesus looks beyond her distress and shortcomings and raises her level of expectation. Your brother will rise again…The very fact that Jesus shows up should raise our level of expectation. He can do what we cannot do…Believest thou this? That is the Question. Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Those dead, who believed in him, shall be raised and life, and those living who believe in Him shall never perish die eternally. Their death will only be a transition to a better existence. How do we deal with hopeless situations? How do we handle our dead situations of life? I hope this provides a ray of hope for each of us. First, we must believe! Jesus asked, “Believest thou this?” Do you believe God can change the situation? We must believe enough to petition God for others.
2. We Must Believe Enough Get Others in the Presence of God.
John 11:34 Jesus asked, “Where have ye laid him?” They said unto him, Lord, come and see. There is a part we play in getting others in the presence of Jesus or get Jesus in their presence. Where is he? Where is she? Where have you laid them? Jesus spoke as the son of man. In all this transaction he manifested the deep sympathies of a man. Although he who could raise the dead man to life, he asked where he was. Jesus chose to involve the sisters in this miracle. Mary and Martha must lead Him to the grave site and get Jesus in the presence of Lazarus. Are we willing to carry Jesus where our spiritually dead relatives are? If we are willing to petition God on their behalf, we must also be willing to petition them in God’s behalf. We must be His witnesses. We have a part to play in their resurrection.
A side note: In this text, we hear more about his groaning in this case, than in all his own personal sufferings. He never groaned so much for his own trials as for the troubles of his friends. We are given insight into His great love for his friends. He publicly weeps uncontrollably knowing what he would do. He cares for each of us as we face our difficult and painful situations. Let’s continue to partition God in behalf of others, and let’s continue to partition others in behalf of God who desires all men be saved. Our hand on experience makes us credible Christian witnesses.
3. We Must Be Believe Enough to Be Credible Christian Witnesses.
Joh 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.”
How could Martha who believed Jesus’ mighty power, believe He could raise from corruption the body of her brother after four days of decay? Even strong faith has strange weaknesses. While our faith may be leaping sometimes, yet at other times it maybe limping. It is wonderful to know that God can use even our weak faith. He knows where we are and what we have. The miracle seems bigger than helping one family, Jesus desired to convince all those who were at the place, and especially those who took away the stone, that Lazarus was not only dead, but his body was deteriorating. No one could afterwards say that Lazarus was only sleeping or in a comma. The smelling corpse elevated the greatness of the miracle. This miracle was performed that God might be glorified, and a crowd of credible witnesses might go forth and spread the word. We Must Be Believe Enough to Credible Christian Witnesses. If we know that we have been raised from death to life, we must walk in the light and live as credible Christian witnesses. The word witness translates martyr, which means we have died unto ourselves and live unto God. The lost world needs our faithful witness and the body of Christ need our holy example. (1) We must believe enough to petition God in behalf of others. (2) We must believe enough get others in the presence of God. (3) We must believe enough to be credible Christian witnesses because what we have seen and experienced. We have a testimony.
4. We Must Believe Enough to Participate in the Deliverance of Others.
Joh 11:43, 44 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
Only God can call the dead to life. Only God can translate from death to life. When Jesus calls dead sinners out of their graves of sin into newness of life they are often bound by habits arising out of their former lives, it is our duty by our example, instruction and assistance to lead them into the full liberty of the gospel.
Only the church can remove the grave clothes. We must believe enough to pray, believe enough to witness, believe enough to get the sinner into the presence of His voice, then let’s believe enough to participate in the deliverance. The face cloth must be remove and new direction given. One can be saved without the church, but one cannot be a disciple without the church. We are called to make disciples. We must remove the face cloth. Then we must remove the linen clothe that restrict mobility and freedom. You see, people can be saved but still bound. There is liberty in Christ Jesus. The lost world needs our faithful witness and the body of Christ need our holy example. (1) We must believe enough to petition God in behalf of others. (2) We must believe enough get others in the presence of God. (3) We must believe enough to be credible Christian witnesses because what we have seen and experienced. We have a testimony. More than that, we must believe enough to participate in the deliverance of others
