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.
• The man of the house had been taken
• Their security of him being there was taken
• The laughter of their brother was taken
• The love of their brother was taken
This is a time when we can do nothing else, but to lay our heads on the shoulder of a loved one or friend, and cry.
But the story of Lazarus had many lessons for us today. Look at the story of Lazarus-
I. IT IS A STORY OF DEATH
When the Lord decided it was time to leave, we read in verses 7-15, “Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again. His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. 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. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.”
When the Lord told them that Lazarus was sleeping they could not comprehend why they were going to Lazarus.
They were quick to say that it is good for a sick man to sleep, and it is.
They could not comprehend what the Lord was telling them until the Lord made it clear, LAZARUS IS DEAD!
These words must have fallen on them like a ton of bricks.
Illus: It is always this way with us mortals. We know that each and every one of us is going to die, but yet when we hear that someone we love, or a friend has died, we are SHOCKED!
But when we hear these words, we understand them clearly.
• This is the time when the nurses can leave
• This is the time when the doctor can go back to his office and fill out the death certificate
• This is the time when the oxygen can be removed
• This is the time when all the medicine can be collected
• This is the time when the funeral home is contacted
• This is the time when loved ones around the country have got to be contacted about the sad news
• This is the time when the preacher must be called
When they heard that LAZARUS IS DEAD, silence filled the room. THEY KNEW WHAT THIS MEANT.
For us mortals, it means THIS IS THE END!
But I want to assure this family today this IS NOT THE END.
Illus: The newspaper has declared that _________________ is dead, but God’s Word declares that he is more alive today than he has ever been.
The one thing that the death of Lazarus teaches those who know the Lord is that OUR DEATH, LIKE LAZARUS, IS FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.
Illus: Lazarus is a type of every one of us. The same thing that happened to him will happened to us one day; we are going to die. But also, the same thing that happened to him will happen to us one day; for we will rise again! The Lord Jesus is coming back for His church with a shout, and with the voice of an archangel, and every saint of God shall rise to meet him in the air.
Look at 1 Thess. 4: 15-18. We read, “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
As God raised Lazarus, God will also raise our bodies for the glory of the Son of God.
The story of Lazarus is about DEATH, but also-
II. IT IS A STORY OF LIFE
Look at verses 17-45. This is one of the most amazing passages in the Bible. Let me share it with you. “Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already. Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 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. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 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 graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.”
Do you see why I say this is one of the most amazing passages of scripture in the Bible?
Lazarus had died, but the Lord said, “Lazarus, come forth.” And that is exactly what he did.
Illus: D. L. Moody said, “One day you will read in the obituary column that I have died.” He said, “Don’t you believe a word of it. I will be more alive then, than ever before.”
This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to ________.
• He is seeing things today he has never seen before
• He is hearing things today he has never heard before
He is in the presence of ALMIGHTY GOD!
Paul said in 2 Cor. 5:8, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
Notice, He told them to remove the stone from the tomb. Why? Because this is something they can do. The things we can do, the Lord expects us to do.
But when it came to the time for Lazarus to be raised from the dead, THEN HE DID WHAT THEY COULD NOT DO!
He said, “Lazarus, come forth.” And listen, had he not said, “Lazarus”, every person who died placing their faith in Him as their Savior would have come forth.
He came forth and they took the grave clothes off him, and the Lord said this, “Loose him and let him go!”
That is exactly what this loving family that is grieving here today must do, “Loose him, Let him go!”
I would like to share this poem with you today. It is called,
"To Those I Love And Those Who Love Me”
When I am gone, release me, let me go.
I have so many things to see and do.
You mustn't tie yourself to me with tears.
Be thankful for our beautiful years.
I gave to you my love.
You can only guess how much you gave to me in happiness.
I thank you for the love you each have shown,
But now it's time I traveled on alone.
So grieve a while for me, if give you must,
Then let your grief be comforted by trust.
It's only for a time that we must part,
So bless the memories within your heart.
I won't be far away, for life goes on,
So if you need me, call and I will come.
Though you can't see or touch me, I'll be near.
And if you listen with your heart, you’ll hear,
All my love around you soft and clear.
And then, when you must come this way alone,
I'll greet you with a smile and say --- WELCOME HOME!
Before we close today I want to say a few personal things about this wonderful man of God - ___________________
(Insert Personal Comments)
Graveside: Read 1 Thess. 3:15-18
As the Lord has, according to his Divine will, called _________ home to stand in His presence; it now becomes our sad duty to commit his body to the grave: earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Looking forward to the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the reuniting of all believers in the presence of our Lord for eternity!
LET US PRAY!
