Surprise! (John 11:1-44)
John Ortberg, pastor of the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California, talks about a friend of his, who used to work as a denominational official in Minnesota. One of his jobs was to travel to little rural communities where they didn't have churches to do funerals. He would go out with a funeral director, and they would drive together in the hearse. One time, they were on their way back from a funeral, and Ortberg’s friend, John, was feeling quite tired. He decided he would take a nap. Since they were in a hearse, he thought, “Well, I'll just lie down in the back of the hearse.”
The funeral director, who was driving the hearse, pulled into a gas station, because he was running low on gas. The gas station attendant was filling up the tank and he was kind of freaked out, because there was a body stretched out in the back. While he was filling the tank, John woke up, opened his eyes, knocked on the window and waved at the attendant. John said he never saw anybody run so fast in his whole life (John Ortberg, The Empty Tomb: How Will You Respond? www.PreachingToday.com).
The man was surprised, because people in the back of a hearse don’t usually sit up, knock on the window, and wave.
So imagine the surprise 2,000 years ago when Jesus came out of a cave-like tomb, secured with a 2-ton rock, the governor’s seal, and Roman soldiers. But that’s just like Jesus! He loved surprising people, especially those who had lost all hope.
Is that where you are today? Have you lost all hope? Then this message is for you. If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to John 11, John 11, where we see Jesus surprising a family that had lost all hope.
John 11:1-5 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus (ESV).
…So when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he hurried back to Bethany. Is that what your Bible says? No!
John 11:6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was (ESV).
Now that’s a surprise. Instead of immediately rushing to his friend’s aid, Jesus delayed his coming. He waited two more days.
And sometimes Jesus does that to you, doesn’t He? You cry out for help, and Jesus doesn’t seem to do anything about it, at least not right away. In fact, He often seems to stay away, and you can’t figure why help doesn’t come right away. God seems so slow sometimes, especially when you’re in a hurry.
A preacher, a doctor, and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers. The engineer asked, “What's with these guys? We must have been waiting for 15 minutes.” The doctor agreed: “I've never seen such slow golfers.” The pastor noted, “Hey, here comes the groundskeeper. Let's have a word with him.”
The pastor called out to the groundskeeper, “Say, George, what's with the group ahead of us?”
George said, “That's a group of blind firefighters. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime.”
The group was silent for a moment. The pastor sympathized, “That's so sad. I think I'll say a special prayer for them tonight.” The doctor added, “That's a good idea. In fact, I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist friend and see if we can do anything for these guys.” Then the engineer spoke up: “Well that's great, but in the meantime, why can't these guys play at night?” (Charles Lowery, “Laugh Lines Heart or Head?” Home Life, April 2000, p.65)
Most of us don’t like to wait, do we? And when God makes us wait, it seems even worse. We don’t always understand it. But that’s okay. Jesus’ disciples didn’t understand him either.
John 11:7-8 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” (ESV)
What do you want to do? Get yourself killed!
John 11:9-10 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him” (ESV).
That is to say, as long as we walk in the light of God’s will, we’ll be okay. It’s just like taking a walk in broad daylight.
John 11:11-15 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him” (ESV).
Wait a minute. Lazarus is dead, and Jesus is glad? That doesn’t make sense.
John 11:16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Thomas is the ultimate pessimist – “We might as well go and die with Him.” You see, the last time Jesus was there, He claimed to be Jehovah God, Himself, and the Jews took up stones to kill Him (John 10:39). Now, they all expect to die if they go back to Judah. The disciples don’t understand their Master and neither do Martha and Mary, Jesus’ friends.
John 11:17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days (ESV).
That’s long enough for a body to begin decomposing.
John 11:18-21 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died (ESV).
Martha couldn’t understand why Jesus didn’t come sooner when he could have really helped her brother.
John 11:22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you” (ESV).
Do you see her wrestling with her faith? “Lord, you were too late this time, but I know God always answers YOUR prayers.”
John 11:23-24 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
I know my theology. I know that all true believers will be raised in the end. But somehow that doesn’t bring me much comfort right now. Have you ever been there? That’s where Martha is right now. Look at what Jesus says to her, and to you and me,who sometimes struggle with our faith.
John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (ESV)
Do you hear what Jesus is saying? Jesus Himself IS the resurrection. You don’t have to wait until the last day to experience His resurrection power in your daily life. He is here to give it to you today! All you have to do is ask.
As a young man, D. L. Moody was called upon suddenly to preach a funeral sermon. He thought it best to handle it the way Christ did, so he hunted through all four gospels to see what Christ said at funerals. He didn’t get much help, because he found that Christ broke up every funeral he ever attended. He always raised the corpse. Death could not exist wherever Christ was.
Jesus said, “I AM the resurrection and the life.” That means you can have eternal life starting today! You don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to receive it. You can have it right now, today, right at the moment you put our trust in Christ, right at the moment you invite Christ into our lives. Oh, you may die physically someday, but spiritually you don’t ever have to die, and you can start living a quality of life you never dreamed possible today and every day, not just in the last day.
Why not trust Christ with your life right now? Just call upon Him, and ask Him to save you from your sins. Invite Him into your life, and then you can begin to experience “eternal life” as a right now, present reality. Do you believe it? That’s the question Jesus asked Martha. And Martha replies…
John 11:27-32 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (ESV).
Mary said the same thing Martha did (vs.21). “Lord, you’re too late. If only you had been here sooner.” Mary and Martha wanted Jesus to heal their brother. They wanted Jesus to raise Lazarus out of his sick bed, but Jesus had something far greater planned for Lazarus. That’s why Jesus delayed His coming, and that’s why Jesus often delays coming to your aid, as well. So if you’ve lost all hope…
DON’T BE SURPRISED BY HIS DELAYS.
Don’t let them trip you up, because God’s delays are not denials. They just open the door to greater things!
Philip Yancey once said that “When Jesus [Himself] prayed to the one who could save him from death, he did not get that salvation; he got instead the salvation of the world (Philip Yancey, Christianity Today, 2-9-98). God often has something far greater in mind than what we ask for.
In his book, It Happens After Prayer, Pastor H. B. Charles Jr. talks about a woman who walked to her neighbor’s produce stand one hot afternoon to buy grapes. The line was long, and each person seemed to get special attention. But she waited patiently. When she finally made it to the front of the line, the owner asked for her order. She asked for grapes.
“Please excuse me for a minute,” the owner of the produce stand responded. Then he walked away and disappeared behind a building. For some reason, this rubbed the woman the wrong way. Everyone in line before her was greeted warmly. They were given special attention. And, most importantly, they were served immediately. But she was forced to wait. And when she got to the front of the line, she was forced to wait some more. She was offended. She felt her neighbor took her regular business for granted. The longer she waited, the angrier she became.
Finally, her neighbor reappeared. And with a big smile, he presented her with the most beautiful grapes she had ever seen. He invited her to taste them. She had never tasted grapes so good. As she turned to leave with her delicious grapes, he stopped her. “Oh yeah, I'm sorry I kept you waiting,” said the farmer. “But I needed the time to get you my very best.” (H. B. Charles, It Happens After Prayer, Moody Publishers, 2013, p. 37; www.Preaching Today.com)
So it is when God tells you to wait! It’s not because He wants to deny you His blessing. No. He just wants to give you His very best! So if you’ve lost all hope, don’t be tripped up by God’s slowness to answer your prayers. Don’t be surprised by His delays. And 2nd…
DON’T BE SURPRISED BY HIS DEVOTION.
Don’t be amazed that he loves you so much. Don’t be astonished by his friendship.
In Jesus’ day, the crowds were amazed at His love.
John 11:33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled (ESV).
Literally, He was angry and stirred up over the sadness caused by death of his friend. Jesus experienced the full range of normal, human emotions. And when death took His friend, He felt it very deeply.
John 11:34-35 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept (ESV).
This was not the loud wailing of the paid mourners. In Bible days, mourners were actually paid to weep and wail with the family. They may or may not have known the deceased, but that didn’t matter. They were paid to put on a show of great sorrow. Not Jesus. His was a genuine, quiet shedding of tears. He was really saddened by the death of his friend.
John 11:36-37 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” (ESV)
You see, the crowd couldn’t understand Jesus either. They couldn’t understand his delay, and they couldn’t understand his devotion. Jesus loved Lazarus like a brother. The Greek word in vs.36 is phileo, which means brotherly love. Jesus had strong feelings for his friend, especially now that he’s gone.
Many of you have been there. You know the deep sense of loss when someone you love dies. Well, Jesus felt that same sense of loss, and it surprised the crowd. They were amazed at how much Jesus loved his friends.
And maybe it surprises some of you. Maybe it surprises you that Jesus could have such strong feelings for you. Maybe it surprises you that Jesus would really miss you if you were not around. Well, don’t be surprised, because Jesus really does care for you and me.
Father Damien was a priest who became famous for his willingness to serve lepers. He moved to Kalawao—a village on the island of Molokai, in Hawaii, that had been quarantined to serve as a leper colony. For 16 years, he lived in their midst. He learned to speak their language. He bandaged their wounds, embraced the bodies no one else would touch, preached to hearts that would otherwise have been left alone. He organized schools, bands, and choirs. He built homes so that the lepers could have shelter. He built 2,000 coffins by hand so that, when they died, they could be buried with dignity. Slowly, it was said, Kalawao became a place to live rather than a place to die, for Father Damien offered hope.
Father Damien was not careful about keeping his distance. He did nothing to separate himself from his people. He dipped his fingers in the poi bowl along with the patients. He shared his pipe. He did not always wash his hands after bandaging open sores. He got close. For this, the people loved him.
Then one day he stood up and began his sermon with two words: “We lepers…”
He had contracted the disease of leprosy. Now he wasn't just helping them. Now he was one of them. From that day forward, he wasn't just on their island; he was in their skin. First he had chosen to live as they lived; now he would die as they died. Now they were in it together. (John Ortberg, God Is Closer Than You Think, Zondervan, 2005, p. 103-104; www.PreachingToday.com)
That’s what God did for us. He didn’t come just to help us; He became one of us. He was in our skin, and He really does understand our sorrow. We’re in this thing called life together.
The German theologian, Jurgen Moltmann, once said,“God weeps with us so that we may someday laugh with him.”
So don’t be surprised that Jesus wept.Don’t be surprised that Jesus has deep feelings for His friends, and for you and me who have trusted Him. If you have lost all hope, don’t be surprised by His delays; don’t be surprised by His devotion, and 3rd…
DON’T BE SURPRISED BY HIS DELIVERANCE.
Don’t be shocked by the miracles Jesus does in your life. Don’t be astonished when Jesus finally does come through for you. Look at what Jesus did for his friends.
John 11:38-39 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days” (ESV).
I love the way the old King James version puts it – “Behold, he stinketh.” After four days in that hot climate, I’m sure the body was quite rank.
John 11:40-43 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out” (ESV).
I think it was Augustine who said, “If Jesus would not have called Lazarus by name, then all of the dead would have come out of their graves.” But Jesus specified exactly who He wanted. “Lazarus,” He cried, “Come out!”
John 11:44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go” (ESV).
It was a miracle far beyond anyone’s imagining. Jesus didn’t come early for a healing—that’s what everybody expected. No. Jesus came late for a resurrection. He did what nobody expected him to do. He raised Lazarus from the dead.
And Jesus wants to do those kind of things in your life too. He wants to do, as Ephesians 3:20 puts it, “far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.”
In his book The Divine Commodity, Skye Jethani shares a story from a trip he took to India with his father. While walking the streets of New Delhi, a little boy approached them. He was “skinny as a rail, and naked but for tattered blue shorts. His legs were stiff and contorted, like a wire hanger twisted upon itself.” Because of his condition, the little boy could only waddle along on his calloused knees. He made his way toward Skye and his father and cried out, “One rupee, please! One rupee!”
Skye’s father eventually responded to the boys persistent begging and asked, “What do you want?”
“One rupee, sir,” the boy said while motioning his hand to his mouth and bowing his head in deference.
Skye’s father laughed. “How about I give you five rupees?” he said. The boy who had been begging suddenly became defiant. He retracted his hand and sneered at them. He thought Skye’s father was joking, having a laugh at his expense. After all, no one would willingly give up five rupees. The boy started shuffling away, mumbling curses under his breath.
Skye’s father reached into his pocket. Hearing the coins jingle, the boy stopped and looked back over his shoulder. Skye’s father was holding out a five-rupee coin. He approached the stunned boy and placed the coin into his hand. The boy didn't move or say a word. He just stared at the coin in his hand. Skye and his father passed the boy and proceeded to cross the street.
A moment later the shouting resumed, except this time the boy was yelling, “Thank you! Thank you, sir! Bless you!” He raced after Skye and his father once again – but not for more money. He just wanted to touch the feet of the man who had been so generous with him. (Skye Jethani, The Divine Commodity, Zondervan, 2009, pp. 113-114; www.PreachingToday.com)
How often do people behave like that little boy, getting mad at God, because they want one rupee when Jesus wants to give them five? They want a fix on the old life when Jesus wants to give them a new one. They want a healing when Jesus wants to give them a resurrection.
Please, don’t be angry with God any longer. If you’ve lost all hope, trust Jesus with your life, and don’t be surprised by His delays; don’t be surprised by His devotion; and don’t be surprised by His deliverance when it finally does come. It will be far greater than anything you’ve ever asked for or even imagined. It will be a resurrection when all you expected was a healing.
C. S. Lewis put it well when he said, “Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us. Like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a [vacation] at the sea, we are far too easily pleased (C. S. Lewis, from the sermon “The Weight of Glory”).
Please, don’t be too easily pleased. Trust Christ with your life and let Him do for you what you never thought possible. Let Him raise you from the dead, so to speak, with a brand-new life.
