John 11:1-44 - No Matter What Your Stinking Problem is, Get Up Again Anyway
Sir Alexander Mackenzie is a Canadian hero. An early fur trader and explorer, he accomplished a magnificent feat when he led an expedition across Canada from Fort Chippewyan on Lake Athabasca to the Pacific Ocean. His incredible journey was completed in 1793, 11 years before Lewis and Clark began their famous expedition to the west. Mackenzie’s earlier attempt in 1789, however, had been a major disappointment. His explorers had set out in an effort to find a water route to the Pacific. The valiant group followed a mighty river (now named the Mackenzie) with high hopes, paddling furiously amid great danger. Unfortunately, it didn’t empty into the Pacific, but into the Arctic Ocean. In his diary, Mackenzie called it the “River of Disappointment.”
You know, many of us find ourselves paddling up rivers of disappointments of our own. We struggle and strain. We try to do worthwhile things, but we fade away instead. We have all faced situations that looked hopeless, and sometimes we let them get the better of us. We have felt like Abraham Lincoln when he failed to get into the Illinois senate in 1858: “I feel like the boy who stubbed his toe: I am too big to cry and too badly hurt to laugh.” But we are not alone. We are not the first to walk through valleys of the shadow of death. Many have faced the big D of disappointment before. In today’s story out of John 11, we will see two ladies who felt hopeless and angry. And Jesus broke thru their darkness and shot great beams of light into their hearts. John 11:1-3. Mary and Martha’s brother was sick. But this was not news to Jesus. V4-6. Jesus did not go to help. Lazarus, whom Jesus loved, did not help him. This is an interesting picture of Jesus. Someone who doesn’t immediately pluck us out of our situations. Maybe you’re a little uncomfortable with that image. But there was a reason. God would get more focus and attention, more glory out of Lazarus dying.
Anyway, the story progresses. Lazarus died. V14. Because Jesus didn’t go immediately to help, the situation got worse. Maybe you have felt that way. Maybe you have felt how Martha felt when Jesus finally arrived on the scene. V17-21. Mary felt the same way in v32. Have you ever felt that way? “Lord, if you had been here, this tragedy would not have happened.” -“Lord, if you had fixed this like I asked, these bad things would not have happened.” – “Lord, if you had only done something…” And the blame goes to God for bad things in our lives.
Now what’s neat about this story is that Jesus doesn’t lash out at her. In fact, we can get a real glimpse of his love for struggling disciples, including Lazarus. Let’s look at this situation for a second. V19 tells us that many Jews had been consoling Mary and Martha in their time of loss. And by the time Jesus got there, it was day#4 since Lazarus’ death. These Jewish folk were committed to Lazarus’ sisters.
Now, that would have been different if Lazarus had been a known follower of Jesus. Since Jesus was hated in the area, to the point that He was almost stoned to death His last time through, any known followers of His would have been treated very differently at death. So-called “mourners” would have worn festive white garments, celebrating the death of an apostate from the Jewish religion. They would have shouted insults at the family. But since this didn’t happen for Lazarus, obviously, the Jewish leaders did not consider him a serious follower of Jesus.
So, the question is, was Lazarus only a close friend of Jesus not not a believer? Or was he a believer in secret, unwilling to lose his public reputation by openly declaring faith in the man who called himself the Son of God? Either way, Jesus still loved Lazarus. Let this be a comfort to you struggling disciples, who really want to follow Christ but stumble all the way. Jesus still loves you. And He still wants to help you pick up and move on.
Continuing on, Martha seemed to sense that Jesus could still help her – v22. Jesus gives her hope – v23. Martha didn’t quite pick up on all that Jesus was saying, but she knew enough theology to know that things would be better in the sweet by-and-by – v24. “Someday,” she said, “things will be better. Things will be better when we die. Heaven will be better.” And Jesus took that thought and said: v25. He said, “Actually, I am the source of hope. Things will be better someday, yes, but it’s because of me. I am what you need. I am your source of strength. I am who you need today.”
You know, in our times of struggles, we often forget these words. We know that heaven will be better someday, but we forget that Jesus is real in our lives even today. He wants to help us get through this life, not just hang by a thread, waiting for the rapture to pluck us out of here. He wants to be your source of strength and life and hope today, right where you are sitting now.
Skipping a few verses, eventually Jesus gets to the tomb – v38. He had already cried over Lazarus’ death. It had moved Him, and now he was ready for action. But there was a problem. Lazarus had been dead for four days. That is significant. Here’s why.
Jews believed that the soul stayed near the body for 3 days, waiting to re-enter. As well, the Jews believed that the body did not begin to decay until the fourth day. So, by this time on Day#4, everyone had given up hope. Is that you today? Are you lacking in the hope department? Do you feel like you can’t go on somedays?
Jesus told them to move the stone of the burial plot – v39a. In typical fashion, the people thought they should correct Jesus on his understanding of life – v39b. But again, Jesus had an answer – v40. He said, “Trust me in this. Let me show you that I can still fix this situation. Believe that I believe in lost causes.”
You know, sometimes our problems really stink. They’ve been problems for too long. They’ve festered and grown and gone rancid. They suck the life out of us. Our problems seem too big for anybody to fix. But Jesus says, “Let me at them. Let me fix them. Believe that I can make them better. Have faith that I can bring life from death.”
V41a – the people obeyed. They let Jesus at the heart of the problem. Jesus prayed – v41b-42. He wanted the people to see what He could do in open hearts. And then, He said the words: v43.
And you know what happened – v44. The power of God, focused on that single stinking situation, and life came from death. What had been a foul-smelling problem just became a wonderful, life-infused answer to prayer. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.
Maybe you’re here and you feel like your problems are too heavy to bear or share. You feel weighed down by the horrible things in life. You feel like your life stinks. You know what Jesus says to you today?
“No matter what your stinking problem is, get up again anyway!” Jesus doesn’t deny you have problems. He admits that they are stinking rotten sometimes. But no matter what they are or how bad they stink, you need to let Jesus have a go at them.
Some of you have had problems for a lot longer than days – some of you have had stinking problems for years. Things you never got fixed when you came to the Lord, or things you have picked up since. Some of you feel overwhelmed everyday by the problems you face. You prayed for the Lord to take the problems away, and He didn’t fix them. And so you settled into a pseudo-faith, a faith that says but doesn’t do.
But all the while, Jesus was waiting for the right time to come and fix them, as He waited with Lazarus. He was waiting for the best time to give God the glory in it all. He was waiting for your heart to be ready for the miracle He wanted to give you. But you stopped waiting for Him. You moved on. You gave up on the idea that Jesus could or would fix your problem. You figured you’d be stuck with it forever.
And so you still have the problem today, but you’re not looking to get it fixed anymore. You’ve gotten used to it. You figure you’ll always have it, and so you stopped trying to get help. But maybe, just maybe, today is the 4th day for you. Today is the day that Jesus wants to come and set you free from your emotional hang-ups. Maybe today Jesus wants to give you the strength you need to forgive that person. Maybe today Jesus wants you to bring Him to your stinking problem, open it up, and let Him fix it. Maybe today He wants to give you life from death. Maybe today is the day for you to finally get up out of your tomb, get out of your grave clothes, and let Jesus work in you. Today could be the day that Jesus does His miracle working in your life. God still specializes in resurrections.
Today, will you open up the graves in your life and let Jesus work? Will you let Him bring life from death? Will you get up out of your problems, walk into the light and keep living for Jesus? No matter what your stinking problem is… get up again anyway.
(Credits: title from Mike MacNeil, a college professor. Lazarus info from The Carpenter’s Cloth by Sigmund Brouwer. Illustration from bible.org.)
