Hope in Jesus
John 11:17-27
Funeral for Aunt Oda Doolin Braley
Introduction
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
18 Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem,
19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.
20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21 "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24 Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
27 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
Here we are in the Easter season, where we look at the awful death of Jesus Christ ---try to feel the pain he endured— But as you, the family and friends of Aunt Ida can testify that it’s gloomy today.
Aunt Ida had Alzheimer’s disease. She has been here in Ashdown at the Nursing Home for about the past 15 years.
In this passage, which most of us are familiar with, we find Jesus on His way to perform one of His most famous miracles, the raising of Lazarus.
No one but Jesus knew what was going to happen when He came, and that sets the stage for what we just read.
But what I want to do with this episode in Jesus’ life is point out two things we can learn about the Savior.
First, we see in these verses that...
1. Jesus allowed their grief.
When Martha came to Jesus she said that if He had been around while Lazarus was sick, he wouldn’t have died.
And what was Jesus’ response? "Your brother will rise again." He didn’t say, "Your grief is misplaced," and He didn’t say, "Look, it’s time to move on," and He didn’t say, "Get over it."
." He didn’t say, "Real spiritual people don’t feel the pain of loss."
Both Martha and later Mary in a sense blamed Jesus for not preventing Lazarus’ death.
But Jesus didn’t get after them for that.He understood their grief. In verse 5 of this same chapter it says that Jesus loved Lazarus.
Aunt Ida loved animals
She had a sense of humor
Loved to joke with everybody
The Bible says that the Savior would be "a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief."
He felt their pain, and experienced it with them.
Jesus allowed their grief. And He allows yours and mine. But more than just "permission" to grieve, He offers something that ultimately only He can give.
#2 Jesus offered them hope.
But we also know that Jesus Rose from the DEAD.
He said, Because I live, you shall live also
Notice Jesus said that Lazarus would rise again, and that Jesus, Himself would be the agent of that resurrection.
Martha thought Jesus was speaking about the final resurrection, and she was partly right. She didn’t understand that Jesus was just about to display the fact that He has power over death.
But listen again to these words of Jesus -
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."
Just a few minutes later, Jesus would demonstrate that in the life of Lazarus, but He wasn’t just talking about bringing Lazarus back, as wonderful as it would be.
Jesus was saying that He is the door to life, both a full and abundant life on earth and when we leave earth, heaven. And when we place our faith in Him and what He did on Calvary, then we have the hope He offers to all who will take it.
You see, hope is available for everyone, through Jesus.
Hope is not found in the good life we try to live. Jesus says that our hope for eternity lies not within us or anything we can do, but in Him alone.
So I want to encourage you to lay your hands on the hope that Jesus offers.
Place your hope in Him to help you in this life, place your hope in Him for life everlasting, and place your hope in Him in anticipation of the resurrection, and the hope of being reunited with our loved ones who have gone before.
Amen.
We have gathered in this hour, not only to grieve the death of Aunt Ida, but to give thanks to God for her life among us.
Not only was the Lord, the Good Shepherd there for Aunt Ida... But He is here for you, those that are hurting today.
Allow the Good Shepherd to lead you down paths through green pastures And beside still waters.
