Life Wins!!

Introduction

A. Funerals. I don’t know anyone who likes them. I don’t know anyone who looks forward to them. We preplain them. We prearrange them. But no one wants them. Unfortunately, extremely sad times often turn into times of celebration. It isn’t uncommon to hear people say that the only time the family is together is at weddings and funerals. I do not consider myself an expert on funerals. I have done enough to know that hearts are broken at funerals. One of the traditions from a minister’s point of view has to do with the final viewing of the body before the funeral begins. Ministers are encouraged to stand next to the casket as the family views the body for the last time.

B. For almost every funeral that I have participated in, I have stood next to the casket as the family says one final goodbye to their loved one. I have seen and heard much. Some is too personal to say in an audience. But the one thing that strikes me is the grief. I hate death and what it does to families. I hate the grief that comes with death. I hate the one who claims to have the power over death because Satan only wants to hurt. There have been many funeral services in which I struggled to maintain my composure because of the extreme grief of the family and friends.

C. In one of the many opportunities the gospel accounts allow us to see the humanity of Jesus, in John 11, Jesus bursts into tears at the tomb of his friend, Lazarus. The shortest verse of the Bible expresses with simple clarity that the humanity of Jesus includes deep emotions — Jesus wept. We hate death. There is comfort in knowing that our God does too. He hates it so much that he allowed his Son to experience death so that we might live forever with him. That is worthy of our thanksgiving.

The Story

A. The story is straightforward. What may be overlooked is the stench of death throughout this text. This is the seventh and final sign that Jesus performs in John’s gospel. Each one designed to point to the fact that Jesus is the God in the flesh. The text begins with a reference to an event that has not happened. We read of Mary’s anointing Jesus in chapter 12, but John references that act here at the beginning. It is more than just a point of reference. Mary anointed Jesus to prepare him for his own death. So the text begins with death. Then we hear of Lazarus’ death. Jesus even delays his journey to Bethany in order to fully establish that Lazarus is dead.

B. Then we have Thomas in verse 16 acknowledging that Jesus is walking into a death trap and the resolve to go with him even to the point of death. Mary and Martha, sisters of Lazarus, both meet Jesus reminding him that death is permanent. “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” It’s all so final, you see. Even the raising of Lazarus from the dead is quickly overshadowed by the continuing plot to kill Jesus and as we discover in 12:10-11, the plot now includes Lazarus. The stench of death is throughout this text.

C. John is a master at heaping up a sense of hopelessness; a sense of despair. Death is final. Jesus could and can heal sick folks, but the dead. They remain in the tomb. With every turn there is death. What does Jesus say? “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Your brother will rise again. Mary and Martha believed in the resurrection — the one that was to come at the end. But that didn’t take away their grief now. Martha’s confession that Jesus is the Christ mirrors Peter’s confession in Matthew 16. But it didn’t take away her sense of despair. Her brother was dead and there was no room for hope.

D. But hope is the very reason Jesus has come. Notice in verse 40 that Jesus says he has come so that God’s glory can be seen. Then in verse 42 his prayer is punctuated with the statement of purpose — that they may believe that you sent me. Of all the signs, any one of which could have convinced one that Jesus is the Christ, this is the final and ultimate sign. It has taken John 11 chapters to get to the final and most significant sign. “Lazarus, come out!” Jesus shouts to the tomb’s entrance. Can’t you imagine the breathlessness of the people as they waited and peered into the mouth of that dark, hopeless tomb? All eyes were transfixed on that tomb.

E. And with the passage of what have must seemed like an eternity, the tomb gave back its possession. And with every sign, we see that there are those who believe and those who refuse to believe. What does this text have to say to us?

Application

A. Look at verse 37. Those who knew that Jesus had opened the eyes of the blind thought Jesus could have easily kept Lazarus from dying. They are right. Their expectations about what God was supposed to do did not match what God did. Do we not do the same thing? We expect God to do certain things and when he doesn’t we are perplexed. If God could create the world, couldn’t he have at least helped me through this problem. The “if” speaks about faith, the “then” speaks about unmet expectations. When we get disappointed with God, we miss out on how God is actually working. Jesus answers this problem in verses 4 & 15. Lazarus’ death provided a far greater opportunity to see God’s glory and with his death one’s faith could deepen.

i. When we try to force God to meet our expectations we miss out on his glory. When we try to force God to meet our expectations we miss out on growing our faith.

ii. Trusting God means that there are times we don't understand, but we keep our eyes open for his glory and his greater work. Our belief that God has failed only means that he is working to do something even greater than we can imagine.

iii. Lazarus' death calls for greater faith — Do you believe he says to both Martha and Mary. They express their belief but neither is ready for what Jesus is going to do. God is going to do greater things than they can imagine. In their weak faith, God will expand their faith.

iv. As we saw in John 7, Jesus doesn't need faith to do God's work, but when the work of God is seen then faith is result.

B. Look at verses 33 and 38. There has been much speculation about Jesus weeping. The explanation is given in verse 36 that it was because of his love for Lazarus. No reason to think otherwise. But Jesus knew what he was getting ready to do and knew what the outcome would be. As the song says “He is touched with our grief.” Perhaps that is why Jesus weeps. But verses 33 and 38 give us another clue. In both places, the words “deeply moved” are translated for us. This is an interesting word. It has to do with a mixture of sadness and anger. The word is used to describe a snorting horse in other documents. It is a much more descriptive word than grief.

C. Why this word? Let me suggest to you that in the mixture of his own grief, Jesus is coming to grips with a profound truth — the struggle between life and death was getting ready to take place. There is a resolve; a determination; a battle to be fought. Jesus has already declared the truth — I am the resurrection. He who believes in me will live.

D. Do you believe this? The battle rages; Satan is firmly holding on to the body of Lazarus in a dark, hopeless tomb. Perhaps it is at this point in Jesus’ ministry that there is no turning back. On the doorstep of Jerusalem, where there can be no more doubting, Jesus performs the sign that should be enough to convince all human beings that he is the Christ — he brings a man back to life. Do not be astonished. Do not be amazed. Believe. Trust in him will bring life. Our death will not be the final word. Jesus proved that in Bethany. Death has lost its sting. Jesus proved that when Lazarus walked out of that tomb.

E. I hate funerals. I hate that death brings such pain. But for us as believers death does not win nor does it have the final word. Jesus demonstrated that with his bringing Lazarus back to life. In that struggle between life and death, life wins. Jesus calls on us to trust him. Do you trust him? Invitation.

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