November 20, 2022

The Resurrection and the Life

Preacher: Ben Jennings

Passage: John 11:1-57

Service Type: Worship Service

Series: Jesus is Greater

Title: The Resurrection and the Life

Scripture: John 11:1-53

Subject: Jesus

Central Theme: Belief in Jesus

Objective Statement: It is critical for you to believe that Jesus is the Son of God for 5 reasons.

Keywords: Reason

Points:

Jesus has the greatest purpose. (v.1-19)
Jesus has the greatest identity. (v.20-27)
Jesus has the greatest love. (v.32-37)
Jesus has the greatest power. (v. 38-44)
Jesus has done the greatest work. (v.45-53)

Introduction:

Connection:

We are so excited that you are here for our family and friend day at Trinity Baptist Church.
Friends and family are two categories of some of the greatest joys in life.
It is so true that some of the greatest joys in life come from people.
A few years ago, my daughters and I started a tradition when I would pick them up after school.
Fridays have been my day off for a long time, and so I would often pick up the girls, and now Zeke as well on Fridays.
The girls call it daddy fun time.
Sometimes we go to a park.
Sometimes we would go do something really elaborate.
Most of the time it is simple.
And often it involves some kind of snack or treat.
So, it has been a few weeks since that has happened until this Friday.
This Friday we went around the corner from the kids school to the gas station to get slurpees.
We got our drinks. Audrey got hers last because she can never make a decision- she wants to have the most fun possible in any circumstance and doesn’t want to miss out. We all walked up to the counter and I made a joke to Zeke. “It’s your turn to pay!”. “C’mon, dad”.
The lady at the counter said to Zeke, “Oh, good! You got one for me.”
He didn’t really take it as a joke. “No. That’s not for you. It’s for me.” “Are you sure?” “Yeah, it’s for me.”
We paid for it. At the end, the lady, being nice said to Zeke, “Ok. Thanks for coming, handsome.”
Zeke looked at her and as sincerely as possible said, “Oh. Thank you. That is so nice.”
Family and friends can be a source of great joy.

Tension:

Family and friends can be a source of great sorrow.
Some of the most difficult circumstances in life surround this area of relationships.
Your relationships will impact the quality and sometimes even the length of your life for better or worse.
It has been said, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” That is largely true.
You and I have both endured great stress and heartaches around relationships.
The break up between boyfriend and girlfriend.
The divorce.
The death of a loved one.
Part of being a parent is concern over your kids- the choices they will make- their futures.
Some of the greatest joys and some of the greatest difficulties in life surround your human relationships.
But there is something yet more important than our human relationships.
You and I were created to have a relationship with the God of the Universe.
There is a God. He created everything that is. He existed before the world began.
He made the world perfect.
Sin entered the world, the Bible says, and death by sin.
Now we live in a world that has been cursed by sin and death.
Death is now a part of life that every one of us must face.
God knew that so He became flesh. He dwelt among us.
The book of John tells us that.
His name is Jesus.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He’s called the friend of sinners.
The most important relationship we can have is not our marriage relationship, our relationship with our kids, our family relationships, or our lifelong friendships.
The relationship that will determine your eternal destiny and mine is your relationship with Jesus Christ.
Today, I want to show you an incredible experience that some of Jesus’s friends and people that knew Him had with Jesus Himself.
In doing this I want you to have examine your own relationship with Christ.

It is critical for you to believe that Jesus is the Son of God for 5 reasons.

Reason #1- Jesus has the greatest purpose. (John 11:1-19)

Now in the Gospel of John we see a theme in how John tells the story of Jesus.
He doesn’t make things up about Jesus.
He chooses to write about a theme in Jesus’s life that came up all the time.
That theme is belief.
It’s stated in the most distinct 2 verses about John’s purpose in writing the book. They are the last two verses of John:

John 20:30-31

(30) And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:

(31) But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

It’s found in the most famous verse in this book. You know it. John 3:16!

John 3:16

(16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John wrote belief as a theme because it was theme in Jesus life.
Jesus did everything on purpose.
And that brings us to this story in John 11.
We’re introduced to three of Jesus’s friends.

(1) Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

(2) (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

They were experiencing one of those difficult moments in life when someone they loved was sick.

(3) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

It was so evident to Mary and Martha that Jesus loved them that they needed to only tell Jesus that Lazarus was sick, and they thought He would come and heal him.
At this point in John’s telling of Jesus’ life we know that Jesus had done all kinds of miracles.
In Chapter 2 he turned the water into wine at the wedding in Cana.
In Chapter 4 he healed the nobleman’s son from a distance.
In Chapter 5 he healed the paralyzed man at the pool.
In Chapter 6 he fed the 5,000 and walked on water.
In Chapter 9 he had healed the blind.
They knew that Jesus had healed the sick. They knew that they were loved. So, they believed that Jesus would come and heal.
Notice how Jesus responded when He heard the news.

(4) 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.

If you’re one of the disciples hearing the news along with Jesus, and then hearing Jesus’ response, I bet you were pretty glad.
Oh, good. He’s not going to die. Jesus is going to heal him of course!
But Jesus has a different aim.
John reassures us of something because of how Jesus responded.

(5) Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

Does John want us to know that Jesus’ loved them? Yes he does.
But here is the weird part.

(6) When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

Jesus loved them so he….stayed.
That seems weird. You would expect for it to read…Jesus loved them, and so when he heard, he got up to heal him.
Or he healed him from a distance…
But it says, he love them so he stayed.
He had a different purpose.
So he says for a little while, and then after a couple of days he decides to leave.
He tells his disciples it is time to go. They wonder about going because the last time he went that way they wanted to stone Jesus. Look at verse 11

(11) 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.

(12) Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

(13) Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

(14) Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

(15) And I am glad

“Lazarus is dead, and I am glad…”
Why would he be glad?
Jesus had a different purpose- the greatest purpose. Why was he glad?

(15) And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

Jesus’ purpose for delaying was “to the intent ye may believe…”.
Jesus knew what was going to happen.
He knew that death wasn’t the worst thing that could happen to Lazarus.
We’ll see more about that.
More important than Lazarus getting healed was the belief.

Application:

When you are going through difficult- hurt, sickness, loss- there are things that God allows to get our attention.
We do not always know exactly why we go through difficulties.
But I can tell you this. God sent Jesus to live a perfect life and die for you so that you would believe on Him and be saved.
The most important thing you can do is believe on Jesus and be saved.
This was Jesus’ intent.

(17) Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

(18) Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:

(19) And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

It is critical for you to believe that Jesus is the Son of God for 5 reasons.

Reason #2- Jesus has the greatest identity. (John 11:20-27)

(20) Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

(21) Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

Was this an expression of faith in who Jesus was?
Of course, it was.
She was expressing faith in what she had already seen Jesus do.
She knew about Jesus’ healing.
She believed that He could have healed her brother.
She now questioned why he didn’t!

(22) But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

Now this expression hinted toward a belief that she may not have seen.
Jesus goes with her down this road.

(23) Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

Jesus tells her straight. Your brother will come back from the dead. He will rise again. There will be a resurrection.

(24) Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

What was she saying?
I’ve got that doctrine down.
I know that one day there will be a resurrection. I know that my brother is a jew, and believes in God. He will resurrect like the prophets tell us will happen in the last days.
I’ve got that doctrine.
But what may be going on in her mind is- yeah, but I don’t have him now. He’s gone. I have to live without him now.
I know he shall rise again at that last day…
Verse 25-

(25) Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

There is Jesus’ identity.
She knew Him as healer.
She knew Him as prophet.
She knew Him as friend.
Jesus wanted her to know He isn’t just those things.
Jesus wanted her to know that He is the resurrection, and the life.
The way those people one day will resurrect is because of Jesus Christ. The way those people one day will live through eternity is Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life.

(26) And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

When you put your faith in Christ, He gives you eternal life.
Eternal life doesn’t start at the end of life. Eternal life starts when you believe in Christ.
This is exactly what Jesus had said in the previous chapter.

John 10:27-30

(27) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (28) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (29) My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (30) I and my Father are one.

He provides the saving, but we must believe.
That is why he asks her the question. Do you believe?
Look at her response.

(27) She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

It is so important that you believe because Jesus had that as His purpose. It is so important that you believe because Jesus Christ is the Resurrection and the life.

It is critical for you to believe that Jesus is the Son of God for 5 reasons.

Reason #3- Jesus has the greatest love. (John 11:32-37)

(32) 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.

Mary says the same thing to Jesus that Martha did.

(33) When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

(34) And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

(35) Jesus wept.

(36) Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

(37) 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?

Why was Jesus weaping?
Did Jesus know what was going on with Lazarus? Was Jesus sad for Lazarus? (Lazarus was doing just fine!)
Did Jesus love them? Yes! This was the testimony of those there.
I believe Jesus was weeping here because He was experiencing the pain of grief that the curse of sin had brought about.
He cared for them.
He cares for us.
He cared for them so much that He wanted what was best for them which was not what they wanted.
They wanted healing, and He wanted resurrection.
They wanted relief, and He wanted redemption.
Jesus loved them enough to not give them what they wanted. He had a greater purpose.
He wanted to show them who he really was- He had a greater identity.
He had a greater love!

It is critical for you to believe that Jesus is the Son of God for 5 reasons.

Reason #4- Jesus has the greatest power. (John 11:38-44)

(38) Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

(39) 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.

This is irrational, Jesus.
Take away the stone.
Martha- “He stinketh”.
“He’s been dead four days…”
Day 2 or 3 maybe he’s “mostly dead”. On day 4 he’s all the way dead. (Princess Bride)

(40) Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

There is that word again. “If thou wouldest believe”. What does Jesus want in this situation? What is His purpose? He’s aiming at their belief!!!
Sometimes God allows difficulty so He can show Himself real.
We can see Him work.
We can see Him bring good through the bad.
We can see the glory of God!

(41) 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.

(42) 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.

There it is again.
I’m praying this way “that they may believe that thou hast sent me…”
And now the dramatic moment…

(43) And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

(44) 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.

Jesus didn’t just have power over sickness.
No- Jesus has power over death itself.

Application:

Death is what you and I must face.
1 out of 1 people die.
It’s going to happen to all of us.
You may have figured out how to make money.
You may have have figured out how to run a business.
You may not want to think about it.
Why would we have a “Friends and Family Day” and invite you to it?
Because 1:1 die.
What are you going to do about the fact that your going into that grave?
Jesus Christ is your only shot at eternal life.
Why?

It is critical for you to believe that Jesus is the Son of God for 5 reasons.

Reason #5- Jesus has done the greatest work. (John 11:45-53)

(45) Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

Jesus got what he aimed for in this moment.
People saw His purpose, His identity, His love, and His power over death, and they believed that He was the Christ.
But not everyone had the same reaction.

(46) But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

(47) Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. (48) If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

You know what they were saying:
If people believe on Him, including us, we will lose our position.
We will lose our jobs.
We will lose our status and influence.
We can’t believe on Him because of what it may mean.
How silly is that? He’s raising people from the dead, and saying that He is the way to eternal life, and they are saying “but we may lose our influence for a while”.
Look at what Caiahphas, the high priest said.

(49) And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, (50) Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. (51) And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

(52) And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

(53) Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

Jesus showed His true identity and for some it meant that they believed on Him.
Jesus showed His true identity and for others it meant that they pursued killing Him.
But what did Jesus say He was? The resurrection and the life?
Do you know the name of the book of the Bible we are reading? “The Gospel according to John”
What is the Gospel? The Gospel is the good news about Jesus’ Christ’s greatest work.
It’s clarified and defined for us in 1 Corinthians 15:1-6.

1 Corinthians 15:1-6

(1) Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; (2) By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. (3) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (4) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (5) And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: (6) After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

It is eternally critical for you to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God for 5 reasons.

Jesus has the greatest purpose. (v.1-19)
Jesus has the greatest identity. (v.20-27)
Jesus has the greatest love. (v.32-37)
Jesus has the greatest power. (v. 38-44)
Jesus has done the greatest work. (v.45-53)

Topics: Jesus Christ