[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 18th of March, 2018. Look for the video on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
As I reflected the other day on our series based on Jesus’ “I am” statements, I was awed by how well they fit into the Lenten season leading up to Easter Morning. It just shows how the Holy Spirit can nudge us in the direction God wishes us to follow. We just have to go with the nudge.
Easter morning is Resurrection Sunday, when we celebrate Jesus rising from death and leaving behind an empty tomb. By this He shows that a greater life can follow our earthly death, if we believe and remain faithful. But before that morning, before His death, Jesus brought others back to mortal life. In one such instance, He told us, “I am the resurrection and the life”.
Please listen and follow along as I read from the Apostle John’s Gospel account, chapter 11, verses 1 through 44, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible. This will be a rather long reading, but please bear with me…
Easter morning is Resurrection Sunday, when we celebrate Jesus rising from death and leaving behind an empty tomb. By this He shows that a greater life can follow our earthly death, if we believe and remain faithful. But before that morning, before His death, Jesus brought others back to mortal life. In one such instance, He told us, “I am the resurrection and the life”.
Please listen and follow along as I read from the Apostle John’s Gospel account, chapter 11, verses 1 through 44, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible. This will be a rather long reading, but please bear with me…
1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
4 When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
8 The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”
9 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. 10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”
12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.
14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”
16 Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”
17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
20 Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha said to Him, “I know that 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, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
28 And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”
32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?”
They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”
35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”
37 And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”
38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”
--John 11:1-44 (NKJV)
Let us pray… Father God, we are spending a little extra time looking at some of the things Your Son Jesus did while He walked among us as a man so that we might be more like Him, be more Christ-like, be more righteous in Your eyes. Thank You, Father, for showing us through Jesus that death is only temporary. Thank You for giving us the faith to believe. Speak to us now, Father, that we might better understand Your word and Your will for our lives. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
“Do you believe in life after death?”, the boss asked one of his newer employees. “Yes, Sir.” the young man replied.
“Oh, well, that's okay then!”, said the boss. “Because after you left early yesterday to go to your grandmother's funeral, she stopped by to see you!”
And that reminds me of the old joke about the man who took his wife and mother-in-law to visit the Holy Land. While in Jerusalem, his mother-in-law suffered a heart attack and died. Trying to figure out what to do in a foreign country, he spoke to the US Embassy. The aide to the Ambassador told him that he could have his mother-in-law flown home with him and his wife, but it would cost about $4000. On the other hand, she could be buried there in Israel for only $1000. The man thought long and hard before replying, “I guess we’ll pay the extra to fly her home.” The aide responded that it would be a lot cheaper to bury her there and they would do a very nice job with the service. The man replied, “Oh, I have no doubts it would be nice. But you see, a man died here 2000 years ago and was buried, and then just three days later He came back to life. I just can’t take the chance of that happening again.”
Some will tell us that death is no laughing matter. And it isn’t, especially when the death seems so tragic. But as believers, we should know that death is not the end, it is not the final statement to our life. No, it is simply the next step to an even greater life. For those of us who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, as the one true Son of God, that eternal life will be wonderful beyond our wildest imaginings. For those who refuse to accept Jesus, eternity won’t be quite as fun.
The Apostle John tells us of a man named Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, two sisters we see mentioned more than once in our Bible’s New Testament. The sisters send word that their brother is dying, imploring Jesus to come because they know He can make Lazarus well.
And did you catch Jesus’ response? Lazarus’ sickness will not end in death, but is ultimately for the glory of God, so that the Son of God can be glorified through it. And then He waits until the third day to go there. Why? So that people can see Him work and believe He is indeed the Son of God.
But let me point out that in verse 14 Jesus says, “Lazarus is dead”. The message He received was that Lazarus was dying, but Jesus said he is already dead. And sure enough, in verse 17 we see that after waiting those two full days, Jesus arrives to find that Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days.
Of course, a little thing like death was no big deal to Jesus. He order the stone sealing the tomb be removed, even though Martha was concerned the smell may be a bit offsetting. And for the sake of those watching and listening, Jesus thanks our Father God for doing what He is about to ask so that the onlookers might believe that Jesus was indeed sent by God.
Then He orders Lazarus out of the grave, and out he comes, bound up in his grave cloths, with his face still covered. Jesus said, “Loose him, and let him go.” He said that to the people there, but He could have as easily said it to death itself. Some day He will say that to death for us: “Loose them and let them go.”
Lazarus is not the only person Jesus brought back from the dead. Another earlier resurrection was of the young daughter of Jairus, a synagogue leader, as told by the Apostle Luke in the 8th chapter of his Gospel account. But the first recorded instance of Jesus raising someone from the dead, and my personal favorite, is recorded for us also by Luke in chapter 7 of his Gospel, verses 11 through 15…
This is my favorite because I can’t help but imagine the reaction of the people carrying the open casket when the widow’s son suddenly sat up and began to speak!
But family, these are stories of love, and of giving. In both of these instance, for the sisters of Lazarus and for the widow whose son had died, Jesus showed love and compassion. He cared, not only about the deceased, but about those left behind who mourned. He grieved with them, groaning in His own spirit.
And we do mourn, those of us left behind by the loss of a loved one, even when we know our loved one has gone on to a much better place. That better place is indeed one we all long for, and one we will see if we believe and accept Jesus.
Just as He offered new life to Lazarus and the widow’s son, He offers new life to all who believe. Because death is only temporary. Because Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
Now in each of these “I am” messages, we’ve seen how we can apply the same description to ourselves that Jesus used to describe Himself. But how does that work today? We can’t bring someone back to life can we? Well, maybe, if it has just happened and we know CPR or have an emergency defibrillator close by, but certainly not someone who has been in the grave for four days!
While we may not be able to bring the mortally dead back to life, we may be able to help save the spiritually dead. We can help those who are dead in sin find new life through and in Jesus. For when we were dead in sin He came to us and gave us new life! And He will do the same for all who are spiritually dead, if they will only come to Him, accept Him, believe in Him. We can help with their spiritual resurrection by sharing with them our story, by telling them how important Jesus is to us, by offering our witness and our testimony, by showing them Jesus in how we live our lives.
Jesus said, “I am willing… I am the bread of life… I am the light of the world… I am the door… I am the Good Shepherd… I am the resurrection and the life”. Be willing to help all others, loving unconditionally, sacrificially, providing for their physical needs so that their spiritual needs might also be met, shining the light of God’s truth so that all might see. Take them by the hand and lead them to the door, fully committing ourselves to Jesus and His service, giving our very all to Him, helping others who are spiritually dead find resurrection and life in Jesus. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You did not want us to face eternal death and separation from You because of our sin and disobedience, so You sent Your Son that we might be saved. Forgive us, please Father, when we fail to share that great gift with others, when we hesitate to tell them our story, when we forget to give You the glory. Thank You for loving us so much that You set in motion a plan to save us all, if we would only believe.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help to do so…
Lord Jesus, You showed us that our life on this earth is only temporary by restoring life to those who had died, by walking out of the grave Yourself. And you gave us new life when we accepted You as our Lord and Master, knowing You to be our Savior. Help us, please Lord, to share this wonderful news with others, to offer our testimony in words and in how we live our lives. Help us help others who are spiritually dead find that same resurrection in their lives.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith. Amen.
“Do you believe in life after death?”, the boss asked one of his newer employees. “Yes, Sir.” the young man replied.
“Oh, well, that's okay then!”, said the boss. “Because after you left early yesterday to go to your grandmother's funeral, she stopped by to see you!”
And that reminds me of the old joke about the man who took his wife and mother-in-law to visit the Holy Land. While in Jerusalem, his mother-in-law suffered a heart attack and died. Trying to figure out what to do in a foreign country, he spoke to the US Embassy. The aide to the Ambassador told him that he could have his mother-in-law flown home with him and his wife, but it would cost about $4000. On the other hand, she could be buried there in Israel for only $1000. The man thought long and hard before replying, “I guess we’ll pay the extra to fly her home.” The aide responded that it would be a lot cheaper to bury her there and they would do a very nice job with the service. The man replied, “Oh, I have no doubts it would be nice. But you see, a man died here 2000 years ago and was buried, and then just three days later He came back to life. I just can’t take the chance of that happening again.”
Some will tell us that death is no laughing matter. And it isn’t, especially when the death seems so tragic. But as believers, we should know that death is not the end, it is not the final statement to our life. No, it is simply the next step to an even greater life. For those of us who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, as the one true Son of God, that eternal life will be wonderful beyond our wildest imaginings. For those who refuse to accept Jesus, eternity won’t be quite as fun.
The Apostle John tells us of a man named Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, two sisters we see mentioned more than once in our Bible’s New Testament. The sisters send word that their brother is dying, imploring Jesus to come because they know He can make Lazarus well.
And did you catch Jesus’ response? Lazarus’ sickness will not end in death, but is ultimately for the glory of God, so that the Son of God can be glorified through it. And then He waits until the third day to go there. Why? So that people can see Him work and believe He is indeed the Son of God.
But let me point out that in verse 14 Jesus says, “Lazarus is dead”. The message He received was that Lazarus was dying, but Jesus said he is already dead. And sure enough, in verse 17 we see that after waiting those two full days, Jesus arrives to find that Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days.
Of course, a little thing like death was no big deal to Jesus. He order the stone sealing the tomb be removed, even though Martha was concerned the smell may be a bit offsetting. And for the sake of those watching and listening, Jesus thanks our Father God for doing what He is about to ask so that the onlookers might believe that Jesus was indeed sent by God.
Then He orders Lazarus out of the grave, and out he comes, bound up in his grave cloths, with his face still covered. Jesus said, “Loose him, and let him go.” He said that to the people there, but He could have as easily said it to death itself. Some day He will say that to death for us: “Loose them and let them go.”
Lazarus is not the only person Jesus brought back from the dead. Another earlier resurrection was of the young daughter of Jairus, a synagogue leader, as told by the Apostle Luke in the 8th chapter of his Gospel account. But the first recorded instance of Jesus raising someone from the dead, and my personal favorite, is recorded for us also by Luke in chapter 7 of his Gospel, verses 11 through 15…
11 Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. 12 And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.--Luke 7:11-15 (NKJV)
But family, these are stories of love, and of giving. In both of these instance, for the sisters of Lazarus and for the widow whose son had died, Jesus showed love and compassion. He cared, not only about the deceased, but about those left behind who mourned. He grieved with them, groaning in His own spirit.
And we do mourn, those of us left behind by the loss of a loved one, even when we know our loved one has gone on to a much better place. That better place is indeed one we all long for, and one we will see if we believe and accept Jesus.
Just as He offered new life to Lazarus and the widow’s son, He offers new life to all who believe. Because death is only temporary. Because Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
Now in each of these “I am” messages, we’ve seen how we can apply the same description to ourselves that Jesus used to describe Himself. But how does that work today? We can’t bring someone back to life can we? Well, maybe, if it has just happened and we know CPR or have an emergency defibrillator close by, but certainly not someone who has been in the grave for four days!
While we may not be able to bring the mortally dead back to life, we may be able to help save the spiritually dead. We can help those who are dead in sin find new life through and in Jesus. For when we were dead in sin He came to us and gave us new life! And He will do the same for all who are spiritually dead, if they will only come to Him, accept Him, believe in Him. We can help with their spiritual resurrection by sharing with them our story, by telling them how important Jesus is to us, by offering our witness and our testimony, by showing them Jesus in how we live our lives.
Jesus said, “I am willing… I am the bread of life… I am the light of the world… I am the door… I am the Good Shepherd… I am the resurrection and the life”. Be willing to help all others, loving unconditionally, sacrificially, providing for their physical needs so that their spiritual needs might also be met, shining the light of God’s truth so that all might see. Take them by the hand and lead them to the door, fully committing ourselves to Jesus and His service, giving our very all to Him, helping others who are spiritually dead find resurrection and life in Jesus. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You did not want us to face eternal death and separation from You because of our sin and disobedience, so You sent Your Son that we might be saved. Forgive us, please Father, when we fail to share that great gift with others, when we hesitate to tell them our story, when we forget to give You the glory. Thank You for loving us so much that You set in motion a plan to save us all, if we would only believe.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, thanking You for Your many blessings, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help to do so…
Lord Jesus, You showed us that our life on this earth is only temporary by restoring life to those who had died, by walking out of the grave Yourself. And you gave us new life when we accepted You as our Lord and Master, knowing You to be our Savior. Help us, please Lord, to share this wonderful news with others, to offer our testimony in words and in how we live our lives. Help us help others who are spiritually dead find that same resurrection in their lives.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith. Amen.
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