Lazarus, Come Out!

0:00Good morning and welcome to a family on a mission, the radio ministry of the first Presbyterian Church of Norwalk, Ohio. We'll spend the next half hour worshiping God through music, prayer and the word, including a sermon from Pastor James entitled Lazarus, Come Out. We invite you to join us in worship on Sunday mornings at 8.30am or 10.45am on the church campus at 21 Firelands Boulevard in Norwalk. Visit our website at firstpresbyterian.net for more information. Let's begin our worship. Let us pray, come a Holy Spirit, come as holy light and lead us in the darkness, come as holy power and enable our weakness, come as holy life and dwell in us until we are

1:03set free from the service of ourselves to be your servants to the world. Amen. Just one word, the darkness has to be tree, just one touch, I feel the presence of it. Just one touch, I as her open to see, my heart can't help but believe, there's nothing that I can't do, there's nothing that I can't move. Oh praise our name, that makes our way, there's nothing that I can't do.

2:07Just one word, you hear what's broken inside me. Just one word, and you hear my every dream, just one touch, I feel the power of it. Just one touch, I as her open to see, my heart can't help but believe, there's nothing that I can't do, there's nothing that I can't move. Oh praise our name, that makes our way, there's nothing that I can't do. There's nothing that I can't do, there's nothing that I can't do. Just one touch, I as her open to see, my heart can't help but believe, there's nothing that I can't do.

3:08Just one touch, I as her open to see, my heart can't help but believe, there's nothing that I can't do. I will believe, for greater things, there's no power like the power of Jesus. John, chapter 11, verses 1 through 16, listen to the word of the Lord. Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and his sister Martha. Mary was the one who adointed the Lord with perfume and wiped her feet with his hair. Her brother Lazarus was ill, so the sister sent a message to Jesus, Lord, he whom you love is ill. But when Jesus heard it, he said, this illness does not lead to death, rather it is for God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it. Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus

4:10and having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. And then after this, he said to the disciples, let us go to Judea again. The disciples said to him, rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you. And are you going there again? And Jesus answered, are there not 12 hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble because the light is not in them. After saying this, he told them, our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I'm going there to awaken him. The disciples said to him, Lord, if he's fallen asleep, he'll be alright. Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death. But they merely thought that he was referring to, referring merely to sleep. And then Jesus told them plainly, Lazarus is dead. For years sake, I'm glad that I was not there so that you may believe.

5:12But let us go to him. And Thomas, who is called the twin, said to his fellow disciples, let us also go that we may die with him. The word of the Lord, thanks be to God. Will you please pray with me? Dear Lord, may the words of my mouth and meditations upon all of our hearts be holy and acceptable in your sight, our rock and our redeemer. Amen. We may try to ignore it or cheat it, but death is a reality for all human beings. All of us die. Human institutions and civilizations are built on that one reality. Some of the greatest poetry, music, and literature wrestle with our mortality. With Christianity emerged, there was a stark difference between the pagan and Christian funerals. Pagans mourned as those who feared the permanence of death. Christians buried their dead as those awaiting resurrection.

6:15Pagans would actually hire professional mourners and they would have these elaborate displays of public wailing and lament. Christians would sing songs of hope at the graveside. For other traditions speak of acceptance and resignation. Christians are decidedly defiant. For Christians, Jesus is celebrated as a conqueror. The departed is one of those who participates in Christ's victory. As John 3, 16, reminds us for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. That question about eternal life, but what is that eternal life? And when does it start? Does it start at the death of our loved ones? Does it start when the return of Jesus at the end of time? Or is it something else? Today's scripture lesson actually speaks into this situation.

7:18It helps us to understand a bit better what we mean by this eternal life. The passage that we just shared and we're going to be sharing through this sermon today is about the raising of Lazarus from the dead serves as the hinge of the entire gospel of John. Up to this point, the case is being made for Jesus' identity as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Afterwards, after this story, He is heading towards His death and the cross and the resurrection. This story is the last of what some might point out as seven signs, events that point to Jesus as the Messiah. It's not the first time we've talked about signs as we've been reading through the gospel of John. And there are these ideas, these times, sometimes explicitly or sometimes implicitly about these signs. And just like a sign on the highway that points the direction to where you're going,

8:21these signs that we find in scripture point to who Jesus is. Examples are, for example, when Jesus turns water into wine and quina. When Jesus heals the son of an official, a cappernum. When Jesus healed the lame man at the pool of salonal. When Jesus feeds 5,000 with just a few loaves and the fish. When Jesus walks on the water. When Jesus heals a man born blind. And now Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. The signs escalate in intensity. They move from the power of transformation, healing, provision, illumination, and now finally to victory over death. In today's scripture lesson we learned that Lazarus has fallen ill. Who is Lazarus? He's a friend of Jesus. He and his two sisters, Mary and Martha had shown great hospitality to Jesus.

9:22And now there were crowds that were taking interest in Jesus. But there were also opposition. Religious elite were not happy with this movement that Jesus had begun. And there were certainly calls for Jesus to be killed. Lazarus, Mary and Martha had shown some courage for their friendship to Jesus and their loyalty to Him. Jesus had frequented their home in Bethania, a little suburb outside of Jerusalem. And we know actually a little bit more about Lazarus's sisters from the Gospel of Luke. Martha was the one who was working so hard in which she was complaining about her sister Mary. Jesus says, Martha, Martha, you're worried about, not said about so many things, but few things are needed and indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better and it will not be taken away from her. Mary had taken a position of a student at the feet of Jesus. And we also learned from this passage that Mary was the one who anointed Jesus' feet with ointment

10:26and wiped his feet with her hair. There was a great fondness between these three siblings and also Jesus. Jesus was like a member of the family. And when this word about Lazarus being sick gets to Jesus, he's on the other side of the Jordan River. And today's scripture, it makes multiple times mention that Jesus loved Lazarus. But then he decides to delay. Not kind of a fences us in some level here. Again and again, we're reminded God loves us, but then we often experience delay and even death. Part of the things that we need to come grips with though is that God's delay is still compatible with God's love. Two days of delay, Jesus says, now it's time to go back to Judea. Now the disciples are not too keen on the idea. The last time Jesus was in the neighborhood, he was almost stoned.

11:28And so there's going to be some risk for him and for the disciples. Lazarus is dead. Jesus explicitly tells the disciples this. And now Jesus and the disciples risk death themselves. We may try to cheat death. We may run from it, but in the fallen world, it still remains a reality. It hangs over us. And how should we respond to the reality of our mortality? The Apostle Thomas gives us actually one response. I love Thomas. He just sees the risk and he just says, let's go that we might die with him. So we pick up the story at this point, verse 17. Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus was already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem about two miles off and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary stayed seated in the house.

12:33Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you. And Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again. Martha said to him, I know that he'll rise again in the resurrection on the last day. And Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me though he died, yet shall he live. And everyone who believes and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? And she said to him, yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world. It's Martha who first confronts Jesus. Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you. Jesus asks about the resurrection and Martha responds with the right answer. Martha believes in the resurrection on the last day.

13:34She has her theology as sound here. She's correct, but she's still grieving. She sounds like most of us do at a funeral, right? A funeral of a friend or a family member, we say things like, well, we'll see him again, right? We'll see him again. This is, you know, they're in a better place now. These are the sort of things we say. But Jesus responds differently. He says to her, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even though they die. Jesus actually redefines the resurrection. It's not about the sweet by and by. Jesus offers, doesn't offer a timeline. Instead, he says, he offers himself. I am the resurrection and the life. I am echoes Sinai, that the counter that Moses has with the burning bush,

14:38Moses says, who are you? What are this? God says, I am. That I existed before the universe. I will exist far after. It's gone away when every other God fails away. Every idol turns to dust. I am. I am. Jesus says, I am the resurrection and the life. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God. The Word was God. He was with God in the beginning through him all things were made. Without him, nothing was made that has been made in him was life. And that life was the light of all mankind. The light shined in the darkness. And the darkness has not overcome it. From this passage, we learn very quickly and very clearly. Eternal life is not sitting on a cloud playing a harp. It's not some diet or exercise plan to extend life indefinitely. It's not even a heavenly fallout shelter to avoid the worst on life on earth.

15:38It is a participation in the life of Jesus Christ. And John's first letter, he says to us, that whoever has the Son has life, whoever does not have the Son of God, does not have life. Jesus is telling us that eternal life doesn't start at the death or even Jesus's return. It starts now with Jesus. And John's language here in the letter starts with this present tense, whoever has the Son has life. Right here, right now, present tense. It's not that you have the right ideas or the correct religious heritage or the right church membership. It is, do you have the Son? Do you have Jesus? This is not deferred hope. It is present communion with God in Jesus. That's what eternal life is about. It's communion with Jesus.

16:40But this communion with Jesus is not just for the moment, it is forever. Continuing on with our passage from verse 28, when she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary. That was Martha calling her sister Mary, saying in private, the teacher is here, it is calling for you. And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were there with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise and quickly go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to go the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews that had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and was greatly troubled. And he said, where have you laid him? And they said to him, Lord, come and see.

17:42Jesus went. So the Jews said, see how he loved him. But some of them said, could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man and also kept this man from dying? Now it's Mary's turn. Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. This grief of these two sisters for their brother is intense. Jesus, why did you have to delay? Why did you have to delay? Why couldn't you have just been here and fixed things? And Jesus sees their grief. And interestingly enough, he responds with his own grief. Jesus himself is deeply moved. He says, where have you laid him? And the crowd responded, come and see. Now this is not the first time that we've heard this phrase. At the beginning of the gospel, John the Baptist declares, look, there's the Lamb of God, the one who takes away the sins of the world. And when people heard this, they follow Jesus.

18:42And Jesus actually invites them to come and see. Later, when Nathaniel asked, can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip responds, come and see. When the woman at the well leaves her jar and rushes home, she tells her neighbors, come and see. For others, come and see was an invitation to follow Jesus. It was an invitation to a life marked by God's grace. It was an invitation to a life of transformation, and a joyful repentance of God's love. But here, they're speaking to Jesus, and they're telling him to come and see. This is Jesus' invitation to step into the tomb, to encounter death fully and completely. And when Jesus does, Jesus will. Short verse. Shortest verse in the Bible, right? Enormous theology, though. Jesus knows he's going to raise Lazarus in the dead.

19:43He knows he has that ability that he has competent in that, right? There's no doubt in Jesus' mind of what he can do and what he can accomplish. Remember, before this whole thing began, he told the disciples, I'm glad I'm here with you now so that you can see the glory that is about to come. But he still weeps. He still weeps here and now. Eternal life does not mean detachment from grief. It means that God enters our grief. This is not a God who lectures Martha about correct eschatology. This is a God who stands in front of a grave and trembles like we all do. Communion with Christ means we meet a Savior who refuses to stand aloof from death's cruelty. He weeps. He weeps with us. He weeps for us. And then Jesus is starting with verse 38, deeply moved again, came to the tomb.

20:43It was a cave and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, take away the stone. Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, Lord, by this time there will be an odor for he's been dead for four days. Jesus said to her, did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God. So he took away the stone and Jesus lived up his eyes and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I know that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around that they may believe that you sent me. When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice. Lazarus, come out. Lazarus, come forth. The man who had died came out his hands and feet were bound with linen strips and the face wrapped with a cloth. And Jesus said to them, unbind him and let him go. Jesus does not explain death. He confronts it.

21:43He challenges it. And he calls Lazarus by name. There's an old preacher's joke about that if Jesus had not actually mentioned Lazarus by name that every grave that day would have opened up and folks would be coming forth. This is personal for Jesus. He's addressing Lazarus by name. His friend, his disciple. Salvation is not an abstract immortality. It is being summoned by name and to fellowship with the Son. Jesus is calling you by name. Not just some generic disciple. He's calling you by your name. He loves you. And decide when Lazarus come forth. He's still wrapped up in the grave clothes. And Jesus says, take off the grave clothes and let him go. With the gift of the resurrection, the community of faith

22:46has a role to play. We are to help take off the grave clothes and let him go to unbind him. We're to replace those grave clothes with new clothes. And that's the role of discipleship. That's what small groups are for. That's what Sunday school classes are for and Bible studies. That's what Christian fellowship is about. That's what Christian friendship is about. It's to be able to be there to be able to help those who have been redeemed, who have been called forth out of death into life, into communion with the Son. But now we have to live into it. We're here to help one another through that. Christ is calling his church this day and every day unbind him, unbind her. Let them go. Help them to see what the new life is all about. Let them not hang out in cemeteries about now. Let's live the life that he's given us. The resurrection is not about wrapping our loved ones

23:48in bubble wrap. We're not protecting them from the bumps and scrapes of life. The resurrection is about endurance. It's about courage. It's about survival. It means living and dying. But it also means rising again. Remember Lazarus will die a second time. Even now, Lazarus is waiting for the second coming just like we all are. Jesus is not trying to prevent death here. Instead, he is preparing us to confront it. Come forth. Come out. Out of the isolation, out of the fear, out of nearly surviving. And then after this whole episode, after this incredible situation, the authorities decide at this moment in time that Jesus must die. They have made up their minds. They're moving forward.

24:49Life for Lazarus means death for Jesus. You cannot encounter the resurrection and remain neutral. Verse 53 of this passage states, from this point onward, the religious leaders plotted to take Jesus' life. The promise of everlasting life comes with tears and a great cost. The religious leaders believe that Jesus will cause the Romans to respond. See, the idea is if you don't fear death, it means you will be putting up with the injustice and tyranny of that to see around you. You see, death is the only thing that the powers of this world have over us. Jesus shows that deep down because of the resurrection that's found in him, they have nothing, nothing on us. And the religious leaders decide that Jesus is the one who has to die here. Because they do not accept. They don't accept the resurrection. They don't accept who Jesus is and what he brings.

25:49So they assume that death is the end. And all that they're doing is preparing people for a slaughter. And they say, well, no, no, no, no. We can't go this into this place. It's Jesus is going to have to die. Caiaphas announces, you know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it's better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to perish. So the stage is set. Cross is inevitable. But so is Christ's victory. The true miracle is that communion with Christ is that death can never sever us from God. The Apostle Paul says that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ. Eternal life is not survival. It is being held in the life of the sun, being communion with him. And when he calls your name, you come forth. Amen? Amen.

26:58Amen. Amen.

27:58Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. May the strength of God pilot us. May the power of God preserve us. May the wisdom of God instruct us. May the hand of God protect us, may the way of God direct us, may the shield of God defend us, may the host of God guard us against all the snares of evil and the temptations of the world. May Christ be with us, Christ before us, Christ in us, Christ over us. May your salvation, O Lord, be always ours this day and forevermore. And now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now and forevermore.

29:00And all God's people said, Amen. You've been listening to a family on a mission, the radio ministry of the first Presbyterian Church of Norwalk, Ohio. We are delighted that you have joined us this morning. Our Sunday services are at 8.30 a.m. and 10.45 a.m. at 21 Firelands Boulevard in Norwalk. Call the church office at 419-668-1923. If you have any prayer requests, comments or would like to sponsor a broadcast in honor of or in memory of someone. That number again is 419-668-1923. Thanks for listening and have a blessed week.