Processing Death

Well folks, great to see you this morning and happy Easter. It's lovely to have you with us.

Great to have those who are joining us online with us as well.

Let me invite you to grab a Bible and come back with me to John chapter 11

John 11 · chapter mention

and to one of the most magnificent chapters in the Bible.

As you're turning there, let me tell you about one of the most famous Americans in all of history.

You might have heard of him. A man by the name of Benjamin Franklin.

A man famous for a number of things. I guess famous for being one of the founding fathers of the United States.

He's one of the team that did the Declaration of Independence. Huge moment. Birth of a nation.

Famous for his work as a pioneer and as an inventor. Famous for being the face that's on a $100 bill.

If you're ever privileged enough to have one of them in your possession, that's the face that you'll see.

Also famous for an observation that he once made about life.

Put it on the screen. This is what he said about life.

He said, there are only two certainties in life. Death and taxes.

Right? A cheery note to strike. I think you'll agree on this Easter Sunday, but bear with me.

Only two certainties in life. Death and taxes.

Let me ask you, how does his observation strike you?

Tell you what, let's put his comments on taxes to the side for just a moment.

Okay, we'll leave that with Rishi Sunak and Kate Forbes.

And you can have your say on that as you go to the polls in Sixth of Me.

Agreed?

To the side, the taxes.

What do you make about his comments on death?

Heard it described recently as the taboo subject of our day.

Okay, generation previous, no one wants to talk about sex.

Everyone wants to talk about death.

Our generation, no one wants to talk about death.

Everyone wants to talk about sex.

Isn't it interesting?

The taboo subject of our day.

What is it that we've been hit with in these daily coronavirus briefings every day?

What have we been hit with?

Numbers.

Numbers.

Numbers.

This is the amount of positive cases.

This is the amount of positive cases that have led to people being in hospital.

This is the amount of people who have died.

And fair play to her, Nicola Sturgeon.

She reads out those numbers every day.

She says that she does it because she wants to honour the fact that these are real people

with real friends and with real family who are all shedding real tears.

And let me ask you, as you maybe watch this today or maybe as you're here,

how have you processed all of this stuff?

Maybe some of you read, I don't know if you're a Guardian reader, I'm not sure.

John Harris, last week in The Guardian, who himself, a self-confessed atheist,

who ticked the no religion box in the recent census.

He said this,

Like millions of other faithless people,

I have not even the flimsiest of narratives to project onto what has happened,

nor any real vocabulary with which to talk about the profundities of life and death.

Now, do you hear what he's saying?

And do you feel maybe what he's saying?

What is he saying?

He's saying that he doesn't have a story.

What is his phrase?

He calls it the flimsiest of narratives.

He doesn't have a framework for understanding this.

He has no way of understanding the world

that can make sense of life and death,

let alone hold the enormous weight of it.

So let me ask you on this Easter Sunday,

do you have a story?

Do you have a story?

Come with me to John 11

and let Jesus give us a story.

And not just our story,

the story.

Okay, so we pick up the narrative,

if you have it there, at verse 1.

And we learn that one of Jesus' friends is badly sick,

this man called Lazarus.

And Lazarus has two sisters called Mary and Martha.

And this family lived together in this little place

just outside of Jerusalem called Bethany.

And this is a family,

as you read the Gospels through,

that is full of individuals

who are clearly close to Jesus' heart.

He loves this family.

He loves these people.

Now, let me just pause there for a minute

because we so often just pass over that observation.

Isn't it striking

that the Son of God,

isn't it striking that God in the flesh

gave himself to people?

You know, he's not strutting around like

Lord Grantham from Downton Abbey, is he?

He's kind of seated in his high horse and carriage.

Although Lord Grantham did this,

but you know what I mean.

He's looking down on the poor people saying,

can you just keep the riffraff away from me?

That's not Jesus.

Sharing his heart with people.

Loves people.

Love that about Jesus.

But one day,

while he and his disciples are somewhere else,

news reaches Jesus

of Lazarus' predicament back in Bethany.

Did you see that in the text?

And it's not looking good.

But incredibly,

Jesus, when he hears the news,

he doesn't drop everything and run.

Does he?

Verse 5,

he's staying put with his disciples,

and he's staying put two more days.

Now, does that not strike you?

At verse 5,

does it not strike you as being a bit odd?

We would expect Jesus to drop everything and go,

would we not?

But according to him,

the reason,

the reason is that his glory might be displayed.

The reason is,

according to Jesus,

that his disciples and those watching

might look at this episode

and learn something utterly life-transforming

about who this man is.

two days he's staying,

another 48 hours pass.

And by this time,

by the time that Jesus and his disciples

eventually get to Bethany,

four days have come and gone.

Now, you know what it's like

when you're in one of those

heartbreaking moments.

How long do the days feel?

How long does every hour feel?

Four days.

Four days,

Lazarus is dead

and Jesus knows this.

He knows this.

Verse 14,

he knows Lazarus is dead.

And when Jesus and his disciples

eventually get to Bethany,

they encounter a sorrowful scene.

What do they see?

People are weeping.

People have come from Jerusalem

to Bethany

to console this family,

mourning the loss of Lazarus.

And Jesus encounters two sisters

who are utterly shell-shocked

as they come to terms

with the painful reality

that their brother is dead.

And both sisters,

you see it,

when they eventually meet Jesus,

they both say exactly the same thing.

This was clearly what was going on

back in the house,

what they're discussing.

Do you see it?

Martha says it at verse 21

and Mary says exactly the same thing

at verse 32.

Lord, if you had been here,

my brother would not have died.

Now enter into the pain

of their question.

What are they asking?

Where were you, Jesus?

What is going on?

Who are you, Jesus?

Have we got it right?

Do you really love us?

Where are you, Jesus?

Maybe that's a question

that's in your mind today.

Maybe as you're here,

maybe as you're watching this.

Who is this Jesus?

You know, it might be Easter Sunday,

but let's not pretend,

given the last season of life

that we've been through

that has been so hard

for so many of us

in so many different ways,

let us not pretend

that we've come in here this morning,

all of us,

dancing in like Easter bunnies.

life's been so hard.

And if you're sitting there this morning,

you're watching this,

you're feeling the weight of that.

Let me just say,

that is why all of us

need to take a deep breath

of Jesus

and inhale what is going on

in the text here

and allow our souls

to be strengthened

by the victorious Christ.

Not about who we are,

all about who he is.

Let me just give you,

in the 10 minutes

that we have remaining,

five words from John 11.

Five words,

it's a two and a three.

It's a bit of maths

for you this morning as well.

Five words

that help us understand

who Jesus is from this text.

Okay, come and see,

first of all,

two words that reveal his heart.

Verse 35,

if you've got it there,

for the eggheads in the room

watching,

here is the shortest verse

in the Bible.

Okay, you can play that one

whenever you want in conversation.

Shortest verse in the Bible,

verse 35,

and yet,

make no mistake,

it is one of the most profound.

In response to seeing

the utter devastation

which Lazarus' death

has brought to those he loves,

here are our two words

and get these,

Jesus wept.

Jesus wept.

Is that not incredible?

When you think about it,

is that not incredible?

God cried.

Now,

why is he crying?

That's the question.

Why is he crying?

Is it because he is deeply moved

by what he saw?

Absolutely.

Does Jesus know the sorrows

and the pains

of his people?

Definitely.

But let me just say,

if the only reason

that Jesus cried

was because he was missing his friend,

then he knows

he's only got five more minutes

to go,

I imagine,

and then he's reunited

with his friend Lazarus.

And if that was the case,

if that was the only reason

he was crying,

does that not strike you

as a bit of a case

of crocodile tears

from Jesus?

Got to see that there's

more going on here.

More going on.

You see,

as Jesus watched

death

get its teeth into,

another person,

death,

yield,

its power,

the death

that's in the world

because of our sin,

our rebellion

against our creator,

causing chaos

in people's lives.

Jesus looks on death

and he is incensed.

These are tears

of anger and outrage

that this is not

how it's supposed to be.

Now let me just

pause at that moment

and just ask you,

are you not grateful

that Jesus is like that?

That he's not stone cold

at this moment?

Okay,

he's not some kind of

James Bond type figure

from above

who's got orders from M

not to get too emotionally

involved in the situation

because emotion

is a weakness

better to be detached

from the situation.

Jesus isn't like that.

Friends,

would you want to worship him

if he was?

If the truth was

that God didn't give

two hoots

about the pain

in this world?

Jesus wept.

Jesus wept.

His tears are proof

of the truth

that this is not

the way

that it is supposed

to be.

And I guess

the problem

for us today

is that we have

got so used to it

being the truth

pretending that it is.

You know there are

many stereotypes

of British people.

One of them

is that they're

really,

really good

at the stiff upper lip.

You heard that phrase

before?

The stiff upper lip.

Some of you

may be of a generation

the 80s

you might remember

the singing sensation

jewel

Chaz and Dave.

Right?

What did they have?

What was their song?

The lyrics to it?

Mustn't grumble

mustn't grumble.

Yeah?

Not looking at anyone

in the room here at all.

Mustn't grumble.

Mustn't grumble.

It's about their song,

right?

Another fact

only if you want

quoted by Wallace

from Wallace and Gromit

and Gromit

another British sensation

who,

what was his famous line?

All's well that ends well

that's what I say.

That was Wallace

wasn't it?

From Wallace and Gromit.

It's what we Brits do.

We're good at this.

We just pretend it's okay

and we just get on with it.

And yet here is Jesus

giving us permission

to know

that it's not.

What we instinctively

know to be true

at every funeral

we attend,

what we instinctively

know to be the case

when we watch

people that we love

go through

the most horrendous

moments of suffering

and it's what we know

to be true

as we try and process

every tragedy

that we've been through

that this

isn't right.

It's almost like

you know when you're in the car

and a little warning light

comes on your dashboard

just there

as if they say

the car trying to tell you

is how I think of it

the car trying to tell you

something's not right here

something's not right.

It's like that

in our consciences

isn't it?

And the thing is

at this point

the car conscience

lines up with the Bible.

This is not right.

Death according to the Bible

is an unwelcome intruder

in God's good creation.

It is

what Paul would describe

as the great and last

enemy.

And Jesus' tears

tell us

that Jesus has

in his heart

to do something

about it.

And so from two words

that reveal his heart

let me just give you

three words

that show his power.

Verse 43

So Jesus

in a spirit

of defiance

he calls

for the stone

in front of

Lazarus' tomb

to be

rolled away.

and I love

Martha's instinctive

response at this point

particularly as you

read it in some of

the older translations

of the English Bible

the good old KGV

reports Martha

saying

Jesus surely

by this time

he stinketh.

And she's right

isn't it?

But four days

have gone past

this body

will be decomposing.

And you have to say

this is a hugely

strange request

from Jesus

as it not

roll the stone

away

but it's more

than a strange

request.

Surely it's an

insensitive one.

And we talk about

things that you

do not say

at a funeral.

This line

has got to be

right at the top

has it not?

Imagine calling

for proceedings

to be stopped.

How about we

pop the coffin lid

and we'll see

if it is actually

the case

and if we can do

something about it.

We do not say that.

And yet Jesus

is deadly serious.

Friends none of us

would

want a God

who didn't care.

Can I suggest

isn't it wonderful

news

that Jesus

is also one

who can do

something about it?

You know

what would be

the case

if he couldn't?

You know

as if he was

some kind of

lucky mascot.

Do you remember

those days

when you used

to take stuff

into your exams

thinking that

would help you?

What use was that

looking back at it?

Very much in keeping

with how it started

at the beginning

of the Bible story.

In Genesis 1

the one through

whom all things

were made

here he is

speaking once again

into the darkness

into the chaos

into the abyss

and life

comes.

Here's the three

words.

Ready for them?

Really simply

Lazarus

come

out.

And the man

who after four

days

was verifiably

dead

and I take it

that's the reason

Jesus waited

those four days

to help the people

understand

that this wasn't

a case of Lazarus

needing resuscitation.

This was a case

of Lazarus

needing resurrection.

Lazarus

his hands and feet

you see in the text

still bound with cloths

because this is

an eyewitness account

hobbles out.

And so

here is the top story

in the Bethany news

at six.

Lazarus

lives.

He lives.

Death

has given

way to life.

The man

who was dead

is walking

and he's talking.

And this is why

people

if you read on

the Jews

want to kill him

because of

his witness

that people are

coming to know

Jesus for themselves.

And I love the point

in the story

where he finds out

that the Jews

are after him

to kill him.

Can you imagine

that one?

They're going to what?

They're going to kill me?

Because I know

somebody who's got

the power to bring

me back to life.

But you've got to see

in the context

of John's gospel

what was wonderfully

foreshadowed here

in this incident

with Lazarus

is Jesus'

own resurrection.

This is what's coming.

Jesus

himself

verifiably

dead

crucified

on the cross

hands

nailed

side

pierced.

We have to understand

in terms of history

that Roman soldiers

didn't miss

they didn't miss

but we've got to understand

in terms of theology

that neither did

God's wrath.

As Jesus took

our sin on himself

the very sin

that brought death

into the world

in the first place

and meant

that we were deserving

rightly

of eternal death

and separation

from God

Jesus took

the full weight

of that

and we just cannot

comprehend that.

he took the full weight

of that

on himself

and three days later

he verifiably

rises

bodily

and physically

not a mere

hallucinatory

experience here

from those who saw it.

The risen Jesus

was seen

touched

talked to

and ate with

multiple people

on multiple occasions

over a lengthy period

of time

40 days.

In other words

there are witnesses

to back this up

and where we stand

2000 years later

we have thus

written down

in our language

and we can trace it

all the way back

to the original witnesses.

In other words

Christianity

rests on a bedrock

of evidence

as God sends

a message to the world

publicly

that my son

has done it.

He's done it.

My king

who I've installed

Psalm 2

this is where it connects

Psalm 2

the king who's seated

I have seated

on his holy hill

I've done it

because he has

completed the mission

for which he came

to save his people

from their sin

those who would look

to him in faith

could have their sins

forgiven

and could be right

with God.

And this same Jesus

the king

will one day return

in the same way

that he came

to put all wrongs

to right

to judge the living

and the dead

according to how

they have responded

to him.

He will put all wrongs

to right friends

understand that

no more pain

no more tears

no more sickness

no more caught deaths

no more workers

exploitation

no more slavery

no more abuse

no more sin

banished

distant memory

because the king

has dealt with it.

So Aslan said

of himself wasn't it?

Because of his work

death itself

was beginning

to work backwards.

The old tale

that's going around

Narnia

about Aslan

wrong will be right

when Aslan

comes in sight

at the sound

of his roar

sorrows will be no more

when he bares

his teeth

winter meets

its death

and when he shakes

his mane

we will have spring

again.

Jesus Christ

our only hope

in life

and death.

There is no bigger news

there is no greater news

than Jesus Christ

crucified

and Jesus Christ

risen.

And friends

today

let it strengthen

our souls

and may it just

kindle our affection

for Jesus

once again

and maybe

if you've wandered

maybe you're watching us

you don't know him

would today be the day

when you come to love him

and know him

and trust him

as your saviour.

You know let me ask you

just as we close

do you have a story?

Do you have a story?

Well on this Easter Sunday

let Jesus give us all

a story

not just a story

but the story

and in the words

of C.S. Lewis

I realise I've quoted him

three times there

in a minute

but go with me

okay

you guys got things to say

come and believe

the myth that's true.

Benjamin Franklin said

there are only two certainties

in life

death and taxes

Jesus thunders

I am the resurrection

and the life

the one who believes

in me will live

even though they die

and whoever lives

by believing in me

will never die.

Here is Christ

risen from the grave

let's pray together.

And let me just read

these words from

John chapter 20

John 20 · chapter mention

and let's

make this our prayer.

Now Jesus did many

other signs

in the presence

of his disciples

which are not written

in this book

but these are written

so that you may come

to believe

that Jesus

is the Messiah

the Son of God

and that through

believing

you might have

life

in his name.

And so Father

our prayer today

is that you would

lift our souls

to the glorious Christ.

Father thank you

that you love us

and thank you

that our King lives

and so we make our prayers

in his wonderful name.

Amen.

Father

Father

Father

Father

Father

Father

Father

See you

through

and

Father

God

And so

we placed

in water

for a

to save