John 11

Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and you are going there again?

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.

But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.

After saying these things, he said to them, Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep,

but I go to awaken him. The disciples said to him, Lord, if he's fallen asleep, he will recover.

Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest and sleep.

Then Jesus told them plainly, Lazarus has died.

And for your sake, I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.

But let us go to him. So Thomas, called the twin, said to his fellow disciples,

Let us also go, that we may die with him.

Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb 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 remained seated in the house.

Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn't have died.

But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.

Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again.

Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.

Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life.

Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.

And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.

Do you believe this?

She said to him, Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ,

the Son of God who is coming into the world.

When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private,

The teacher is here and 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 with her in the house, consoling her,

saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her,

supposing that she was going to 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 who had come with her also weeping,

he was deeply moved in spirit and greatly troubled.

And he said, Where have you laid him?

They said to him, Lord, come and see.

Jesus wept.

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 also have kept this man from dying?

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb.

It 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 has been dead four days.

Jesus said to her, Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?

So they took away the stone, and Jesus lifted up his eyes and said,

Father, I thank you that you have heard me.

I knew 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!

The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips,

and his face wrapped with a cloth.

Jesus said to them, Unbind him and let him go.

Many of the Jews, therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him.

But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said,

What are we to do?

For this man performs many signs.

If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him,

and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to him,

You know nothing at all.

Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people,

not that the whole nation should perish.

He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year,

he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,

and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one,

the children of God who are scattered abroad.

So from that day on, they made plans to put him to death.

John 11.

All flesh is grass,

and all its beauty,

like the flower of the field.

The grass withers,

the flower fades and falls.

Surely, the people are grass.

The grass withers,

the flower fades and falls.

Even so,

death comes upon us

with steady and unfailing step,

and will gather us all up.

We know it infallibly comes,

but at times,

it seems to come upon some

a pace,

with fleeter foot

in speedier rendezvous,

and the flower falls

before it is faded.

It withers and dies

while yet in bloom,

with still so much in the bud.

It's at times like these

when our hearts

are especially anguished,

and from the turmoil

of our tortured hearts

comes the voiced feeling,

how tragic.

This is not the way

it should be.

There is a sense

that the fabric

of so many strands

that makes life good,

the heart glad,

mouths full of laughter,

have been savagely torn into

and left frayed beyond repair.

Death,

the terrible tearing,

the jarring,

the jarring full stop

in the punctuation of life

that comes,

it would sometimes seem,

mid-sentence.

It leaves us numb,

stupefied,

hollowed out.

Is this not something

of what we feel

when we grow

in our visceral verdict?

What a tragedy.

There seems a senselessness to it.

There seems to be no point.

Well, I want to bring

some words of Jesus

into this sorrow

and hollowness we feel,

into the confusion,

into the pain.

I want to take this account

of Jesus among the mourners

that Rick has just read.

here at the death of Lazarus,

as a window

into his heart

and mind

when he stands

before death.

And as an invitation,

even a summons,

not perhaps so much

to see death

entirely differently

than we feel it to be,

it remains a great terror

and a tearing.

but to have this feeling

mingled with something more,

mingled with something

of the way

Jesus looked upon it.

Friends,

death,

especially for those

to whom it falls

the closest,

can make us feel raw.

and for such a one,

words intended to console

can easily chafe.

The very effort

to bind up

can bruise

in such a sober

and sacred season.

I can feel my heart

to be one of simply

sharing and shedding tears

with you.

But Jesus tells us

that he will not

break the bruised reed.

even the most tender

and sorrowing among us

is safe with him.

So it's well and right

that we go to him

and seek to see

and hear him

amidst our sorrow.

Let's pray.

Come among us, Jesus.

speak into the heaviness

of our hearts

and by your tender

living spirit

meet us

as you alone can do.

Our good

and gentle shepherd,

the God of all comfort,

the one alone

who is mighty to save.

Amen.

Well, I want,

as I have said,

to open for us

some windows

into Jesus' thoughts

and heart

as he stands

before death.

The first

is found

in his opening words.

The news

has come

of Lazarus'

illness

with the implicit

plea

to come

and heal him

lest he die.

There in verse 3.

Lord,

he whom you love

is ill.

And to this,

Jesus responds,

verse 4,

this illness

does not lead

to death.

Now, on the surface,

this might,

he might seem to be

saying,

oh, don't worry.

He won't die.

But are we

to presume

that Jesus

here gives

a forecast

that would

prove mistaken?

I mean,

after all,

Lazarus' sickness

would indeed

lead to death.

No.

No,

Jesus clearly

realizes this.

And when pressed

for clarification,

states plainly

in verse 14,

Lazarus

is dead.

He's saying

something else.

He's not

speaking

of the immediate

outcome

of the illness.

He's going

deeper

and reflecting

upon

the purpose.

What is the

point

of Lazarus'

illness?

What is it

for?

We might

render the words

this sickness

is not

with a view

to death.

So,

Jesus

raises

his sights

higher,

further.

He sees

beyond

Lazarus'

dying

to an

ultimate

issue.

Death

is not

the final

thing

to come

out of

this

fatal

illness.

So,

when Jesus

saw beyond

death,

further

than that

immediate

outcome,

what did

he see?

What was

the point

of Lazarus'

death?

What was

it for?

If the

view of

Lazarus'

death for

Jesus

didn't end

with death,

what did

his view

open to?

the glory

of God.

Verse 4,

this illness

does not

lead to

death,

it is

for

the glory

of God.

So,

when Jesus

looked at

death,

he saw

further

with

elfin

eye.

Death

is not

the last

word

as to

what this

is about.

The point

is not

the period

at the

end of

death.

The point

is the

glory of

God.

Oh,

friends,

if we

would see

death as

Jesus did,

we must

raise our

sights.

Death

is so

dark

and dense,

it would

seek to

pull in

our perspective

like a

black hole

becoming its

final resting

place.

But let's

lift our

eyes with

Jesus and

see more,

for it

will be a

sight to

behold,

the glory

of God.

What do

those words

mean?

The phrase

crops up

throughout the

scriptures,

and we

even may

use it

ourselves on

occasion.

but for

many its

meaning

remains

vague.

Glory of

God.

Think of

it as

the sum

total

of the

splendidness

of God,

the dazzling

array of

his

attributes,

his

unspeakable

wisdom,

beauty,

goodness,

love,

love.

Jesus is

saying,

Lazarus'

death will

be in

some way

a lens

through which

is displayed

the glory

of God,

a prism

through which

the light

of his

beauty,

wisdom,

goodness,

and love

will be

breathtakingly

cast before

our view.

but not

simply in

the sense

of a

dazzling

4th of

July

fireworks

display

where we're

bedazzled

and we sing

the star

spangled

banner

and then

go home.

No.

No,

the display

of his

glory

is the

revelation

of his

person

so ravishing

that it

draws us

into the

unspeakable

raptures

of his

own

self-delight

within his

own

Trinitarian

self.

The glory

of God

gathers

us

into

the

dance

of the

divine

joy

within

the

Godhead.

The glory

of God

displayed

brings us

to cry

out

in amazed

wonder

how good

how wonderful

how loving

how gracious

how wise

is he

and our

hearts

melt.

And God

can do

even that

gather

us up

into his

own

rapturous

self-delight

and melt

our hearts

through the

death

of a

dearly

loved

one?

Yes,

he can.

That's what

the death

of Lazarus

is about?

Yes,

it is.

Well,

if that's

what he's

doing

and if

that's

what it's

about,

it certainly

isn't

obvious.

No.

No,

it seldom

is.

Indeed,

it is

hardly

ever

apparent

how many

things

somehow

glorify

God,

show his

goodness

and so

show his

goodness

so much

that our

hearts are

melted into

loving

attraction

and bursting

with joy.

Usually,

with things

so horrible

and heartbreaking,

we can't

imagine,

even remotely,

any good

coming out

of them.

Least of all,

anything gloriously

good,

it just

looks all

wrong,

at least

from our

perspective,

from our

capacity to

imagine

good.

We don't

cry out

in enraptured

wonder,

how beautiful.

We rather

cry out

in anguished

pain,

what is

God doing?

We may

strain to

see,

but we have

no elfin eye

to catch

any glimpse

of glory.

glory.

And not

only do

we miss

of any

sight of

glory,

even a

pinkish sky

dawning with

some prospect,

no,

we're pretty

sure we

see the

opposite,

and we're

just plain

confused

and hurting.

Well,

that was

certainly

true of

those around

Jesus when

he spoke

of glory,

right after

making his

statement about

Lazarus'

sickness being

for the

glory of

God,

the first

thing Jesus

did seemed

all wrong.

Mary and

Martha had

sent word

that Lazarus

was seriously

ill.

Well,

what did

they expect?

After all,

Jesus was

really close

to them

and Lazarus,

surely he

would come

right away.

But Jesus

acts clean

contrary to

their hopes,

inexplicably

so.

We read

of his

response and

glance back

over the

sentence,

wondering if

we've somehow

misread it.

Verse 5,

now Jesus

loved Mary

and her

sister and

Lazarus.

so when

he heard

that Lazarus

was ill,

he stayed

two days

longer

in the

place where

he was.

What?

What are you

doing,

Jesus?

If you want

to bring good

out of this,

come immediately

and heal him

before it's too

late.

it is

difficult to

hold Jesus'

action together

with the

knowledge that

he is

compassionate,

caring,

and loving.

Even

those

who love

him and

trust him

most,

they're

confused.

Perhaps

there's even

a mild

accusation

in Martha's

words

that she

speaks to

him when

he finally

does arrive.

Verse 21,

Lord,

if you

had been

here,

my brother

would not

have died.

And Mary

too,

in her

hurt and

confusion,

speaks the

very same

words through

her tears.

Verse 32,

Lord,

if you

had been

here,

my brother

would not

have died.

if the

point,

if the

fuller

view of

the death

of a

loved one

is that

it will

somehow

be to

the glory

of God,

that

somehow

it will

show God's

wisdom,

love,

goodness,

and beauty

such that

we will

through it

be drawn

to adore

him and

delight in

him more

clearly.

Well,

clearly,

we're presently

in the dark

as to how

that could

possibly be.

We stand

among the

graves and

amidst tears

and see

few,

if any,

shafts of

glory.

Indeed,

so ungood

and unglorious

do things

appear

that one

can easily

understand

how cruel,

bitter,

seemingly

tragic

realities put

what at

times feels

like an

unbearable

strain

upon trusting

Jesus on

this.

It is

hard to

hold his

care and

compassion

together with

the outcomes

of our

experience.

but to

ease the

tension

by imagining

that Jesus

does not

care,

does not

feel compassion

for us in

our sorrow,

that can

never be.

Such a

supposition

must melt

away

before

who he

truly is.

when we

see him

as indeed

he truly

is.

And when

we see

him here

before

the grave

of Lazarus,

verse 35,

Jesus

wept.

Jesus

is among

the mourners.

He

shares

in the

same

sorrows.

He is

stricken

by the

same

grief.

He

is

alike

with

us

in

heaving

sighs

and

trembling

tears.

And

here's

an

extraordinary

thing.

Let's

call it

another

window

by which

we may

peer

into

his

heart.

We

cannot

doubt

that

Jesus

knew

that

he

would

restore

Lazarus

to

life.

Indeed,

in only

a few

moments,

restore

him to

life.

And yet,

even knowing

that,

it does

not blunt

his sorrow

or restrain

his tears.

there is a

heart of

sympathy.

There

is a

heart

tuned to

the sorrow

of humanity

which

trembles

resonantly

with every

tear and

sigh.

Jesus

wept.

And he

has wept

with you

for

every tear

of yours

that has

fallen

and every

numb

hollowing

out

that you

have

endured.

Do not

think he

does not

care.

Jesus

wept.

See how

he loved

him,

said those

around about.

And so

might it be

said of

you.

See how

he loves

you.

But

before we

move from

this window

there is

something more

to see

in the

heart of

Jesus.

For

there is

another

description

of his

emotion

at the

grave

here.

Verse

32.

Our

few

Bibles

render it.

He was

greatly

moved

in his

spirit

and

deeply

troubled.

I won't

hide the

fact that

this phrase

has generated

a great

variance in

translation.

The difficulty

is that

most think

the story

requires

that the

words

communicate

an emotion

of grief

strickenness.

And yet

one of the

terms is

typically used

of beasts

neighing,

snorting,

roaring,

but when

used of

humans

invariably

refers

to

anger

and can

really only

indicate

a shudder

of vent

of indignation

and outrage.

Ah!

The problem

with this

otherwise

clear meaning

is answering

the question,

at what

then

was

Jesus

angry?

Several

suggestions

are offered.

Maybe

he was

angry

at Mary

and Martha

for trying

to force

him into

a miracle.

Maybe

he was

angry

at the

mourners

because he

detected

some hypocrisy

in their

mourning.

Or maybe

he was

angry

at the

mourners

because

they invaded

his privacy

when he

wanted to

have a

quiet

moment

with Mary

and Martha.

Some

suggest

he was

angry

at the

unbelief

of the

mourners

including

Mary

and Martha

who

grieved

as though

they had

no hope.

But the

intensity

of the

anger

that's

here

indicated

is

surely

disproportionate

to such

a supposed

cause.

I mean

none of

them I

think

can be

the

answer.

I

believe

the

object

of

Jesus'

outrage

his

vent

of

indignation

at the

grave

was

death

itself.

Surrounded

by the

sorrow

of the

mourners

and

particularly

of Mary's

grief

Jesus

contemplated

the

general

misery

of the

whole

human

race

and he

burns

with

rage

at

death

the

oppressor.

In

death

he sees

the skeleton

face of

the world

and traces

everywhere

its grim

and morbid

rain.

Indeed

the whole

earth

has

become

but the

valley

of a

shadow

of

death.

In the

tears

shed

in his

presence

Jesus

saw

that

ocean

of

time

whose

waters

of deep

woe

are brackish

with the

salt

of human

tears.

tears

of sympathy

filled

his eyes

and

beneath

them

there

burned

a

rage.

Oh

friend

he knows

your

woe.

All

the hurt

and havoc

that death

has wrought

and the

vials

of suffering

it has

poured

out

he hates

it with a

deep

indignation

and the

one behind

death

who wields

this terrible

weapon.

Of course

it is one

thing to

sympathize

to sincerely

have your

heart go

out to

the sufferer

to weep

with those

who weep

even to

burn with

inextinguishable

indignation

before the

grave.

but it's

quite another

thing

to be able

to do

anything

about it.

To be

able to

rescue

someone

from the

grave.

But is

this not

what we

truly need

in the

face of

death?

Not

merely a

sympathizer

but a

savior.

One who

can reverse

the dread

finality

of it.

Stop in

its tracks

its grim

triumphant

march.

So look

with me

through one

final window

into the

heart of

Jesus

where we

see him

again

groaning

in spirit.

Verse

38

It's the

same

flaming

rage

but the

setting

has changed.

Before

he was

among the

mourners

now

he is

striding

toward the

tomb

as a

warrior

to do

battle.

Before

he was

among the

ravages

of his

kinsmen.

Now

he turns

from the

smoldering

rubble

of the

city

of humanity

toward the

enemy

who has

despoiled

them.

This

is the

king

going

forth

to do

battle.

It is

the

princely

valor

that must

stir

every

heart.

the

true

going

forth

to

which

all

the

great

tales

of

myth

and

story

gesture.

He

smites

the

grave

with

his

voice.

Verse

43

He cried

with a

loud

voice

Lazarus

come

forth.

hearing

hearing

that

voice

of

kingly

power

the

jaws

of

death

open

releasing

its

prey.

The

great

enemy

lifts

its

foot

from

the

neck

of

its

victim

and

the

prisoner

goes

free.

And

yet

this

was

but a

skirmish

on the

outskirts.

The

real

battle

lay

ahead

to

where

he

had

set

his

face

like

flint.

Lazarus

was

merely

resuscitated.

Death

would

still

have

him

as

its

prey.

The

grave

would

yet

have

its

fill.

Jesus

knew

this.

This

skirmish

at the

grave

was

just

a

foreshadow

of the

real

battle.

That

battle

which lay

ahead

upon a

hill

outside

Jerusalem.

There

would

be the

true

contest

with

every

fiend

and

demon

hell's

denizens

gathered

in strength

to afflict

their

worst.

There

in the

heart

of the

enemy

stronghold

he

would

spill

his

soul

for

his

brethren.

There

he

would

cry

out

not

simply

come

forth

but

as

his

own

blood

flowed

forth

cry

out

it

is

finished

as

he

himself

the

champion

would

lay

down

his

life

in

ransom

and

himself

sink

down

into

death.

At

the

grave

of

Lazarus

he

contemplated

this

fearsome

battle

that

would

cost

him

his

life.

Sever

the

never

broken

communion

with

the

father

and

he

was

troubled

in

spirit.

He

shuddered

at

the

cost

he

would

pay

for

the

real

rescue

of

his

people.

The

cost

not

as

with

Lazarus

of

a

momentary

reprieve

from

death

only

finally

to

sink

down

into

it

again

at

the

last

but

to

for

his

people

burst

its

bonds

forever

not

merely

resuscitation

but

resurrection

unto

everlasting

life

across

which

death's

dark

shadow

would

never

again

fall

that

in

the

morning

of

the

resurrection

would

sound

from

his

voice

a

come

forth

that

would

issue

in

a

life

which

would

roll

on

through

all

the

years

of

endless

ages

yes

at

the

tomb

of

Lazarus

his

eye

was

on

the

cross

the

groan

that

issued

gutturally

from

his

inner

being

was

brother

to

the

sweat

like

drops

of

blood

in

gethsemane

indeed

when word

was first

brought

to

Jesus

of

Lazarus

illness

his

eye

was

upon

the

cross

he

knew

Lazarus

would

die

he

knew

he

would

raise

him

and

he

knew

this

great

miracle

would

galvanize

those

who

sought

his

destruction

as

was

so

verse

53

tells

us

from

that

day

on

they

made

plans

to

put

Jesus

to

death

thus

Lazarus

illness

would

propel

Jesus

to

the

cross

and

this

was

a

great

part

of

the

meaning

of

how

Lazarus

illness

would

glorify

God

did

you

notice

how

Jesus

put

it

there

in

verse

four

that

Lazarus

death

is

in

order

that

the

son

of

God

himself

may

be

glorified

through

it

what

did

that

mean

well

there

is

no

mystery

in

John's

gospel

as

to

the

meaning

of

Jesus

glorification

his

hour

in

which

he

would

be

lifted

up

and

glorified

it

was

the

cross

so

Lazarus

his

deadly

illness

brought

the

glorification

of

Jesus

on

the

cross

in

God's

sovereign

scheme

that

was

what

it

was

for

but

who

could

have

known

but

Jesus

to

all

but

him

it

simply

seemed

a

tragic

death

simply

an

aching

sorrow

of

course

it

would

be

so

too

and

more

so

for

a

death

that

would

follow

so

soon

upon

its

heels

when

Jesus

would

climb

the

hill

and

then

the

cross

try