Shepherd Incarnate

Good morning Christ Church. As many of you know, Pastor Paul is not with us today as his father passed away on Wednesday morning. So he will be with us next week, but be praying for Paul and Missy and their family. The service is on Tuesday. So be praying for them. He is doing the eulogy. As some of you knows, we'll be praying for him. Just the moment of a son eulogizing his father will be important in his life, and as He grieves, so be lifting up their family, so that even his Pastor Paul was unable to be with us today, we will still continue our look at our study of Psalm 23. But not in the way you might expect those familiar words of King David, The Lord is my shepherd. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. No doubt, came from a heart and a soul that deeply knew God. King David knew those things that each of us had been created to know and inexperienced in the same way that he did. That God is present with us and loves us beyond any words, we can ever truly hope to express in return. But even in that deep experience of God, and that deep longing to know him, King David did not have a face, to put on that love. More than 1000 years after the words of King David, the threat of Scripture, of God tells us, that tells us of God and His ways, brings us today, as we look at a small village, outside Jerusalem. There were the one he knew well and long to see, had now been made visible with a face and a name. Jesus of Nazareth, King David Shepherd, now incarnate. The Word of God will be read this morning, and it is a story that is familiar to you. Please do not let the fact that it's so familiar to you miss it, as you hear it proclaimed here now the Word of God.

When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem. And many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. But Martha gave word that Jesus was coming. She she went to meet him, but Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, I know that God will give you whatever you ask. Jesus told her, Your brother will rise again. Yes, Martha said, he will rise when everyone else rises in the last day. Then Jesus told her I am the resurrection, and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live even after dying, and everyone who lives in me and believes in me, will never, ever die. Do you believe this Martha? Yes, Lord. She told him. I have always believed that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the One who has come into the world from God. And then she returned to Mary. And she called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, the teacher is here and wants to see you. And so Mary immediately went to him. Jesus has stayed outside of the village at the place where Martha met him. And when the people who were in the house consoling Mary saw her, her leaves so hastily, they assumed that she was going to Lazarus grave to weep. And so they followed her there. And when Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, Lord, if only you had been here My brother would not have died. Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing for her. A deep anger welled up within him. And he was deeply troubled. Where had they put him? Jesus asked.

And they told him, Lord, come and see. And Jesus wept. This is the Word of God for the people of God. Thanks.

Here's a fact about Jesus that is sometimes overlooked. Jesus had friends. We know that he had disciples, we know that he had followers. But how often do we think of Jesus having friends, those with whom he could relax, he could enjoy a meal, talk about the day, reflect on the conversations and encounters he had with others as he traveled about on mission. John, the beloved disciple gives us an account of Jesus, and his friendship with the sisters, Martha and Mary, and their brother Lazarus. It is a familiar one for many, but it gives us another picture, another understanding of the man Jesus. The background to the story is simple and delightful. Jesus loved the three siblings, and had a particularly close relationship with them. The language used to describe his love for them parallels the same words that use to express Jesus's love that he had for Peter, James and John. There's an intimate bond between them. They know each other. So we can assume that they shared more stories and experiences together than what we may see in the recorded gospel. words that appear earlier in the chapter than the words that have been read. Give us the context for what is about to happen, telling us that Martha and Mary had sent a message to Jesus about Lazarus, the one you love, so very much as sick. They didn't even have to give Jesus their brother's name. Because Jesus would know the one. And who that was. Because the shepherd knows his own, and he calls them by name. And that's all they say. They don't say Hurry, come quickly. They say simply, our brother is sick. And they wanted him to know that. But there would have been no doubt that there were assumptions and expectations as to what they had hoped and even anticipated that Jesus would do. For reasons that made sense for Jesus's greater mission and purpose, but not if you're in the middle of a serious crisis, Jesus delayed coming to be with them. The message came that Lazarus had died. And then Jesus said to His disciples, okay, now we go to Bethany. Why would Jesus who healed strangers, not rushed to the bedside of a good and beloved friend? Why would he actually delay going? It surely seems heartless does it not. But there is anything that is made clear to us in the whole scope of God's Word. We know that God acts when God acts. Elsewhere in the Gospels, Jesus made decisions that seemed mysterious by our standards, and made sense only later, when the disciples reflected with him on his actions. This was one of those decisions at one of those moments. We're told that the delay in his arrival amounted to four days, which made it all the more intense because of the Jewish belief that the soul remain present in the body for three days after death. After those three days, there was absolutely no hope for revival. Four days in the tomb would mean that hope really was gone, and the air in the village would have been intense with grief. If there was to be any restoration of life, it will come only from a clear and glorious resurrection act by God.

John describes how completely different The sisters were in their response to their grief and heartache. Martha knew that Jesus was coming. So she waited for him outside the village with her eyes on the road, and she went waited for Jesus to appear. While Mary settled into their home in the village, the windows would have been covered, and professional mourners would have gathered to be with her, which would make it hard was just the noise of the grief and the wailing. It would have been an intense expression of grief that everyone could have heard. When Jesus appeared on the horizon, Martha did not wait for his arrival, she rushed out to meet him. Imagine bystanders if you will, getting out of the way, and she quickly moved down the path to get to him. What was going through Martha's head as she ran? We can imagine that she did not approach Jesus timidly she was ready to engage and talk this out with him. She did not hold back with her words to Jesus. Do you remember the last time that we saw Martha she was in the kitchen, expressing her frustration, that while she was working hard to serve and prepare meal for the company that included Jesus, Mary appeared to have abandoned her in that moment to do the unthinkable by lingering at the feet of Jesus, the rabbi, and hanging on to his every word, but somewhere somehow between her kitchen duty, and this day, Martha had experienced a change, a renewal, if you will, that brought her to a newfound confidence, and connection. In her friendship with Jesus, she was free to be who she was with him, especially in her heartache. She knew that he was the one that they needed in that moment, she was clear in her confidence of him in the same way that she was clear in her disappointment of him. That's what happens when our hearts are broken apart, doesn't it? Think about this? What is more painful for you? The loss of a loved one or a dear friend, hearing a difficult diagnosis, engaging with what seems to be a hopeless circumstance, or that God has not shown up or doesn't appear to care at all. It's probably not one or the other, it's more likely both. And that's what we have here. Can you just imagine Martha as she planted herself squarely in front of Jesus to see exactly what was on her mind, but even more so what was in her heart? 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. For some, it may sound like a rebuke of Jesus, and that Martha was finger wagging. But no, this was no rebuke. It was probably something that she and Mary had already said multiple times to one another. Before he arrived. They had looked at each other and said, If Jesus had been here, Lazarus would not have died. There are lots of questions, frustrations, and great disappointment and in Jesus in that moment, aren't there. There are lots of questions, frustrations, and great disappointment and Jesus, for some of us, in this moment, aren't there. Martha may have had questions for Jesus, but she had not given up on him. Her words were actually an expression of faith. She's saying, Lord, I know how magnificent you are. And I know that if you had been here, this wouldn't have happened. I believe in you so much that I know that much is true. She poured herself out to Jesus with heart and complete honesty. When was the last time you did that? Nicholas Wolterstorff, philosopher and theologian pen these words after the tragic death of his young adult son and a climbing accident, wars that are captured and now a classic book, lament for a son.

How his faith to endure Oh God, when you allow all this scraping and tearing on us, you have allowed rivers of blood to flow, mountains of suffering to pile up sobs to become humanity song. All without lifting a finger that we could see, you have allowed bonds of love beyond number to be painfully snapped. If you have not abandoned us, explain yourself. We strain to hear. Please tell us, Jesus, where were you? Why did you delay? How does Jesus respond, Martha, Your brother will rise again. And she quickly respond with what she knew in her head. Yes, I know that he will rise again, and the resurrection on the last day. And then Jesus spoke words that are almost too familiar to us, so that we miss how truly life changing and hope giving they are. I am the resurrection in the life, anyone who believes in me will live even though he dies. And whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this? Friends we know with our head, but we believe with our heart. So Jesus is asking her a head question that only has a heart answer. But let's be honest, in some ways, the words are at first glance, both wonderful and irritating, aren't they? Like Martha, we want Jesus to fix the unfixable and explain the unexplainable. And that's how he responds. His words did not seem to meet the moment and the way we would like for them to do they. But Jesus is speaking truth. Martha, I know your brother is dead. And you are right. There is a great and glorious day of resurrection coming when all believers will be raised from their grave. But here's the really good news, Martha. And the answer to the mystery. I am the arrival of that day. You thought that day would come with the Messiah and you would be correct, Martha, I am the Messiah. What you are longing for has come and is standing right in front of you. All the deep longings, the answers to all the mysteries, the desire to be fully known and fully loved, are standing right in front of her. She can reach out and touch what King David could only imagine and long for? What does it mean? That the Messiah has come for Martha in that moment. And for you and me right now. It means that there will never be one millisecond. When you're out of his eyesight, or out of his long and caring reach. You may wander to the edge. You may even try to jump the fence. You need so much more care and protection that go well beyond what you can provide for yourself. Martha, the answer to what you are really asking is this. God loves you. God loves you. And he loves your brother. And he will not abandon his soul or yours. And one day he will be raised. Jesus is saying he will keep her her sister, her brother. And as God's story continues to move forward, he does the exact same for you and for me. He keeps us in an everlasting relationship with him today, tomorrow, and for all eternity. With that exchange ringing in her ears, she goes right to her sister Mary. Remember Mary, who was the one who eagerly sat at Jesus feet to hear and learn everything she could from him. Mary was the one Jesus had said had chosen the better thing by giving her full attention to him. But now where is she? She is completely locked up. In her grief. Mary was literally sitting and trying to breathe and get her bearings. In her overwhelming darkness. We were told that Martha spoke quietly to her sister Mary, words that we can only imagine release something in her heart when she heard them. Mary, the teacher is here. And he wants to see you. He's here. He wants to see you.

Friends, those words, for many reasons have always been and I truly hope will always remain simply breathtaking for me. And I hope they come to you and you Hear them in a way that draws your own heart close to him. The teacher is here, and he wants to see you. Once he heard this, Mary immediately rushed to Jesus where he still was outside the village. Who else could she go to with her deep heartache and grief other than to her friend, Jesus, he was here and he's asking for her. Imagine the scene if you will, marry, completely exhausted, face tear stained, and greeting Jesus with the identical exchange that moments before had taken place with Martha, Jesus if only if only if only. Isn't that where some of us probably many of us are right now. We are right alongside both Martha and Mary, we get them. We understand these two women, don't we? Jesus, if only you, if only you? What's your Jesus, if only you and as she said the word she wept, and those who are with there are weeping. Jesus sees her weeping not just a few tears trickling down. But the Greek language lets us know that she is just grieving crying with a deep heartbreaking sob. But notice something that is so important here to the very same word spoken first by Martha and now Mary, Jesus responds in a completely different way. With Martha, Jesus speaks, and offers words of both declaration and truth. But with Mary, he is as it were speechless, as he joins her in her tears, and her heartache. And then John tells us something that we don't expect, that when Jesus saw their grief and their crying, he became angry, and deeply troubled. But if Jesus was going to bring Lazarus from the grave, and he knew that is what he was about to do, why was he weeping? Why didn't he just say, Oh, it's going to be fine. It's gonna be fine. You can stop crying. Why was he angry? Prince, he's not mad at Martha. He's not mad at Mary. He's not mad at the crowd. He's mad at what has happened to Lazarus. He is mad at the suffering, the physical and emotional pain of those he loves deeply. And he is deeply angry at death, deeply angry. The words used to describe his anger made him as though he were an animal, like a horse snorting. He's intense. Because he's not just thinking about Mary and Martha and Lazarus, the thread of our story, within the story of God continues from that moment, through the centuries to us right here, right now and beyond, and Jesus response to what you and I have already faced, and will face in our lives, and of those we love, in the very same way. Truth and tears, Jesus comes to us with both, because both is what we need. You and I need Jesus to shepherd us to be with us in such moments, speaking those truths, those foundational truths of who he is, and how he shines a light for us to see our way through. But you and I also need Jesus to simply be present, to share in our tears, our Hardik not just speaking truth, not just shedding tears, but both. And with Jesus, the face of the God we love and longing for, we get exactly what we need. Let me pass on to you the rest of the story that was not read this morning. And even if you know when it's about to happen, I hope every time you hear these words, you have a moment of complete astonishment. Don't let these words get old and predictable.

Jesus arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. roll the stone away Jesus told them But Martha protested. Lord, he has been dead for four days. Does it make you just smile a little bit? Martha, Martha you have to clear that you know who Jesus is. He's the resurrection to life. And now he is standing in front of the tomb, ready to do what your heart and soul longed for? And you say, But wait, he's been dead for four days. What does she really say? Jesus, if you resurrect Lazarus, well, just a bit of a reminder, it's going to be messy. But friends, isn't that what resurrection is all about? Taking that which is hopeless, and completely dead, and raising it to a new creation. Resurrection is and always will be messy. ignoring her protest, Jesus shouted, so that His word would reach deep into that tomb, Lazarus come out. And the dead man came out his hands and feet bound in grave cloths, his face wrapped in a head cloth. And Jesus told them, unwrap him and let him go. And we can only imagine the response of the village as surely a funeral became a celebration feast. Friends, with Jesus present, resurrection and life are certain. Jesus, the shepherd incarnate with his eyes on us, always, always within his reach and care as he comes to us with truth and tears because the shepherd is with us, resurrection and life are indeed certain today, tomorrow, and for all eternity. Thanks be to God.