BEING RAISED FROM THE DEAD
John 11:38-45
INTRODUCTION
Our text starts in the middle of a drama between Jesus and a family He loved.
Jesus was in Bethabara 30 miles from Bethany, the home of Mary and Martha.
The sisters sent a message to Jesus that their brother Lazarus was sick. According
to my minimum thinking it was a day\’s journey to Jesus and Lazarus was probably
dead by the time the message got to Him. Jesus stayed in Bethabara two more days
before making in the journey to Bethany.
Jesus, ever present in our lives and knowing our condition could have healed
from a distance and had no need for a messenger. Whatever Jesus does is
for our good and the good of non-believers. His delay was no delay but for the
glory of God. The Lord is never late and always on time.
Lazarus\’s four days in the grave were planned by the Lord to strengthen the faith
of Mary and Martha and to draw other mourners and bystanders into belief
in Him. This would show Jesus\’ power over death and glorify the Father.
THE COMPASSION OF JESUS
V:38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 \”Take away the stone,\” he said.
\”But, Lord,\” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, \”by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.\”
When Jesus gives a command, never object based on your limited thinking and knowledge. You and I cannot judge the decisions of the Lord or know the
outcome He planned until it happens. Most often we make decisions on limited information.
Jesus had met privately with Martha and then with Mary who expressed their belief that
if He had come sooner, Lazarus would not have died. He had explained to his
disciples as He did to Mary and Martha that Lazarus\’ condition was not about
death. Death to the Lord is just a state of sleep from which we will be raised.
Jesus wept because of the unbelief of His disciples who walked with Him,
Mary and Martha who He loved, and Israel who rejected Him.
It appears that Mary and Martha saw Jesus as a prophet, a teacher, and a healer, but
not the Messiah. They knew He could heal if He was present. They did not perceive
that Jesus could bring Lazarus out of the tomb alive. We should never put any
limits on what Jesus can or will do.
Jesus came to Bethany and went to the tomb at the request of those He loved,
not to fail, but to honor their request. Don’t expect Jesus to answer
your prayers in the way of your limited human thinking. Jesus can do
things in ways you cannot imagine. When we come to Jesus with our prayer
requests, we must leave them in His hands to answer in His way.
Mary and Martha blamed Jesus for their brother\’s death not knowing that
Jesus saw death as a temporary state.
The first thing Jesus told the men who accompanied Him was to roll away
the stone from the cave. When Jesus tells you to do something don’t be quick
to object to His business. The sisters knew their brother was dead and the body
decaying. What they didn’t know was Jesus had preserved their brother
in a four-day state of sleep.
FAITH THE KEY TO CONFIDENCE
V:40 Then Jesus said, \”Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?\”
Jesus confirmed His mission to Martha for coming to the tomb. Faith in Him brings
dead things alive. We were once dead in our sins, but now through faith are alive
in Jesus. We may still have some dead things in our lives. Dead relationships, dead
aspirations, dead opportunities, etc. If our faith is in Jesus, dead things can come
alive.
THANKS BEFORE EXPECTED BLESSINGS
V:41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, \”Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.\”
We must believe that when we pray in the name of Jesus, the Father always hears us.
Looking back at our past prayers we must be confident that the Father
has always heard our prayers even if they have not been answered the way we wanted.
There is no point in praying if you don’t believe.
James 1:6-8
But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
We must share our testimony with others about the prayers God has answered so the Father gets the glory. Others may be encouraged by us when they
face trials and tribulations.
JESUS’S POWER OVER DEATH
V:43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, \”Lazarus, come out!\” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, \”Take off the grave clothes and let him go.\”
Notice; that Lazarus was dead, but death does not prevent Jesus from performing
miracles. Jesus is the author and the creator of life. He created man out of the
dust of the earth. Not much for Jesus to revive life in a dead body.
Everyone with Jesus knew Lazarus had been in a tomb wrapped in grave clothes
for four days. Jesus called out in a loud voice so everyone could hear His
command. A command to the death angel to release Lazarus back to life.
The loud call was for the doubters to see that Jesus has power over death.
My question is this. Since Lazarus was wrapped in cloth, how did he get up
without the use of his hands? How did he come out of the tomb with his feet
bound with cloth? Several miracles are presented to us. The dead
coming alive. Supernatural power is given to lift one without help while
completely wrapped and coming out of the tomb unaided.
So that others could participate in the miracle, Jesus commanded men to
unwrapped Lazarus. They could see, touch, and hear his breath. The
witnesses and mourners could see Lazarus alive and well.
Some believed in Jesus and others were alarmed at the miracle. People can
see the same thing and react differently. Some are influenced by the
Holy Spirit and others are influenced by Satan.
THE QUESTION IS WHAT INFLUENCES YOU?
IS IT THE WORD OF GOD OR THE WORLD?
