Sermons
800105_0571
Stairn to read our scripture this morning. It's the first 18 verses John chapter 11. Aaron, you in good shape? Ready to go. Out of respect for God's word, let's stand, okay? - John 11, one to 18. Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister, Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus, now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus. Lord, the one you love is sick. When he heard this, Jesus said, this sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's son may be glorified through it. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed when, where he was, two more days. And then he said to his disciples, let us go back to Judea. But rabbi, they said, a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you and yet you are going back. Jesus answered, are there not 12 hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble for they see by this world's light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble for they have no light. After this, after he had said this, he went on to tell them, our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up. His disciples replied, Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better. Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And for your sake, I am glad I was not there. So that you may believe, but let us go to him. Then Thomas, also known as Demius, said to the rest of the disciples, let us also go that we may die with him. On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem. - Thank you, Aaron. Let's pray, shall we? Father God, thank you for your word for putting this, giving this word to us. May we hear it in our hearts this morning. Give us your encouragement for this day and the week ahead. We pray this in Jesus name, amen. So before you sit down, find a table. We'll have English speaking on the right-hand side of the room and Mandarin speaking. Let's go on the left-hand side of the room, and I've got a discussion question for you. This is just an opportunity for us to get to know one another a little bit better in a relaxed, informal setting. So again, English speaking on the right-hand side of the room and Mandarin speaking, Chinese speaking. Let's go on the left-hand side of the room and share about a time, share about a time when you dial 911, or you made a trip to the emergency room, either for yourself or someone else. Okay, go ahead and talk about that. Talk quickly, we only have a minute or two, a few minutes to do this. So share about a time when you dial 911, or made a cad to make a trip to the emergency room, either for yourself or for someone else, okay? Share some stories around the table. If you take another minute and then we'll be done, okay? Yeah, okay, why don't we go ahead and call a time and let's go ahead and find your seats, where you're comfortable, where you can see the screen adequately, and we will continue on with our lessons. Okay, thank you for participating, for taking a minute to just share around the table. Again, just an opportunity for us to get to know one another, a little bit, share some interesting stories, hopefully have some fun with this. Let me go ahead and continue on. We are now in chapter 11, chapter 10, if you'll remember a couple of weeks ago, now for us. It was the festival of dedication, it was, actually it was Hanukkah, okay? So that's the winter time, our Christmas time for us in America nowadays. And remember how that finished up, Jesus was in the colonnade of one of the porches, temple porches, porches, gets challenged by the Jewish leaders, and they get very upset with him, they start making moves toward Jesus, and with their intent, they're either gonna stone Jesus, or just at least rest him, but God protects Jesus and Jesus is able to walk away like he has done multiple times throughout this Gospel of John. This is really kind of the conclusion, John, chapter 10, that's the conclusion of Jesus' ministry in the public. We're now in transition for chapters 11 and 12, we're a little bit of a transition. And then from 13 on, it's really much more of a time where John, the Gospel writer, concentrates on Jesus' relationships with his disciples, and those he dearly loves. So a little bit more of a transition here. Now, this incident we have here in John, chapter 11, we're actually gonna spend three weeks here on this section, or on this incident, this event, but it takes place between Hanukkah, the Christmas time, November, December, type of celebration for the Jewish people, and then the next event that we'll hear about is the Passover, and this is the time when Jesus will be entering into Jerusalem, but this incident takes place in between them. So that would mean January, February, maybe March, that kind of timeline for us, okay? Now, verse one, and as John, chapter 11, now a man named Lazarus was sick, he was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister, Martha, Bethany, is actually a village close to Jerusalem, about two miles south, southeast of Jerusalem, if you see it on the map. So Jews, including Jesus, would typically use a road that passed through Bethany, going from Jerusalem to the Galilean region. There was actually a shorter route that would go through Samaria, which would just go more directly north, but remember, we know that there are negative relationships, there are not good relationships between Jews and the Samaritans, so Jewish people would, as a general rule, take this road that would go through Bethany, and then they would go use that to get up to the Galilean region. This is probably where the story of the background for the story of the Good Samaritan, just to give us some history there, and Bethany ultimately will be probably the place where Jesus spent his last week on earth. This is not in the scripture itself, but indications are that these are all adults that we're talking about, Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, and they are, as part of the culture at that time, they were probably all married, and they probably all actually lived in their own separate homes, but they all were in the same town, apparently, Bethany, okay? Now, verse two, this Mary, whose brother Lazarus, now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with their hair. We haven't seen that in John yet. We'll actually see that in the next chapter, John, chapter 12, but John, the gospel writer, probably wrote this with the knowledge that his readers are familiar with these different characters. Now, Mary was a common name, apparently. We've even seen that in the New Testament stories, but Mary was a common name at that time, and so this, John is just pointing out for us who the correct Mary is. So the sister sent word to Jesus. Lord, the one you love is sick. They don't actually name Lazarus, right? We just see this. Sister say, Lord, the one you love is sick. That's how they identify Lazarus. So there is some kind of connection that goes beyond just, I've met you before, okay? We don't know how Mary and Martha actually know where Jesus is. This was before the days of smartphones, before the days of GPS. Somehow, Jesus was up in the Galilean region across the Jordan. Mary and Martha, of course, are back in Bethany. Some, maybe, they just have continued connections with Jesus, so they kept contact where he was. Or maybe there was a network of supporters that were constantly in contact with the folks back in the Bethany area. As to our last report in Jesus, right? He was outside of Jerusalem, across the Jordan River. Do you recall why? Why he was there as because the Jewish leaders had thrown him out of the temple. They were after him. They were kind of chasing him. If they saw him, they were going to arrest him. So what do the sisters communicate to Jesus when they say, Lord, the one you love is sick? What are they asking for? Are they asking, you think, for Jesus to come heal Lazarus? Or are they just kind of letting him know, letting Jesus know that his friend was sick? Problem is, right? We got a problem here. Lazarus is sick on his deathbed. But the other, what's the other problem? Problem, if Jesus were to return to that area, remember he had just been chased out of that area with the chance of being stoned and arrested. So there's a problem. The sisters have a problem and a problem for Jesus and his disciples, of course, to go back. So how do we solve that? Now, I know I do this and it must drive people crazy 'cause it drives me crazy when people do it to me. But then we have an issue. We have an issue, but there's no solutions or alternatives presented. There's no specific request. What do you want me to do with this information? Why are you telling me this? Now, I get frustrated with that, but God does not. Jesus is willing and wants to hear our concerns. We need to just trust him. Leave it to him, bring glory to himself and to God the Father with whatever the situation is. We can talk to him even though we don't have it all figured out. I know there are times when I don't have it figured out, but I think Jesus invites us to just communicate with him where we're at. But then when he heard this, Jesus said, this sickness will not end in death. It is for God's glory so that God's son may be glorified through it. If you followed me with me through John, we've actually heard this before. The situation and the encounter Jesus had with the blind man. That was in John, chapter nine, verses one through three. Let me just read through it real quickly. As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind. Neither this man or his parents sin, said Jesus, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him, so that the works of God, so that God's son may be glorified. So same kind of concept here. Just like the blind man, we don't know what the circumstances are leading up to Lazarus' illness or death, but this story reminds us that God can and will, can and will turn tragedies into opportunities for God to be glorified. Trust him in that. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Jesus, we will see that he delays this con to going, to see these friends of his. But before that, John, the gospel writer, make sure to point out that Jesus loved them, loved them. Now, going back to verse three, Lord, the one you love is sick. That's the fillejo love. If you're familiar with the love languages in scripture, fillejo is a, that's the Greek word for it, is a brotherly love. Then here in verse five, Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, this word love in the Greek is the agape love, the unconditional love. Interesting. But Jesus, it's comforting to me. Jesus loved them even though they were going to go through this trial. And he loved them before he sees the results of this. We will see this in just a minute here. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days. Oh, I don't get it. A two day delay, what's going on? Strange, you hear someone that you know is sick. You have the power to heal your friend. Jesus had that power. We saw him do that throughout this book of John. And yet he delays. What's the story? We're going to talk about that in a bit, all right? And then he said to his disciples, let's go back to Judea. But Rabbi, they said a short time a while ago, the Jews tried to stone you, right? Yet you are wanting to go back. So we saw this problem, my last talk. It was John chapter 10 verse 39, this is how John chapter 10 finished. Again, they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp. So we've seen this a couple times. But Jesus saying, let's go back to Judea. And the disciples are, well, I don't know. Don't know if that's a good idea, right? If you were a follower of Jesus, how would you be feeling, right? If Jesus said, yeah, let's go back. We've got work to do there. I would think we're probably maybe not. That might not be a good thing. It's dangerous there. People don't like us there, OK? Jesus answered, are there not 12 hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble. For they see by this world's light, it is when a person walks at night that they stumble. They have no light. So we're starting to go through this, right? Summer is now starting to turn to fall. The days are getting shorter. So we can follow this concept that when there's light outside, there's work that we can do. I like to work in the garden, so it gives me time. But when the sun starts going down, the days go shorter. Outside work is less. So we have to do as much as we can during the daylight. When there is daylight available to us, that's the illustration. Jesus, using with the disciples here, there are only so many hours available to do these good work. So in spite of the dangers and difficulties, Jesus thinking, I must fulfill. We obedient to the job God's given to me. There was enough time to do what needed to be done, but no time to waste. OK, set amount of time. Jesus kind of had a handle on that. The same thing for us, we have a limited time on earth. Let us be busy building up the kingdom. And may I even suggest not waste time. The resources and talents that God has so graciously gifted us, each of us, with. There is also the implication here that as long as Jesus doing his work during the daylight hours, he was going to be safe. There was danger, but he would be safe. The problems, all the injuries, the stumbling, those come when there's no light, and it is dark. So darkness, light, and darkness. After this, he said to them, he went on to tell them, our friend Lazarus, Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I'm going there to wake him up, to just site those results. Why, Lord, if he sleeps, let's get better. At this point, disciples probably breathing a sigh of relief. Lord, he's just taking an app. He'll get up, and he'll be better. But Jesus had been speaking of his death. And his disciples thought he meant, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So he told them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And for your sake, I am glad I was not there so that you may believe, but let us go to him. Fascinating conversation here. Disciples kind of don't understand. They're just catching on what Jesus is saying about Lazarus. But Jesus just then goes on to be very direct. No, Lazarus is dead. Now, if I were one of the disciples, this news would hit me pretty hard, right? Jesus referred, at one point, to Lazarus as our friend. That was back in verse 11. But yet, Jesus is glad that he was not present. So as we continue with the story, today and in the coming weeks, we'll see how this Lazarus being dead, coming back to life, the disciples are involved in all of this. And they will have a front row seat to this miracle that is taking place of death. And then coming back to life, this work that Jesus is doing. But what it really is, it's a preface. It's to warm them up. It's to get them ready for his own death and resurrection. The disciples will now-- they'll see it here with Lazarus. In a couple months, they're going to see it again in reality with their friend and their Messiah with Jesus. Verse 16, then Thomas, also known as Didymus. However, we say that higher. And to the rest of the survivors, let us also go that we may die with him. This is the Thomas that we probably know is doubting Thomas. This is John chapter 20, 24 and 25. Now Thomas, this is another eight chapters later, eight, nine chapters later. Now Thomas, also known as Didymus, one of the 12 was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, we have seen the Lord. But he said to him, unless I see the real marks into his hands and put my finger where the nails were, put my hand to his side, I will not believe. Then a week later, his disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them, peace be with you. Then he said to Thomas, put your finger here, see my hands, reach out your hand, put it into my side, stop doubting and believe. Thomas said to him, my Lord, my God, then Jesus told him, because you have seen me, you have believed, blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed. So the story of Thomas, that's the background for the Thomas. So who at this time was the one who kind of says to Jesus, let's go with you even though we're going to die. An incredible amount of courage, love, faithfulness to Jesus, devotion, and excitement. We can all die together. So Jesus makes it back on his arrival. Jesus found that Lazarus has actually been in the tomb for four days. Now, Bethany was just two miles from Jerusalem, just some interesting background there. The timeline, Bethany is two miles from Jerusalem, 45 minute walk or so. Jesus was, we don't know exactly where, but it was beyond the Jordan, in the Galilean area, beyond control. The part of that is, right, he was out of control, beyond control of the Jewish leaders. Now, the timeline, again, took one day probably for the news of that Lazarus was sick, one day to get that news to get to Jesus. Again, all before smartphones, right? Jesus then waits, remember? Jesus heard the news and waited two days, and then takes one day to travel back to Bethany, so there's our four days. Now, it was the custom at that time. At the time of death, the Jews probably actually put Lazarus into the tomb. That was the way it usually worked. On the day the person died, they put them, found them in the, restored them and put them in the tomb. And then we have this, this event, eventually Jesus coming back. The question we have in our study, who will grow in their faith and their relationship with Jesus as a result of this event? This is the question that Jesus is, you know, be patient with me. This is for the glory of God to be reviewed. For the sisters, think about that. If you were one of the sisters, how would you be feeling as we went through this experience? And then if you're a disciple, think what it would be like to be one of the disciples. And how is your faith involved? How is your relationship with Jesus as a result of what we've got going on right here? So the question though, that I've come up with or that is the obvious question, at least to me, why would Jesus wait for the two days before going back to Bethany to see his dying friend? His friend's dying and he gets the news and he waits. That's, is that disturbing at all? But then Jesus says, this sickness will not end in death, no one is for God's glory, so that God's son may be glorified through it. Now we know that you and I, we know when death comes, there's much pain and there's sorrow and there's sadness. It is very, very difficult to go through a death of somebody, of your family, when they're your own age. Probably pretty difficult, had to be difficult for Martha, Mary. I think the point that we want to consider as we spend time this morning, Jesus waited, Jesus' decision to wait, was he was walking, we have to believe, he was walking in concert with what God the Father would want, not walking and working according to our timelines, our human pressures and priorities. Now it's not the decision to delay, to not bring about Lazarus death. Actually Lazarus was probably dead by the time that Jesus actually got the message. But the delay was allowed because it gave the family a chance to understand how Jesus would again serve and demonstrate his love for them. Now, the four days, it was long enough so that no one can misinterpret this as a miracle. Many of the Jews at that time believe the soul remained near the body for three days after death and hope so that it could return to it. And then in some people, the person might would come back to life within three days. But by day four, at that point, the Jews were sure that all hope was gone, Lazarus would have been irrevocably dead, dead completely. In our lives today, are we not, it just doesn't make sense, does it? With our methods of communication available to us, we, the thought of waiting for two days to address a problem or issue is inconceivable, doesn't make sense to us. Now, most of you probably know, figured out I'm an analytical introvert type of person I like to hear, understand, contemplate situations and matters before I take any action. So I can maybe relate a little bit to what Jesus is doing here, not jumping to conclusions or not taking immediate steps. But even I, when something is important, will drop everything and take action. So let me just take a few minutes here. Val Marlia and I, we were at a family camp a month ago. And our speaker, talk number one, was on the topic of business, busyness. This text involved the same family that we've talked about here. Martha, Mary, you know the story. Mary's sitting at the feet of Jesus. Martha's busy preparing the meal for this group of people who are at their home and they'll be hungry. And so she's preparing the meal. Martha complains to Jesus, remember this? And Jesus doesn't scold Mary. It's a Mary, go help Martha. Jesus actually tells Martha, she just relax, Martha relax. So the question we have to ask ourselves, are we too busy doing things that we've lost touch? Doing good things that we've lost touch with what God wants to teach us in this time and teach me even today. So thinking through, how could Jesus wait two days? And then this topic of conversation at our camp, this teaching, caused me to just think about two things, reading a little book, it's a little book. It's called "Tear any of the Urgent." It was written 50 years ago, but it's still relevant today. Real easy, the title is self-explanatory. Tear any, are we overcome by the important, are we missing the important things by what we've determined to be urgent? Well, we've determined to be urgent. Then I read something else. It's this book has published a few years ago and it's titled "The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry." And you will hear me talk about this in the coming weeks as well. But the question that's asked, at least in one of the pages, what do I need to do to become the me I want to be? What do I want to do to become the me I want to be? And the author responds with an answer, "You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life." Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. The concept is we make ourselves available to hear what God wants to teach us, what God wants to do in our lives. A statistic quoted in this book, the average iPhone user, and this is from a couple years ago, touches his or her phone 2,617 times a day. Your cell phone, 2,617 times a day. If you exclude sleeping hours, that would be two and a half times a minute. It's the average person. So that includes people like me who lose their phones and can't find it for an hour or two. We are stuck to our phones. The question, the challenge I have, what if, what if I, what if we interacted with God with the same devotion and consistency that we do with our phones? Think about that. I encourage you to think about that. What do you do when you have a moment, a spare moment that doesn't require your full attention? You're standing in line when you're getting your cup of coffee, you're sitting at the stoplight while you're driving. You arrive at class a minute or two before it's scheduled to start. What do you do? If you're like me, you pick up your phone, check your emails, respond to something. What if, what if we just took a minute instead of checking our phone? God, are you teaching me, is there something you can teach me right now? What are you trying to tell me? Open ourselves up to what God would do, what God wants to do in our lives. Let's pray. So Lord, we come before you this time acknowledging that we have been too busy. We don't know the plans you have for us. We need to hear them more clearly. And so Lord, give us clarity. Give us a love, joy, and peace in our hearts. Cure us of this business that we choose to have. And by this time, we just come to know you in a deeper way because of your love for us. Pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.