Resurrection and Life
Vision 2022
Associate Pastor: Cole Parleir
Focus: When we follow Jesus as His disciples we will also begin to see his glory as the resurrection and the life.
Observations:
Jesus knows and redefines our struggles (John 11:1-16)
God cries (John 11:17-37)
Jesus IS the resurrection and the life (John 11:38-44)
Jesus knows and redefines our struggles (John 11:1-16)
When we see death, Jesus sees a glorious opportunity.
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus[a] was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 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. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin,[b] said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Your struggle doesn’t have to end in death, but it may take you through death.
He stayed away 2 days longer because he loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus?!
Question: Why might Jesus, the Son of God, not immediately intervene on our behalf? What does this say about his nature?
Jesus is the light that shines the truth of the kingdom of God on our struggles. This helps us see the end from the beginning, giving us faith to persevere through them.
This displays his omniscience as the Son of God.
Jesus sometimes allows our situations to become impossible (with man) so that when he delivers the miracle, our faith will rest on God alone. He alone will receive the glory.
Illustration of delays bringing greater impact
The movie “It’s a wonderful life” at the time of its release, was considered a failure. It received mixed reviews and it didn’t break even at the box office. However, it was later re-evaluated as a masterpiece and became a revered classic. But it didn’t really cement its place as the ultimate Christmas movie until it aged into the public domain and it was able to be shown on TV or streamed online for free.”
God cries (John 11:17-37)
Though God knows all things and plans to redeem all things, he is deeply moved with sorrow for us and anger toward sin by the pain on our path.
Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles[a] off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[b] Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 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. 32 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.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved[c] in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”
God is not emotional or weak. However he IS deeply moved with compassion and sorrow for his creation’s pain.
God’s compassion and sorrow displays his tender love and empathy with us even though he is sovereign over all things.
Jesus not only wept over Lazarus’ death, but had anger over the consequences of sins effect on the world, with death and hell being the ultimate consequence.
To mourn as God mourns is part of genuine faith.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
1 Thessalonians 4:13
13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
Question: What are some things that you now know God weeps over? Do you weep over them as well? Do you have hope as you weep?
Jesus IS the resurrection and the life (John 11:38-44)
He does not only give life and perform resurrection, he IS life and the light of the world. When we walk with Jesus Christ, sin and death are temporary trials that have no hold on us.
Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 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.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 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.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 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."
4 days indicated that Lazarus was truly dead. He had no water or food for 4 days proving he was not sleeping.
According to some old Jewish beliefs, the soul hovered over the body for 3 days and then departed. Jesus is claiming authority over all traditions and beliefs, including the after life.
Jesus’ delay caused MANY Jews to show up in Bethany (house of affliction), creating a greater crowd to witness and believe.
Jesus intends to do much more than we ask or can imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)
We want what we believe Jesus has to offer…but Jesus tells us ‘I am’ what you are asking for. When we have Jesus we have everything.
Jesus’ ‘I am’ statement is one of his clear claims to deity, echoing The LORD at the burning bush when Moses asks “Whom shall I say sent me?”
We ask questions in time, Jesus answers in ultimate and eternal terms.
Revelation 21:4
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
Question: What are you praying for that you may possibly be misunderstanding Jesus’ answer because he’s answering MORE than you are asking?
Question: What situations and relationships do you not want to “take away the stone” because of the “odor”, meaning they seem impossible or too much trouble to deal with?
The takeaway and our response
Jesus wants to be the resurrection and life for you, your family, and your community in 2022 and most importantly, for all eternity. (John 17:3)
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
As he said to Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”, he says to us as well.
This challenge to have faith in Him is for his glory, our good, and the world’s healing.
Will you follow him into the impossible mission of making disciples of all nations until He returns AND believe that along the way he will work miracles deepening our trust in him alone?
Pray and Act: Lord Jesus, you are the resurrection and the life that the world and I need. I give you the impossible things in my life today. Use me this year as your witness like you did Lazarus and those who witnessed your glory. Please do this so that others may know you and experience your glory and salvation as well. In Your name, amen.
Second City Church - Associate Pastor: Cole Parleir 2021