Well folks, great to see you this morning and happy Easter. It's lovely to have you with us.
Great to have those who are joining us online with us as well.
Let me invite you to grab a Bible and come back with me to John chapter 11
and to one of the most magnificent chapters in the Bible.
As you're turning there, let me tell you about one of the most famous Americans in all of history.
You might have heard of him. A man by the name of Benjamin Franklin.
A man famous for a number of things. I guess famous for being one of the founding fathers of the United States.
He's one of the team that did the Declaration of Independence. Huge moment. Birth of a nation.
Famous for his work as a pioneer and as an inventor. Famous for being the face that's on a $100 bill.
If you're ever privileged enough to have one of them in your possession, that's the face that you'll see.
Also famous for an observation that he once made about life.
Put it on the screen. This is what he said about life.
He said, there are only two certainties in life. Death and taxes.
Right? A cheery note to strike. I think you'll agree on this Easter Sunday, but bear with me.
Only two certainties in life. Death and taxes.
Let me ask you, how does his observation strike you?
Tell you what, let's put his comments on taxes to the side for just a moment.
Okay, we'll leave that with Rishi Sunak and Kate Forbes.
And you can have your say on that as you go to the polls in Sixth of Me.
Agreed?
To the side, the taxes.
What do you make about his comments on death?
Heard it described recently as the taboo subject of our day.
Okay, generation previous, no one wants to talk about sex.
Everyone wants to talk about death.
Our generation, no one wants to talk about death.
Everyone wants to talk about sex.
Isn't it interesting?
The taboo subject of our day.
What is it that we've been hit with in these daily coronavirus briefings every day?
What have we been hit with?
Numbers.
This is the amount of positive cases.
This is the amount of positive cases that have led to people being in hospital.
This is the amount of people who have died.
And fair play to her, Nicola Sturgeon.
She reads out those numbers every day.
She says that she does it because she wants to honour the fact that these are real people
with real friends and with real family who are all shedding real tears.
And let me ask you, as you maybe watch this today or maybe as you're here,
how have you processed all of this stuff?
Maybe some of you read, I don't know if you're a Guardian reader, I'm not sure.
John Harris, last week in The Guardian, who himself, a self-confessed atheist,
who ticked the no religion box in the recent census.
He said this,
Like millions of other faithless people,
I have not even the flimsiest of narratives to project onto what has happened,
nor any real vocabulary with which to talk about the profundities of life and death.
Now, do you hear what he's saying?
And do you feel maybe what he's saying?
What is he saying?
He's saying that he doesn't have a story.
What is his phrase?
He calls it the flimsiest of narratives.
He doesn't have a framework for understanding this.
He has no way of understanding the world
that can make sense of life and death,
let alone hold the enormous weight of it.
So let me ask you on this Easter Sunday,
do you have a story?
Do you have a story?
Come with me to John 11
and let Jesus give us a story.
And not just our story,
the story.
Okay, so we pick up the narrative,
if you have it there, at verse 1.
And we learn that one of Jesus' friends is badly sick,
this man called Lazarus.
And Lazarus has two sisters called Mary and Martha.
And this family lived together in this little place
just outside of Jerusalem called Bethany.
And this is a family,
as you read the Gospels through,
that is full of individuals
who are clearly close to Jesus' heart.
He loves this family.
He loves these people.
Now, let me just pause there for a minute
because we so often just pass over that observation.
Isn't it striking
that the Son of God,
isn't it striking that God in the flesh
gave himself to people?
You know, he's not strutting around like
Lord Grantham from Downton Abbey, is he?
He's kind of seated in his high horse and carriage.
Although Lord Grantham did this,
but you know what I mean.
He's looking down on the poor people saying,
can you just keep the riffraff away from me?
That's not Jesus.
Sharing his heart with people.
Loves people.
Love that about Jesus.
But one day,
while he and his disciples are somewhere else,
news reaches Jesus
of Lazarus' predicament back in Bethany.
Did you see that in the text?
And it's not looking good.
But incredibly,
Jesus, when he hears the news,
he doesn't drop everything and run.
Does he?
Verse 5,
he's staying put with his disciples,
and he's staying put two more days.
Now, does that not strike you?
At verse 5,
does it not strike you as being a bit odd?
We would expect Jesus to drop everything and go,
would we not?
But according to him,
the reason,
the reason is that his glory might be displayed.
The reason is,
according to Jesus,
that his disciples and those watching
might look at this episode
and learn something utterly life-transforming
about who this man is.
two days he's staying,
another 48 hours pass.
And by this time,
by the time that Jesus and his disciples
eventually get to Bethany,
four days have come and gone.
Now, you know what it's like
when you're in one of those
heartbreaking moments.
How long do the days feel?
How long does every hour feel?
Four days.
Four days,
Lazarus is dead
and Jesus knows this.
He knows this.
Verse 14,
he knows Lazarus is dead.
And when Jesus and his disciples
eventually get to Bethany,
they encounter a sorrowful scene.
What do they see?
People are weeping.
People have come from Jerusalem
to Bethany
to console this family,
mourning the loss of Lazarus.
And Jesus encounters two sisters
who are utterly shell-shocked
as they come to terms
with the painful reality
that their brother is dead.
And both sisters,
you see it,
when they eventually meet Jesus,
they both say exactly the same thing.
This was clearly what was going on
back in the house,
what they're discussing.
Do you see it?
Martha says it at verse 21
and Mary says exactly the same thing
at verse 32.
Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
Now enter into the pain
of their question.
What are they asking?
Where were you, Jesus?
What is going on?
Who are you, Jesus?
Have we got it right?
Do you really love us?
Where are you, Jesus?
Maybe that's a question
that's in your mind today.
Maybe as you're here,
maybe as you're watching this.
Who is this Jesus?
You know, it might be Easter Sunday,
but let's not pretend,
given the last season of life
that we've been through
that has been so hard
for so many of us
in so many different ways,
let us not pretend
that we've come in here this morning,
all of us,
dancing in like Easter bunnies.
life's been so hard.
And if you're sitting there this morning,
you're watching this,
you're feeling the weight of that.
Let me just say,
that is why all of us
need to take a deep breath
of Jesus
and inhale what is going on
in the text here
and allow our souls
to be strengthened
by the victorious Christ.
Not about who we are,
all about who he is.
Let me just give you,
in the 10 minutes
that we have remaining,
five words from John 11.
Five words,
it's a two and a three.
It's a bit of maths
for you this morning as well.
Five words
that help us understand
who Jesus is from this text.
Okay, come and see,
first of all,
two words that reveal his heart.
Verse 35,
if you've got it there,
for the eggheads in the room
watching,
here is the shortest verse
in the Bible.
Okay, you can play that one
whenever you want in conversation.
Shortest verse in the Bible,
verse 35,
and yet,
make no mistake,
it is one of the most profound.
In response to seeing
the utter devastation
which Lazarus' death
has brought to those he loves,
here are our two words
and get these,
Jesus wept.
Is that not incredible?
When you think about it,
is that not incredible?
God cried.
Now,
why is he crying?
That's the question.
Why is he crying?
Is it because he is deeply moved
by what he saw?
Absolutely.
Does Jesus know the sorrows
and the pains
of his people?
Definitely.
But let me just say,
if the only reason
that Jesus cried
was because he was missing his friend,
then he knows
he's only got five more minutes
to go,
I imagine,
and then he's reunited
with his friend Lazarus.
And if that was the case,
if that was the only reason
he was crying,
does that not strike you
as a bit of a case
of crocodile tears
from Jesus?
Got to see that there's
more going on here.
More going on.
You see,
as Jesus watched
death
get its teeth into,
another person,
death,
yield,
its power,
the death
that's in the world
because of our sin,
our rebellion
against our creator,
causing chaos
in people's lives.
Jesus looks on death
and he is incensed.
These are tears
of anger and outrage
that this is not
how it's supposed to be.
Now let me just
pause at that moment
and just ask you,
are you not grateful
that Jesus is like that?
That he's not stone cold
at this moment?
Okay,
he's not some kind of
James Bond type figure
from above
who's got orders from M
not to get too emotionally
involved in the situation
because emotion
is a weakness
better to be detached
from the situation.
Jesus isn't like that.
Friends,
would you want to worship him
if he was?
If the truth was
that God didn't give
two hoots
about the pain
in this world?
Jesus wept.
His tears are proof
of the truth
that this is not
the way
that it is supposed
to be.
And I guess
the problem
for us today
is that we have
got so used to it
being the truth
pretending that it is.
You know there are
many stereotypes
of British people.
One of them
is that they're
really,
really good
at the stiff upper lip.
You heard that phrase
before?
The stiff upper lip.
Some of you
may be of a generation
the 80s
you might remember
the singing sensation
jewel
Chaz and Dave.
Right?
What did they have?
What was their song?
The lyrics to it?
Mustn't grumble
mustn't grumble.
Yeah?
Not looking at anyone
in the room here at all.
Mustn't grumble.
It's about their song,
right?
Another fact
only if you want
quoted by Wallace
from Wallace and Gromit
and Gromit
another British sensation
who,
what was his famous line?
All's well that ends well
that's what I say.
That was Wallace
wasn't it?
From Wallace and Gromit.
It's what we Brits do.
We're good at this.
We just pretend it's okay
and we just get on with it.
And yet here is Jesus
giving us permission
to know
that it's not.
What we instinctively
know to be true
at every funeral
we attend,
what we instinctively
know to be the case
when we watch
people that we love
go through
the most horrendous
moments of suffering
and it's what we know
to be true
as we try and process
every tragedy
that we've been through
that this
isn't right.
It's almost like
you know when you're in the car
and a little warning light
comes on your dashboard
just there
as if they say
the car trying to tell you
is how I think of it
the car trying to tell you
something's not right here
something's not right.
It's like that
in our consciences
isn't it?
And the thing is
at this point
the car conscience
lines up with the Bible.
This is not right.
Death according to the Bible
is an unwelcome intruder
in God's good creation.
It is
what Paul would describe
as the great and last
enemy.
And Jesus' tears
tell us
that Jesus has
in his heart
to do something
about it.
And so from two words
that reveal his heart
let me just give you
three words
that show his power.
Verse 43
So Jesus
in a spirit
of defiance
he calls
for the stone
in front of
Lazarus' tomb
to be
rolled away.
and I love
Martha's instinctive
response at this point
particularly as you
read it in some of
the older translations
of the English Bible
the good old KGV
reports Martha
saying
Jesus surely
by this time
he stinketh.
And she's right
isn't it?
But four days
have gone past
this body
will be decomposing.
And you have to say
this is a hugely
strange request
from Jesus
as it not
roll the stone
away
but it's more
than a strange
request.
Surely it's an
insensitive one.
And we talk about
things that you
do not say
at a funeral.
This line
has got to be
right at the top
has it not?
Imagine calling
for proceedings
to be stopped.
How about we
pop the coffin lid
and we'll see
if it is actually
the case
and if we can do
something about it.
We do not say that.
And yet Jesus
is deadly serious.
Friends none of us
would
want a God
who didn't care.
Can I suggest
isn't it wonderful
news
that Jesus
is also one
who can do
something about it?
You know
what would be
the case
if he couldn't?
You know
as if he was
some kind of
lucky mascot.
Do you remember
those days
when you used
to take stuff
into your exams
thinking that
would help you?
What use was that
looking back at it?
Very much in keeping
with how it started
at the beginning
of the Bible story.
In Genesis 1
the one through
whom all things
were made
here he is
speaking once again
into the darkness
into the chaos
into the abyss
and life
comes.
Here's the three
words.
Ready for them?
Really simply
Lazarus
come
out.
And the man
who after four
days
was verifiably
dead
and I take it
that's the reason
Jesus waited
those four days
to help the people
understand
that this wasn't
a case of Lazarus
needing resuscitation.
This was a case
of Lazarus
needing resurrection.
Lazarus
his hands and feet
you see in the text
still bound with cloths
because this is
an eyewitness account
hobbles out.
And so
here is the top story
in the Bethany news
at six.
Lazarus
lives.
He lives.
Death
has given
way to life.
The man
who was dead
is walking
and he's talking.
And this is why
people
if you read on
the Jews
want to kill him
because of
his witness
that people are
coming to know
Jesus for themselves.
And I love the point
in the story
where he finds out
that the Jews
are after him
to kill him.
Can you imagine
that one?
They're going to what?
They're going to kill me?
Because I know
somebody who's got
the power to bring
me back to life.
But you've got to see
in the context
of John's gospel
what was wonderfully
foreshadowed here
in this incident
with Lazarus
is Jesus'
own resurrection.
This is what's coming.
Jesus
himself
verifiably
dead
crucified
on the cross
hands
nailed
side
pierced.
We have to understand
in terms of history
that Roman soldiers
didn't miss
they didn't miss
but we've got to understand
in terms of theology
that neither did
God's wrath.
As Jesus took
our sin on himself
the very sin
that brought death
into the world
in the first place
and meant
that we were deserving
rightly
of eternal death
and separation
from God
Jesus took
the full weight
of that
and we just cannot
comprehend that.
he took the full weight
of that
on himself
and three days later
he verifiably
rises
bodily
and physically
not a mere
hallucinatory
experience here
from those who saw it.
The risen Jesus
was seen
touched
talked to
and ate with
multiple people
on multiple occasions
over a lengthy period
of time
40 days.
In other words
there are witnesses
to back this up
and where we stand
2000 years later
we have thus
written down
in our language
and we can trace it
all the way back
to the original witnesses.
In other words
Christianity
rests on a bedrock
of evidence
as God sends
a message to the world
publicly
that my son
has done it.
He's done it.
My king
who I've installed
Psalm 2
this is where it connects
Psalm 2
the king who's seated
I have seated
on his holy hill
I've done it
because he has
completed the mission
for which he came
to save his people
from their sin
those who would look
to him in faith
could have their sins
forgiven
and could be right
with God.
And this same Jesus
the king
will one day return
in the same way
that he came
to put all wrongs
to right
to judge the living
and the dead
according to how
they have responded
to him.
He will put all wrongs
to right friends
understand that
no more pain
no more tears
no more sickness
no more caught deaths
no more workers
exploitation
no more slavery
no more abuse
no more sin
banished
distant memory
because the king
has dealt with it.
So Aslan said
of himself wasn't it?
Because of his work
death itself
was beginning
to work backwards.
The old tale
that's going around
Narnia
about Aslan
wrong will be right
when Aslan
comes in sight
at the sound
of his roar
sorrows will be no more
when he bares
his teeth
winter meets
its death
and when he shakes
his mane
we will have spring
again.
Jesus Christ
our only hope
in life
and death.
There is no bigger news
there is no greater news
than Jesus Christ
crucified
and Jesus Christ
risen.
And friends
today
let it strengthen
our souls
and may it just
kindle our affection
for Jesus
once again
and maybe
if you've wandered
maybe you're watching us
you don't know him
would today be the day
when you come to love him
and know him
and trust him
as your saviour.
You know let me ask you
just as we close
do you have a story?
Do you have a story?
Well on this Easter Sunday
let Jesus give us all
a story
not just a story
but the story
and in the words
of C.S. Lewis
I realise I've quoted him
three times there
in a minute
but go with me
okay
you guys got things to say
come and believe
the myth that's true.
Benjamin Franklin said
there are only two certainties
in life
death and taxes
Jesus thunders
I am the resurrection
and the life
the one who believes
in me will live
even though they die
and whoever lives
by believing in me
will never die.
Here is Christ
risen from the grave
let's pray together.
And let me just read
these words from
John chapter 20
and let's
make this our prayer.
Now Jesus did many
other signs
in the presence
of his disciples
which are not written
in this book
but these are written
so that you may come
to believe
that Jesus
is the Messiah
the Son of God
and that through
believing
you might have
life
in his name.
And so Father
our prayer today
is that you would
lift our souls
to the glorious Christ.
Father thank you
that you love us
and thank you
that our King lives
and so we make our prayers
in his wonderful name.
Amen.
Father
See you
through
and
Father
God
And so
we placed
in water
for a
to save