Brilliant, thanks Beno.
All friends, hands down,
my favourite chapter in all of the Bible.
If we can get our heads around this,
if you're new here today and you don't know who this Jesus is,
then you have picked a fantastic week to join us today
because if you grasp who this man Jesus is and what he can do,
then it's got the power to change absolutely everything.
Now, a friend of mine once made an observation
about how we live our lives as human beings
and I want to bounce it off you today to see what you make of it.
They said this, they said,
isn't it funny how we spend our youth trying to get riches
and then when we get older,
we spend our riches trying to get youth.
You having that this morning?
Right, and this is the point in the service
where I try not to make eye contact with anyone,
but wherever you find yourself on that timeline today,
you've got to say that there is an element of truth
in what my friend was saying.
Right, if some of you were around in the 80s,
again, looking at my script,
German pop band Alphaville, do you remember them?
Sang back in the 80s,
we want to be what?
Help me out.
Want to be forever young.
Yeah, do you remember that song?
We want to be forever young.
And there's something deep inside of us
that wants to be forever young.
In fact, I was reading just the other day
about a 45-year-old American tech entrepreneur
called Brian Johnson.
You heard of him?
Brian Johnson.
He spends, and get this,
an estimated $2 million a year
on the perfect blend of 100 vitamins and supplements
as prescribed for him by his specialist team
of doctors and nutritionists
to try and keep him feeling,
and get this, like he's 18.
$2 million a year he spends on this.
And as human beings,
we kind of make our peace
with this whole concept
of the circle of life,
as Elton John sang,
the circle of life that moves us all.
But the problem is
that every time we experience death,
it doesn't feel natural at all, does it?
And you've got to say,
as human beings,
even in the year 2023,
with all the advancements in technology
and medicine that we have at our disposal,
we've got to hold our hands up
and say that we still do not have an answer
to our biggest problem.
And into our coffin-shaped conundrum
steps this man, Jesus,
who at a funeral of all places
flips the entire way of the world
on its head.
Spoiler alert,
verse 44,
a dead man came out.
Which means
that C.S. Lewis was right
when he said,
Christianity, if fogs,
is of no importance.
But if true,
it's of infinite importance.
The only thing that it cannot be
is moderately important.
And so the invitation
that this same Jesus extends to us today
is to get him in our lungs,
whatever is going on in your life today.
And I know some of you
are going through some stuff, okay?
Whatever is going on in your life today,
get him
in your lungs.
And take his hand
and let him teach you
three
wonderful things
about
him.
And here is the first one.
This is teaching us
that we can trust fully
in his perfect timing.
Now come with me
to the text.
No word of Scripture
is ever wasted.
There are so many details
in here
that I'd never really seen before,
before I really stopped
and studied this.
We pick up the narrative
at verse 1.
We learn
that one of Jesus' friends
called Lazarus
is
sick.
Now Lazarus lives
with
his two sisters,
Mary and Martha,
in a town
called
Bethany.
None of these details
are wasted, right?
This is
historical fact.
You can find
Bethany on a map.
Presumably you could
meet Mary and Martha
if you were to try
and find them.
They would have told you
this story,
which is why
John records it all.
Verse 5,
John wants us to know
and see this.
Verse 5,
that how did Jesus
feel about this family?
He
loved
them.
So he's telling us
right up top
that everything
that is about
to happen
flows from
Jesus'
deep love
for this
family.
Lazarus is sick
though,
prognosis
critical.
And in desperation,
do you see
how the sisters,
they send
word to
Jesus?
At verse 3,
they say
the word
is come
and see
our brother.
Right?
You're the only one,
Jesus,
who can help.
Would you come?
Would you come
with your presence?
Would you come
with your healing
power?
And they say,
Lord Jesus,
we need you to come
because we love you,
you love us,
we need you here.
Now,
question,
how would you
respond to
something like
that?
You know,
I remember when
my uncle died
at Christmas time,
as soon as I
learned that we
were talking
hours,
not days,
that very quickly
moved to we
were talking
minutes,
not hours,
I jumped in the
car and I
went.
Went.
So what we
would do,
but incredibly,
Jesus,
upon hearing
this news
about the
people he
loves,
says,
verse 5,
I'm staying
here two
more days,
which means
this is
24,
sorry,
48 hours
of no
show.
And his
reason,
verse 4,
is so that
his glory
might be
displayed,
that they
might see
something
utterly
transforming
about who
he
is.
And that's
what he
means when
he says
verse 14,
I'm glad
I wasn't
there,
so that
you would
believe.
Believe what?
Believe in
him.
You see,
this God
is in the
words of
Isaiah
chapter 25,
this God,
his ways
are not
our ways.
Our
father,
his thoughts
are higher
than our
thoughts.
And this
God,
his heart
towards his
children
is steadfastly
and it's
wonderfully
good.
And you
need to know
that here
today if your
faith is in
him,
whatever is
going on in
your life
today,
his fatherly
perfect heart
towards you
is steadfast
and perfect.
Because
Jesus so
loves us
and he so
loves this
family
that he
uses the
darkest
moment in
their lives
to do the
deepest work
in their
hearts
in order
to draw
them
closer
to his
perfect
heart.
You see,
here's my
confession as I
come off the
back of this.
I think,
as I've
studied this
this week,
that I've
grossly
underestimated
Jesus'
commitment
to me.
And can I
put it to
you,
there's
something that
I want you
to bask
in today.
Do not
be in
any doubt,
no matter
what's going
on in your
life just
now,
of his
utter
commitment
to you.
This
Jesus is
way more
committed to
us than I
think.
we think
he is.
Well,
let us
not be
quick to
dismiss the
possibility
that the
Lord,
out of
his love
for us,
is teaching
us lessons
in seasons
of life
that don't
seem to
make much
sense to
us.
We were
at a
wedding
yesterday,
sitting next
to a
man called
Leonard.
Leonard was
telling me
about how
his youngest
daughter,
she was born
six weeks
prematurely,
and rushing
from
Kirkcaldy to
the sick
kids when
it was over
there just
by the
meadows,
and being
told the
story about
how his
daughter,
one of her
lungs had
collapsed and
the other
one was just
about to
go,
and the
doctor's
saying,
there's
nothing more
we can
do,
and he's
looking at
the stats
on the
vent
machine
that said
98,
which he
then figured
out meant
this machine
was running
at 98%
capacity,
there's not
a lot more
we can do
for her,
and he said
in that
moment I
had to
come to
grips with
the fact
that I
wasn't
holding her
life in
my hands,
the doctors
weren't
holding her
life in
their hands,
it was like
some kind
of guess who
where all
the tiles
had gone
down,
and he
said for
the first
time in
my life
I wasn't
in control,
but it
was as if
God stepped
in at that
point and
said,
I am.
In the
bed next
to them
with some
other little
girls was
a devout
Christian
family,
and the
two of
them have
remained
lifelong
friends ever
since,
because in
that moment
he said
it was like
God brought
people into
my path,
and the
doctor said
there's nothing
more we can
do,
and all of
a sudden
they came
back an
hour later,
you won't
believe it,
actually that
figure's
dropped,
again an
hour later,
actually that
figure's
dropped again,
and actually
the long story
short,
this girl is
now celebrating,
not without
her health
difficulties,
understand,
she's now
celebrating her
21st birthday
really soon,
and he said
nothing has
changed my
perspective on
life like
going through
that,
oh that the
Lord,
he teaches
us out of
his love
for us,
lessons about
life that we
would not learn
any other way,
never doubt
his commitment
to you,
dear friends,
in the words,
and some of
you remember
this old hymn
by William
Cowper,
judge not
the Lord,
by feeble
sense,
but trust
him for
his grace,
behind a
frowning
providence,
he hides
a smiling
face,
Jesus invites
us today to
know that we
can trust
fully in
his perfect
timing,
and secondly,
he wants us
to know that
we can lean
fully into
his gentle
heart,
you see,
back in the
story,
another 48
hours have
passed,
which means
by the time
that Jesus
and his
disciples,
they get to
Bethany,
you see John
underscore it,
Lazarus has
been dead
for four
days,
now presumably
that's to
underscore the
fact that
Lazarus is
dead,
right,
you read
around this
and there
are some
kind of
myths doing
the rounds
in the day
that a
person's
spirit hovers
over them
three days
after they're
dead,
and so some
people think
there is the
possibility of
resuscitation,
and so four
days could well
be the fact
that Jesus
is saying,
no,
this man
is dead,
he's dead,
and when they
reach Bethany,
do you see
how Jesus
and his
disciples,
they encounter
this scene
of deep
grief,
of people
weeping,
of pouring
their hearts
out,
they're
consoling
each other,
they're mourning
the loss
of their
friend Lazarus,
and right in
the middle of
it are these
two sisters,
they're utterly
shell-shocked
by the painful
reality that's
just played out
in front of
them,
and here's
what I love,
and I'd never
thought about
this before
until I saw
it this week,
look at the
text,
do you
see how
when
eventually
Mary and
Martha
see Jesus,
do you
see how
it's made
so clear
that they
ask him
the exact
same
question?
Martha
at verse
21 and
then Mary
at verse
32,
do you
see it's
the exact
same
question?
Lord,
if you
had been
here,
my brother
would not
have died,
so Jesus
has taken
this question
from both
of them,
but if you
think about
it,
it's not
a question
because it's
not a point
that's meant
to invite
deep discussion,
it's a point
that's meant
to convey
to Jesus
their utter
pain at
what's going
on in
this moment.
Where were
you,
Jesus?
I thought
you loved
us.
How could
you have
let this
happen?
We sent
word to
you,
we know
that you
got the
message.
Who even
are you
Lord?
Have you
been there?
If you
have,
I want
you to
see what
comes next
because isn't
it incredible
that Jesus
responds to
their exact
same question
in profoundly
different ways?
Could it
be,
and here's
what I want
you to
listen to,
could it
be that
Jesus
perceives
that
Martha's
biggest
need
in this
moment
is to
know
that
he's
in
control?
And
this
same
Jesus
perceives
that
Mary's
biggest
need
in
this
moment
is
to
know
that
he
cares.
And
dear
friends,
we have
a Jesus
who
excels
in
both.
love.
Because
do you
see
Martha
who
has
some
understanding
verse 24
of
the
resurrection
on the
last
day.
And I
take it
she's
taking that
from the
words of
Job.
Job would
say,
I know
my
redeemer
lives.
Jesus
says,
I am,
and he's
using the
divine title
there of
God
himself.
He
says,
I
am
the
resurrection
and the
life.
And what
he's
doing is
he's
taking the
knowledge,
the hope
that she
has,
the longings
that she
has in
an event,
and he's
taking it
and he's
connecting it
to himself.
Everything
that you
hope for,
everything
that you
long for,
you'll find
it in
me.
So that
her faith
is no
longer in
an event.
No,
no,
he wants
to transfer
that
faith
fully
to him.
Martha's
biggest need
in this
moment is
to hear
Jesus say,
as it
were,
I've
got him
and I've
got you
and I've
got your
sister.
And then
we get
Mary and
here's what
I love
about Mary.
Do you
see verse
20,
how Martha
hears this
news about
Jesus is
near?
What's
Martha's
reaction,
verse 20?
What does
she do?
She runs
to him,
right?
But what
does
Mary do?
Do you
see it?
What does
she do?
She stays
at home.
Now,
can I read
between the
lines a
little?
Could it
be that
Mary is
just so
disillusioned
with Jesus?
She's so
angry,
unupset,
and feels
let down
by him
that she
cannot bear
to go?
And in
verse 28,
Martha
says to
her,
the
teacher
is
asking
for you.
Jesus
has drawn
her out
here
to him.
He knows
precisely the
pain and
the questions
that are
going on
in her
heart.
And he
says,
I want
you to
come to
me with
that.
And in
a flash,
do you
see how
Mary's
running for
him?
And I
take it
that's why
others notice
it.
It must
have been
such a
sprint that
she's just
up and
she's at
it and
she's out.
as she
falls at
his feet
and the
floodgates
open and
it all
comes
bursting
out of
her.
And for
the eggheads
out there,
what follows
is the
shortest
verse in
the Bible.
Right?
But make
no mistake,
boy is it
one of the
most profound.
In response
to seeing the
utter devastation
which Lazarus'
death has
brought upon
those who
he loves,
do you see
those two
words?
Jesus
wept.
Now is
that not
incredible?
That
Jesus would
come,
he would
enter our
world and
that he
would stoop
and here
he is
crying at
the death
of his
friend.
Why is he
crying?
I've thought
about this
all this
week.
Why is he
crying?
Was he
deeply
moved by
the loss
of his
friend?
Absolutely.
Does Jesus
know the
sorrows and
the scars
which each
of his
people bear?
Definitely.
But if you
think about
it,
if the only
reason that
his tear
ducts opened
was that he
simply misses
his friend,
well he's
just got to
wait five
minutes and
he knows
himself that
that one is
going to be
over pretty
quick.
Which strikes
me as a
classic case
of crocodile
tears.
But what we
need to see
here is that
there's
something
bigger
going on
here.
As Jesus
watches death
wield its
teeth,
the death
that's in
our world
because of
our sin
and our
rebellion
against our
creator,
the death
that is here
that's causing
chaos in
people's lives,
this Jesus
cries because
he is
incensed.
These are
tears that
are a
concoction
of love,
of determination
and of
outrage at
what's
happened in
front of
his eyes.
Are you not
grateful for a
Jesus like
that?
Can you
imagine if
Jesus were
stone cold
at this
point?
if he
wasn't moved
at all
with compassion
by the
trials and
the pain of
his people?
Imagine if he
was some
kind of
James Bond
figure taking
instructions from
M.
What is it M
always says
to Bond?
Don't get
too what?
Emotionally
caught up
in the mission
because if you
do then you're
going to
jeopardize
potentially the
whole thing.
If Jesus was
like that would
you want to
worship him?
I know I
wouldn't.
A God who
cares not to
hoots for
what you and
I are going
through in
life.
But I want
you to know
here today that
we do not
have an
arm's length
Jesus.
Jesus
wept and
what his
tears are
proof of
is the
truth that
this is not
the way that
it was
supposed to
be.
And I
think the
problem that
I face and
I'm sure we
all face is
that we have
got so good
in our
culture at
pretending it
is.
You know
there's so many
stereotypes about
British people.
One of them is
that they were
particularly good
at doing the
stiff upper
lip.
Right?
Some of you
might remember
Chaz and Dave
back in the
80s.
What was their
song?
Mustn't
grumble.
Right?
Just get on
with it.
Keep on
going.
It's what we
Brits do.
We just get
on with life.
But here is
Jesus giving us
permission to
know what we
instinctively know
to be true
deep down at
every single
funeral that we
attend.
Every time we
see a friend
who's suffering
and in need.
And every
single time we've
tried to process
the tragedies
that befall
us in this
world
that this
isn't
right.
And it's
just like the
time when a
warning light
goes on on
your car
dashboard.
And it's
your car's
way of telling
you that
something is
not right.
Do you not
find that every
time we go
through this
that the
death light
as it were
goes on in
our hearts
on the
dashboard of
our lives
and says
something's
not right.
You see
death according
to the Bible
is an
unwelcome
intruder in
God's good
creation.
And what that
means is that
Christians of
all people
should not be
people who
bottle it.
Our world
doesn't know
how to mourn.
There's no
grid.
There's no
way to process
it.
But Jesus
gives us
here a
way to
of processing
our grief.
Jesus
gives us
here permission
to join
him in
crying over
a broken
world.
And I
think that
means that
as Christians
we should
be the
people who
have got
a full
understanding
of what
grief and
death is.
And it
gives us
permission to
be able to
feel the
depths of
it because
we join
him here
in crying
knowing
that death
is not
right.
And I
wonder if
some of
us here
we need
to come
to Jesus
today not
to bottle
it.
Some of
us are
maybe angry
at him.
Some of
us don't
know what
to do
with him.
But Jesus
if that's
you here
today hear
his call
to you
like it
was to
Mary to
come to
him.
You see
Jesus wants
us to know
that we can
lean fully
into his
gentle heart
and then
just
lastly
he wants
us to
know that
we can
rely fully
on his
powerful
words.
Come with
me to
verse 43.
You see
Jesus in a
spirit of
defiance he
calls for
the stone
in front of
Lazarus'
tomb to
be rolled
away.
Now I
love Martha's
instinctive
response to
that particularly
as you get
it in some
of the older
translations of
the Bible.
She says
Lord by
this time
surely he
stinketh.
He's been in
the tomb
four days.
The odour,
the smell,
what are you
doing to us
Jesus?
And when you
think about it
what a hugely
insensitive thing
for Jesus to
say.
Talk about
things that you
don't say at
a funeral.
This line has
got to be right
up the top
there has it
not?
Everyone stop
what you're
doing,
let's have
that coffin
lid off and
let's see if
we can do
something about
it.
That's
effectively what
Jesus is
saying here
right?
And yet
Jesus is
deadly serious.
None of
us would
want a God
who didn't
care.
Neither can
I suggest
would any
of us want
a God
who couldn't
do anything
about it.
Like some
kind of lucky
mascot you
have in an
exam when you
were young.
I mean
honestly what
use was
that?
Well very
much in
keeping with
how it
started at
the beginning
of the
Bible story
and there
was a group
of us who
met this
week and I
loved thinking
about this
again.
It starts
with God
and what
does he do
with Adam?
He breathes
the breath of
life into
his lungs.
It's lovely
intimate language
about this
God who's
intimately
involved with
his creation.
He breathes
life into
Adam and
just like
that as
Adam becomes
a living
being is
God breathes
breath of
life into
him.
Jesus speaks
into the
abyss, into
the chaos,
into the
darkness and
this must have
been the
weirdest thing
if you were
there to
see this.
And he
breathes
life into
Lazarus.
And the
man who
was verifiably
dead, again
this man
wasn't in need
of resuscitation,
this man was
in need of
resurrection,
this man,
his hands
and feet
still bound
with cloths,
he hobbles
out.
That's some
kind of comedy
sketch, isn't
it?
Hobbles out.
And Jesus
says, do you
notice the last
words there at
verse 44?
He says,
let him go.
The question
for you,
who's Jesus
speaking to
there?
Yeah, he's
speaking to his
disciples.
I take it
those in
earshot who
can hear
exactly what's
going on,
let him go.
But who
else in a
more deeper
profound way
is Jesus
speaking to?
Who needs
to let him
go?
Who no
longer has
a claim
on him?
Death
itself.
Let him
go.
And so
here's the
top story
on your
Bethany
News at
six.
Lazarus
lives.
And as
wonderful as
this moment
is, joy,
celebration,
dancing,
delight, as
special a
moment as
this is, the
thing is that
one day
Lazarus will
die again.
It's not like
he somehow
obtains
immortality from
this point on.
No, no, he
will die again,
but boy, would
that have been a
different funeral.
Would you not
love to have been
at Lazarus'
second funeral?
I don't
imagine the
sense of
loss was any
deeper.
It would have
been just as
deep, the
sense of
grief and
loss, but
boy, would I
imagine the
sense of
hope would
have been
phenomenally
more because
of this
episode.
Because I
know the
one who
speaks and
he brings
life back
from the
debt.
And what
was wonderfully
foreshadowed
here was a
day that was
coming not
so long
after this
one, when
another stone
would be
rolled away
from the
tomb.
And another
man who
was verifiably
dead would
walk out,
except there's
a difference.
Because unlike
Lazarus who
would die
again, Jesus,
dear friends,
the one who
loves us, the
one who holds
us, the one
who knows
us, he
will never
die again.
So the
same question
that Jesus
asks Martha
is the one
he asks us
today as we
close, is
do you
believe?
Will you
put your
faith in
me?
Even when
you don't
understand,
even when it
looks like all
is lost, do
you trust me
that I've
got you and
I've got
this?
Because I
am the
resurrection and
the life.
you know,
just as we
close, can I
tell you about
a chat that I
had recently
with my
eldest daughter?
So the
moment we're
potty training
Eve, it's
messy, but
Chloe's watching
on one day
and she's
laughing at
it.
And I
say to her,
listen, I
remember what
it was like
when you were
that age and
I was changing
your nappy,
we were
trying to
get you
off nappies,
trying to
get you
onto the
potty.
When you
were really
little, I
was helping
you go to
the toilet.
And then I
tried to
teach her a
little life
lesson and
I said, the
funny thing
about life
is that, see
when I'm
old, you
will be
doing the
exact same
thing for
me.
And her
eight-year-old
brain, she
processed it and
eventually she
got what I
was saying.
And I
said to her,
I said,
listen, will
you look after
mummy and
daddy when
we're old?
And she
said, I
guess so.
Which
admittedly wasn't
the reassurance I
was looking
for.
But it got me
thinking on this
passage as well.
See when you
and I are
our weakest
moments in
life.
Where will we
turn?
where will we
go?
What do we
need to know
most when our
physical energy
fails us?
Who do we
need to know
most on those
days when we
are mentally
done?
Who do we
need to know
when the bad
news comes
that, as you
like, it rips
the rug out
from underneath
our feet and
we have got
nowhere else
to go?
Who do we
need to know
in our
weakest
moments in
life?
We need to
know the
Jesus here
who invites
us to
know that
because of
our faith
in him,
in the
weakest
moments of
our lives
when nothing
seems to
make sense,
that we're
held by
and loved
by the
strongest
and most
loving
of saviors.
Jesus says,
I am the
resurrection
and the
life.
So why don't
we pray?
And just
before I
pray, let's
respond to
this rightly.
And I know
some of us,
this is really
raw what we
thought about
today.
And if
you've,
anything that
we've said
or thought
about today
that you
would love
to pray
about,
we would
love to
do that
with you
after the
service.
It should
be the
most natural
thing that
we do
together as
a church
family.
But perhaps
in the
silence now,
friends,
you need to
run to
him like
Mary.
He invites
you to
come to
him.
Maybe your
prayer is
one that
Martha
experienced
and knows,
Lord,
help me
know that
you're in
control.
So why
don't we
pray and
just in the
silence,
bring your
own heart
before this
Jesus,
who knows
us and
loves us.
And then
we'll finish
and we'll
stand to
sing our
closing
songs.
Brothers
and sisters,
we do not
want you to
be uninformed
about those
who sleep
in death,
so that you
do not grieve
like the rest
of mankind
who have no
hope,
for we
believe that
Jesus died
and he rose
again,
and so we
believe that
God will
bring with
Jesus,
those who
have fallen
asleep with
him.
Therefore,
encourage one
another with
these words.
And so,
Father,
I pray that
your spirit
would be at
work in our
lives right
now.
Would you
help us
grasp and
know this
Jesus,
who shows us
here that he
is in the
control,
and he is
one who
completely
cares.
So,
Father,
whatever is
going on in
our lives
today,
Lord,
as a
church
family,
we would
bring our
prayers to
you,
and that we
ask that by
your spirit
that he would
be at work
in our
hearts,
bringing that
knowledge of
this Jesus.
Father,
we just thank
you today for
your commitment
to us,
your people.
Father,
what a
wonderful,
mind-blowing
chapter of
the Bible.
Father,
would you
massage it
home to
our hearts
now,
and would
the message
of the
risen Jesus
go forth
in our
hearts into
the rest of
this week,
we pray,
in his
lovely and
in his
worthy name.
Amen.