You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
Our passion is to experience and express grace.
Join us.
What a joy and delight to worship Jesus, to think about who He is, what He's done for
us.
I don't know how many of you were here when we started John's Gospel.
It was 37 years ago and we've made it halfway, which is pretty exciting.
But if you were here at the beginning, do you remember when we marveled at where John started?
That in the beginning was the Word and the Word was God become flesh with life and light
and grace upon grace so that we could be a part of God's family, so that we could actually
know God Himself.
And John was about to lay out for us how that developed in real space and time and history.
It's been amazing for me to encounter the real Jesus time and time again in John's Gospel.
I was talking this week with Allie Trammell, who is the teaching leader for the Women's
Bible Study Fellowship class that meets here.
And they've been going through the Gospel of John.
They're a little further along, closer to the end than we are.
But we were just sharing together how we have been impacted as week after week we open God's
Word here and see who is Jesus and what's He really like?
And see His glory.
I hope you have been too, those of you who've been here, moved to worship Him.
Met with comfort in hard things you've been walking through.
Inspired with hope towards true life and true purpose with Him.
That's what God's Word does as we open it.
And I just want you to know this about the Gospel of John at the halfway mark.
It's only getting better and more glorious from here, okay?
I'm unlikely to calm down through the end of John 21.
Apologies.
John 11, where we are this morning, it's about the seventh and final sign that Jesus does here
to show us who He is.
He's been ruling over creation.
And some of these signs, water to wine, feeding 5,000, walking on water.
And some of these signs, He's been healing people from various diseases, sicknesses they've had.
But now John 11, He's going to take it up a notch as He raises Lazarus from the dead.
And He's also going to tell us what this final sign points to about Himself.
It's a long story about resurrection.
But that means that the problem that hangs over this whole passage is death.
It's everywhere.
So we're going to need to talk together about something that we often avoid talking about
or even thinking about.
Maybe it seems unknown or uncertain to us.
Maybe, for many of us, a source of anxiety.
Maybe a source of deep grief to you right now.
Maybe we think of death as the end of all things.
Maybe as the great enemy.
But regardless, I want you to think this morning how much of life is plagued by the specter of death.
It's really all around us.
Socially and politically, debates continue to rage over abortion.
Refrostation, the death penalty, euthanasia.
If you read the news, every day, you can click on it any day of the week,
there are going to be stories of death.
Shootings, murder trials, wars all around the world raging,
bridge collapses, natural disasters, there are death tolls all around the world.
And then even more personally, we face painful realities like miscarriage,
like the death of loved ones,
like cancer diagnoses,
and we wait and run tests and wait to learn if it's terminal.
Suicide rates increasing.
Whether we like it or not, and most of us do not,
we are faced with death every day, aren't we?
I'm asking us not to ignore it right now,
not to avoid it,
even though I know it is really difficult.
And most of you didn't come to church this morning wanting to talk about it.
We sense that about death,
that it's an interruption in God's good design.
But we also hope it doesn't interfere with God's good plan.
So where does God show up in the face of all this death?
Where does he fit in?
Where could he even show his glory?
And how does he help us navigate the darkness,
and the grief,
and the fear?
We're going to spend three weeks here in this chapter.
I promise not staying in death all the time.
There's life and there's light.
Most of you know that the way this chapter unfolds,
near the end,
Lazarus walks out of the tomb alive.
And there's hope.
But along the way,
I want us to see in the face of death,
three different things.
The presence of God this morning.
Next week, the tears of God.
And then finally,
the ultimate glory of God.
We need that full picture,
but we're going to take it one step at a time.
Let's pray together this morning,
and then we'll read the beginning of the story as we go.
God, some of us are hurting
almost too much to listen any further.
Some of us are so uncomfortable with this topic
as to be right now even shutting off our hearts.
It doesn't feel safe.
Others of us would honestly just like to believe
that we don't need this now.
But all of us need to hear from you.
We need to see Jesus.
To see in Jesus your perfect image,
the word made flesh,
the one who is one with the Father,
to show us exactly how you feel,
exactly what you do,
exactly who you are
in the face of death.
So Father, speak to us
by your word,
through your spirit,
we ask in Jesus' name.
Amen.
As we begin to read this great story,
there are a few lessons that we'll see along the way,
and they're all brought together
by this one main lesson
at the end of today's passage.
So we're going to move through
the first part of the Lazarus story.
We're always at issue here at the beginning
is God's presence.
Where is Jesus?
It starts with concerns
about his presence or absence.
Verse 1.
Now a certain man was ill,
Lazarus of Bethany,
the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment
and wiped his feet with her hair,
whose brother Lazarus was ill.
So the sisters sent to Jesus,
saying,
Lord,
he whom you love
is ill.
Lazarus is ill,
but Jesus is not
there.
They send a message to him,
and
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.
The end,
the purpose here,
is not death.
The illness
is actually going to be
to the end of
God's glory.
Now that is true of this
particular illness,
but the potential is there
for that in every illness,
every trial,
isn't there?
To be about
more than meets the eye,
more than
merely physical.
To be about
God's
glory.
That means
to be a situation
in which God
reveals to us
more of
who he is.
That's what
God's glory
means
in
John.
When Jesus says
it's for
God's glory,
he's not saying,
well,
it may be bad
for Lazarus,
but it'll be good
for God
and people will
praise him.
That's not really
what it means.
In John's gospel,
being for
God's glory
means
showing people
who God
truly is,
especially
through
Jesus,
the Son,
through
his person.
And that should
be our
greatest longing
all the time,
right?
Our greatest
longing
to see
God's
greatest
glory
in this
relationship
with him
that impacts
eternity,
that we would
see some of
what we've been
singing and
reading about
this morning
and to know
more of who
he is and to
share in that
even now with
him.
That's what we
long for,
that's what we
need.
So yes,
we pray
and we
long for
healing,
for protection,
for deliverance,
we should,
and no matter
what,
we most
long to
see God
clearly.
Pray that
too,
right?
When you
pray,
we pray a lot
when we
long for
healing,
when we
face death,
pray also
for yourself
and for
others to
see God's
glory.
Kids,
if you don't
know how to
pray when
somebody is
sick or
when somebody
loved has
died,
pray that
they and
that you
would see
who God
is,
would know
him more,
that we
would see
his glory.
Hold that
thought for
two weeks
or so
because showing
us God's
glory is
the end
of this
story and
I just
got to tell
you now,
it is even
bigger than
Lazarus walking
alive out of
the tomb.
It's crazy
glorious.
Please don't
miss this.
That's later.
Right now
we're at
verse five.
We're not
there yet.
Now Jesus
loved Martha
and her
sister
and Lazarus.
The second
time, by the
way, that
Jesus' love
is highlighted
after verse
three,
Lord, he
whom you
love is
ill.
friend, your
illness is
not evidence
that God
doesn't love
you.
In fact,
Jesus
especially
loves the
needy.
His love
is drawn
to the
weak and
wounded,
sick and
sore.
So many
of us,
as we
suffer, we
wrestle with
this personal
problem of
evil.
could God
still really
love me if
he's letting
this happen
in my
life?
Don't get
confused by
those who
say that
your sickness
means you
don't believe
enough or
you don't
pray enough
or you
don't deserve
God's love.
No.
No, he
loves you.
So of
course,
loving
Lazarus
and having
the power
to heal
him,
Jesus then
rushes
immediately
to his
side.
No.
So,
therefore,
because he
loved them,
when he
heard that
Lazarus
was ill,
he stayed
two days
longer
in the
place he
was.
Then he
says,
let's go.
And we
find out
later,
Lazarus
dies in
the meantime.
I thought
Jesus said
that's not
where this
story was
headed.
This
delay has
puzzled
Christians
since it
puzzled
those disciples
that first
day.
We've felt
their pain,
haven't we?
God,
where are
you?
Why aren't
you answering?
What is
taking so
long here?
I thought
you said.
I don't
understand.
I still
couldn't tell
you why
after the
pain of
miscarrying
our first
child,
God seemed
to delay
month
after
month
for so
long
until we
felt like
stopping
praying
and stopping
hoping
would feel
better.
God,
are you
really
present
in the
face of
death?
We'll
hear
concerns
about
Jesus'
presence
or lack
thereof
repeatedly
here.
We're
going to
hear them
again
from
Martha
and then
from
Mary
and then
from the
mourners
who have
joined
them.
Why
the delay?
Things
could have
gone
differently,
Jesus?
Well,
we often
don't know
exactly
why,
do we?
But it
does seem
throughout
Scripture that
God often
delays until
we can't
comprehend
how he
could
possibly
fulfill
his
promises.
Have you
felt that
before?
He's done
that in
most of
our lives.
He certainly
has something
to show
us in
this
situation.
But
regardless,
I want
us to
note
here that
God's
delays do
not
disprove
his
love.
Whatever
they may
mean,
whatever
they may
feel like,
Jesus
delays
because
he
loves.
Don't
let
Satan
convince
you
otherwise.
That's
not what
you're
experiencing
right now.
Brother
or sister
who's
wondering
if it
is time
to give
up,
have I
waited or
endured
this long
enough?
I think
that perhaps
he's quit
loving me.
No.
His
love
never
fails.
No
one
can
snatch
you
out of
his
hand.
And
his
delay
in
your
life,
as
painful
and
awful
as the
circumstances
of it
may be,
it may
be
specifically
because of
his
great
love
in a
way
more
glorious
than
we
can
imagine.
He
delays,
but after
delaying,
Jesus
says,
verse 7,
to the
disciples,
let us
go to
Judea
again.
The
disciples
said to
him,
Rabbi,
the Jews
were just
now seeking
to stone
you and
are you
going
there
again?
Jesus
not safe
over there.
Remember
the stones?
Let's
not do
that.
Can we
go
somewhere
else?
Jesus
answered,
are there
not 12
hours in
the day?
If anyone
walks in
the day,
he does
not stumble
because he
sees the
light of
this world.
But if
anyone walks
in the
night,
he stumbles
because the
light is
not in
him.
Now,
this seems
pretty cryptic,
doesn't it?
I think,
in fitting
with some
of the
things he
says here
and elsewhere,
Jesus is
telling us
to have
hope because
we are
with him.
He's
saying,
walking
anywhere
with me
is safer
than walking
on your
own.
Trust me,
walk with
me in
the light,
even walking
into the
jaws of
death.
Better to
be with
me than
to try to
figure a
way around
it on
your own,
your own
wisdom,
your own
strength.
It's another
invitation from
Jesus to
trust,
to follow,
to rest.
Verse 11,
after saying
these things,
he said to
them,
our friend
Lazarus has
fallen asleep,
but I go
to awaken
him.
the disciples
said to
him,
Lord,
if he's
fallen asleep,
he will
recover.
There's
another way
out,
right?
Maybe we
don't have
to go
there after
all.
Now
Jesus had
spoken of
his death,
but they
thought he
meant taking
rest and
sleep.
So Jesus
told them
plainly,
Lazarus has
died,
and for
your sake,
I am glad
that I was
not there,
so that you
may believe,
but let us
go to
him.
It seems
an awful
turn,
doesn't it?
Lazarus has
died.
A reality
that we
know already
and especially
we'll see
next week
grieves
Jesus deeply.
But there's
hope in
Jesus.
There's hope
specifically for
the disciples'
faith,
right?
The good
of their
seeing God's
glory,
seeing more
of who
he is.
Jesus so
values our
belief.
He so
loves to
build our
faith in
him.
And he
says,
let's go to
him,
Lazarus.
Even to a
dead man,
Jesus is
coming.
His presence,
his showing
up is
hopeful.
Thomas hears
this reminder
to trust
Jesus even
to death.
So Thomas
called the
twins,
said to his
fellow disciples,
let us also
go that we
may die
with him.
Now listen,
doubting Thomas
gets a bad
rap later in
the story,
okay?
But he is
consistently a
realist,
isn't he?
He's very
practical.
No sugar
coating the
situation.
If Jesus is
going to die,
and he is,
let's go die
with him.
Do we
follow Jesus
like that?
There's a lot
of faith there.
Verse 17,
now when Jesus
came, he found
that Lazarus had
already been in
the tomb four
days, very
much dead.
Bethany was
near Jerusalem,
about two miles
off, and many of
the Jews had
come to Martha
and Mary to
console them
concerning their
brother.
Jesus has
arrived in the
vicinity, but
someone can't
wait for him to
get all the way
there, hoping,
longing for his
presence.
She's been looking
forward to this.
Verse 20,
so when Martha
heard that Jesus
was coming, she
went and met him,
but Mary remained
seated in the
house.
And Martha said
to Jesus,
Lord, if you had
been here, my
brother would not
have died.
But even now,
I know that
whatever you ask
from God,
God will give
you.
If only you
were here,
Jesus.
But now you
are.
And I don't
really know what
that means.
I mean, the
concept of an
immediate
resurrection of
her brother from
the dead after
he's been buried
four days doesn't
even seem to be on
Martha's radar.
But Jesus, I'm
going to throw
myself at your
feet.
I'm going to
trust that your
presence means my
blessing.
Martha's faith
here in a
Jesus who has
delayed, whose
delay has in the
meantime brought
grief upon grief
to her.
Her faith is
remarkable, isn't
it?
She must really
know this Jesus.
She must have
been following the
signs he's done
already and to
know that he and
God the Father are
one, that blessing
flows from his
very presence, that
he is worthy of
her trust.
Because then, when
you know Jesus like
that, then nothing
makes more sense than
trusting him.
Even when, humanly
speaking, it makes no
sense.
Nothing then, don't
you know that
experience?
Where from a human
perspective, you look
at your circumstances
and say, it doesn't
make any sense to
trust Jesus right
now, but I know
Jesus and nothing
makes more sense
than to trust
Jesus.
It doesn't make
sense.
Lazarus is dead.
Game over.
The end.
Except, Jesus is
here.
Trusting him, hoping
in him always makes
sense.
Verse 23.
Jesus said to
Martha, your
brother will rise
again.
Martha said to
him, I know that
he will rise again
in the resurrection
on the last day.
Martha has hope.
There's a Messiah
and a kingdom
when all who
follow him will
rise at the end
of time to reign
with him.
She's got that
hope.
And this is where
Jesus changes
everything.
It is certainly
a great comfort
to know that
there is a
resurrection to
eternal life
coming one day
someday.
I am so
grateful for
that.
I hope you
are.
But what Jesus
wants you to
see here is
something that
is even better,
even more
glorious, even
more hopeful
than that.
If you can
imagine, Jesus
is going to
teach us
something about
his identity
here that
shatters Martha's
categories and
most of our
categories.
When he is
present, something
amazing is taking
place.
He's about to
speak his fifth
I am statement
of self-disclosure
here in John.
Who is Jesus?
Martha speaks of
the resurrection
to come and
Jesus replies,
I am the
resurrection.
The Sadducees
at that time
said no
resurrection.
The Pharisees
and others
like Martha
said,
resurrection
in the Messiah's
eternal kingdom
one day,
someday.
Jesus says,
resurrection
immediately,
always,
with me,
the Messiah
who brings
the kingdom.
look, Martha,
watch what I'm
going to do.
I am dragging
the resurrection
from the future,
from that future
hope you have,
I am dragging
it back into
your present
reality right
here where I
am with you.
That's what he's
saying to us.
There is a coming
physical resurrection.
Jesus is about
to display the
certainty of that
by bringing
Lazarus back to
life here.
Right here in
his presence.
When you trust
in Jesus,
he is the
resurrection,
that means
even though
you die,
yet you
shall live.
Who?
Whoever
believes in
him,
he is the
resurrection.
But what's
more,
he explains,
Jesus is
the life.
And he says
what that means,
those who
live
spiritually,
who believe
in him,
that's the
kind of living,
shall never
really die
spiritually.
It's not that
you're going to
die and then
you're going to
wait years or
millennia for
eternity to
begin.
No, as Paul
tells us,
it is absent from
the body,
present with the
Lord.
Instantly,
death is
undone in
Jesus.
He is the
resurrection
and the
life.
He's saying
the reality
is that
true life
found in
relationship
with me
in my
presence
will never
stop.
See,
true life
is not
stuff.
It's not
experiences.
It's not
success.
It's not
comfort.
No, it is
God and
knowing him.
It is
Jesus
himself.
Jesus
as the
resurrection
and the
life is so
much the
essence of
life.
That when
you are
united to
him, you
will never
ever be
separated.
Not even
for a
moment.
Never
will you be
separated from
Jesus, the
resurrection and
the life.
Which means,
and don't miss
this, that
means if you're
now connected
to him, that
the worst
thing that
could ever
possibly happen
to you will
never, ever
happen to
you.
You know
what that
worst thing
is?
The worst
thing that
could happen
is you being
separated from
God.
Jesus says,
never, never
will you ever
experience that.
I have come
that you may
know life
with me.
Jesus drags
that future
hope into
our present
reality.
He's saying,
you've been
singing about
one day,
someday this
morning.
You've been
reading about
a day where
you meet
me in the
air and
you're with
the Lord
forever.
And I am
here with
you, Mary,
Martha,
Lazarus,
Southwood,
to say I
have brought
it to you
now.
Yes, there's
a fulfillment
to come, but
I am here
with you
now.
We ache
for those
we love
who go
before us,
don't we?
When they
die, we
miss them.
But for
them, it is
not true
that their
life ends,
that it
ends early.
No, it
continues
truly.
The truest
life, deeply,
relationally,
with the
God of
heaven.
It never
stops.
They're never
separated.
And one
day, physically,
it continues in
his restored
creation with
us.
Praise the
Lord for
that hope.
That is the
promise of
God.
God, that
the presence
of Jesus,
the resurrection
and the
life, makes
certain.
Jesus brings
resurrection
life from
the future
into our
present.
See,
resurrection is
not simply
something Jesus
does.
Like, he
raises
Lazarus from
the dead.
That's true.
He does
that, but
that is merely
a sign,
right?
It's pointing
to who Jesus
is.
He is the
resurrection.
That eternal
life in the
Messiah's kingdom
where Jesus
is.
He wants his
disciples and
these sisters that
he loves and
you whom he loves
to see it and
believe it.
That's what he
says to Martha.
Do you
believe this?
And she said
to him, yes,
Lord, I believe
that you are the
Christ, the
Son of God,
who is coming
into the
world.
That there is
life in him,
not just bread,
not just
healing from
sickness, but
life from
death.
The glory of
who God is
in Jesus is
coming into
the world.
His presence
coming to
you.
There is
life.
Friends,
do you
believe this?
See, that's
the difference
in facing
death.
And we face
death.
It's the
difference in
facing death
with Jesus.
When Jesus
shows up,
where, oh
death, is
your sting?
The sin,
the sting of
death, sin
that so deeply
has defined
us, that so
dangerously has
separated us
from God,
that so
completely has
defeated you,
sin is
defeated once
for all,
done away
with, forgiven
forever by
Jesus.
Death is a
mystery to
us in so
many ways,
isn't it?
We feel a lot
of different
things.
I think we
feel at times
trapped,
fearful,
uncertain,
but not
Jesus.
He's the
resurrection
and the
life.
Listen to
his words
in Revelation
chapter 1.
He laid
his right
hand on me
saying,
fear not,
I am the
first and
the last
and the
living one.
I died,
he's been
there, he
has faced
death,
and behold,
I am alive
forevermore,
and I have
the keys
of death
and Hades.
Listen,
if you are
facing death
in any way,
stay near
the one
with the
keys.
You hear
me?
Stay near
him.
He is
alive
forevermore.
He has
triumphed
over death.
Jesus lives
nevermore
to die.
If you
are,
if you're
trapped in
a dark
building behind
a bunch of
locked doors,
right,
you've got
no way out,
and you're
going
everywhere,
you can't
figure out
how to
get through
all these
locked doors,
you're stuck
in the dark,
stay near
the one
with the
keys.
If there's
somebody
with the
keys to
those doors
in there,
stay with
him.
Y'all,
death all
around us
can feel
like it
has us
trapped,
stuck,
dark,
confused,
afraid,
there's no
way out,
it just,
it feels
so final
to us,
time-bound
creatures,
stay near
the one
with the
keys.
We've
always known
that that
was the
key,
Jesus'
presence
with us,
right?
All the way
back to
Psalm 23,
even though I
walk through
the valley
of the shadow
of death,
I will fear
no evil.
Remarkable!
How?
Why?
For you,
my good
shepherd,
are with
me.
It's your
rod and
your staff,
my only
comfort.
As soon as
I'm absent
from this
body,
present with
the Lord,
I don't
have a moment
to realize
that something
has changed
for me,
I'm present
with you.
What comfort
that is.
It's not
something that
is merely
uncertain,
it is something
so gloriously
uncertain,
you can't
imagine how
wonderful it
is.
You're never
alone,
not for a
moment.
Wasn't that
one of the
deepest griefs
of COVID
in that season?
Reading stories
of people
dying alone,
separated
from loved
ones,
isolated
from community
because we
didn't know.
It grieves
our hearts to
think about
that.
Perhaps,
if you could
flip that
on its head,
perhaps it's
a special
taste then
of God's
goodness
when you
get to be
present
with someone
who's dying.
When you
get to
bring the
presence of
God
into the
life of
someone
facing death,
facing the
death of
a loved
one,
wrestling
with the
fear of
death in
their own
life,
and you,
friends,
know the
one with
the keys.
He lives
in you.
By his
spirit,
you have
life,
so you
can bring
his presence
into the
room with
someone
fearfully
facing
death.
life.
The
resurrection
and the
life is
yours,
is living
with you.
See,
staying near
Jesus is
not some
burdensome
task that
I'm heaping
on you this
morning when I
say,
stay near the
one with
the keys.
No,
Jesus comes
near to us,
doesn't he?
In this
story, he
moves toward
Martha and
Mary and
Lazarus.
He comes to
bring his
resurrection
life into
our present,
into our
stories,
though it
is, we
will find
out in a
way going
to cost
him his
life.
His presence
with us
in the face
of death
leads to
his death.
Spoiler
alert.
But how
else
could Jesus
ensure that
those he
loves would
never face
the worst
thing that
could ever
happen to
us.
That we
would never
be separated
from God.
He had to
endure that
separation
himself.
My God,
my God,
why have
you forsaken
me?
So that you
can be assured
of his presence
with you,
especially when
the wrongness
and the
awfulness of
death tempts
you to feel
utterly
abandoned.
No.
No, that's
not true.
He loves
you.
Remember?
Even in
this delay,
this long
delay of
life that we
live in as
we await
his return,
he loves
you.
He's showing
you more
of his
glory.
As you
learn that
walking with
him is
safer than
walking on
your own.
As you
trust him,
even when it
doesn't make
sense.
Why?
Because
Jesus is
the resurrection
and the
life who
is present
with us
everywhere,
especially
in the face
of death,
to pull out
the keys
and open
for us
the gates
of life.
That is
glorious.
If that is
not glorious
enough,
thus far,
only the
promise
of the
person
and the
presence
of Jesus
still to
come,
the tears
Jesus weeps
with us
and the
glory.
Jesus shows
us his
glory.
Let's pray.
Jesus,
thank you
that we
are not
alone.
Thank you
that you
have given
us yourself
as fully
and completely
as you
could,
that you've
even given
us of your
spirit that
we will
never be
separated
from you.
we need
that comfort.
Some of
us would
like to
think that's
true,
but it
doesn't feel
true.
Holy Spirit,
draw near
right now.
Bring comfort.
Assure us
of your
presence.
Remind us
of your
love,
Jesus.
thank you
for meeting
us in the
hardest places.
Thank you
for having
the keys.
We trust
you.
We need
you.
We find
life in
you, our
resurrection and
life.
We pray in
your name.
Amen.
For more
information,
visit us
online at
southwood.org.
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life.
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