Turn back to the Gospel of John, chapter 11, and we want to read again at verse 40.
! Jesus said to her, that's Martha, did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?
Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?
Can I ask you a question off the back of that verse?
Would you like to see the glory of God?
The quick answer would probably be yes, but I suppose the more we think about it,
the more hesitant we might be to see that glory.
The more we think about it, it probably becomes a terrifying prospect.
But if our quick answer is yes, just to imagine if we could see, just for a moment,
if we got a glimpse of the glory of God, if we could see that beauty, if we could behold that wonder,
if we could see into the throne room of heaven,
if we could see that glory, so often many say, then I would believe.
But that's the wrong way around, isn't it?
That's not what the verse says.
It says, if you believe, then you will see the glory of God.
But one comes first.
That's believing.
But if you read that passage there, like that verse there again,
there's a very weighty if in it.
A very weighty if that lands squarely on our laps this morning.
If we believe.
And we can deduce from it if we do not believe.
We won't see glory.
We won't see the glory of God.
There's an eternal ring about this verse.
An eternal truth in this verse.
If we don't believe, there'll be no comfort, no grace, no mercy, no compassion.
And in the context of the chapter that we're reading, there'll be no life.
And the word of God is speaking to you again this morning to listen.
Maybe it's a second time.
Maybe it's a third time.
Maybe he's back again, fourth, fifth, twelfth, hundred and fortieth time.
Jesus wants you to believe.
You can see it in verse 15.
Jesus waited there so that you may believe.
And it comes through again in verse 42.
That all things were done in this account as he prays to his father.
So that the crowd that were standing around would believe.
Jesus wants you to believe.
So when we think about this resurrection account of Lazarus, who's it for?
I think it's for Lazarus.
He got his life back.
But it's not really.
It's for the people.
It's for everyone standing around.
That they might believe.
And it's for us, as we stand at a distance, that we might believe.
You can imagine these people who saw this running off and telling their friends.
Jesus brought Lazarus back to life.
And being persuasive with them.
And the joy bursting out of them.
The question is, would they believe?
And the question is, do you believe?
So I want to hinge your thoughts on that.
That this resurrection account, it's for you this morning.
So that you might believe.
And what we're going to do is we'll just really kind of throw a skimming stone over this passage.
There's a lot in it.
But I want to land on four points about this resurrection account, which is for each and every one of us.
And the first point is going to be that there's a time in it for you.
The second point is that there's going to be a promise in it for you.
The third point is that there's sympathy in it for you.
And the last point is that there's evidence here for you to believe.
So there's a time for you.
Now, Ecclesiastes tells us there's a time for everything.
There's a good and a right time for everything.
Now, you know that yourself.
You can tell the simplest of jokes.
Tell it at the wrong time.
It doesn't land with the effect that you were maybe hoping.
Tell it in the wrong company.
It turns out to be terrible.
Even the best invention in the world, if it lands at the wrong time, it's revealed in the market at the wrong time,
it doesn't have the right effect.
And in our passage here, Jesus' timing grabs our attention.
You'll see Jesus' approach to time really come through in verse 6.
When he had heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
He delays to act.
The Son of God would have rightly have known the severity of Lazarus' condition.
How ill he was waits not just one, but two days.
And the message has come from his two sisters, Mary and Martha.
And it's not a message that says, brother, is ill.
Come quickly.
It's a message that says, Lord, he whom you love is ill.
And the love of Jesus, it kind of backdrops this whole scene.
Because it's highlighted and emphasized in verse 5.
It says there specifically, Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
It's almost like he loved to be with them.
And the message from his sisters that he whom you love is ill almost emphasizes that great love that was evident between them.
And you would, well, we would expect Jesus to go straight as he could to the one he loved.
That they might get better.
But we see Jesus doesn't respond in the way that we would expect or the way in which Mary and Martha would expect.
And all this is happening whilst in the conversation with the disciples.
Jesus goes on to say that they're going to return to Judea again.
The disciples hearing that, their ears plucked up.
Because if they're going to go to Judea, they know that the Jews are there ready to stone Jesus.
If we're going to go there, we're possibly going to get killed.
For the disciples, it seems like the right time to stay put, doesn't it?
It would be the wise thing to do.
Stay where we are.
Jesus responds by saying in verse 9 that, well, there's 12 hours in a day.
He refers to time.
And commentators will agree that, well, what he's saying here is that, well, there's a time for work to be done.
You know, you graft your hours in the daytime and then you rest in the dark in the evening.
Jesus is saying, what needs to be done will be done.
And the time that I've been given, my hour has not yet come.
These are the days to work for the glory of God.
So for the disciples, Jesus doesn't respond the way they would expect.
Mary and Martha want them to come.
Disciples, they want them to stay.
But they shall delay.
They say, sisters are sure he can help.
So they send that urgent cry to him, that message.
Does he stay because he doesn't care?
No.
We've seen that he loves them.
And they're dear to him.
Why does he do it?
Well, it tells in verse 4, at the end of it.
It is for the glory of God.
First thing is that this would be for the glory of God.
And the second thing is in verse 15.
So that those may see and believe.
Not in someone that goes to do a healing.
Jesus didn't want you to believe in a healer, primarily.
But someone that could bring life.
Willish death.
Someone that can bring resurrection.
Someone that has the power over death.
To conquer that power.
Jesus waited for the right time.
And what is evident in our own lives is that God does not work the way we would expect him to.
There's a time where we cry out for help.
Nothing happens.
There's a time where he says, get up.
We need to go.
And we want to say, no.
Let's stay.
I'm comfortable here.
I'm safe here.
Neither imply a lack of love.
Times of suffering, sorrows, hardship may come to us.
But God has it in his time.
In his control.
And the right response for us is to say that, well, this is a time for us.
And a time which we must say for the glory of God.
Today is a time for you.
To hear this message.
To hear the hope of the gospel.
Maybe it's a time where he's saying, get up and follow me.
Time to trust me.
Stop hiding.
With only 12 hours.
Hear his word and listen to his voice because it comes with great promise.
That's our second point.
The time is ours.
The time for us to hear.
But to hear these words of promise that are for us today, this morning.
Those promises give us a sense of certainty.
When everything's uncertain.
And promises, when it's made by someone who can fulfill it, make all the difference.
When they're capable to do it, uphold it, keep it, makes all the difference when we're at the center of that promise.
Where is Jesus' promise in this passage for you this morning?
Well, you'll read it in verse 25.
Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life.
Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.
What a promise.
A promise that is made by someone who is capable, able and faithful to uphold it.
It's a promise for you.
But in this conversation, and in this promise that is made, firstly to Martha,
we read in verse 23 that Jesus said to her,
your brother will rise again.
He puts it so simply.
But Martha recognizes, yes, there's going to be a day of resurrection.
She knows and she understands that everyone will rise.
Some to eternal life.
Some to eternal death.
Some to heaven.
Some to hell.
She's got all that right.
Jesus makes it exactly clear what the difference will make on that day.
Whoever believes they'll live.
They'll never die.
Whoever believes in me will live.
The body will die for sure.
Nothing surer.
But the believer, their soul will live.
Jesus makes that promise for us.
And he validates that he is the person who can uphold it.
I am the resurrection and the life.
The promise is there.
But there's a question there too.
For you to answer.
A question that's set before us every time we open the word of God.
And a question that Jesus asks by the power of his spirit this morning.
Do you believe this?
Do you believe it?
That even though the body dies, you live.
There's a promise here of life for you.
He can keep it.
And he will keep it for you.
With a very weighty if.
Place it in your lap.
If you believe.
if you believe
it's a promise
but it's not a cold and empty promise
it's a promise that comes with great compassion
great sympathy
for he knows that you need to hear it
that's our third point
there's a sympathy in this
for you
now knowing that someone has been
through something difficult
makes all the difference
when we are looking for help ourselves
we can go to that person
there's a common ground
there's a sympathy with one another
although our feelings may be very different
we can talk about things that are similar
and we do that when we face these difficult times
whether it's extreme suffering or sorrows
or maybe it's even that we've made a grave mistake
in our lives even as a Christian
you know
people that have made mistakes are helpful for us
they've been through it
and they understand it
and to come out the other side
should be a thing that should likewise glorify God
there's a huge value in speaking to others
who know it first hand
and we see that Jesus is not detached
from feelings and emotions
associated with death in this passage
he's not detached from us
as a son of God
he knows that experience
amongst these experiences
this is one of the well-known verses in the Bible
the shortest one
Jesus wept
and it's an interesting verse
because if you look at the other resurrection accounts of Jesus
woman of name son
he says to her do not weep
the raising of Jairus' daughter
he says to the mourners
do not weep
so it's interesting now
when we come to this death
we find
these emotions
in Jesus
as he weeps
for one that he loved
but is it
because Lazarus has died
or is it
because he loves the crowd
that are full of sorrow
that know the full effects of sin
knowing how much that loss means
when they lose someone they love
the despair of losing a brother
he sympathizes
with that pain
he knows what it's like
to lose someone you love
the son of God
in our nature
and the full effect of it
we see that he has this sympathy
with those who mourn
with those who have the questions
where were you
with those who have the questions
why
but alongside
this emotion
of sadness
and sorrow
there's another emotion
that comes through
in this passage
and
it's maybe not the clearest
in the English
that we have here
although
your Bible might have
a footnote
beside the word
deeply moved
it's here in verse 33
and it appears again
in verse 35
there's an emotion
there
that implies
when it's used in the Greek
when it's used everywhere else
it implies an anger
towards something
a hostility
towards something
it says
indignant
if you have the ESV
food note
it's almost as if
something's unfair
something's wrong
and it's not an anger
towards Mary or Martha
of course
it's an anger
a hostility
against death
it shouldn't be this way
the effects of sin
the sorrow
that it brings
the wages of sin
is death
that's what comes
and so much
there's this hostility
against it
the commentator
Mullen says
that
yes his eyes
are tears
of sympathy
but his soul
is held
by rage
he advances
towards the tomb
as in words
that Calvin says
as a champion
who prepares
for conflict
it's almost as if
he's got that
mind
to defeat
sin's devastation
the effect of it
the power of it
the sorrow of it
we can feel
and know
the sorrow of death
we can sometimes
have an anger
in our hearts
deep within us
a hostility
full of questions
Jesus isn't detached
from these circumstances
that he can sympathize
with us
and it's not just
knowing this
in our heads
it's knowing it
in our hearts
knowing what it means
in that day
it's easy to say
in our head
it's easy to say
when we don't have
these heavy
weighty
questions
in our lap
but knowing it
in practice
knowing what it
means on Monday
knowing what it
means when these
things meet us
in our experience
even when we're
struggling to believe
we see Martha
walking to the tomb
with Jesus
standing there
in front of it
Jesus says
roll away the stone
and she's there
saying
what are you doing
he's been dead
four days
Martha had all
the right answers
she knew about
the resurrection
she knew about
God's power
but when it came
to the moment
she couldn't help
but doubt
so he says
to her
do you not
remember really
did I not tell
you
that if you
believed
you would see
the glory
of God
having it
in our heads
it's totally
different
believing it
in practice
so what I was
saying to the
children
it's good to
come to church
to be reminded
it's good to
read our
bibles
to be reminded
we so easily
and quickly
forget
we have so
many truths
in our heads
that in the
moment
the mist
comes down
and we
forget them
it's good to be
reminded
to hold on
to these
truths
so that in
these days
and in these
circumstances
that are most
difficult for us
where we face
the strongest
of emotions
in our hearts
God the
Father
speaks to
us
great promises
great comforts
great assurances
sympathizing
with you
in your
need
and it's a
word that
evidence
is itself
our last
point
there's been
a time
for you
there's a
promise for you
there's a
sympathy for you
in this passage
and lastly
the evidence
is here for
you
evidence
makes all
the difference
when you've
got a decision
to make
evidence
makes all
the difference
in the
courtroom
when they're
making life
changing
decisions
over people's
lives
there's evidence
here for you
that'll change
your life
if you
believe in it
every
Christian
here is
evidence
of the
life
giving
power
of Jesus
they have
been born
again
taken
from
the death
of sin
freed
from the
effect
of sin
there's
evidence
in every
Christian
for you
and maybe
you've seen
that change
in someone
as you look
at yourself
there's
evidence
of sin
there's
evidence
that you
be guilty
before God
if you
are put
face to
face
with his
glory
John
wrote this
gospel
so you
would
believe
Jesus
performed
this
miracle
so you
would
believe
Lazarus
come out
in verse
43
he comes
out of
that tomb
I don't
know how
he came
out
was he
crawling
shuffling
rolling
I don't
suppose
it
matters
but
out
of
death
he
came
it
is all
done
for the
crowd
that
stood
by
it
was
evidence
for them
so that
they might
believe
in
him
that
they may
have
that
promise
that
they may
have
that
assurance
that
Jesus
is the
one
that has
power
over
death
and when
death
comes
knocking
at the
door
you know
this in
your head
I'm pretty
sure all
of us
know it
in our
head
but when
death
comes knocking
at the
door
when we're
face to
face
do you
believe
that
you'll
have
life
it's a
hard thing
to believe
if we're
honest with
ourselves
we're often
plagued
with unbelief
we have
our doubts
like Martha
so we need
to be
reminded
we need
to come
to this
evidence
this
truth
and the
greater
truth
of the
resurrection
of Jesus
himself
power
over
death
assurance
for you
this
morning
for the
one who
believes
will see
the glory
of God
in measure
and work
in this
life
the work
of God's
hand
in the
life of the
believer
bringing them
from death
to life
but yet a
greater sense
with a
believer
in time
when the
twelve hours
of their
life have
passed
that they
behold
the glory
of God
in ways
that words
cannot
express
so this
resurrection
account of
Lazarus
it's actually
it's more about
the people
that we're
standing by
isn't it
it's a
resurrection
account for
you
and in
God's
timing
we're here
together
twelve
hours
a time
to hear
his call
a time
to trust
Jesus
maybe it's
a right
time now
for you
to come
to him
he's got
a great
promise
for you
the greatest
of all
assurances
if you do
come and
believe
the body
will die
but you'll
have eternal
life
and you'll
battle with
all the
emotions
in your
experience
all the
difficulties
that plague
us
but he's
a sympathetic
God that
knows
our
suffering
and so
there's
evidence
here for
you
to believe
in
the
resurrecting
power
of God
that you
may believe
and be
assured
you will
have life
and that
you will
see
the glory
of God
people
that are
dead in
sin
brought
to life
and kept
eternally
in
his hand
forever
knowing
the beauty
of the
glory of
God
for all
eternity
the
questions
in your
lap
do you
believe
it
amen
our
Lord and
God we
pray that
you would
help us
to believe
give us
years of
understanding
at this
time
as we
stand before
this evidence
speak to
us we
pray
you give
us
assurance
of your
great
promises
that we
may come
humbly
before you
and fall
at your
feet
and believe
in the
giver
of life
be with
us we
pray
help us
in these
things
in Jesus
name
amen
we'll
conclude
by singing
in
psalm
90
psalm
90
of the
scottish
psalter
version
which
you'll
find
on
page
350
we'll
sing
from
verse
15
i'll
sing
the last
three
stanzas
of the
psalm
90
psalm
speaks
of the
beauty
of the
lord
and yet
in
measure
a
work
that
is
evident
in
the
believer
that
even
though
they
die
they
shall
live
according
as the
days
have been
wherein
we
grief
have
had
and
years
wherein
we
ill
have
seen
so
do
thou
make
us
glad
let
thy
work
and
power
appear
thy
servants
face
before
and
show
us
to
their
children
dear
thy
glory
evermore
and
let
the
beauty
of
the
Lord
our
God
be
as
upon
our
handiworks
establish
them
each
one
so we
stand
to
sing
these
words
to
God's
praise
according
as
the
days
of
year
when
we
dream
of
year
and
year
we
ever
have
seen
so
do
thou
make
us
glad
oh
let
thy
power
and
power
appear
thy
servants
face
before
!
and
show
unto
their
children
dear
thy
glory
evermore
!
and
let
the
beauty
of
the
Lord
may
Rest upon and remain with you all, now and forevermore.
Amen.