Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and you are going there again?
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.
But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.
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.
Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest and sleep.
Then 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. So Thomas, called the twin, said to his fellow disciples,
Let us also go, that we may die with him.
Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.
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.
So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him.
But Mary remained seated in the house.
Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn't have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.
Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again.
Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.
Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life.
Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.
And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.
Do you believe this?
She said to him, Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ,
the Son of God who is coming into the world.
When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private,
The teacher is here and is calling for you.
And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him.
Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him.
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.
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.
When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her also weeping,
he was deeply moved in spirit and greatly troubled.
And he said, Where have you laid him?
They said to him, Lord, come and see.
Jesus wept.
So the Jews said, See how he loved him?
But some of them said, Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?
Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb.
It was a cave and a stone lay against it.
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.
Jesus said to her, Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?
So they took away the stone, and Jesus lifted up his eyes and said,
Father, I thank you that you have heard me.
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.
When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice,
Lazarus, come out!
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.
Many of the Jews, therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him.
But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said,
What are we to do?
For this man performs many signs.
If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him,
and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.
But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to him,
You know nothing at all.
Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people,
not that the whole nation should perish.
He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year,
he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,
and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one,
the children of God who are scattered abroad.
So from that day on, they made plans to put him to death.
John 11.
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty,
like the flower of the field.
The grass withers,
the flower fades and falls.
Surely, the people are grass.
The grass withers,
the flower fades and falls.
Even so,
death comes upon us
with steady and unfailing step,
and will gather us all up.
We know it infallibly comes,
but at times,
it seems to come upon some
a pace,
with fleeter foot
in speedier rendezvous,
and the flower falls
before it is faded.
It withers and dies
while yet in bloom,
with still so much in the bud.
It's at times like these
when our hearts
are especially anguished,
and from the turmoil
of our tortured hearts
comes the voiced feeling,
how tragic.
This is not the way
it should be.
There is a sense
that the fabric
of so many strands
that makes life good,
the heart glad,
mouths full of laughter,
have been savagely torn into
and left frayed beyond repair.
Death,
the terrible tearing,
the jarring,
the jarring full stop
in the punctuation of life
that comes,
it would sometimes seem,
mid-sentence.
It leaves us numb,
stupefied,
hollowed out.
Is this not something
of what we feel
when we grow
in our visceral verdict?
What a tragedy.
There seems a senselessness to it.
There seems to be no point.
Well, I want to bring
some words of Jesus
into this sorrow
and hollowness we feel,
into the confusion,
into the pain.
I want to take this account
of Jesus among the mourners
that Rick has just read.
here at the death of Lazarus,
as a window
into his heart
and mind
when he stands
before death.
And as an invitation,
even a summons,
not perhaps so much
to see death
entirely differently
than we feel it to be,
it remains a great terror
and a tearing.
but to have this feeling
mingled with something more,
mingled with something
of the way
Jesus looked upon it.
Friends,
death,
especially for those
to whom it falls
the closest,
can make us feel raw.
and for such a one,
words intended to console
can easily chafe.
The very effort
to bind up
can bruise
in such a sober
and sacred season.
I can feel my heart
to be one of simply
sharing and shedding tears
with you.
But Jesus tells us
that he will not
break the bruised reed.
even the most tender
and sorrowing among us
is safe with him.
So it's well and right
that we go to him
and seek to see
and hear him
amidst our sorrow.
Let's pray.
Come among us, Jesus.
speak into the heaviness
of our hearts
and by your tender
living spirit
meet us
as you alone can do.
Our good
and gentle shepherd,
the God of all comfort,
the one alone
who is mighty to save.
Amen.
Well, I want,
as I have said,
to open for us
some windows
into Jesus' thoughts
and heart
as he stands
before death.
The first
is found
in his opening words.
The news
has come
of Lazarus'
illness
with the implicit
plea
to come
and heal him
lest he die.
There in verse 3.
Lord,
he whom you love
is ill.
And to this,
Jesus responds,
verse 4,
this illness
does not lead
to death.
Now, on the surface,
this might,
he might seem to be
saying,
oh, don't worry.
He won't die.
But are we
to presume
that Jesus
here gives
a forecast
that would
prove mistaken?
I mean,
after all,
Lazarus' sickness
would indeed
lead to death.
No.
No,
Jesus clearly
realizes this.
And when pressed
for clarification,
states plainly
in verse 14,
Lazarus
is dead.
He's saying
something else.
He's not
speaking
of the immediate
outcome
of the illness.
He's going
deeper
and reflecting
upon
the purpose.
What is the
point
of Lazarus'
illness?
What is it
for?
We might
render the words
this sickness
is not
with a view
to death.
So,
Jesus
raises
his sights
higher,
further.
He sees
beyond
Lazarus'
dying
to an
ultimate
issue.
Death
is not
the final
thing
to come
out of
this
fatal
illness.
So,
when Jesus
saw beyond
death,
further
than that
immediate
outcome,
what did
he see?
What was
the point
of Lazarus'
death?
What was
it for?
If the
view of
Lazarus'
death for
Jesus
didn't end
with death,
what did
his view
open to?
the glory
of God.
Verse 4,
this illness
does not
lead to
death,
it is
for
the glory
of God.
So,
when Jesus
looked at
death,
he saw
further
with
elfin
eye.
Death
is not
the last
word
as to
what this
is about.
The point
is not
the period
at the
end of
death.
The point
is the
glory of
God.
Oh,
friends,
if we
would see
death as
Jesus did,
we must
raise our
sights.
Death
is so
dark
and dense,
it would
seek to
pull in
our perspective
like a
black hole
becoming its
final resting
place.
But let's
lift our
eyes with
Jesus and
see more,
for it
will be a
sight to
behold,
the glory
of God.
What do
those words
mean?
The phrase
crops up
throughout the
scriptures,
and we
even may
use it
ourselves on
occasion.
but for
many its
meaning
remains
vague.
Glory of
God.
Think of
it as
the sum
total
of the
splendidness
of God,
the dazzling
array of
his
attributes,
his
unspeakable
wisdom,
beauty,
goodness,
love,
love.
Jesus is
saying,
Lazarus'
death will
be in
some way
a lens
through which
is displayed
the glory
of God,
a prism
through which
the light
of his
beauty,
wisdom,
goodness,
and love
will be
breathtakingly
cast before
our view.
but not
simply in
the sense
of a
dazzling
4th of
July
fireworks
display
where we're
bedazzled
and we sing
the star
spangled
banner
and then
go home.
No.
No,
the display
of his
glory
is the
revelation
of his
person
so ravishing
that it
draws us
into the
unspeakable
raptures
of his
own
self-delight
within his
own
Trinitarian
self.
The glory
of God
gathers
us
into
the
dance
of the
divine
joy
within
the
Godhead.
The glory
of God
displayed
brings us
to cry
out
in amazed
wonder
how good
how wonderful
how loving
how gracious
how wise
is he
and our
hearts
melt.
And God
can do
even that
gather
us up
into his
own
rapturous
self-delight
and melt
our hearts
through the
death
of a
dearly
loved
one?
Yes,
he can.
That's what
the death
of Lazarus
is about?
Yes,
it is.
Well,
if that's
what he's
doing
and if
that's
what it's
about,
it certainly
isn't
obvious.
No.
No,
it seldom
is.
Indeed,
it is
hardly
ever
apparent
how many
things
somehow
glorify
God,
show his
goodness
and so
show his
goodness
so much
that our
hearts are
melted into
loving
attraction
and bursting
with joy.
Usually,
with things
so horrible
and heartbreaking,
we can't
imagine,
even remotely,
any good
coming out
of them.
Least of all,
anything gloriously
good,
it just
looks all
wrong,
at least
from our
perspective,
from our
capacity to
imagine
good.
We don't
cry out
in enraptured
wonder,
how beautiful.
We rather
cry out
in anguished
pain,
what is
God doing?
We may
strain to
see,
but we have
no elfin eye
to catch
any glimpse
of glory.
glory.
And not
only do
we miss
of any
sight of
glory,
even a
pinkish sky
dawning with
some prospect,
no,
we're pretty
sure we
see the
opposite,
and we're
just plain
confused
and hurting.
Well,
that was
certainly
true of
those around
Jesus when
he spoke
of glory,
right after
making his
statement about
Lazarus'
sickness being
for the
glory of
God,
the first
thing Jesus
did seemed
all wrong.
Mary and
Martha had
sent word
that Lazarus
was seriously
ill.
Well,
what did
they expect?
After all,
Jesus was
really close
to them
and Lazarus,
surely he
would come
right away.
But Jesus
acts clean
contrary to
their hopes,
inexplicably
so.
We read
of his
response and
glance back
over the
sentence,
wondering if
we've somehow
misread it.
Verse 5,
now Jesus
loved Mary
and her
sister and
Lazarus.
so when
he heard
that Lazarus
was ill,
he stayed
two days
longer
in the
place where
he was.
What?
What are you
doing,
Jesus?
If you want
to bring good
out of this,
come immediately
and heal him
before it's too
late.
it is
difficult to
hold Jesus'
action together
with the
knowledge that
he is
compassionate,
caring,
and loving.
Even
those
who love
him and
trust him
most,
they're
confused.
Perhaps
there's even
a mild
accusation
in Martha's
words
that she
speaks to
him when
he finally
does arrive.
Verse 21,
Lord,
if you
had been
here,
my brother
would not
have died.
And Mary
too,
in her
hurt and
confusion,
speaks the
very same
words through
her tears.
Verse 32,
Lord,
if you
had been
here,
my brother
would not
have died.
if the
point,
if the
fuller
view of
the death
of a
loved one
is that
it will
somehow
be to
the glory
of God,
that
somehow
it will
show God's
wisdom,
love,
goodness,
and beauty
such that
we will
through it
be drawn
to adore
him and
delight in
him more
clearly.
Well,
clearly,
we're presently
in the dark
as to how
that could
possibly be.
We stand
among the
graves and
amidst tears
and see
few,
if any,
shafts of
glory.
Indeed,
so ungood
and unglorious
do things
appear
that one
can easily
understand
how cruel,
bitter,
seemingly
tragic
realities put
what at
times feels
like an
unbearable
strain
upon trusting
Jesus on
this.
It is
hard to
hold his
care and
compassion
together with
the outcomes
of our
experience.
but to
ease the
tension
by imagining
that Jesus
does not
care,
does not
feel compassion
for us in
our sorrow,
that can
never be.
Such a
supposition
must melt
away
before
who he
truly is.
when we
see him
as indeed
he truly
is.
And when
we see
him here
before
the grave
of Lazarus,
verse 35,
Jesus
wept.
Jesus
is among
the mourners.
He
shares
in the
same
sorrows.
He is
stricken
by the
same
grief.
He
is
alike
with
us
in
heaving
sighs
and
trembling
tears.
And
here's
an
extraordinary
thing.
Let's
call it
another
window
by which
we may
peer
into
his
heart.
We
cannot
doubt
that
Jesus
knew
that
he
would
restore
Lazarus
to
life.
Indeed,
in only
a few
moments,
restore
him to
life.
And yet,
even knowing
that,
it does
not blunt
his sorrow
or restrain
his tears.
there is a
heart of
sympathy.
There
is a
heart
tuned to
the sorrow
of humanity
which
trembles
resonantly
with every
tear and
sigh.
Jesus
wept.
And he
has wept
with you
for
every tear
of yours
that has
fallen
and every
numb
hollowing
out
that you
have
endured.
Do not
think he
does not
care.
Jesus
wept.
See how
he loved
him,
said those
around about.
And so
might it be
said of
you.
See how
he loves
you.
But
before we
move from
this window
there is
something more
to see
in the
heart of
Jesus.
For
there is
another
description
of his
emotion
at the
grave
here.
Verse
32.
Our
few
Bibles
render it.
He was
greatly
moved
in his
spirit
and
deeply
troubled.
I won't
hide the
fact that
this phrase
has generated
a great
variance in
translation.
The difficulty
is that
most think
the story
requires
that the
words
communicate
an emotion
of grief
strickenness.
And yet
one of the
terms is
typically used
of beasts
neighing,
snorting,
roaring,
but when
used of
humans
invariably
refers
to
anger
and can
really only
indicate
a shudder
of vent
of indignation
and outrage.
Ah!
The problem
with this
otherwise
clear meaning
is answering
the question,
at what
then
was
Jesus
angry?
Several
suggestions
are offered.
Maybe
he was
angry
at Mary
and Martha
for trying
to force
him into
a miracle.
Maybe
he was
angry
at the
mourners
because he
detected
some hypocrisy
in their
mourning.
Or maybe
he was
angry
at the
mourners
because
they invaded
his privacy
when he
wanted to
have a
quiet
moment
with Mary
and Martha.
Some
suggest
he was
angry
at the
unbelief
of the
mourners
including
Mary
and Martha
who
grieved
as though
they had
no hope.
But the
intensity
of the
anger
that's
here
indicated
is
surely
disproportionate
to such
a supposed
cause.
I mean
none of
them I
think
can be
the
answer.
I
believe
the
object
of
Jesus'
outrage
his
vent
of
indignation
at the
grave
was
death
itself.
Surrounded
by the
sorrow
of the
mourners
and
particularly
of Mary's
grief
Jesus
contemplated
the
general
misery
of the
whole
human
race
and he
burns
with
rage
at
death
the
oppressor.
In
death
he sees
the skeleton
face of
the world
and traces
everywhere
its grim
and morbid
rain.
Indeed
the whole
earth
has
become
but the
valley
of a
shadow
of
death.
In the
tears
shed
in his
presence
Jesus
saw
that
ocean
of
time
whose
waters
of deep
woe
are brackish
with the
salt
of human
tears.
tears
of sympathy
filled
his eyes
and
beneath
them
there
burned
a
rage.
Oh
friend
he knows
your
woe.
All
the hurt
and havoc
that death
has wrought
and the
vials
of suffering
it has
poured
out
he hates
it with a
deep
indignation
and the
one behind
death
who wields
this terrible
weapon.
Of course
it is one
thing to
sympathize
to sincerely
have your
heart go
out to
the sufferer
to weep
with those
who weep
even to
burn with
inextinguishable
indignation
before the
grave.
but it's
quite another
thing
to be able
to do
anything
about it.
To be
able to
rescue
someone
from the
grave.
But is
this not
what we
truly need
in the
face of
death?
Not
merely a
sympathizer
but a
savior.
One who
can reverse
the dread
finality
of it.
Stop in
its tracks
its grim
triumphant
march.
So look
with me
through one
final window
into the
heart of
Jesus
where we
see him
again
groaning
in spirit.
Verse
38
It's the
same
flaming
rage
but the
setting
has changed.
Before
he was
among the
mourners
now
he is
striding
toward the
tomb
as a
warrior
to do
battle.
Before
he was
among the
ravages
of his
kinsmen.
Now
he turns
from the
smoldering
rubble
of the
city
of humanity
toward the
enemy
who has
despoiled
them.
This
is the
king
going
forth
to do
battle.
It is
the
princely
valor
that must
stir
every
heart.
the
true
going
forth
to
which
all
the
great
tales
of
myth
and
story
gesture.
He
smites
the
grave
with
his
voice.
Verse
43
He cried
with a
loud
voice
Lazarus
come
forth.
hearing
that
voice
of
kingly
power
the
jaws
of
death
open
releasing
its
prey.
The
great
enemy
lifts
its
foot
from
the
neck
of
its
victim
and
the
prisoner
goes
free.
And
yet
this
was
but a
skirmish
on the
outskirts.
The
real
battle
lay
ahead
to
where
he
had
set
his
face
like
flint.
Lazarus
was
merely
resuscitated.
Death
would
still
have
him
as
its
prey.
The
grave
would
yet
have
its
fill.
Jesus
knew
this.
This
skirmish
at the
grave
was
just
a
foreshadow
of the
real
battle.
That
battle
which lay
ahead
upon a
hill
outside
Jerusalem.
There
would
be the
true
contest
with
every
fiend
and
demon
hell's
denizens
gathered
in strength
to afflict
their
worst.
There
in the
heart
of the
enemy
stronghold
he
would
spill
his
soul
for
his
brethren.
There
he
would
cry
out
not
simply
come
forth
but
as
his
own
blood
flowed
forth
cry
out
it
is
finished
as
he
himself
the
champion
would
lay
down
his
life
in
ransom
and
himself
sink
down
into
death.
At
the
grave
of
Lazarus
he
contemplated
this
fearsome
battle
that
would
cost
him
his
life.
Sever
the
never
broken
communion
with
the
father
and
he
was
troubled
in
spirit.
He
shuddered
at
the
cost
he
would
pay
for
the
real
rescue
of
his
people.
The
cost
not
as
with
Lazarus
of
a
momentary
reprieve
from
death
only
finally
to
sink
down
into
it
again
at
the
last
but
to
for
his
people
burst
its
bonds
forever
not
merely
resuscitation
but
resurrection
unto
everlasting
life
across
which
death's
dark
shadow
would
never
again
fall
that
in
the
morning
of
the
resurrection
would
sound
from
his
voice
a
come
forth
that
would
issue
in
a
life
which
would
roll
on
through
all
the
years
of
endless
ages
yes
at
the
tomb
of
Lazarus
his
eye
was
on
the
cross
the
groan
that
issued
gutturally
from
his
inner
being
was
brother
to
the
sweat
like
drops
of
blood
in
gethsemane
indeed
when word
was first
brought
to
Jesus
of
Lazarus
illness
his
eye
was
upon
the
cross
he
knew
Lazarus
would
die
he
knew
he
would
raise
him
and
he
knew
this
great
miracle
would
galvanize
those
who
sought
his
destruction
as
was
so
verse
53
tells
us
from
that
day
on
they
made
plans
to
put
Jesus
to
death
thus
Lazarus
illness
would
propel
Jesus
to
the
cross
and
this
was
a
great
part
of
the
meaning
of
how
Lazarus
illness
would
glorify
God
did
you
notice
how
Jesus
put
it
there
in
verse
four
that
Lazarus
death
is
in
order
that
the
son
of
God
himself
may
be
glorified
through
it
what
did
that
mean
well
there
is
no
mystery
in
John's
gospel
as
to
the
meaning
of
Jesus
glorification
his
hour
in
which
he
would
be
lifted
up
and
glorified
it
was
the
cross
so
Lazarus
his
deadly
illness
brought
the
glorification
of
Jesus
on
the
cross
in
God's
sovereign
scheme
that
was
what
it
was
for
but
who
could
have
known
but
Jesus
to
all
but
him
it
simply
seemed
a
tragic
death
simply
an
aching
sorrow
of
course
it
would
be
so
too
and
more
so
for
a
death
that
would
follow
so
soon
upon
its
heels
when
Jesus
would
climb
the
hill
and
then
the
cross
try
to
imagine
how
full
of
sorrow
and
confusion
were
his
disciples
as
they
stood
at
the
cross
and
watched
their
master
expire
executed
as an
imposter
and a
malefactor
what a
pointless
tragedy
they must
have
thought
it
was
can
you
not
hear
them
saying
in
their
dismay
surely
nothing
good
could
come
of
this
how
could
God
possibly
even
remotely
glorify
himself
in
this
they
didn't
see
it
they
could
not
have
seen
it
they
could
only
sorrow
Jesus
knew
this
too
he
had
told
his
disciples
and
their
foreboding
sense
of
impending
doom
in
the
final
day
before
the
cross
what
I
am
now
doing
you
do
not
now
understand
but
afterward
you
will
understand
John
13
7
friends
this
side
of
glory
we
are
as
his
disciples
so
often
confused
and
sorrowful
hollowed
out
unable
to
see
or even
catch a
glimpse
of
glory
times
all
we
see
through
our
tears
are
those
strewn
graves
of
precious
ones
and
treasured
things
so
let us
cling
to
his
words
and
take
them
into
our
hurting
heavy
hearts
what
I
am
doing
you
do
not
now
understand
but
afterward
you
shall
understand
will
you
not
trust
him
he
weeps
at
your
graveside
will
you
not
trust
him
he
has
girded
his
loins
and
run
with
burning
indignation
against
our
great
and
terrible
enemy
will
you
not
trust
him
he
has
in
his
kingly
valor
gotten
the
victory
for
his
people
will
we
not
trust
him
with
our
sorrows
where
else
will
we
trust
when
it
comes
to
death
our
great
enemy
so
let
us
hear
again
his
promise
for
it
and
he
who
makes
it
shall
alone
pierce
the
dark
gloom
with
a
strong
hope
a
hope
that
shall
not
disappoint
I
am
the
resurrection
and the
life
whoever
believes
in me
though
he
die
yet
shall
he
live
and
everyone
who
lives
and
believes
in
me
shall
never
die
do
you
believe
this
let's
pray
Lord
we
say
with
those
women
at
another
tomb
we
would
see
Jesus
Lord
as
we
set
and
stay
our
sight
upon
the
face
of
Jesus
would
you
by
your
gentle
and
strong
spirit
cause
that
face
to
become
for
us
that
place
where
the
glory
of
God
is
revealed
to
us
and
so
melt
our
hearts
and
when
we
finally
come
to
cross
that
dread
river
may
its
experience
be
changed
for
us
because
of
Christ
as
we
go
down
into
the
chill
waters
may
we
feel
that
underneath
are
the
everlasting
arms
and
may
we
feel
that
firm
strong
tender
hand
from
which
hand
no one
shall
snatch
us
conduct
us
through
that
river
to
the
other
side
to
open
our
eyes
upon
that
same
face
we
have
long
loved
who
will
forever
be the
center
of our
love
and life
as the
ages
roll
on
without
end
amen