The Raising of Lazarus: Story Sermon

Instead of reading the gospel and then sharing my thoughts, today I'm going to read from the gospel of John and reflect as we go.  I will upload the questions onto our social media channels after the service so you can reflect on them some more; and please do share any thoughts or questions that are raised.


Jesus Raised Lazarus from the Dead (John 11)

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But 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.” -John 11:1-4

I wonder …
What will happen next.
Is Jesus going to heal Lazarus?
What might it mean that an illness is for God’s glory?

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 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. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin,] said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
-John 11:5-16

This is a tricky passage to swallow.
Couldn’t Jesus have healed His friend?
Why would He let Lazarus die?
It seems like He is taking this somewhat casually… why didn’t He go right away when He found out His friend was sick?

We might think God is being silent, but really He has something better planned.

Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles] off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[] Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” -John 11:17-27

Pay close attention to the responses of Martha and Mary.
They seem frustrated, and unsure of why Jesus didn’t come right away to heal their brother.
At the same time, though, they still trust Him.
They still believe in His promises, even if they don’t know what will happen.

When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 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. 32 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.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved] in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 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.

39 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.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 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.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 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.” -John 11:28-44

There are several significant things that happen here.
We see that Jesus is “deeply moved.” He loved Lazarus, and loved Martha and Mary. He wept, genuinely crying and grieving for His friend. We can know that Jesus loves us, too, and feels sad with us when we are sad.
But Jesus does something else…He goes to the tomb, calls to Lazarus, and brings him back to life! He had clearly died and been buried, but through Christ he returned to life.

How might this be something that would bring God’s glory?

Of course this is also linking to Jesus' own death and resurrection.

In the case of Lazarus or Jesus, pain and hardship, and even death, took place, but ultimately restoration came, too.
What does this say about our lives?

Things might be challenging, but one day God is going to bring all things together and make a whole new world for us.

That is a promise we can believe and take to heart.

When we believe and trust God, we can be assured of eventual blessing.

Life on Earth is still hard.
It’s a broken, sinful, messed-up world.
But God is in control!

Let's pray
Father God help us to trust you even when we don't understand your ways.  We thank you for your endless presence with us, help us to remember as are never on our own.
Amen