NEW LIFE
JOHN 11:1-6, 17-27, 38-44
INTERACTIVE SERMON BY ED DYKSTRA
MARCH 9, 2008
Lazarus is ill! That was the message Jesus received. It must have been an
unusual illness that caused his sisters to send a message to Jesus regarding
their brother. Jesus appears to recognize the seriousness of it, but choose not
to hurry to Bethany where his friends lived. He delays his response by at
least two days maybe more.
He tells his disciples about Lazarus and indicates that he wants to go to
him. They respond with concern because he had just escaped from being
stoned by the Jews and now he desires to go back to greater Jerusalem –
Bethany is just two miles away. They fear that he will be killed if he goes
back.
After some discussion about the condition of Lazarus, Jesus finally tells
them point blank Lazarus is dead. In dealing with the loss of a love one the
hardest things to do is to admit the fact that death has come to one we love.
Initially it is hard to say “my loved one is dead!” I can still recall my first
experience of dealing with the death on someone close to me. My father-inlaw died suddenly. As we spent time in my in-laws house supporting one
another I recall how hearing footsteps outside the kitchen window made me
immediately think it was him coming home from work.
Denial works overtime at such a point in the grief process. We now
know that that is typical. Lazarus is dead, must have been difficult for the
disciples to hear. And on top of that, to think Jesus was going back into
enemy territory where he might also wind up being dead was a sobering
thought! Yet one of the disciples says: Let us also go, that we may die
with him! Jesus does not respond to this fear of his disciples but proceeds
toward Bethany.
Jesus first meets Martha – the active, “lets get things done” sister. He
engages her and she responds with a beautiful statement of belief in him that
in a matter of an hour or so will be clear that she had no expectation of her
brother being raised. After all he was beginning to smell already.
Then Jesus sends for Mary – the relational “lets sit and talk” sister. She
must have had some effect on Jesus that Martha did not. She said the very
same thing but with a different result: Lord, if you had been here, my
brother would not have died. This time when Jesus heard it and saw Mary
weeping “he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. Then comes
a unique verse in the Bible. When I was a kid I had to memorize
-2-
scripture and this was one I came to know even though I never was asked to
memorized it. I learned that John 11: 35 was the shortest verse in the Bible:
He wept! Or as this translation has it “Jesus began to weep.
It is interesting to see this side of Jesus’ humanity. Just like us, different
personalities hit us differently. Martha had a clearer statement of belief in
him, yet it was Mary who touched him deeply. Jesus tears also tells us of his
deep relationship he had with these sisters and their brother. Those who
were with Mary recognized this and acknowledged how he must have love
Lazarus.
Jesus then proceeds to go to the cave where they had put Lazarus. And he
gives three commands.
Take away the stone.
Lazarus come out!
Unbind him, and let him go!
In order for new life to come three things had to happen.
(Interactive)
FIRST
External obstacles had to be removed. A rock was in the way.
What external obstacles stand in our way of receiving life in Christ?
SECOND
Lazarus needed to hear and listen to the voice of Jesus.
What if Lazarus heard, but didn’t really follow through and just
stayed in the tomb?
That sounds ridiculous doesn’t it. Yet, do stay in our
comfortable tombs and not venture out into the unknown?
What keeps us locked up?
THIRD
And finally, Being in community is essential to our spiritual lives.
Others had to unbind him. He needed the help of others.
What help do we need from others today. What layers do we need
to peel off? How do we need each other.
As we discover the answers to these questions above, may we discover the
new life that was given to Lazarus.