Lasarus Come Forth

Illustration:
I heard about a man this week who was sitting at the breakfast table reading the newspaper, drinking his coffee and paying absolutely no attention to his wife. She got up from where she was sitting and went over to him, pulled the newspaper from his hands, looked him straight in the face and said, "I bet you don't even know what today is." He thought for a moment and said of course I do. You think I could forget anything like that. He went off to work and that day at noon she received one dozen red roses. At two o'clock a box of candy, and at four o'clock a beautiful black gown. When he came home that evening, on the table were fresh cut flowers, candles were lit, soft music was playing, a sumptuous meal had been prepared, and she was dressed exquisitely. After their wonderful meal, she got up and came over to him real close, and said: "Sweatheart, I want to thank you for making this the most wonderful Ground Hog Day I have ever known."

No, this is not, by the way, Ground Hog Day. Are we missing the message? The Gospel of John, has some miracles of Jesus that have a message.

John 11:25 (NIV)

Jesus makes a very powerful proclamation to Martha.

"I am the resurrection and the life !!!"

I believe Jesus wanted to accomplish some things. Let's look at the story of Lazarus

* Jesus Wanted To Comfort His Friends

These special friends of Jesus had suffered the death of their brother, Lazarus.

John 11:1-6 (NIV)

When Jesus arrives at the home of Mary and Martha, Lazarus is already dead. Jesus makes a statement assuring Martha that Lazarus would live again. He wanted to comfort His friends. That however is not all that Jesus was wanting to accomplish with His words.

* Jesus Wanted To Challenge Their Faith

In verses 25 and 26, Jesus challenges their faith.... "Believest thou this?" As we look into the details of this story, I believe it is evident that Mary and Martha both had faith, but it was weak.

When Jesus arrived on the scene Martha went out and met the Lord. Verse 21 tells us that Martha said to Jesus.... "Lord, if you had been here, my brother had not died." Later, Mary comes to where Jesus was and responds just like Martha. In verse 32 it says that... "she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died."

These sisters were confident that Jesus' presence would have prevented their brothers death. Perhaps greater faith than ours! We see a glimmer of faith in Martha. She says, "But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee." When Martha said, "..even now... she was clinging in faith to Jesus. Jesus responds in verse 23... "Thy brother shall rise again."

Instead of the door of faith swinging wide open, it seems to get pushed closed. Martha says [v. 24], "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." To Martha, resurrection was an abstract concept. Something that could happen in the future, but not an immediate possibility. Even when Jesus went to the cave where Lazarus was buried Martha was still not convinced that Jesus could do anything about his death. verses 39 and 40. Jesus proclaimed... I am the resurrection and the life..

He wanted to challenge their faith. What about your faith? Do you believe that Jesus is able to raise the dead? The Bible teaches us that every person who is unsaved is "dead in their trespasses and sins". Spiritually dead. Do you believe Jesus can save them and transform their lives? Do you believe it enough to pray for those you know who need to be saved? Do you believe it enough that you will do something to try to reach them with the gospel?

I pray that these words of Jesus would not only comfort us, but challenge us.

Look again at verses 25 and 26. Jesus says, "..he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die..."

Jesus very plainly promises that if we will believe in Him we will not die. Some of you are thinking, "We're all going to die." Well, if that is what you are thinking, you are WRONG! The difficulty here is with our definition of death. What we call death occurs when our bodies cease to function. The scriptures teach us that when the believer's body ceases to function, they immediately go into the presence of the Lord.

We will not cease to be. As Paul put it, we will move out of the temporary house of our earthy bodies and we will move into the eternal presence of Jesus.

D. L. Moody used to say: "Someday you will hear that Moody is dead. Don't you believe it. I'll be more alive than I ever was."

Jesus' promise extends through the centuries. He wasn't just speaking about Lazarus. He was speaking about you and me. Because He is the resurrection and the life you and I can lay hold of His promise. You and I can experience everlasting life.

Jesus made a powerful and a great promise. Now he offers proof that He is the resurrection and the life. The proof ... What He Did For Lazarus

Jesus did three things for Lazarus...
Jesus Showed Lazarus Love [v.3,35,36]
Jesus Saved Lazarus' Life [v.43]
Jesus Set Lazarus Loose [v.44]

Conclusion:

I was once dead according to Ephesians chapter 2, in my trespasses and sins. I needed to be raised out of that condition of death. I needed Jesus to do for me spiritually what He did for Lazarus physically. He... showed me love, saved my life, and set me free. About 2000 years ago, Jesus showed love for all of us. He went to Calvary, bled and died there for our sins. He did that so that our lives could be saved.

He not only died, but He was buried and placed in a tomb. Three days later He arose... victorious over sin, death, hell and the grave.

And He Lives.

He lives today... and He can save you today.