John 11: 1 – 44
What is recorded here in John 11 happens the week before Jesus final journey to
Jerusalem
So, the events here in John 11 are immediately before Jesus death on the cross and
His resurrection, 3 days later
Jesus was located in Bethany beyond the Jordan when he received a message that
His dear friend Lazarus was very sick
John 1: 28, John 10: 40
Lazarus and his 2 sisters, Martha and Mary lived in the other Bethany, close to
Jerusalem
John 11: 1-3
4
Jesus said that ‘Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death’ – but that his sickness was for
the glory of God
So, is this a contradiction in the Bible – because we know that Lazarus did die!
If it is a contradiction, then the Bible is fake news and untrustworthy
Just recently, a high profile, so-called ‘Christian’, by the name of Marty Sampson, at
Hillsong Church in Australia rejected his faith in Jesus, because, he said, “the Bible is
full of contradictions and no one is talking about it.”
Is it really? Is the Bible full of contradictions? No, of course not.
What concerns me more than ignorant people claiming the Bible is full of
contradictions, is that weak Christians/or, Christians in name only, like Marty
Sampson, can be promoted in the Church to influential public positions, and
then publicly bring dishonor to the Name of the Lord
Yes, Lazarus did die, but as Jesus said, ‘Lazarus sickness will not END in death’
Later, Jesus goes to Bethany and raises Lazarus back to life, and as He said ‘for the
glory of God’
5-15
After another 2 days Jesus said, ‘let’s go to Bethany, and I will wake Lazarus up’
The disciples didn’t know what Jesus meant, so He said plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead’
So, why did Jesus wait so long to go and see Lazarus, after all, Jesus could easily have
healed Lazarus from his sickness and spared him from experiencing death
Reason: the Jewish people were very superstitious about death, they believed that
someone was not truly dead until after 3 days
That’s why Jesus Himself rose from the dead after 3 days, otherwise the Jews would
not have believed He was actually dead
17
Jesus arrives in Bethany
18-22
Jesus is welcomed to Lazarus’s home by Martha
23-27
Jesus comforts her by saying ‘your brother will rise again’ and assures her of His
promise by saying, ‘I AM the resurrection and the life’
28-39
Martha goes to call Mary to come and welcome Jesus arrival and the sisters go
together with Jesus to Lazarus tomb
Jesus commands the people to roll away the stone from the front of Lazarus tomb
39
Martha protested
40
Once again Jesus assures her that He will keep His promise and that the people
would see the glory of God
41-44
So, the people rolled away the stone, Jesus raised His voice to God in prayer, then,
shouted into the tomb, ‘Lazarus, come out!’
And out he came!
Do you remember a few weeks ago I was saying, for something to be confirmed;
there must be 2 or 3 witnesses? Matthew 18: 16
If this were the only resurrection Jesus performed, it could be doubted that it
happened
But; this was the 3rd resurrection that Jesus had performed – 3 resurrections is
confirmation that what Jesus said and did is true
Mark 5: 41-42 the resurrection of Talitha
Luke 7: 11-17 the resurrection of a young man at Nain
John 11: 1-44 the resurrection of Lazarus
Dear friends, like Lazarus, and like all who have gone before us, death eventually
comes to us all
And; it comes at a time appointed by God – not, decided by us
Ecclesiastes 8: 8 ‘None of us has the power to prevent the day of our death’
And, because of that, the thought of death can be terrifying – Job called death
‘the king of terrors’ Job 18: 14
But; we as Christians need not be terrified, we have the promise of Jesus to assure us
of eternal life
John 11: 25-26
That promise is conditional upon us believing that Jesus is the resurrection and the
life
26b ‘do YOU believe this?’
revdotdavid 