Our Powerful Savior

Say it in a sentence: Overcoming fear and worry occurs as we believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life and as we trust in his broader purposes for the losses we experience.

A holocaust survivor by the name of Elie Wiesel wrote a book about his experiences in a concentration camp. The book has sold millions of copies.

• The suffering and hardship he endured and watched others endure rattled his views about everything -- Including God's place In this world.
• Complaining is easy and giving thanks becomes hard.
• That is how hardships always function, but it is even greater right now.
• In addition to our normal hardships, we have new ones.
• Except … Ten have now tested positive for covid-19 creating real dangers for their families and staffing Issues for the hospital.
• If no one pays attention to that, then a girl's weekend is just the tip of the iceberg of what could be coming.
• Over the past 8 weeks or so we have talked about the truth that can help you process your trials and struggles with godly emotions. How can you live victoriously In Jesus? How you can have strength and courage In Christ? How you can Impact the lives of others for Jesus?
• We are beginning to see that Jesus has a number of purposes for this miracle. We have God's glory, the Son's glory, Martha and Mary, and now the disciples. This story Is getting larger by the moment.
• I love It when the biblical writers tell us why they wrote.
• God revealed himself to Moses he said his name was "I am." When Jesus uses that phrase, he is saying that he is God.
• That is not surprising. John wrote to prove that to us.
• Meet with one of us
• Everyone In this story Is strengthened one way or another through this core truth.
• In John 9 the man was born blind so that Jesus might be glorified by his healing. In John 11 Lazarus dies so that Jesus might be glorified by his raising.
• When I am at cross purposes with God then fear and worry are a common result. I fear losing my security, I fear losing my reputation, and I fear losing what I love.
• There has also been a commitment to Jesus' glory above their own
• Jesus sometimes delays relieving our loss or hardship because he knows that healing us will not strengthen our faith. It will not take us to a deeper level with him.
• Even In v. 27, she confesses that Jesus Is the long promised Messiah, the Son of God. Even though John does not record Mary as believing the same thing, It would not be surprising If this Is a common belief between the sisters.
• Yes, they believe In Jesus, and yes they believe In the final resurrection. But they have yet to connect the dot that Jesus IS the final resurrection proven by his raising of Lazarus.
• I have encouraged you to step Into the shoes of the disciples for a moment and ask whether the Lord might use hardships to strengthen your faith.
• Now I am asking you to step Into the shoes of these sisters and ask whether the Lord might want to love you In the same way he loved them.
• Is It okay for the Lord to allow us to experience loss and hardship as an act of love toward us? Is It possible that loving us Involves helping us understand something that we did not understand before?
• Jesus Is the resurrection and life Is an Important truth to understanding the person of Jesus. Jesus' love for Martha and Mary was, In this situation, not going to be shown by healing their brother, but by teaching them that Jesus Is the resurrection and the Life.
• Yes, he was proving that he Is the Messiah and that all those who believe In him have eternal life BECAUSE he Is the resurrection and life (that is v. 45, 12:10-11).
• But he Is also giving occasion for the cross. The raising of Lazarus Is such a shocking event that the Jewish leaders want to kill Jesus and Lazarus! While their plan cannot happen just yet, please notice v. 53. The decision Is made … now It Is just a matter of time.
• You see, Jesus came to divide. He divides all humanity Into two camps - those who believe In him and those who do not. Those who accept the fact that he Is the resurrection and the life and those who do not.
• God sometimes chooses the path of delay because he has Important purposes to accomplish. Jesus needed to receive glory. The disciples needed to have their faith strengthened. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus needed to be loved In a specific way. The mission of winning some and going to the cross had to be accomplished.
• Godly emotions do not mean emotionless but possibly strong emotions
• Jesus is not weeping because Lazarus died. He knows he is going to raise him. He is weeping over the unbelief present among the crowd (v. 33 and 38). The way he prays In v. 42 Is not a request that his Father would raise Lazarus. That decision had been made prior. The purpose of the prayer Is for those In attendance … that they might hear and believe.
• Godly emotions come from an evaluation of the larger situation

Hardships do that -- the tempt us to question everything. They take away our normal comforts, the things that make life easy. They take pleasure away and leave only work.

I wish we could stop talking about covid. But then there are the stories. Earlier this week I learned that one of my sister In laws, one who works as an ICU nurse In a Children's hospital, was told that 12 of her co-workers recently decided to go on a girl's weekend of fun -- just the girls. Sounds great doesn't it?

I wish school leaderships did not have to spend countless hours figuring out how to keep children healthy when we really want them focused on education. But It Is our world today.

Let's face It, our suffering and hardship may be far from over. That Is why this series on overcoming fear and worry Is so Important.

With that In mind please turn In your Bibles to John 11. I would like us to read the text. I am going to make a series of comments throughout so that we can familiarize ourselves with the points that John wants to communicate.

Vv1-3: These verses provide the background to understand the story. Remember that John wrote the gospel about 50 years after the events occurred. People were already familiar with the story. John locates this story In a particular family that knew Jesus personally. They were friends.

V.4: This Is not what we would expect. On many occasions Jesus leaves to go heal the sick and other times he heals the person on the spot. This time we are told that this Is about the Father's and Son's glory. Interesting … hang on to that thought.

V.5: This Is equally strange. If Jesus loved Martha and Mary, then why Isn't he going to see them? Why Isn't he healing Lazarus? We are going to need that thought too.

V.6: This Is one of the key verses In the story. It helps us understand that this story Is not here for the sole purpose of healing a person. There Is much more going on.

Vv. 7-16: The disciples now make an appearance. Why? What role do they have? What might the Lord want to teach them? … In chapter 10, the disciples were near Jerusalem where the Jews threatened to kill Jesus. Why are we going back?

V. 17: Why are we told he has been dead 4 days? John wants to make it clear that Lazarus is like dead, dead. Draw a line between v. 6 and v. 17.

Vv. 18-24: We learned In v. 5 that Jesus loved Martha and Mary. Now we see Jesus' ministry to these ladies takes on a new dimension.

Vv. 25-27: Here Is the core content of this story. These verses need circled in your Bibles. As much as we might want to make this story about Lazarus … it is really about this --- Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.

Vv. 28-38: Families hired people to mourn during a funeral. No use mourning in an empty house so they all join Mary at the presence of Jesus. Notice as we read that Jesus was deeply moved and troubled (vv. 33, 38). What do we make of this? Draw a line between vv. 33 and 38.

Verse 39: Dead 4 days. Draw that line back to vv. 6 and 17.

Verses 40-46: Jesus raises Lazarus. Notice the response. Some believe and others reject.

What a great story. It is loaded with very helpful truths to teach us. The title of the message Is Our Powerful Savior. Let’s consider three tasks to help us consider life’s trials in light of Jesus’ power.

#1. Embrace the truth that Jesus is the resurrection and the life (vv. 25-27)

Narratives are stories and stories are not necessarily told with the most Important point first, or even last. This story Is no exception. I encouraged you to circle vv. 25-27 because they represent the core truth of this text…

I have 3 words I want you to remember from this text: TRUTH

John 11:25–26 - Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

This core content also fits into a larger context …

1. Context of the truth: Purpose of John and the ‘I am” statements

Since we jumped Into John 11, I would like to remind you that John writes his gospel for a purpose.

John 20:30-31 - Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

John's letter Is quite simple. He writes what he writes to prove to all of us that Jesus Is the long promised messiah of the OT and that eternal life comes from him.

John does not tell us the story of Jesus like Matthew, Mark, or Luke does. He only Includes the things from Jesus' life that prove he Is the promised Messiah and that eternal life comes from him. He Is highly selective … like the pictures people use at a graduation or a funeral. This Is John's picture board of Jesus' life.

In order to do that John emphasizes 7 statements about Jesus that show he Is the Messiah.

1. “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35)
2. “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12)
3. “I am the gate” (John 10:9)

1. “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11)
2. “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25-26)
3. “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6)
4. “I am the vine” (John 15:5)

When Jesus says "I am _____" in the gospel of John … bells, sirens, and lights should go off in your mind.

But when someone appears and makes proclamations that he Is God, that Is fairly problematic.

We know even from biblical text that there were many others who did something similar. So Jesus (and John the gospel writer) takes It a step further. He adds to the picture board the evidence that proves his words are true. What Is the evidence?

John shares 7 miracles that Jesus did that prove he Is the Messiah. Jesus did not simply say, believe my words … he backed up his words with clear Identifiable miracles.

1. Changing water into wine at the wedding (Jn 2:1-11)
2. Healing the royal official’s son (Jn 4:46-54)
3. Healing the paralyzed man at the pool (Jn 5:1-15)

1. Feeding the 5,000 (Jn 6:5-14)
2. Walking on water (Jn 6:16-21)
3. Healing the man born blind (Jn 9:1-7)
4. Raising Lazarus from the dead (Jn 11:1-44).

Our text (John 11) Is the only story In John that Includes one of the 7 I am statements AND one of the 7 miracles.

This truth, Jesus Is the resurrection and the life Is what grounds our hearts and minds. When we read John 11, these verses jump off the page and draw our attention. They make us focus right here.

When Paul later writes, In Philippians 4 to think on the things that are true, lovely, and excellent, these are the kinds of truths he Is talking about.

Jesus Is the resurrection and the life. The goal Is not simply to believe that there Is a resurrection, but that the truth of the resurrection Is centered on the person of Jesus. Jesus says he Is the resurrection and he Is the life. The phrases that follow explain it…

1. Jesus is the resurrection reminds us of the final resurrection

When difficulties come, one (not the only one) answer Is that this Is not my home. There Is a resurrection at the end and future home for followers of Jesus to enjoy and cherish. That Is why v. 25 says …

Verse 25 ends with … he who believes in Me will live even if he dies

Jesus Is going beyond being a miracle worker of healing the sick. He Is saying that the final resurrection from the dead occurs through his power.

1. Jesus is the life reminds us that eternal life only comes through Jesus

If we had read John straight through then we would remember that In John 6 Jesus Is the bread of life, and now Jesus Is the life.

Verse 26 explains this latter phrase In these terms … and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die

The first stresses the internal change that must come about, wrought by the power of God (viz. he lives, he has eternal life); the second underlines what stance the individual must adopt (viz. he believes). D. A. Carson, The Gospel according to John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans, 1991), 413.

Friends, I need to stop right here and make this point clear. John uses 7 miracles and 7 I am statements to prove that Jesus Is the long awaited Messiah. Here, more specifically, he says that Jesus Is the resurrection and the life.

I want to encourage each person this morning to evaluate whether this Is true for you. People In this story had to decide whether they would believe this or not. They had to decide whether they would repent of their sin and trust Christ. That same choice Is before you today. You have to decide whether Jesus Is the resurrection and the life. Is he the savior? Do you even need saving? I am encouraging you to repent and trust Christ right where you sit, but If you would like to speak … please

There Is salvation In no other name and no other person other than Jesus who Is the resurrection and the life.

Christian friend, we are going to see that this truth Is absolutely critical to Jesus accomplishing his mission In this story. It was not just a truth that a person Intellectually believed. It was a truth that grew and strengthened their faith.

That brings me to the second point…

#2. Remember that Jesus has specific and meaningful purposes for suffering and loss

I mentioned that vv. 4-5 seem a bit callous. If Lazarus, who you love Is sick, then why In the world aren’t you healing him? Why aren't you leaving right now? Why delay? I thought you loved Martha and Mary … What Is the deal?

Have you ever said that? Have you ever cried out to God … Lord, why won't you take away this pain? Why won't you relieve me of this suffering? Why did you allow me to suffer in the first place? And what you got Is "delay". Been there? Done that?

Our first word was TRUTH, now It Is time for our second PURPOSE. Purpose Is all over this passage.

1. Context of the purposes: Delay (vv. 6, 17)

I read this chapter over and over as I prepared this message. The more I read It, the more It struck me that this chapter uses the word "days" several times. Jesus purposely delayed 2 days. Lazarus Is dead 4 days. Jesus does not heal Lazarus and he ensures that he Is dead -- dead before he arrives.

This Is screaming at us, practically jumping off the page at us --- Purpose, Purpose, Purpose. Now we need to see what those purposes are …

1. Content of the purposes in John 11:

#1 To Glorify the Son (v. 4)

John 11:4 - But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”

Sometimes the Lord uses loss, suffering, and hardship as the background for something that God wants to do.

Colossians 1 reminds us that Jesus is to have first place in everything. Sometimes the way that Jesus gets the most glory is through his work in a sufferer.

Friends, I know that the delay is awful. I know that it is hard and painful. When you embrace the truth that Jesus is the resurrection and the life and you remember that one of God's purposes for delay in suffering is to bring about Jesus' glory, then it helps you put your loss and hardship in perspective.

It Is not that God does not care, It Is that God wants to accomplish greater purposes than our comfort.

The problem is that I don't always want Jesus' glory. I want my own.

Friends, the Lord wants you to be so In love with Jesus that you want his glory above all else. I have really enjoyed hearing the testimonies, because there has always been a real or at least the risk of loss.

By the way … was God's purpose accomplished In John 11? Was the son actually glorified? See 12:9, 17-18. People were speaking about the works of Jesus bringing about further glory for the Son. For the last 2,000 years we have been reading about Jesus who said he was the resurrection and life and actually proved It In the raising of Lazarus.

#2 To Strengthen the Disciples (vv. 7-16)

I mentioned I was reading this chapter several times to try to get my head around It. One of the challenges was understanding the role of the disciples. Why does this passage Include the material of vv. 7-16?

It begins with this awkward Interchange about the dangers of the trip. Uhhh… Jesus … the last time we were there people tried to stone you to death. Why not heal Lazarus right here … It will be just like the centurion's servant?

Jesus answers by explaining that now Is the time for his ministry (the light). Darkness (his death) will come soon, but not yet. Then It moves to a further awkward conversation about whether Lazarus Is sleeping.

I am studying this passage going … why do I need to know this? Anyone else have a moment like that when you are reading the Bible? What Is the key principle In those moments? KEEP READING.

John 11:14–15 - So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.”

WHAT? What do you mean he was glad he was not there? You see, the disciples had seen Jesus heal many times. That would not have pushed their faith and belief to the next level.

Jesus knows that In order to grow his disciples, they needed something more. They not only needed to be In a dangerous location … exactly In the middle of the will of God … but they also needed to see Lazarus raised from the dead.

Thomas In v. 16 speaks better than he knows. Now Is not the time for their death, but there will be a day when they give their lives In the service of Jesus the king.

Christian friend, do you see this connection? Why delay? Why go back? I said our second word was PURPOSE.

If you are resisting … If you are telling God … either heal me or you don't care … either heal me or stop saying that you are loving father … either heal me or don't tell me that you are all powerful … then It shows the shallowness of your relationship with the Lord. Giving you what you want will not accomplish his purposes.

Allow the crucible of hardship to drive you Into a deeper and stronger relationship with the Lord. The more hardship you endure with the Lord, the deeper your bond with him as you discover the ways that he walked with you.

#3 To Biblically love Martha and Mary (vv. 5, 20-35)

Back in v. 5 we saw this really odd comment that Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.

John 11:5–6 - Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.

It makes us wonder then, why is Jesus delaying? If he loves them, then you would think that Jesus would want to heal them. This is especially true in light of what Martha and Mary already believe about Jesus.

After the discussion with the disciples, the focus shifts back to Martha and Mary. Both women confess that Jesus can heal and express full confidence that Lazarus would not have died had Jesus been there (v. 21, 32). Martha even goes a step further, probably due to the privacy of her conversation, to Include the fact that Lazarus will be raised on the last day.

So what Is the problem? How do we make sense of this? Martha and Mary are going to be loved In a special way In this passage. We might tend to believe that love would look like Jesus healing Lazarus. But Jesus Is actually going to do more than that.

He Is going to raise Lazarus from the dead, restore him to their family, and he Is going to help Martha and Mary move their faith from the abstract to the concrete.

Is this a loving thing to do?

Some of us might be tempted to say, I don't want to be loved like this. I want love to be “give me what I want.” Here Is the rub.

I want to suggest to you that sometimes the Lord loves you by using hardship to teach you a truth that you did not previously have.

Did that result In growth? Read 12:1-5. Martha is serving and Mary washes Jesus' feet with costly perfume and dries them with her hair. She serves our Lord as she prepares his body for burial.

Here Is purpose #4

#4 To Accomplish the earthly mission of Jesus (vv. 18-19, 36-37, 38-46)

A number of passages In this story emphasize the accomplishment of Jesus' mission. Some Jews mocked him … that Is some way to love someone … let their brother die. That Is ridiculous. Others were more cautious. Jesus' prayer In vv. 41-42

John 11:41–42 - So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”

Is really for the crowd. Jesus' request for Lazarus has already been granted. But the raising of Lazarus Is not really about Lazarus. It Is about the Lord Jesus.

At the end of the story vv. 45-46 we see everyone taking sides. Are you on the Jesus side (v. 45) or on the skeptic side (v. 46). Both, were part of Jesus' mission.

John 11:45 - Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him.

John 12:9–11 - The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus.

If you have never repented of your sin and placed your faith In the finished work of Jesus, then I want to appeal to you again.

I am asking that you, even today, would place your faith In our powerful savior who proved his words by raising Lazarus from the dead.

Christian friend, going through hardship Is always difficult.

We have two of our three words. The first Is TRUTH = Jesus Is the resurrection and the Life. The second Is PURPOSE = God delays to provide the right opportunity for the right ministry.

That brings me to my final point this morning …

#3. Follow Jesus’ established pattern for godly emotional responses (vv. 33, 38)

Our third word Is RESPONSE. The gospel writers do not always tell us about the Lord's emotions. So, when they do, It Is an opportunity to take notice.

Jesus has very strong emotions in this passage. He loves Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. His love for them brings Jesus back to the place of danger. It encourages Jesus to give them greater lessons about who he is.

We are told that he is deeply moved (another word for that is indignant) and troubled. He weeps over his indignation and trouble.

Sometimes It seems like godly emotions are reserved emotions. That Is not necessarily true. We would never call Jesus a drama king and yet he has strong emotions. Our challenge Is that often we have the wrong strong emotions.

What we find Is that …

Sometimes we think too small. We think only about dead Lazarus or only about Mary and Martha. Jesus looks a much bigger picture. He sees people who think this is all about the timing of Jesus’ arrival. All would be well if only he arrived earlier.

He is Indignant at their shortsightedness. He is grieved and angry at their unbelief and yet he still loves them.

When I used the word RESPONSE, that Is a word for us.

Will we look at our lives through the lens of the bigger picture of all the TRUTH and PURPOSES that God might have In a certain situation? Will we allow the Lord to love us by teaching us and by not leaving us where we are? Will we allow the Lord to use hardship to stretch our faith and deepen our relationship with God? Will our emotional RESPONSE be like the Lord's because we see what God Is trying to do?

I hope for all of us, the answer to these questions Is Yes.