young teen

Yes To The Gift Of Life

Yes to the Gift of Life!

  • Don Roe
  • Mar 2, 2008

The story of Lazarus is one of the longer stories in the New Testament totaling
forty four verses. In John’s Gospel the raising of Lazarus is the crowning “miracle” of
the “signs” performed by Jesus. When Jesus summoned Lazarus from the tomb, it
proved that Jesus had power over death itself. For the writer of John’s Gospel, this was
mightiest of all of Jesus’ acts; but, ironically, the raising of Lazarus leads to Jesus’ own
death. The chief priests and Pharisees are so offended by Jesus’ raising of Lazarus that
they resolve that he must “die because he will become so popular that the masses will
follow him in rebellion against Rome and the Romans will then come and destroy the
temple and the Jewish way of life.
But there is more to this story than its political and military dimensions. The
writer of John’s Gospel believes that the forces of evil are always frightened by Christ’s
authority over death. Just as eternal death is the great evil, eternal life is the greatest
good there can be. In this passage of scripture, Jesus actually uses Lazarus’ death as
an opportunity to teach others about eternal life. It is here that Jesus voices those
unforgettable words which we read at every funeral or memorial service. He originally
spoke these words to Lazarus’ sister Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life. Those
who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes
in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:26). This is the central message of
John’s Gospel.
The story of Lazarus is not simply a story of physical resurrection. It is also a
story about faith and hope. It’s a story about what we ultimately desire and what we
ultimately believe in, and about what our ultimate goal of living may really may be.
What do you believe in this morning? What is the number one thing in your life
today? What do you spend most of your time thinking about? Do we believe today in
ourselves – putting ourselves first? What do we really seek? Today, as in the time of
Jesus, material security and self-interest are the thinnest of threads upon which we can
suspend our existence.
The writer of John’s Gospel knew this. In this gospel there is a constant
tension between “the world”, a system of ego-centered living which is estranged from
God – and the “abundant life” a life grounded in meaning. And so, when Jesus shouts
out to Lazarus in the tomb, shouting at him to “come forth” after four days of death, that
command from our Lord echoes through the centuries to each of us. We are also called
to emerge from the tomb of the world. We are called by Jesus to true abundant -
meaningful - living.

John 11:1-44

The Death of Lazarus

1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."

4 When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." 5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

7 Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."

8 "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?"

9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. 10 It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light."

11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."

12 His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

14 So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."

16 Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

Jesus Comforts the Sisters

17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Bethany was less than two miles[a] from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

21 "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

24 Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

27 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ,[b] the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

28 And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 "Where have you laid him?" he asked.
  "Come and see, Lord," they replied.

35 Jesus wept.

36 Then 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 have kept this man from dying?"

Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39"Take away the stone," he said.
  "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days."

40 Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me."

43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
  Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

0 Comments | Login to Post Comments