Gospel Message
04/06/2014
John 11:1-44
Please pray with me. May the
words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts together be pleasing to you,
oh God! Amen
Over the past several weeks I have been reading and ‘studying up’ on
many subjects in preparation for beginning seminary studies. One of the books I have been reading is a
study of the Gospels. This book focuses
on the origination, authorship, translation and interpretation of the four
Gospels.
Interestingly, well to me anyway, is one of the beliefs about the authorship
of the Gospel of John. Many scholars and
theologians, including Martin Luther, present compelling arguments that the
author could have been Lazarus, the subject of our Gospel lesson today.
Let’s take a look at this Gospel lesson.
Initially we hear that a man is ill.
It is Lazarus of Bethany, the brother of Mary and Martha. We remember that Mary was the one who anointed
Jesus feet. Both Mary and Martha are
distraught over the death of their brother and send for Jesus. The message to Jesus is, “the one your love
is ill”. The writer of John is often
referred to as the beloved disciple or the one who Jesus loved. And on several
occasions we hear in John of the love Jesus had for Lazarus.
Upon hearing of Lazarus illness, Jesus’ response is to say that the
illness is not fatal, but it he is ill so that God may be glorified. So Jesus was not in a hurry to go to
Lazarus.
My grandmother made the best yeast rolls. Her rolls were always a focus of meals at her
house. When asked about the secret to
making great yeast rolls, she would reply, “There are two important
ingredients—patience and timing—“. You
see the rolls had to be placed on the counter to raise to just the right level
before they were placed in the oven to bake.
They then had to be left in the oven for just the right amount of time
in order to bake completely. Taken out
too soon and they would be doughy, left too long and they would become hockey
pucks. Grandma knew the ‘right’ time to
put the rolls in the oven and the ‘right’ time to take them out.
The disciples must have been really confused by Jesus lax attitude about
going to the aid of his friend. However,
Jesus knew there would be a ‘right’ time to go to Lazarus and when that time
came he went with his disciples back to Judea.
Despite the warnings from his disciples that there were those there in
Judea who wanted him stoned. In verses
nine and ten we hear, Jesus answer, "Are there not twelve hours of
daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the
light of this world. But those who walk
at night stumble, because the light is not in them." Suggesting to them that He was the light
which would keep them safe though they were heading into darkness.
Thomas, also known
as the Twin, shows his understanding in saying in verse 16, “Let us also go,
that we may die with him.” In this
Thomas was not referring to Lazarus but to Jesus. Thomas understands the mounting danger which
faces Jesus and all of them. So why go
at all. If Jesus truly had the power to
heal, he could do it from anywhere. He
really did not need to go to Lazarus in order to heal him. He went partly as a way to prepare his
followers for the persecution they would endure after his ascension.
You see it was all
about the proper timing. Jesus knew that
in order for his followers to believe, the timing needed to be right. In raising Lazarus, Jesus demonstrates that
he is the resurrection and the life.
There is something important to understand here. Rabbinic beliefs were that the soul hovers
over the body for three days and then departs when decomposition sets in. The Gospel writer’s point here is that only a
genuine miracle could account for Lazarus being brought back to life.
There is also
importance in the family of Lazarus, for he, Mary, Mary and Martha were from a
prominent Jewish family. This allowed
for there to be much interest in Lazarus death and many Jews came to comfort
the sisters. Who would also be witness
to Jesus raising Lazarus.
Martha’s
interpretation of this was to say, “I know he will rise in the last day.” to
which Jesus replies, “I am the resurrection
and the life. Whoever believes in me,
though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me
shall never die.” He then challenges
her by saying, “Do you believe this?”. Martha responded yes.
“Do you believe
this?!” Do you have yes response? We confess it in worship, we state it in our
prayer, do we live it in our heart, and do we put action to it in our daily
lives?
Belief causes the Christian to say Amen, we
need to witness.
Conviction causes the Christian
to get up and witness.Belief causes the Christian to have pity for the lost.
Conviction causes the Christian to stop at nothing for the lost.
Belief causes the Christian to promise God they will share.
Conviction causes the Christian to repent and be faithful.
Belief causes the Christian to know what needs done.
Conviction causes the Christian to do it.
The Gospel goes on
to tell us when Martha summoned Mary to Jesus, she came immediately. She had an immediate need to see Him, to
mourn with Him, to allow Him to comfort her.
He was deeply moved by her sorrow. In fact he was moved to tears. Even the Jews were moved by his display of
emotion and his deep love for Lazarus.
Others could not understand why the one who had healed the blind could
not save his friend. To them we say stay
tuned!
He seeks out the
place where Lazarus has been entombed.
Going to this place he asks for the stone covering the tomb to be
removed. Martha reminds him that by this
time there would be a stench from the decaying body. To which Jesus responds, “Did I not tell you if you believed you would
see the glory of God?”
Jesus then prayed
loudly so that all of those standing around would know that He had been sent by
God. He then ordered Lazarus to come out
of the tomb. When he did Lazarus, bound
in linen strips, wrapped in cloth, came out, and Jesus said, “Unbind him, him and let him go.”
What we don’t read
on our gospel today is what comes in Chapter 12 (and we read it because we didn’t hear enough gospel today.) We learn that great crowds gathered. We read in verses 9-11, “When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came
not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the
dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it
was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing
in Jesus.
The story of
Lazarus is only found in the Gospel of John.
Unlike the other three gospels this account comes right before the
passion story. In the synoptic gospels
we find the destruction of the temple prior to the passion narrative.
Some scholars
believe it was placed here as a pre-telling of the Passion and that it was the
raising of Lazarus which angered Caiaphas, leading to the crucifixion of Jesus.
And the conclusion about authorship about this Gospel. It remains unknown. There is certainly strong evidence it could have been Lazarus. Beloved by Jesus, played a major role in converting Jews to followers, and became a precursor to the Passion story.
Today we heard a story of great love, we saw the very human Jesus weep
at the loss of his dear friend. And we
saw the revelation of the very God Jesus in bringing his friend back to life.
Now what lies ahead?
What we do know is in the coming two weeks we will witness the greatest
act of love in human history. Jesus, the
man, rides triumphantly into Jerusalem,
to the shouts and praises of the masses,
only to be betrayed…arrested…condemned…and crucified.
No greater sacrifice of love has ever been given for you…for me…and for
all people. And it’s a story which
doesn’t end there, Lazarus foretold us of the rest of the story. Jesus is coming back, he is rising so that
our life does not end in death but in life with Him in heaven.
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