New Beginnings
In the last sign of John, Jesus said He is the resurrection and the life and that whoever believes in Him, though they die, will live again and never die. Only those who admit their spiritual death can be raised again to live with Jesus forever (John 5:28-29). The same is true with the dead things in our lives today; only Jesus has the power to bring them back to life; just like He did with Lazarus.
THE SEVEN SIGNS OF JOHN
- Changing water into wine (John 2:1-11).
- Healing the royal official’s son (John 4:46-54).
- Healing the paralytic (John 5:1-15).
- Feeding the 5000 (John 6:5-15).
- Jesus walking on water (John 6:16-21).
- Healing the blind man (John 9:1-41).
- The raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-45).
John 20:30-31, “30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
SERMON TEXT
John 11:1-45, “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 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have 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 (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
18 Now Bethany was less than two miles 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. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
28 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?”
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 believe, you will 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. 42 I 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.”
45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.”
BREAKDOWN
- Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus to let Him know Lazarus was sick but Jesus said he wouldn’t die and waited two days to travel to him (vs. 1-7).
- When Jesus told His disciples He was heading back to Judea they tried to stop Him because of the persecution He was getting from the Jewish leaders, but Jesus taught them that He must work will it is still day (vs. 8-9).
- Jesus explained to His disciples the reason He didn’t come at first to visit sick Lazarus was so that they might believe in Him (vs. 11-16).
- Jesus arrived in Bethany and found that Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days (v. 17).
- Mary and Martha both were disappointed that Jesus didn’t come and heal Lazarus and were confused when Jesus told them Lazarus would rise again because they kept assuming Jesus was talking about in the future at the time of judgement (vs. 18-37).
- Jesus told the people to remove the grave stone, He prayed to the Father out loud so everyone could hear, called Lazarus from the dead and told the people to take off His grave clothes (vs. 38-44).
- As a result of the sign, many Jews believed in Jesus (v. 45)
APPLICATION
- GOD’S TIMING IS NOT OUR TIMING: Isaiah 55:8-9, “8 ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. 9 ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.’”
- WORK HARD IN THE LIGHT: Ephesians 5:15-16, “15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
- GOD WILL LET SOME THINGS DIE IN YOUR LIFE: John 11:14, “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.’”
- JESUS FEELS YOUR PAIN: Isaiah 53:4 (ESV), “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”
- JESUS MAKES DEAD THINGS LIVE TO HAVE NEW BEGINNINGS: John 11:25-26, “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’”
Because of Jesus dead things can have new beginnings!