By a Disciple (John 11:1-45)
Dr. Paul Manuel—2004
(This is the last in a series of four sermons)
(This is the last in a series of four sermons)
As others look at your life, you hope what they notice most are the positive qualities. You especially hope that will be the case at your funeral.
While the gospel narratives often seem to focus on Jesus' twelve disciples, his supporters also include several women,1 such as Martha, the central character in John 11.2 She hails from "Bethany [which is] less than two miles from Jerusalem" (John 11:18). There she lives with her brother Lazarus and her younger sister Mary.3 Her family has an especially close relationship to Jesus.4 Consequently, when Lazarus becomes ill, the sisters send word to Jesus in Galilee.
This presents a problem for the teacher, because he is not on good terms with some of the Judean religious leaders. In fact, he so antagonized them on previous visits that they almost stoned him... twice.5 It is understandable, then, that he might hesitate returning to Judea from Galilee, not wanting to put himself or his followers in harm's way. That is likely how the disciples interpret his apparent lack of urgency, when he tells them, "This sickness will not end in death" (John 11:4). Two days later, when he says to them, "Let us go back to Judea" (John 11:7), they assume he has changed his mind and try to dissuade him.
The trip from Galilee to Judea takes two days, so by the time Jesus and the disciples reach Bethany, "Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days" (John 11:17). Please turn to John 11, where we will pick up the narrative in verse 20 with Jesus' arrival and with....
I. Martha's consolation (John 11:20-22)
Does God hear your prayer? ...Yes, He does. Does God hear your friend's prayer that the lottery ticket he just bought will be a winner? ...Yes, He does. God hears every prayer, but God heeds only some prayer. How can you be sure He will heed your prayer?
Elsewhere in John's writings, he notes two prerequisites for answerable prayer.9
Still, for Martha to assert that God would answer Jesus' prayer to raise Lazarus demonstrates an astonishing degree of faith. Does Martha really believe this, or is it just wishful thinking? ...Indeed, there is precedence for such faith, because God raised the dead at the request of prophets in the Old Testament.12 In similar fashion, Luke records that Jesus had already raised a widow's son and an official's daughter,13 and Martha has probably heard about those events. So, what does she believe? Continuing with v. 23, John describes...
II. Martha's conviction (John 11:23-27)
Resurrection has long been part of God's plan, and not just for the righteous. Daniel states that...
When a Christian dies, his body may go into the earth but his soul goes to "be with Christ, which [Paul notes] is better by far" (Phil 1:23). Jesus refers to that place variously as "Abraham's bosom" and "paradise."21 There you will enjoy several things, including...22
When Jesus speaks to Martha about Lazarus's resurrection, he does not have in mind her brother's final transformation at the beginning of the Messianic Age; he is referring to something more immediate but no less miraculous. Jesus has just challenged Martha to voice her suspicions about his identity, which she does. What follows then is...
III. Martha's confirmation (John 11:38-44)
...as she sees the greatest evidence thus far of Jesus' identity. Skip ahead to...
Lazarus's resurrection is not a permanent fix. Like others whom God has raised, eventually Lazarus will die again, because his body is still mortal, still subject to aging and disease. It is not the glorified and perfect body that all who belong to God will receive when Jesus returns.27
Likewise, when you or someone you know gets sick, and you ask God for healing, if God grants that request, it is not a permanent fix. The body will eventually break down again. Should you bother then to pray for healing? What is the point, if it will not last? Would it not have been better to leave Lazarus in the tomb? After all, he was headed for Paradise. Why would he want to come back? Why would Jesus want to bring him back?
Let me suggest that apart from mitigating the grief that attends a loved one's suffering or death, there is another reason to pray for God's intervention, a reason Jesus mentions. Look again at verses 41-42:28
...What gives Jesus such great confidence in his prayers? ...It goes back to the first prerequisite for answerable prayer I mentioned earlier, that what you request matters. It must flow from your desire to advance God's kingdom, which is the reason Jesus gives for his prayer.
This series of sermons has considered four Tentative Admissions and True Confessions, statements about Jesus that were either hesitant or confident. Of the hundreds, perhaps thousands, listening to Jesus' teaching and witnessing his miracles, Martha is among the few to recognize who he is and, when the opportunity arises, she makes one of the True Confessions.
You have not heard or seen Jesus, but you have a reliable record in the New Testament of his teaching and miracles. Most of you have also had years to develop your faith. So, when you have the opportunity to speak about what you believe or to demonstrate it in some way, how does it come across? How do others perceive you—as hesitant or confident—as someone making a tentative admission or a true confession?
Three friends die in a car crash and find themselves at the gates of heaven. Before entering, St. Peter asks them each a question. "When you are in your casket, and friends and family are in mourning, what would you like to hear them say about you?" The first one replies, "I would like to hear them say that I was a great doctor and a loving family man." The second one responds, "I would like to hear that I was a wonderful husband and school teacher who made a huge difference in our children." The third one ponders a moment, then answers. "I would like to hear them say...LOOK! HE'S MOVING!"That is probably close to what people say in our text this morning, after they hear one of the True Confessions about Jesus, this one By a Disciple.
While the gospel narratives often seem to focus on Jesus' twelve disciples, his supporters also include several women,1 such as Martha, the central character in John 11.2 She hails from "Bethany [which is] less than two miles from Jerusalem" (John 11:18). There she lives with her brother Lazarus and her younger sister Mary.3 Her family has an especially close relationship to Jesus.4 Consequently, when Lazarus becomes ill, the sisters send word to Jesus in Galilee.
This presents a problem for the teacher, because he is not on good terms with some of the Judean religious leaders. In fact, he so antagonized them on previous visits that they almost stoned him... twice.5 It is understandable, then, that he might hesitate returning to Judea from Galilee, not wanting to put himself or his followers in harm's way. That is likely how the disciples interpret his apparent lack of urgency, when he tells them, "This sickness will not end in death" (John 11:4). Two days later, when he says to them, "Let us go back to Judea" (John 11:7), they assume he has changed his mind and try to dissuade him.
John 11:8 ...Rabbi...a short while ago the Jew[ish authoritie]s tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?When he then tells them, "Lazarus is dead" (John 11:14), they realize that nothing will keep him from expressing his condolences to the family in person, and they resign themselves to accompany him, despite the danger.6
The trip from Galilee to Judea takes two days, so by the time Jesus and the disciples reach Bethany, "Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days" (John 11:17). Please turn to John 11, where we will pick up the narrative in verse 20 with Jesus' arrival and with....
I. Martha's consolation (John 11:20-22)
John 11:20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask."To this point in John's gospel, the author has narrated several of Jesus' astonishing cures that indicate the extent of his power.7 Martha is probably aware of these medical miracles and, in her brother's case, is confident that...
A. Jesus could have healed him....if he had only been there to intervene.8 Nevertheless, Martha has not lost hope....
B. Jesus could still heal him....for God would surely answer Jesus' prayer, granting whatever he asked, even the raising of her brother.
Does God hear your prayer? ...Yes, He does. Does God hear your friend's prayer that the lottery ticket he just bought will be a winner? ...Yes, He does. God hears every prayer, but God heeds only some prayer. How can you be sure He will heed your prayer?
Elsewhere in John's writings, he notes two prerequisites for answerable prayer.9
- First, what you request matters. It must be with the right intention: longing in accordance with what God desires.10
John 14:13 [Jesus said:] I will do whatever you ask in my name [i.e., something I would endorse], so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.
1 John 5:14 [John wrote:] This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
Who sets the agenda for what you ask, you or God? When you long to advance the kingdom, and your petition flows from that priority, God heeds your prayer, because what you request matters, and your attitude then accords with what God desires.
- Second, how you request matters. It must be in the right condition: living in obedience to what God demands.11
John 15:7 [Jesus said:] If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
1 John 3:22 [John wrote: We] receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.
Who makes the rules for how you act, you or God? When you live by the commands of the kingdom, and your petition flows from that practice, God heeds your prayer, because how you request matters, and your actions then accord with what God demands.These two principles are not the only ones that determine the effectiveness of your prayers, but they are among the most important.
Still, for Martha to assert that God would answer Jesus' prayer to raise Lazarus demonstrates an astonishing degree of faith. Does Martha really believe this, or is it just wishful thinking? ...Indeed, there is precedence for such faith, because God raised the dead at the request of prophets in the Old Testament.12 In similar fashion, Luke records that Jesus had already raised a widow's son and an official's daughter,13 and Martha has probably heard about those events. So, what does she believe? Continuing with v. 23, John describes...
II. Martha's conviction (John 11:23-27)
John 11:23 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, even though he dies, will live; 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, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."Just as religious groups today have differing beliefs, so religious groups in Jesus' day have differing beliefs (Manuel 2000).
- The Sadducees believe that, at death, man ceases to exist, and that the soul perishes with the body.
- He enters neither heaven nor hell,
- He receives neither reward nor punishment.
- He awaits neither a future resurrection, nor the establishment of God's kingdom on earth.14
- The Pharisees believe that, at death, man continues to exist, and that the soul endures apart from the body.
Jesus and his followers are closest to the Pharisees in their beliefs. Martha reflects this position in verse 24, when she states that...
- He enters heaven or hell.
- He receives reward or punishment.
- He awaits a future resurrection when God will establish His kingdom on earth.15
A. There will be a general resurrection for all people...."in the last day" and that Lazarus will be part of the great event. Jesus does not dispute this but goes further, stating that he is the reason for the resurrection,16 a reason especially important for those who believe in him, because...
B. There will be a special resurrection for God's people....that leads to eternal life. Martha agrees. This is also what she believes. Then Martha goes further, offering a true confession of how she knows this to be so: because "you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."17
Resurrection has long been part of God's plan, and not just for the righteous. Daniel states that...
Dan 12:2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.18What was not clear in the Old Testament was that God will predicate that resurrection on Jesus' resurrection. In others words, it is because Jesus rose from the dead that everyone else will one day rise from the dead as well. As the apostle Paul states it...
1 Cor 15:22 ...as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23a But each in his own turn....Old Testament saints knew that God would one day raise the dead;19 they just did not know that He would make the messiah's resurrection the model and the means for everyone else's resurrection.20
When a Christian dies, his body may go into the earth but his soul goes to "be with Christ, which [Paul notes] is better by far" (Phil 1:23). Jesus refers to that place variously as "Abraham's bosom" and "paradise."21 There you will enjoy several things, including...22
- Rest,
- Divine approval,
- Comfort,
- Good company, and
- Skybox seats, overlooking events on earth.
- You will also experience God's glory in a way that you could not have before (Col 3:4; 1 Pet 5:4),
- You will also receive God's inheritance to a degree that you could not have before (Matt 25:34; 1 Pet 1:3-4), and
- You will also enter God's kingdom for a ministry that you could not have before (Rev 5:10; 20:6).
When Jesus speaks to Martha about Lazarus's resurrection, he does not have in mind her brother's final transformation at the beginning of the Messianic Age; he is referring to something more immediate but no less miraculous. Jesus has just challenged Martha to voice her suspicions about his identity, which she does. What follows then is...
III. Martha's confirmation (John 11:38-44)
...as she sees the greatest evidence thus far of Jesus' identity. Skip ahead to...
John 11:38 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, Martha, the sister of the dead man said, "Lord, 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. 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, put their faith in him.Although only four days had passed since Lazarus died, the process of decay would already have begun, making both the sight and the smell decidedly unpleasant.25 When Jesus wants the stone removed, Martha objects, "Lord, if you want to pay your last respects, do it out here not in there." The King James version preserves the bluntness of her concern: "Lord, by this time he stinketh." Jesus does not argue with her; he simply asks her to trust him, which Martha does, and what happens next confirms to her that....
A. Jesus is worthy of her faith.Jesus does not want anyone to misinterpret what is about to take place, to think that Lazarus had fallen unconscious, had been placed in the tomb by mistake, then had revived and was simply waiting to be let out. After ordering the stone's removal, what does Jesus do that makes clear to those present this is not going to be a natural event but a supernatural one?
- When "they [take] away the stone," nothing unusual happens. No poor soul weak from sickness and hunger crawls out of the tomb.
- When Jesus prays to God then speaks to Lazarus, something amazing happens. John describes it almost matter-of-fact: "The dead man came out."
B. Jesus is worthy of others' faith....and "many...who...had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him."26
Lazarus's resurrection is not a permanent fix. Like others whom God has raised, eventually Lazarus will die again, because his body is still mortal, still subject to aging and disease. It is not the glorified and perfect body that all who belong to God will receive when Jesus returns.27
Likewise, when you or someone you know gets sick, and you ask God for healing, if God grants that request, it is not a permanent fix. The body will eventually break down again. Should you bother then to pray for healing? What is the point, if it will not last? Would it not have been better to leave Lazarus in the tomb? After all, he was headed for Paradise. Why would he want to come back? Why would Jesus want to bring him back?
Let me suggest that apart from mitigating the grief that attends a loved one's suffering or death, there is another reason to pray for God's intervention, a reason Jesus mentions. Look again at verses 41-42:28
John 11:41b Jesus...said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42a I knew that you always hear meJesus does not mean that God just hears the words coming out of his mouth but that God responds positively when Jesus prays. Do you have that kind of confidence, that whenever you pray, God will answer with a resounding "Yes"?
...What gives Jesus such great confidence in his prayers? ...It goes back to the first prerequisite for answerable prayer I mentioned earlier, that what you request matters. It must flow from your desire to advance God's kingdom, which is the reason Jesus gives for his prayer.
John 11:42b I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.When you petition God for healing or for some other need, state your request in a way that shows you understand the difference between what is ephemeral and what is eternal, and that you deem most important the answer that will bring Him glory by making others notice the great God you serve.
This series of sermons has considered four Tentative Admissions and True Confessions, statements about Jesus that were either hesitant or confident. Of the hundreds, perhaps thousands, listening to Jesus' teaching and witnessing his miracles, Martha is among the few to recognize who he is and, when the opportunity arises, she makes one of the True Confessions.
You have not heard or seen Jesus, but you have a reliable record in the New Testament of his teaching and miracles. Most of you have also had years to develop your faith. So, when you have the opportunity to speak about what you believe or to demonstrate it in some way, how does it come across? How do others perceive you—as hesitant or confident—as someone making a tentative admission or a true confession?
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
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Jim Skaggs