A New Day For A Dead Man

A New Day For A Dead Man

What Is Your Reaction To Tragedy? Denial, Debilitated or Dependent

Prayer And Background

🔴Location: Bethany

Located on the east side of the Mount of Olives about two miles southeast of Jerusalem. Hometown of Mary, Martha and Simon the Leper. This is generally thought to be the area where Jesus ascended.  

🔴Lazarus: We will meet his sisters.  We know that he was loved by Jesus and he is mentioned here and in John 12. Lazarus is not to be confused with the beggar who died and went to Abraham's side in Luke 16.

🔴Mary is not Jesus' mother.  She is mentioned in Luke 10:42 and John 12.  She was a deep worshipper of Jesus.  Martha was a worker and is rebuked by Jesus but is given the great delight of being the first to proclaim His resurrection in John 11:27. 

John 11:1,3-44 (NASB)

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. [3] So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." [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." [5] Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [6] So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. [7] Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." [8] The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?" [9] Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. [10] "But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." [11] This He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep." [12] The disciples then said to Him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover." [13] Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. [14] So Jesus then said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, [15] and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him." [16] Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, so that we may die with Him." [17] So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. [18] Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off; [19] and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. [20] Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house. [21] Martha then said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. [22] "Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." [23] Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." [24] Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." [25] Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, [26] and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" [27] She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world." [28] When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." [29] And when she heard it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him. [30] Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him. [31] Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. [32] Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." [33] When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, [34] and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." [35] Jesus wept. [36] So the Jews were saying, "See how He loved him!" [37] But some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?" [38] So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. [39] Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days." [40] Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" [41] So they removed the stone Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. [42] "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." [43] When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." [44] The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

5 Lessons From Lazarus' Resurrection

I. We See A Medical Prognosis 

John 11:1 (NASB)

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

🔴Your Diagnosis Does Not Have To Be Definite!

Here Are Just A Few People Who Were Given A Medical Diagnosis In The Bible

1. Sarah was barren yet had a child.

2. Rachel could bare no children yet God gave her multiple children.

3. Elizabeth, John's Mother was given the bad news that she could have no children, but God gave her John. 

4. Hannah could not have children but God brought her Samuel. 

5. Paul had a thorn in his flesh but God gave him grace to be productive in illness. 

6. Nebuchadnezzar was diagnosed mad or mentally ill for seven years until The Lord brought him back. 

7. Naaman was a leper. He was healed by God through Elisha.

8. Hezikiah was told he would die only to be healed by God.  

9. Various people received diagnosis's of blindness, deafness, infirmity, paralyzation, disease and even death. Jesus healed them all. 

🔴Remember

Matthew 4:23 (NASB)

Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.

🔴God has the power to heal our infirmities but this does not mean that he will.

🔴Remember that He did not spare the disciples a martyr's death. 

🔴He did not spare His son from disappointment, sadness, betrayal, beating, torture, crucifixion and death. 

🔴Jesus gives us the promise that in this world we will have trouble. This is not "if" but. "When".

🔴God promise us that no matter what our diagnosis that nothing will separate us from Him. 

Romans 8:38-39 (NASB)

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, [39] nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

🔴Even though trouble will find us, Jesus has promised that he will overcome them all. 

🔴So if God can fix us, why doesn't He?

II. We See Jesus' Personality

John 11:4 (NASB)

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."

Our Suffering Creates...

A. An Emphasis (Helps Us Set Priorities. Shows Importance)

B. Eagerness (We Look Forward To Heaven)

C. An Exhibit (We Display God's Strength And Character Through Our Suffering)

John 9:3 (NASB)

Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

III. We See Jesus Pause

John 11:6 (NASB)

So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.

Illustration: God's Timing Is Not Always Our Timing

Caterpillars must go through four stages before their metamorphosis is complete. They begin as eggs, next they hatch as caterpillars, then they go through a stage where they eat, and eat, and eat some more. Eventually, they become a chrysalis before the transformation is complete and they can finally emerge as a beautiful butterfly.

The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 3: 1 "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." Often, we want to walk straight into the calling God has for us. We want to do and be everything God wants us to be and not only that, but we want to skip the journey that takes us there and do it NOW! We want to go from being caterpillar eggs to butterflies! However, we all know that there are risks to anything being born prematurely. In order for anything to be birthed, whether it is a vision or a calling, we who are to fulfill it must go on a journey. We must go through stages and seasons of preparation. 

I'm convinced that like the caterpillar, God wants to take us on a journey. I'm convinced there is a process. Job said "For He knows the way that I take, and when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold." Sometimes there is pain in the process. Sometimes the journey is difficult, but God knows and sees exactly where you are. When others look and see an ugly cocoon, He looks inside and sees the beautiful creature that is being transformed.

Do you know that the butterfly is supposed to struggle to get out of the cocoon? If someone helps the butterfly emerge from the cocoon, then fluid that has built up on the body of the butterfly will never be pushed to its wings thus preventing the wings from gaining enough strength to fly.  God does the same with us.  He is transforming us through struggle and hardship.  The struggle give us strength so that we can fly.  

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NASB)

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven--

IV. We See Jesus' Pain

John 11:35 (NASB)

Jesus wept.

🔴Pain removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul.  

~ C.S. Lewis

🔴Jesus weeping shows us that He is human. He was not devoid of emotion or sorrow. 

🔴Jesus was not distant or removed from the sister's pain. He was close to them. He was the embodiment of Emmanuel God With Us. 

🔴Never think for a moment that Jesus is not aware of your present troubles. He is standing with you and praying or you. 

🔴 Romans 8:34 (NASB)

Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

🔴Jesus is a man familiar with pain and no stranger to suffering. 

Isaiah 53:3 (NASB)

He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

🔴What does Jesus do in His pain? He becomes productive. Never waste your pain!

V. We Hear Jesus Pray

John 11:41-43 (NASB)

So they removed the stone Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. [42] "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." [43] When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth."

The Answer To Pain Is Prayer

A. Prayer Removes Walls

John 11:39 (NASB)

Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days."

B. Prayer Creates A Witness

John 11:41-42 (NASB)

So they removed the stone Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. [42] "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."

C. Prayer Generates Divine Work

John 11:43 (NASB)

When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth."

V. We See Jesus Pardon

John 11:44 (NASB)

The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

🔴Lazarus’ linens were more than just inconveniences.  They were symbols of his sin, death, and even his good works that could never get him to Jesus.  Only Jesus could get him to Jesus...if that makes sense.  That’s a message that we could all stand to discuss a little more. 

Isaiah 61:1 (NASB)

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;

Your Hope Resides With The Healer!