Title: Jesus Raising Lazarus / John 11:11-16
Jesus Raising Lazarus / John 11:11-16
(11 After he had said these things, he said, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep. But I am going to wake him up.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will recover.” 13 Jesus was referring to his death, but they were referring to his sleep 14 Then Jesus said plainly, "Lazarus is dead. 15 I am glad for you that I was not there, that you might believe, but let's go to him." 16 Thomas, who was called Didymus, said to the other disciples, Let us also go so that we may die with the Lord.)
* We are giving the words that only appear in the Gospel of John (the center of parables) (15th verse).
* Today's verse is related to the resurrection of Lazarus, the seventh sign among the seven signs of Jesus in the Gospel of John.
Before I give these words, I will speak today by dealing with the part that is related to last week's sermon, that is, in John 10:18, Jesus said, "I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it back again."
Jesus has authority.
(Matthew 7:29) The teachings of Jesus were seen as having authority.
(Mt 9:6, Mark 2:10, Luke 5:24) He had the power to forgive (forgive) sins on earth.
(Mt 28:18) He had all authority in heaven and on earth.
(Mark 3:15) He is the one who gives the disciples the authority to cast out demons.
(Mark 6:7) He is the one who gives the disciples authority over demons.
(Luke 4:36) He is the One who commands unclean spirits to obey them with authority and power.
(Luke 9:1, 10:19) He is the one who gives the disciples power and authority to control all demons and to heal diseases.
(John 1:12) To those who receive him, that is, to those who believe in his name, he gives the right to become children of God.
(John 5:22,27) He had the power to judge. The Father has entrusted the Son with all judgment.
(John 10:18) You have the power to lay down your life, and you have the power to take it back. - He is the ruler of life.
(Col 2:10) He is the head of all principalities and powers. That is, he is the ruler of all angels.
(Heb 2:8) He put all things under his feet. That is, Christ ascended to the throne with glory and honor and is seated at the right hand of God, so He has sovereignty over all things, that is, the entire universe, and through His perfect sovereignty He rules and reigns over the entire universe.
(Rev 2:26) He is the one who gives authority over the nations to the one who overcomes and to him who keeps my work to the end.
- In particular, Jesus' authority over life was already revealed in the scene of raising the daughter of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue in Mark 5 and the scene of raising the son of the widow of Nain in Luke 7. However, the resurrection of Lazarus is the most important sign to reveal that Jesus is the Christ, only mentioned in the Gospel of John.
* Death of Lazarus
Lazarus, Martha, and Mary lived in Bethany, about 3 km southeast of Jerusalem. One day Lazarus' sisters Martha and Mary sent to Jesus to tell him that Lazarus was ill (John 11:1-3). After that, Lazarus rapidly deteriorated and died shortly thereafter. When Jesus received the call, he did not go to Lazarus right away, but stayed there for two days, then went and saved Lazarus on the fourth day.
The meaning of Lazarus (Gr., Lazarus is the name Lazarus) is "God helps".
1. Jesus described Lazarus as “our friend.”
(John 15:14,15) 14 If you do what I command you, you are my friends. 15 From now on I will no longer call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing, so I called you friends. all things have been made known to you.
Jesus intimately calls his disciples friends.
The description of Lazarus as "our friend" reveals his close relationship with Lazarus, and that anyone who follows Jesus can become a friend of Jesus.
(Example) Biblical example of friendship - David and Jonathan's friendship - David finished talking with Saul. After that, Jonathan was attracted to David, and he developed a heart to love David, as if he was saving his own life (1 Samuel 18:1).
- Looking at the touching stories of many friends, they try to share everything they have, and even take their own lives.
(Example) Selection of communion target - It is said that five conditions are important for the selection of a communion target. These five conditions are proximity, familiarity, similarity, compensatoryness, and personal characteristics.
- God called Abraham my "friend". And he called Lazarus his friend.
“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the children of Abraham my friend” (Isaiah 41:8).
Just as Jesus regarded Abraham and Lazarus as friends, he regarded us, the descendants of Abraham, as friends, and gave his life for us.
Your relationship with God has changed. From the relationship between the king and the people → closer to the master and slave relationship → closer to the friendship relationship.
The reason the Lord has called us friends is because He wants to know and share the heart of God. It was because I needed a friend who could understand God's loneliness, pain, and love.
→ We, too, should become close friends with the Lord and be good friends with each other.
(Example) Intimate relationships reduce heart attacks (Herald Economics)
2. Jesus said that Lazarus slept dead.
Jesus said that the daughter of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, was dead, but he was sleeping (Matthew 9:24).
Why did you say that the dead were 'slept' (Hell, kekoimetai / 'koimao')?
The comparison of death to sleep is because the corpse is similar to a body that has fallen asleep, but the important thing is that Jesus had the power to raise the dead, and he expressed that he fell asleep because he was trying to raise Lazarus and Jairus' daughter.
- The expression "slept" is particularly evident in the New Testament.
The most obvious proof that Jesus is the Christ is because he has the power of resurrection that overcomes death.
Those who are in Jesus are not those who died and everything was over, but those who have been sleeping and have been blessed with the life of being awakened again.
Those who believe in the life of Jesus and the resurrection of Jesus must believe that there is hope of resurrection even in the face of extreme despair and death when everything is over.
(Example) silkworm
A baby silkworm gnawing on mulberry leaves - all they do is eat and wrap. When I'm full while eating, I go to sleep. However, after sleeping, the skin is removed and the body grows larger.
Repeat this four times and your body will turn yellow.
Your body becomes dull, and an unexpected thread comes out of your mouth.
The body hardens. It is shrunk without a look.
Then one day, it transforms into an unimaginable winged moth and soars through the sky.
- Just as a silkworm worse than us turns into a moth, we should hope for the day when we will be set free with eternal life in Jesus.
(Example) Millet (Jean Francois 1817-1875)'s "Many Bells"
It is an idyllic landscape of a peasant couple praying while listening to the bells of the church in the evening after a hard day's work. However, this painting is not just romantic. Through this painting, you should be able to hear the sad but religious message the artist wants to tell along with the soft sound of church bells.
It is not that the seed potato was contained in the mangtaeggi under the couple's feet, which is commonly known as a mangtaeggi containing a pitchfork and seed potatoes, but a sad story that contains the corpse of a beloved baby.
They are hungry, but they plant seed potatoes with gratitude, believing that they will reap a harvest of 30, 60, or 100 times in spring after winter.
He can't bear his hunger and bury the dead baby in the ground, but he bows his head and prays and gives thanks because he believes that this baby will also participate in the Lord's resurrection. The couple's faith in the resurrection is spreading with the sound of bells throughout the painting.
- For Jesus, death is as light as sleeping.
The way to save Lazarus is to no avail even if you bring in a great philosopher to preach philosophy, bring in a religious scholar to emphasize your will and beliefs, and bring in doctors and scientists and use all the surgeries, injections, and potions.
Jesus, who is the Lord and Ruler of life, must come.
When Jesus comes, we can live.
When Jesus comes, we can win.
When Jesus comes, we will be able to give cheers and praises of joy even in the face of the impossible crisis of death.
→ We, too, must become those who raise dead souls to life through Jesus.
We must evangelize so that there are those who have believed in Jesus and have gained life because of us.
therefore ; “May there be those who believe in Jesus and become workers because of me!”
3. Regarding the death of Lazarus, Jesus said, "I am glad for you that I was not there, that you might believe" (verse 15).
If Jesus had been in the place where Lazarus was, it might have ended with seeing Lazarus being ill and healing him. Jesus was happy to have it.
Therefore, the event of Lazarus' death was a good opportunity for the good of the disciples' faith.
The death of Lazarus was an immediate mourning for Martha, Mary, and those who knew Lazarus, but in God's plan, it became an opportunity for special grace that brought new benefits.
- Jesus is the God of power who can turn our extreme sorrow into a new opportunity.
Jesus is the Master of life who can raise even death, which is four days after death, when all things are declared to be over.
Jesus is the One who makes the impossible life possible by changing it anew.
(Example) The vision of dry bones in the valley of Ezekiel - Can dry bones that are too old come to life?
- The disciples went to the tomb of Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, and stood in front of the tomb of Lazarus, and heard Jesus cry out, "Lazarus, come out" (John 11:43).
Will he ever survive? Will a rotten body really arise?
Raising Jairus' daughter was raised on the day he died, and only three disciples participated. When he raised the son of the widow of Nain, he saw all the disciples, but he raised him the same day he died. There are no dramatic elements.
However, Lazarus had been dead for four days and was completely dead and rotten, and although he was in a tomb, it was a dramatic situation in which Jesus shouted outside the tomb.
However, he saw Lazarus coming out alive, bound in sackcloth before the word of the Lord. Hallelujah!
→ Let's look to the Lord who makes the history of turning our sorrow into joy, our despair into hope, and our crisis into victory! Let's live by witnessing the news of hope!
praise ; Lift up your eyes and behold the Lord, cast all your cares on the Lord; in sorrow, behold the face of the Lord, the Lord of love gives you rest!
⇒ Lord who raised Lazarus, save our hearts today, save our families, save our husbands and wives, our children and businesses, our churches and our country!!