Incarnation 33 - Gospel of John - John 11:17-37

[00:00:00] And so we came to John 11 last week and we came to the story of Lazarus where Christ is raising Lazarus from a dead. Very important story, you know I don't even like calling these things stories because these things actually happened. They're actually events.

[00:00:40] And so the account of Lazarus being raised. And as we said in the last past few weeks, remember these things in Scripture aren't just here for entertainment value or because they're cute stories. They're really delivering heavy spiritual lessons to us and to our hearts about who God is and how He saves us.

[00:00:59] So let's not just lose sight of what's very really important in this account or any account that we go through, just because it seems to us like a story.

[00:01:10] There's really a good reason why these types of things are here in Scripture. And so we saw that when Jesus heard about Lazarus being sick,

[00:01:21] that He loved Him like a brother. Mary Martha said you love Him, like a brother. The one you love is sick and that word was filetel, filetel love, the brotherly love.

[00:01:30] And that was true. Jesus did love Lazarus like a brother. Is there many more types of love than that brotherly love? Well, John the Apostle writes about how Jesus loved Lazarus, that He loved Him the way God loves His people, a God-baby love.

[00:01:45] So He loved Lazarus like a brother but not only that, but with the love that God has for His people which is almost inconceivable for us. And remember when Jesus told His disciples when He heard the news from Mary and Martha,

[00:01:59] He said to us, to disciples, you know what? I'm glad I wasn't there. And that was surprising to hear. But then He went on and He said, for this purpose so that you might believe because what you're going to see is really going to make you believe.

[00:02:14] The disciples didn't know that yet, but Jesus did. He had a big plan. And it went a little bit. Not exactly how Mary and Martha's plan was going to go because their plan was to say, okay we're going to go tell Jesus.

[00:02:29] Lazarus is sick. Hopefully we can get to Him by the time. But in enough time where Jesus can come back and heal Lazarus. That was their plan. But we saw that Jesus had bigger plans and better plans.

[00:02:41] Plans for faith to be strengthened, plans for more people to believe, to come into the faith, those were Jesus plans and they were better plans than just having your brother healed.

[00:02:52] And we saw that Jesus is more concerned about the spiritual life than He is even with physical life which is what we are so concerned with our physical lives.

[00:03:02] And Jesus said, in His mind I'm sure He says, I know Lazarus is going to die physically but He's going to live spiritually forever. And that's more important to Him. So it should shift our priorities around a little bit. Let me hear these things from our Lord.

[00:03:17] So this brings Jesus to His arrival at the home of Lazarus where His family is mourning. And we're in John 11, turn your bibles if you would. To verse 17 from John 11 and we continue with this family who's mourning.

[00:03:35] In verse 17 we read, now when Jesus came he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem about two miles off and many of the Jews had come to Martha and married to console them concerning their brother.

[00:03:51] So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming she went and met Him but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, Lord if you'd been here my brother would not have died.

[00:04:04] But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again. Martha said to him, I know that He will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.

[00:04:19] Jesus said to her, 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.

[00:04:33] Do you believe this? She said to him, yes Lord I believe that you are the Christ the Son of God who is coming into the world. Let's pray together. Lord thank you for your word. It is our only shining light in the stark world.

[00:04:53] Do you have given it to us through your Son Jesus Christ and I pray that you tune in our ears and our hearts to hear your message today from your word.

[00:05:03] It is the light of our lives through the life of Christ and pray that your spirit leads us. We lead our thoughts and help us to concentrate on your living word today. We pray in Jesus name. Amen.

[00:05:20] Not sure if you are aware but this raising of Lazarus was Jesus last public miracle and I think you might have saved the best for last that pinnacle miracle that everyone could see was one of bringing a dead person to life.

[00:05:39] And what a picture that is of salvation. This miracle for him would actually be the catalyst which would start the long journey to the cross for him. Because after this is when the Jewish leaders decided and determined in their hearts to kill him.

[00:06:00] And so we pick up in verse 17 where John writes, now when Jesus came he found that Lazarus had already been in the tune four days. Lazarus was as we might have heard people say, quite dead. He was really dead.

[00:06:24] There are some thoughts in the Muslim world that Jesus really didn't die while they don't believe that he died and rose again. They have different beliefs but one of their arguments is that he swooned.

[00:06:38] And this word means he came so close to death that he appeared to be dead but it wasn't quite dead. He was just as the old saying goes in the movie. He was just mostly dead. But he wasn't actually dead.

[00:06:52] The Lazarus here has been in the tune four days. And in the Jewish culture they did not embom bodies, they wrapped them in spices and put them in a cave or a tomb. And that was it. No no, Lazarus was all the way dead.

[00:07:08] And I think that's partly why Jesus waited two more days when he heard the news about Lazarus being sick. He waited two more days and then he went back to make sure that people knew that Lazarus was dead. Dead dead.

[00:07:24] That there was no doubt that he was dead. And I wonder if you know what happens to the human body when it encounters death. First of all, the heart stops beating. Blood flow stops. It starts seeping to the lowest parts of the body.

[00:07:45] There's no pressure in the veins anymore. No oxygen and getting to the brain. And over the first two days cells begin to die. Flies and other insects are attracted to the corpse and they start laying eggs on the corpse on the body.

[00:08:00] The abdomen begins to bloat because of the bacteria in the body, which attacks the dying cells and produces gases that have nowhere else to go. The body starts expanding. During days three and four, the bloating increases.

[00:08:18] The skin may begin to turn greenish and become discolored and even break. And bodily fluids will begin to seep and smell. And when you're dead for four days as you can see, there's no coming back. There's no coming back from that.

[00:08:41] The brain is dead, the heart is dead, the cells are dying. You'll be coming food for your environment.

[00:08:49] To add to this, there is an old superstition in the Jewish culture about how the spirit of a dead person may hover around or near or above the body for up to three days. This is a superstitious belief.

[00:09:00] And the Lord knew that and I think he might have given it one extra day just to make sure. If you believe maybe that when I come back and he is risen from the grave, you can say,

[00:09:11] Well, within that three days, the spirit was probably just right there and it's not that big of a miracle. And I think Jesus thought to himself, I'm going to give it one extra day just so you know.

[00:09:20] Even though superstitious people know, even the spirit's gone at this point. And think about it this way. This was Lazarus physical condition before Jesus came to him. He was dead. He was all the way dead and as we'll see later there was an odor. What's the odor from?

[00:09:42] From sea-bidge, from chemicals and gases. This is a smell of death and if you've ever smelled a dead animal or a dead body somewhere, it's a distinct smell. The smell of rotting flesh and it's horrible and putrid and it's disgusting.

[00:10:03] And this is the picture that God is painting for us about how we should view our sin. Because he is perfectly holy and righteous and just. He always does the right thing and we're not that. We send every day in our thoughts and our desires.

[00:10:23] And our sin compared to him is vile and putrid like a dying corpse. Look at what Paul says in Romans chapter 7, Who will save me from this body of death? I'm carrying around with me. He hates us in. And we all sin. But the Christian hates their sin.

[00:10:43] We're not okay with our sin. The Lord through the Holy Spirit's inspiration, through the hand of John is writing this account of Lazarus death to actually show us the idea of spiritual death and spiritual life. So we see Lazarus physical condition, a rotting corpse in a tomb.

[00:11:08] That's when Jesus found him. And to some degree that's how we are spiritually when Jesus finds us. There's no hope for us without him coming. Was there any other hope for Lazarus in that tomb coming back to life? Other than the Lord Jesus Christ walking in there? No.

[00:11:28] This is our spiritual condition. We're Lazarus in the tomb and the spiritual sense. Dead, no hope without Christ coming in. Your first note here if you're taking notes. Says we are dead in the grave of our sins until Jesus calls us out from death to life.

[00:11:47] And remember how Jesus rolls. He likes to use glorified abject lessons. I want to teach you about me being the bread of life. I'll feed 5,000 people today and then I'll have a lesson. I'm going to teach you about spiritual sight today.

[00:12:05] Spiritual, the light of the light of the world. I'm going to heal a blind person that's never seen before. This is the ultimate abject lesson. I'm going to teach you about spiritual sight.

[00:12:15] I'm going to let you know that I'm going to heal a blind person that's never seen before. This is the ultimate abject lesson. Bring in a dead person back to life. What's the message here? Look at Ephesians chapter 2. We know this passage. Paul writes, and you were dead.

[00:12:34] He's talking to Christians. You were dead. In the trespasses and sins of the world. But God being rich and mercy because of the great love which he loved us. Even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you've been saved.

[00:12:52] Grace is something you don't deserve. It's a good thing you don't deserve. You didn't earn it. And he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. When Jesus found Lazarus dead in that grave,

[00:13:07] He was showing us how Jesus finds us before we come to Christ. Dead in sin. No hope. Look at Clashon's two same author of the uppossal Paul. And you again to Christians. And you who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh.

[00:13:28] God made alive together with him having forgiven us all our trespasses. That's a beautiful sunny day today, and this word keeps coming up. Dead. We were dead. And there's still some people here in Lakeville, and I pay the avenue who are dead.

[00:13:52] And they have no hope without Jesus Christ. And that's sick. But not struggling a little bit, and they need a little help. No, they're dead. And that's how we were before Christ found us. Before Christ walked into our tomb and said, come out.

[00:14:14] When Jesus saves us, he doesn't just nurse us back to health. And we were fine before, and then we kind of stumbled a little bit, and he just needs to help us back along the path a little bit. No, we were dead. We weren't doing okay by ourselves.

[00:14:35] He brought us to life, spiritual life. And that's the most important kind of life we were dead. But from both passages that we just read from Colossians and from Ephesians, they both say the same thing, and it's through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God made us alive.

[00:14:58] God did that. You didn't decide one day to say, okay I'm going to be spiritually alive now, because I've been spiritually dead on my trespasses my entire life. And now today I'm going to decide to be saved myself. That's not how could Lazarus do that?

[00:15:14] How could Lazarus come out of that tomb? He was dead. He couldn't decide anything. Your next note says, it's not that God makes bad people good. It's that God makes dead people alive.

[00:15:30] The Christian walk isn't just about being a nicer person and being a better person as you go. Hopefully that'll happen through sanctification, becoming more like Jesus. But that's not what salvation is. Salvation is coming from spiritual death, the spiritual life. That's what he does.

[00:15:55] And that's what only God can do. Did Lazarus, if you think about it, did he want to come out of that grave? No. He didn't want anything. He didn't desire anything because he was dead. Dead people don't do anything except stink.

[00:16:15] You might be able to agree with me on that from our past lives before Christ. Was there much light there? Was there much spiritual virtue in that other you? Lazarus didn't want to come out of that grave because he didn't know he was in the grave.

[00:16:37] He didn't know he was dead because he was dead. He had no consciousness. You think of him in a spiritual way? How many spiritually dead people don't know Christ? We're not safe. No, they're lost. No, they're dead. They think they have it all together. I'm spiritual.

[00:16:53] I have my beliefs. I'm good. But on judgment day, they're going to be separated out. No, they think they're alive. But they're dead. They need this message of the gospel. Then he'd Jesus. And so do we every day.

[00:17:12] Dead men can't desire righteous things that dead men can't desire anything. He doesn't always dead. He can't decide to walk out of the tomb. But when Jesus calls him, he can. When Jesus calls Lazarus out of the tomb, he comes out. This man was dead. We're in agreement.

[00:17:39] He's dead as a door now. There's no doubt. And that's how you are before the Lord finds you. And me. He makes us alive by breathing spiritual life into us. Before that, there's no life in us.

[00:17:58] Jesus wanted to make sure everyone else knew that Lazarus was definitely dead before he brought him back to life. And no one could argue he was. Verse 18. Bethany was near Jerusalem about two miles off.

[00:18:14] And many of the Jews had come to Martha and married to console them concerning their brother. This is an interesting note here. Lazarus family must have had some kind of social standing because it says that the Jews came to console their family.

[00:18:26] And the Jews, as John always uses, are for the most part. This term, to relate to the Jewish leadership, the religious leaders, the people in the Sanhedrin, the people with clout in Jerusalem. He calls the Jews.

[00:18:39] And he says, many of the Jews came to Martha and married it console them. This family must have had some standing in the society. Not all believers in this new Jesus person. Somewhere his family was Lazarus, Martha and Mary were believers.

[00:18:56] But some weren't very important people would be present. And you don't really have to wonder if that was the plan of Jesus either. In addition to that, it was Passover coming up on Passover. Many more people would just be in the area to begin with.

[00:19:13] From other places, it was one of the festivals where any able body male had to attend in person. So people were coming into Jerusalem and they say that it typically would probably, I guess, expand to about four times its typical size. The city would many more people.

[00:19:31] And Jesus knew that. And here, Jesus is, of course, always with a plan, bigger plan than what we would have. What is about to happen is going to happen at a very busy time in Jerusalem. People are there that normally wouldn't be there.

[00:19:44] And I have the Jews, the religious leaders coming to Mary and Martha's home, where they probably, typically wouldn't be on a particular day. But Jesus knows what's about to happen. And he wants all these people to see it. Verse 20.

[00:19:58] So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him. But Mary remains seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you'd been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, I know that whatever you asked from God, God will give you.

[00:20:14] This year, Martha went out and met Jesus. As soon as she got word, Jesus is coming, I saw him on the road. She goes out to meet him. She doesn't wait for him to come in. She goes out.

[00:20:26] And she says, Lord, if you only would have been here, my brother wouldn't have died. But as we saw last week, that was not the plan. But Martha goes on, she says, but even now, even now in my situation, my brother's dead,

[00:20:49] even now, Lord, I know that you can still ask God. And if God wants, he'll do it. And she's saying, in a way, can you please ask for me? And so when we come to the Lord and He wants us to come in prayer and give us,

[00:21:09] give Him our supplications and our requests, He wants that. He wants to communion. Come close to me. Sometimes we kind of know in our heart, I don't think God's going to give me this one. But I'm going to ask Him. And I really need this.

[00:21:34] You really need something and you really want something. You really want someone to stay alive. God, don't let them die. And you're not quite sure it doesn't look good. You might go to someone who you think is closer to God and say, well, you asked for me.

[00:21:58] This is Mary. She knows Jesus. She's going through a hard time in her life, her brother just died. And so she's grieving and she goes to the Lord Jesus. And she could have thrown her faith out the window.

[00:22:11] But she says, Lord, obviously, that's her humanity, her flesh talking. Lord, if you had abandoned your yesterday, he'd be alive. But she stops herself. She says, but you know what? Even now, I know. And she's saying, I know this if you ask Him.

[00:22:29] And if it's His will, it's still possible. Martha has a strong faith. Because we want certain things in our flesh. We want all our loved ones to stay around us forever. But Martha's going through one of the worst times of her life.

[00:22:57] And she's laying it all out to feed as Jesus. Jesus, can you please do something? You're my only hope. You're my last gasp. But she said, even though, even in our present state, my faith is secure. And she says, whatever you ask, it's like saying, whatever you want.

[00:23:24] She says to Jesus, I know that God will give you whatever you ask. Because Jesus would never ask for something that God wouldn't want him to ask for. He only does what He sees the Father doing. He only does the Father's will.

[00:23:35] And so if Jesus would ask, let's all she would need. Because Jesus would never ask for something unrighteous. It's like saying, Jesus, if you could just ask, if you could just want this for me. She's saying, if you pray according to God's will, he'll do it.

[00:23:57] And I know that. Jesus, if you ask your Father, according to His will, I know He'll give it to you. I know it. Faith. Your next note here says, God will give us anything. And everything, we ask of Him if it's according to His will.

[00:24:16] And I couldn't make this if any bolder here, but that's a big if. If you can see on the screen. Because you can't just stop where it says, God will give us anything and everything we ask of Him. You have to go on.

[00:24:30] If it's according to His will. And that was Martha's idea here. If you would just ask, because I know all your requests are righteous Jesus. She's saying, if you would pray the Father's will, he'll do His will because He always does His will.

[00:24:48] This is what prayer is about. Learning to pray as God would want us to pray. Imagine if you were the head of the department of the comments at a restaurant and you had all the comments section, come in and all the little things people write out.

[00:25:06] All the potatoes were too cold, and this was not right and blah blah blah. No one ever puts good things in there. It's all complaints. I wonder how God views our prayer sometimes. Okay, what we got the prayers for today from the people that Christ the Word Church.

[00:25:18] And we're all praying for things that He is like, you know how many more important things are there to pray about? I want you to be praying for your patience. I want you to be praying for steadfastness and long suffering in your life.

[00:25:31] And you're praying for a new car and you want a bigger swimming pool and you want all these things. You know, if you prayed for these things I would give them to you but you have not because you ask not.

[00:25:44] Prayers for us to align our wills with God's will. For His will to be done. What does the Lord's prayer say? That we should be praying for His will to be done and have an an on earth as it is. Your will there? Your will here.

[00:26:01] Not my will. We pray for God's will to be done and He would want us to pray His will and to be okay with His will. Because we can pray for His will and then His will happens and then we're mad at God. Well, this is Jesus' prayer.

[00:26:24] He prayed God's will look at the garden of the guests, they before He was crucified and looked 22. He said, Father if you're willing, if you're willing, remove this cup from me. I don't want to go through this in my humanity.

[00:26:37] I don't want to go through this in my life. It's going to be really painful. My bones are going to come out of joint. I'll be bleeding. It'll be hard to breathe. I'll be hanging there for hours in my humanity. Jesus says, if there is any other way.

[00:26:53] But if not, your will be done. As Martha said, even though I know that God will give you whatever you ask Jesus. And we know that the divine wills of Jesus, the Son and the Father are unified. They don't want different things.

[00:27:13] And so she intimated that she wants Jesus to ask that Lazarus would live. You know, intimating is you've all intimated before. Here's what it means. It's to make clear what you think or want without saying it directly. To be intimate something.

[00:27:32] I have a young daughter that's very good at intimating. She says instead of saying, Dad, can I have a nice can call? When there's ice contract driving past. She just hears the music. She'll look up and she says, Dad, I love ice cream.

[00:27:47] So then I say, oh, would you like a nice can call? Oh, well thank you for offering that was great actually. She's intimating. But without actually saying it, Martha is doing this. She wants Lazarus to live. Jesus, can you just make them live? Bring them back.

[00:28:05] Ask your father. But she doesn't come on to say that. She just says, Lord, I know if you ask whatever you want. God will give it to you. As far as she goes. But in her heart she's saying. But I really want you to want this.

[00:28:26] Can you please have this beer? Well, put it to those times when God does the greatest works in our hearts. When he says, I'm not going to give you this because I'm going to use this for a bigger plan.

[00:28:51] But you'll have something even better if you just hold on. I promise. And she trusted Jesus and we should trust him too because I'm sure in our hearts she thought, I really want you to want this.

[00:29:07] I really want you to have this beer will but it's been four days. And I was probably not going to happen. I understand. That's how we should react. God, I really want this. But as I see the lay of the land is probably not going to happen.

[00:29:29] Though it could have been your will but if it doesn't happen, okay, I'm okay. I'm okay with it. Verse 23. Jesus response. He says to her, your brother will rise again. Martha said to him, I know that he'll rise again in the resurrection on the last day.

[00:29:52] But maybe think about it at funerals or in the hospital and so on passes away. You know what do you say? You can't bring him back. It's hard to console people. Some people want to talk, some people don't want to talk.

[00:30:11] And so we find ourselves saying things like at least in the Christian community, while at least we're going to see him again. I think this might be a long those lines where Martha was thinking that was what he meant.

[00:30:22] Hey, at least you're going to see him again and have it. We're believers. He was a believer. You'll see him again. He says, yeah, yeah, Jesus. I know he's going to be re-raises and I'll see him again at the last day in the resurrection,

[00:30:33] but I was talking about now. He prophesies Jesus does that Lazarus will rise again. She takes that one way. She knew the scripture. She knew her faith. She probably thought back to a place like Job 19 places in the Old Testament where

[00:30:53] Resurrection in the final day is prophesied where Job which is traditionally thought up to be potentially the oldest book in scripture, not chronologically but the oldest written book. It's even in here.

[00:31:09] It says in Job 19, for I know that my Redeemer lives and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed after I'm all rot at a way, yet in my flesh I shall see God. Martha probably knew that verse.

[00:31:32] Or Daniel 12, many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake. Some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Martha probably knew her scriptures. She was probably well-disabled because her faith seems to be strong. She knows about the resurrection on the last day.

[00:31:51] Ultimately, she will have eternal life. But Mary and Martha together with their family were walking as they say through their own valley of the shadow of death. It was dark and it was hard and it was heavy. She wanted to help now Jesus.

[00:32:16] I know it's coming but could you do something now? Your next note here says, One sign of spiritual maturity is knowing and believing God's promises while being content to receive them in his timing. I know the Lord and I know His promises,

[00:32:43] and I believe the promises but I can still complain about when I get them. We need to be spiritual and sure to say, Lord, you promise me this. I know it, I believe it and I'm happy to receive it once in time. Not before I trust you.

[00:33:06] I know you said things like this because your human like me because I've said them too. Something like Lord, I really do appreciate all those things that you promised me. But I don't want to wait. Could I have all those things right now please?

[00:33:21] It's really been a rough week. Could I have them all right now? Like the kids on Christmas time they say, see some presents showing up under the tree and it's four days before Christmas and I say, can we just open one or two? Right now.

[00:33:36] I just want to taste. I see them right there. I can't wait. The things get hard for us. Our patients do indels quickly. So being spiritual and sure is just knowing God's promises. Believe in them and saying when I get them in your time, I'm content with them.

[00:33:59] My first 25. Again, Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. Whatever believes in me though he die, even though he dies, yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?

[00:34:19] She said to him, yes, Lord, I believe. But you are the Christ, the Son of God who is coming into the world. Jesus had just told her, Lazar will rise again. She says, yeah, I know, but I want him to rise again now.

[00:34:40] And he said to her, listen, I'm the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me though he die, like your brother, yet he shall live. Everyone who believes in me shall never die. He says, do you believe this? Mary confess, yes, I believe.

[00:35:05] Jesus said, I'm the resurrection and the life. What does that mean? He says, I believe this is the definition of the resurrection. He's called the first fruits of our resurrection to prove the down payment. Hey, this is really going to happen, guys.

[00:35:18] I'll raise myself up after I die. Then will you believe and he did it? And some still don't. I am the resurrection and the life. He's the source of all life. All life unearth, all life in the universe, wherever it may be. He's the source of life.

[00:35:37] You're next note. We can trust in God's promises because of who he is, because of the character of who he is. He is the life. He says, I get to decide and determine who and what lives and when and for how long it comes from me.

[00:35:53] It all comes from me. I'm the way that truth and the life. It's not just that Jesus can resurrect Lazarus or grant him eternal life. The very existence of Jesus guarantees it because that's his will.

[00:36:12] He is life and he makes his people live again even if they die. Physical death. And Jesus asks a question that he essentially asks all of us when we meet him. He says, do you believe this? Here's who I am.

[00:36:35] Here's what your future entails if you believe in me. Do you believe it? When we're presented with the gospel through a friend or some preacher or through the scriptures, we read it and the truth is there. And it intimates that question to us. Do you believe this?

[00:37:00] And how you answer that question will determine your eternity. Either Jesus is who he says he is or he's not. And you either believe him or you don't. And again it's really important to understand this that the gospel is a declaration.

[00:37:22] It's a proclamation that the gospel is not a sales pitch. We're not selling anything here in the Christian life. It's a proclamation. The kingdom is here. Christ is king, repent and believe or die. That's the gospel message. Christ is king. Your king is here.

[00:37:44] You can't repent or die. It's just the truth and it's a loving truth because you tell people about danger that you love. Don't you? Those who obey the charge and believe will be raised to eternal life. Those who do not will be in belief, be raised.

[00:38:10] Everyone gets raised but to eternal judgment. We're told that many times on scripture. So we think of Mary's response. Jesus, to Jesus' question. Do you believe? Do you believe this? He knew if she believed it but he said it.

[00:38:31] So John would write it so you and I would read it. And thankfully do I believe this? And so at this point Mary enters the scene. Verse 28th. And we read when she had said this,

[00:38:48] She went and called her sister Mary saying in private the teacher is here and is calling for you. And when she heard it she rose quickly and went to him.

[00:38:56] Now Jesus had not yet come into the village but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were there with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out. They followed her.

[00:39:08] Supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet. Saying to him, Lord, if you'd been there, I'd rather wouldn't have died when Jesus saw her weeping.

[00:39:25] And the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled and he said, where have you laid him? They said to him, Lord come and see Jesus wept. So the Jews said, see how he loved him.

[00:39:45] But some of them said could not he open the eyes of the blind man also have kept his man from dying. Mary and Martha both closed sisters said the same thing. Lord, if he'd only been there.

[00:40:13] Think of the last time you said that to the Lord in your heart. Something you think bad happens and you say in your heart. Lord, if you were only there, put you weren't. That's what we're saying, but you weren't there. Well I think he was there.

[00:40:40] He knew the plan and then was God's plan. And when Mary fell at Jesus' feet, he was in a pool of emotions. And the human side of Jesus showed itself in verse 33, when Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her also weeping,

[00:41:03] he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. Now I want to give you a word. This word deeply moved which we read in the English. He was deeply moved. Of course we think, at least I did while reading it

[00:41:20] at first blush while he was deeply moved. This was really heavy. This sister of Lazarus falls on my feet and says, Jesus, if you're only there and she's weeping and crying and I'm deeply moved in my spirit. Here's what that word means.

[00:41:38] The word in Greek is Embrim, oh my. It means nothing to you or me. Embrim, oh my. But it means indignant and diggant. What does that mean? It means feeling or showing anger because of something unjust or unworthy.

[00:41:57] It means to charge sternly with earnest admonition as in righteous indignation. He was right to sleep angry. I thought he was deeply moved like he was sad. No. Granted, I'm sure he was. He was weeping too. But there was also this. He was right to sleep angry.

[00:42:23] What was your angry about? It's okay to be angry. It's okay to have righteous anger. Jesus is showing us here. Your next note here says, being angry is not a sin. Being angry and then sinning is a sin. Anger is just an emotion.

[00:42:45] If you act out in your emotion, in anger, you're going to sin. Now being angry to the point where it has control of your mind and your thoughts and you allow that, and you don't keep all those thoughts captive in your mind, that can be a sin too.

[00:43:01] So don't just think, well I can think of the thoughts I want and it's not a sin. That's not right. Jesus says, if you hate your brother, you've committed murder in your heart, that's also a sin. But just being angry, especially if it's a righteous anger,

[00:43:16] hey this shouldn't be happening. And I'm going to do something about it. That's what Jesus is expressing here. Jesus was angry, but he did not sin. In Ephesians 4 we're told, don't let the sun go down in your anger. Be angry and not sin.

[00:43:34] And the same word, Amber O' My is used in Mark 14 when Mary poured the expensive ointment over Jesus. It says in Mark 14, there were some who said to themselves, indignantly, why was you always wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than 300 denari

[00:43:52] and given to the poor, and they scolded her for it. They were indignant. They were angry at her. That's what Jesus is feeling here. Why was Jesus, Amber O' My? Why was he right, justly angry at this moment? Perhaps it was because he hated death.

[00:44:16] The curse of sin. Perhaps it was because of what he saw in verse 33, the Jews who had also come with her and were weeping. Why would he be indignant about that? Because perhaps he saw what they were doing as disingenuous.

[00:44:36] Maybe he knew their hearts, like it says in Scripture, he knew all the hearts of men. Maybe he knew they were there for something else. Not for really Lazarus and the consoling but for something else. And he knew it.

[00:44:53] He also knew what would happen in the next chapter, John 12 and verse 10 where it says, so the chief priest made plans to put Lazarus to death as well after he was raised. Why?

[00:45:05] Because on a kind of him, many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. Now they wanted to kill Lazarus. Jesus knew that was about to happen. And he saw that me here a week before,

[00:45:17] O' Acting All Sad and Crying and so he knew it in a week you could not be able to kill me in Lazarus. And he got angry about it. Jesus was truly man. He was really feeling those emotions but he was also got,

[00:45:32] he knew what was about to happen. When he saw these things, he was embryo, my, you've been embryo, my, you're going to learn that word today. And the ESV as we were reading it says deeply moved and the Christian standard, it says he was angry in his spirit.

[00:45:48] And in the new living translation it says a deep anger welled up within his spirit. That's why it's good to read different translations once in a while, get different perspective. Because if he just breased by where it says he's deeply moved, you think? He's really sad.

[00:46:08] Verse 34, and he says, where have you laid him? They said to the Lord come and see Jesus wept. Despite his anger for the Jews, he set that aside and he mourned his friend. He wept. And I'm sure he was angry at death itself,

[00:46:28] especially when it caused such close friends to be in such pain. He wept. He feels what we feel. I'm sure to deeper degrees. We weep. And Jesus has been there. Verse 36. So the Jews said, see how he loved him but some of them said,

[00:46:55] could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also of kept this man from dying. We saw him open the blind man's eyes. Could he not? Is this a bridge too far? Others in the crowd, crowd leaned in now. And Jesus had their attention.

[00:47:13] They're all kind of coming to the edge of their seats. Okay, Jesus is here. We saw him healed the blind man. Can he do this? Maybe let's see. What's going to happen? Is anything going to happen? They leaned in.

[00:47:25] People from different social strata leaders, religious leaders, family friends, believers, unbelievers, autotuners, they're coming in. And Jesus now has their attention for what's about to happen. They're talking. What do you think? What do you think? Is he going to do it? Yes, no. Anticipation. That pregnant anticipation.

[00:47:51] Just like he planned. And the faith of someone be strengthened with disciples. And other faith would be birthed. People that don't yet believe by what's about to happen. Now that he had their full attention, you're now in your next note here.

[00:48:17] So don't wait for Jesus to get your attention. Rather give it to him. Because let's tell you one thing, if Jesus wants your attention, he'll get it. He'll get it quick. And it might be through a death in the family or a diagnosis.

[00:48:44] It might be good news, too. But for some reason with us, usually it takes bad news for us to get our attention on Jesus. So if he wants your attention and your his, he's going to get it. Don't wait for him to have to get it from you.

[00:49:00] Give it to him. Be mindful of him. Every thoughts on him. So you won't have to snap his fingers and say, hey, wake up. Look at me again. This Jesus have your full attention today.

[00:49:18] And if we're really honest with ourselves every day we can answer, no, he doesn't have my full attention today. If we're honest, once the last time he did have your full attention. Was it during good times? Or was it during the worst of times when you prayed more?

[00:49:45] When you felt closer to Jesus to God's people? Well, sometimes like I said earlier, sometimes that's when he does his best work because we come closer to him during those times. Like Martha ran out to Jesus. Where is he? Where is he? Here he is. He's coming.

[00:50:08] I'm going to meet him. If Jesus wants your attention, he's going to get it. Don't wait for things to get worse. Don't wait for things to get to that point where he has to shake you. Give him your full attention now. At least try to.

[00:50:26] None of us really succeeded that, but we can try but reach out. Spend a couple more minutes in prayer. Read the word. Lord, what am I doing wrong? What am I not seeing? And so in closing, I'm going to ask something a little bit different today.

[00:50:46] As I close, I have a few more remarks, but I'd like us to bow our heads and reflect about these next few words. And I want this to be a time of reflecting with the Lord as if he's here with us, which he is.

[00:51:00] But in your mind's eye and so at this time please bow your heads. And prayerfully look into the eyes of your Savior and your mind's eye, your Savior, your Lord. The one that's never left you, the one that brings spiritually dead to life,

[00:51:23] the one that brought you from death to life, only by his grace and through your faith in him. By his shed blood which washed away all your sins, I challenge you to give him your full attention.

[00:51:43] At least in this moment for a few moments, ask him what you're not seeing. Ask him to show you his heartbeat for your life. And ask him to rearrange your priorities according to his will, his plan. Because that's the best plan.

[00:52:09] Always be mindful of him as he leads you. Remember his promises to you on the mountain tops of life and also through the valleys. When you're on top of the world and also like Lazarus when you're staring death in the face,

[00:52:26] I charge you believe, keep believing and don't doubt. I'm going to read from Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.

[00:52:56] He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. And even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For you are with me. You're right in your staff. They comfort me.

[00:53:14] You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You and I might head with oil. My cup overflows. And surely goodness and mercy. She'll follow me all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

[00:53:37] Dear Heavenly Father, we're here as your people, as your flock, you're our shepherd. Lord, I know that we have blind spots. We all do for honest about it. Lord, I pray as much as I can speak for everyone here this morning.

[00:54:00] I pray that we all know we don't give enough attention. And Lord, we don't want to wait for something bad to happen for us to give you our attention. We want to have our attention now. Because we know that's what's best.

[00:54:15] Lord of the first things in our lives that we have to rearrange, show them to us clearly. Because we know they exist. None of us live a perfect life, but their red flags in our lives, open our minds.

[00:54:29] Enough for us to be able to say yes this needs to go. I need to do gods will hear not mind. Father, pray your glorified this week. And the lives of your people. You're doing so many things here across the word church.

[00:54:46] I pray that you guide us and keep us close as a family. And that we turn outward now and go find more people that need you that are spiritually dead. That need to hear the gospel and empower us and bolden us to go preach it to them.

[00:54:58] We pray, Lord, in your name and Jesus name. Amen.