24. The Resurrection and The Life: John's Gospel Part 6

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[00:01:05] G'day! Welcome to Stories of a Faithful God. Dave Whittingham here.

[00:01:10] This is our final episode in this series on John's Gospel. God willing, we'll come back next year and do the rest.

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[00:01:54] I've kicked off though with an interview with my friend, archaeologist and historian, James St. Julian, talking about what actually happened in the Judean area between the Testaments.

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[00:02:46] Now, on with the show.

[00:02:49] How do you know if you really believe something?

[00:02:53] Belief has been a key theme throughout John's Gospel, and it's easy to say you believe something, but belief is more than just words, isn't it?

[00:03:02] I can say I believe that parachuting is generally safe, but it's not until I'm sitting in the plane doorway at 12,000 feet that I find out what I really believe.

[00:03:12] I can say I believe that a balanced, healthy diet is what I need.

[00:03:16] But when I'm tired and the chocolate bar is right there, what I really believe about what I need, eh, it looks a little different.

[00:03:24] What about saying you believe in Jesus?

[00:03:26] Those are easy words to say, but when you're standing in the break room at work, and people are speaking in a way that Jesus hates, and it's just assumed that you'll join in.

[00:03:37] That's when you find out if you believe that Jesus is your King, and Good Shepherd, and God.

[00:03:44] What if you really want others to like you and appreciate you, but Jesus wants you to do something that the people around you will hate?

[00:03:51] Will you believe him then?

[00:03:53] Will you believe that pleasing him is more important than the praise of all your friends and family?

[00:04:00] Will you believe in Jesus when you're standing at the graveside of your child or parent who trusted Jesus?

[00:04:06] Of course you'll grieve, but will you grieve as someone with hope, or without hope?

[00:04:12] Will you believe in Jesus when you're lying on your deathbed, staring down the cold, hard barrel of death?

[00:04:20] What we believe, and what we say we believe, aren't always exactly the same thing.

[00:04:27] Throughout John, we've seen that Jesus wants to give us good things, the best things.

[00:04:33] His Holy Spirit, eternal life, love, joy, membership in the family of God.

[00:04:38] He wants to be our good shepherd, and he does all that for everyone who believes.

[00:04:44] Along the way, he's done lots to help people believe.

[00:04:47] He's shown signs pointing to who he is, showing us that he's worth believing in.

[00:04:52] He's the faithful Christ, and we should put our faith, our belief in him.

[00:04:56] He's helped us with his words, teaching us the truth, shining his light of truth like a lighthouse guiding us into a safe harbour.

[00:05:05] After all that, what if we still struggle to believe?

[00:05:09] What if we want to believe?

[00:05:11] What if we think we believe, but we still don't quite get it?

[00:05:15] What will Jesus do to help us?

[00:05:18] How far will he go to help us believe?

[00:05:21] How far will he go to push us out of sin and darkness and death, and into truth and light and life?

[00:05:30] Well, we're about to find out.

[00:05:33] I hope you enjoy this episode of Stories of a Faithful God.

[00:06:03] At the end of our last episode, Jesus had left Jerusalem.

[00:06:07] Time and time again, people there had rejected him, tried to seize him, tried to kill him.

[00:06:13] He'd crossed back over the Jordan and headed north.

[00:06:16] There, lots of people have come to him and started believing in him.

[00:06:20] It seems like he's in a safe place away from Jerusalem, with safe people where his ministry can grow safely.

[00:06:30] Then John tells us about something that's happening in a town called Bethany.

[00:06:35] Bethany is less than two miles from Jerusalem, just over three kilometres.

[00:06:41] It sits on a ridge on the other side of the Mount of Olives.

[00:06:45] There's a man there named Lazarus.

[00:06:47] We're told a few things about Lazarus.

[00:06:49] First, that he's from Bethany.

[00:06:51] Second, we're told that he's sick.

[00:06:54] John doesn't tell us how sick, but in the days before antibiotics and other medicines, any sickness is life-threatening.

[00:07:02] Thirdly, we're told that Lazarus has two sisters, Mary and Martha.

[00:07:06] They haven't appeared in John's Gospel yet, which is why what John tells us about Mary in particular is a bit strange.

[00:07:14] He says in chapter 11 verse 2,

[00:07:16] Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair.

[00:07:22] You may be familiar with that event from other Gospels, but John hasn't mentioned it yet.

[00:07:27] In fact, he's going to tell us that story later on in chapter 12.

[00:07:31] I think he's mentioning it here though, because he wants to show the deep love and care that Mary has for Jesus.

[00:07:40] Not just Mary though.

[00:07:41] You can hear the same affection in the message the sisters send to Jesus.

[00:07:46] It says simply,

[00:07:47] Lord, the one you love is sick.

[00:07:52] This is a family with a deep personal connection to Jesus.

[00:07:57] They love him, and he loves them.

[00:07:59] Notice their message doesn't even say,

[00:08:02] Come quickly or please hurry.

[00:08:04] The request for help is obvious.

[00:08:06] Jesus has miraculous powers to heal.

[00:08:09] A man who's a close personal friend is sick.

[00:08:11] Of course he'll come and help.

[00:08:13] You'd think.

[00:08:15] Jesus gets the message, and he says something really great.

[00:08:19] Some good news.

[00:08:20] He says in verse 4,

[00:08:22] This sickness will not end in death.

[00:08:26] That's exactly what Mary and Martha are hoping for by sending the message to Jesus.

[00:08:31] He does say a bit more though.

[00:08:33] He actually tells us why Lazarus is sick.

[00:08:36] The purpose of his sickness.

[00:08:38] He says,

[00:08:38] This sickness will not end in death, but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.

[00:08:46] In other words,

[00:08:48] Lazarus is sick for the purpose of showing how great God is.

[00:08:54] He's sick for the purpose of showing how great Jesus, the Son of God, is.

[00:08:59] To put it another way, God's decided that Lazarus will be sick for this very reason.

[00:09:06] We saw the same thing in the last episode.

[00:09:09] The man blind from birth was born blind, so that God's greatness, his glory, could be shown.

[00:09:17] God's saying,

[00:09:18] This is what people need.

[00:09:21] We're blind to the greatness of Jesus, and we need our eyes opened.

[00:09:25] Sin is when we say,

[00:09:27] God's not that great.

[00:09:28] He's not that good.

[00:09:29] I can take his place.

[00:09:31] And the effects are disastrous.

[00:09:32] Our world's become a world of chaos and disaster and death, precisely because we don't think we need God.

[00:09:41] God wants our good.

[00:09:44] He's sent Jesus to save us.

[00:09:46] But in order to wake us up to our need for Jesus, our need to recognize him as the Savior, the King, the good shepherd we need to follow,

[00:09:55] he's taken the drastic step of letting Lazarus become sick.

[00:10:00] You see that again in the next thing we're told.

[00:10:03] These sentences are some of the most shocking words you'll read.

[00:10:07] They're so different to what you might expect.

[00:10:10] In verse 5, John says,

[00:10:12] Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus.

[00:10:17] So far, so good.

[00:10:18] Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus.

[00:10:22] So, so when he heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was.

[00:10:32] Do you feel how shocking that is?

[00:10:35] Jesus has a deep, deep love for this family.

[00:10:38] And how does he show his love for them?

[00:10:41] You'd expect John to say,

[00:10:43] Jesus loved them, so he rushed out the door down to Bethany and healed Lazarus.

[00:10:47] But shockingly, that isn't how he shows his love.

[00:10:52] Jesus demonstrates his love by not going to heal Lazarus.

[00:10:57] By staying exactly where he is.

[00:10:59] By sitting on the couch while Lazarus gets sicker and sicker and sicker.

[00:11:07] How's that loving?

[00:11:10] Well, Jesus waits for two whole days.

[00:11:14] You know when you're waiting for something and time seems to slow down?

[00:11:18] Every second seems to last an hour.

[00:11:20] I wonder if it was like that.

[00:11:23] After two days, Jesus suddenly says out of the blue,

[00:11:27] Let's go to Judea again.

[00:11:29] His disciples are shocked.

[00:11:31] They can't believe what he's saying.

[00:11:33] In their mind, it was totally reasonable for Jesus to not go down and see Lazarus.

[00:11:39] And you see that in their reply in verse 8.

[00:11:41] They say, Rabbi, just now the Jews tried to stone you and you're going to go there again?

[00:11:48] It's a simple idea.

[00:11:50] Don't go where people are trying to kill you.

[00:11:52] It makes total sense.

[00:11:54] And yet, it feels like the disciples have missed something.

[00:11:58] Why are they afraid?

[00:12:00] But Jesus isn't.

[00:12:02] Sure, there's pressure on you if you're a follower of Jesus.

[00:12:05] But Jesus is the one whose life is threatened.

[00:12:08] Why doesn't he seem worried?

[00:12:11] He's not worried because he knows that this journey is all a part of God's plan.

[00:12:17] Remember, he's already said that Lazarus' sickness has a very specific purpose.

[00:12:22] It's for the glory of God, so that the Son of God, Jesus, may be glorified through it.

[00:12:28] Jesus knows that he's working in tune with God's plan.

[00:12:32] And he's inviting his disciples to follow him so they can stick with God's plan.

[00:12:39] He tells them something that's a little strange.

[00:12:41] But as you listen to it, remember that Jesus has called himself the light of the world.

[00:12:47] He says in verse 9,

[00:13:04] At a very simple level, it's a clear point.

[00:13:07] If you stick in the light, you'll be able to walk without stumbling.

[00:13:10] But what's that got to do with this situation?

[00:13:14] At the moment, the disciples are responding in fear.

[00:13:18] Fear of humans, fear of death.

[00:13:21] They're acting like there's no light to guide them.

[00:13:24] But if they truly believe in Jesus, they do have light.

[00:13:27] Jesus isn't just following God's plans.

[00:13:31] He's revealing God's plans.

[00:13:33] And once you see what God wants, that's the way to live.

[00:13:37] Even if it looks stupid at a human level.

[00:13:40] Even if other people look at you like you're ridiculous.

[00:13:43] If you're walking where Jesus leads you, you're walking in the light.

[00:13:48] It's the people who are walking without Jesus who are walking in darkness.

[00:13:54] Jesus is saying to his disciples the same sort of thing that Moses said to the Israelites by the Red Sea.

[00:14:02] Don't panic.

[00:14:04] Keep trusting God.

[00:14:06] Then he says,

[00:14:08] Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I'm on my way to wake him up.

[00:14:13] The disciples are quite relieved by this.

[00:14:16] They say, Lord, if he's fallen asleep, he will get well.

[00:14:22] There's a relief that the dangers pass for Lazarus, but even more so, the dangers pass for them and Jesus.

[00:14:29] If Lazarus is asleep, if he's getting better, there's no need to travel down near Jerusalem.

[00:14:35] And that's what they're trying to hint at to Jesus.

[00:14:37] Lord, relax.

[00:14:39] It's over.

[00:14:40] Happy ending.

[00:14:41] There's no need to put your life in danger.

[00:14:45] Except, when Jesus said sleep, he didn't mean regular sleep.

[00:14:49] John tells us in verse 13,

[00:14:52] Jesus, however, was speaking about his death, but they thought he was speaking about natural sleep.

[00:14:59] So Jesus then told them plainly,

[00:15:02] Lazarus has died.

[00:15:04] And then again, Jesus says something shocking.

[00:15:08] Something that almost seems callous.

[00:15:10] He says,

[00:15:11] I'm glad for you that I wasn't there, so that you may believe.

[00:15:17] But let's go to him.

[00:15:21] Jesus is glad that he wasn't there.

[00:15:23] He thinks it's really good.

[00:15:25] If he'd been there, he would have healed Lazarus.

[00:15:28] And that would have been really bad for his disciples.

[00:15:31] That seems so strange.

[00:15:34] But in his words, we can see what Jesus wants for them.

[00:15:37] He wants them to believe.

[00:15:41] And for that, it was better for Lazarus to die.

[00:15:47] What's particularly strange about that is, don't these disciples already believe?

[00:15:53] Aren't these the ones who have stuck by Jesus through thick and thin?

[00:15:57] When huge crowds abandon Jesus, these are the guys who stayed.

[00:16:02] Even though people have tried to kill Jesus, they're still standing by him.

[00:16:05] You can even see their devotion in what happens next.

[00:16:09] John tells us in verse 16,

[00:16:11] Then Thomas, called Twins, said to his fellow disciples,

[00:16:14] Let's go too, so that we may die with him.

[00:16:18] They assume that Jesus has used up all his chances.

[00:16:22] He's not going to be able to slip away again.

[00:16:24] If he goes to Judea, he's going to die.

[00:16:28] And his disciples are like,

[00:16:30] Well, if we can't stop him, we may as well go and die with him.

[00:16:34] What could possibly be deficient in their faith?

[00:16:38] How can they possibly need something as drastic as Lazarus dying to help their belief?

[00:16:45] Has Jesus massively misjudged this whole situation?

[00:16:49] With those questions hanging, and with the threat of execution dangling over their heads,

[00:16:55] they set off as a group for Judea.

[00:16:59] Our focus shifts south to Bethany,

[00:17:35] to a room and a house filled with mourners.

[00:17:39] Being so close to Jerusalem,

[00:17:41] it was easy for family and friends to come up over the mountain to be with Mary and Martha.

[00:17:46] If you've ever been in a room like that,

[00:17:48] you know the weight that hangs over it.

[00:17:51] The utter despair.

[00:17:53] The shattered hearts.

[00:17:55] The exhausted souls.

[00:17:58] By this stage,

[00:17:59] Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days.

[00:18:02] Jewish tradition said that the spirit of the dead person hovered over the body for three days,

[00:18:07] before finally giving up and departing forever.

[00:18:10] So by day four,

[00:18:12] there's no hope.

[00:18:13] All is lost.

[00:18:16] Word reaches Martha that Jesus has arrived just outside the village.

[00:18:21] Can you imagine the ambulance getting there six days after they were called?

[00:18:25] Six days after the help was really needed?

[00:18:28] Four days after the patient had already died?

[00:18:32] Martha goes out to see Jesus, and surprisingly, she doesn't seem angry.

[00:18:37] Upset, but not angry.

[00:18:39] In fact, she still has a certain amount of faith or trust in Jesus.

[00:18:45] Listen to her words in verse 21.

[00:18:48] Lord, Martha said to Jesus,

[00:18:50] If you had been here, my brother would not have died.

[00:18:54] But I know that even now, God will give you whatever you ask.

[00:18:59] Those are startling words.

[00:19:02] She'd sent word to Jesus.

[00:19:04] She'd expected Jesus to rush in at the last minute and save the day.

[00:19:07] Her final hopes had been shattered.

[00:19:10] But still, she's able to say these words of faith.

[00:19:14] I know that even now, God will give you whatever you ask.

[00:19:18] Again, you've got to ask the question,

[00:19:20] What on earth is wrong with her belief?

[00:19:23] Why on earth did Jesus think she needed to learn a lesson that involved Lazarus dying?

[00:19:28] How can that possibly be justified?

[00:19:32] Her words seem especially powerful

[00:19:34] Because it seems like she's saying,

[00:19:36] Jesus, if you ask God right now, he'll raise Lazarus to life.

[00:19:41] In fact, that would be a plain reading of her words.

[00:19:45] If God would do whatever Jesus asks, he can ask for Lazarus to be raised.

[00:19:50] But even though she's said those words, she doesn't fully believe them.

[00:19:56] Jesus says to her in verse 23,

[00:19:59] Your brother will rise again.

[00:20:00] And she replies with a very orthodox Jewish response.

[00:20:04] She says,

[00:20:05] I know that he'll rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

[00:20:09] That's a good, strong statement of belief.

[00:20:12] And yet, it kind of misses the point.

[00:20:15] If she believed her original words about Jesus,

[00:20:18] that God would give him whatever he asked,

[00:20:20] Then her hope wouldn't need to be a future hope.

[00:20:24] She could expect that Jesus could raise Lazarus to life right now.

[00:20:29] Jesus wants to push her further in her belief.

[00:20:32] He wants her to understand who he is.

[00:20:35] He wants her to realize who she has standing right there in front of her.

[00:20:40] He wants her and his disciples and us to believe that he is the source of life.

[00:20:48] That he's the one who brings people back to life.

[00:20:52] That if you believe in him, then death is not an issue.

[00:20:55] It has no weight.

[00:20:56] It holds no fear.

[00:20:58] It's not a concern because Jesus is stronger than death.

[00:21:02] He says in verse 25,

[00:21:17] How's that for a pointed question?

[00:21:20] Jesus is offering eternal life to remove the problem of death.

[00:21:26] Death for his followers is merely sleep waiting to be woken up.

[00:21:30] Resurrection is a guarantee.

[00:21:33] And all it takes to have this offer,

[00:21:35] all you need to receive it,

[00:21:38] isn't to do 349 good works,

[00:21:40] isn't to say 58 prayers,

[00:21:42] it isn't to join a community group.

[00:21:45] It's simply to believe in Jesus.

[00:21:49] To trust him.

[00:21:51] To take him at his word.

[00:21:54] That's why the question of belief is so important.

[00:21:57] And Martha says,

[00:21:58] Yes, Lord.

[00:21:59] I believe you are the Messiah,

[00:22:01] the Son of God who comes into the world.

[00:22:05] Great words.

[00:22:07] Strong words.

[00:22:08] And yet her actions later will show that she doesn't fully believe yet.

[00:22:13] Her actions will betray the fact that she hasn't really accepted who Jesus is.

[00:22:20] And that's a big problem.

[00:22:22] Because if you believe in Jesus,

[00:22:24] you have eternal life.

[00:22:26] Which means,

[00:22:27] if you don't believe in him,

[00:22:29] you don't have eternal life.

[00:22:31] It means you'll die.

[00:22:34] Martha is in a deadly position.

[00:22:38] Jesus' disciples who feared death,

[00:22:41] who didn't trust Jesus for life,

[00:22:43] were in a deadly position.

[00:22:46] If we don't believe in Jesus,

[00:22:49] we're in a deadly position.

[00:22:52] Again,

[00:22:53] our focus shifts back to the room full of mourners.

[00:22:56] Full of people who can only think about death.

[00:22:59] Who are overwhelmed with the crushing weight of death.

[00:23:03] Martha comes in and quietly draws her sister aside.

[00:23:07] She lets her know that Jesus is outside the village and calling for her.

[00:23:11] Mary rushes out of the room.

[00:23:14] The mourners assume she's rushing to the graveside to grieve there,

[00:23:17] so they all quickly follow.

[00:23:19] As Mary comes to Jesus,

[00:23:21] she's not as calm as her sister.

[00:23:23] She falls at Jesus' feet in broken-hearted despair.

[00:23:27] She cries out the words of terrible accusation.

[00:23:31] Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

[00:23:37] What an arrow to the heart.

[00:23:40] It's the problem hanging over this whole situation.

[00:23:44] Jesus had heard that Lazarus was sick.

[00:23:47] He stayed where he was.

[00:23:49] He didn't come.

[00:23:50] And Lazarus died.

[00:23:52] The unspoken question is shouting to be heard.

[00:23:55] Why didn't you come, Jesus?

[00:23:57] You had the power to heal.

[00:23:59] Why didn't you come?

[00:24:01] John tells us in verse 33,

[00:24:03] When Jesus saw her crying,

[00:24:06] and the Jews who had come with her crying,

[00:24:09] he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled.

[00:24:12] Deeply moved is a bit of an understatement in the translation.

[00:24:16] It would be better to say that Jesus is angry or indignant

[00:24:19] or outraged in spirit.

[00:24:22] But what would he be outraged by?

[00:24:24] He asks them,

[00:24:26] Where have you put him?

[00:24:27] Lord, they told him,

[00:24:28] Come and see.

[00:24:30] Jesus wept.

[00:24:31] So the Jews said,

[00:24:33] See how he loved him?

[00:24:35] Couldn't he who opened the blind man's eyes

[00:24:37] also have kept this man from dying?

[00:24:41] There's the same question.

[00:24:43] Sure, Jesus is fine to show this sign of emotion and grief and love now.

[00:24:48] But where were you when it mattered?

[00:24:50] Surely you could have stopped this.

[00:24:51] Surely you could have helped.

[00:24:53] It seems like a fair question.

[00:24:56] And it makes me ask something else.

[00:24:59] Why is Jesus weeping?

[00:25:02] Verse 35, very famous verse, shortest verse in the Bible,

[00:25:06] Jesus wept.

[00:25:07] People love it because it shows the emotion of Jesus.

[00:25:11] But I want to know,

[00:25:12] why is Jesus weeping?

[00:25:15] Is it because Lazarus is dead?

[00:25:18] And finally as he stands in front of the tomb,

[00:25:21] Jesus is overcome with grief for his dead friend?

[00:25:24] I think that's what a lot of people assume.

[00:25:27] But that can't be it.

[00:25:29] He's about to raise Lazarus to life.

[00:25:31] He's the only one there who knows there's no reason to grieve for Lazarus.

[00:25:36] Jesus isn't grieving for Lazarus.

[00:25:39] He's grieving for the crowd.

[00:25:42] Jesus is standing in a crowd of people overcome with the finality of death.

[00:25:47] Their eyes sting from days of crying.

[00:25:50] Their energy is spent with grief.

[00:25:53] And they do not believe that standing in their midst

[00:25:57] is one willing and able to take that grief away.

[00:26:00] That he's the cure for all their pain.

[00:26:04] Jesus is the resurrection and the life,

[00:26:07] ready to deal with death.

[00:26:09] He's the one who conquers the grave,

[00:26:11] who defeats the tomb,

[00:26:12] who overcomes death.

[00:26:14] And yet they're angry at him.

[00:26:16] They have enough information.

[00:26:18] They have enough knowledge to know that Jesus is able to raise Lazarus from the dead.

[00:26:23] Martha said it herself,

[00:26:24] whatever you ask the Father, he'll give you.

[00:26:27] And yet they do not believe.

[00:26:28] They don't accept that even death itself

[00:26:31] is under the control of Jesus.

[00:26:34] And Jesus weeps for them.

[00:26:37] Because they have the source of life standing among them.

[00:26:40] But they can only think of death.

[00:26:42] They only have to believe in Jesus to have eternal life.

[00:26:45] But they're angry at him and so stuck in death.

[00:26:49] That's what breaks Jesus' heart.

[00:26:51] That's what makes the tears flow.

[00:26:53] That's the grief that holds the most painful sting.

[00:26:58] Deeply moved, angry, indignant,

[00:27:01] Jesus and all the Jews and the sisters and the disciples

[00:27:04] come to the tomb.

[00:27:05] It's a cave and just like Jesus will soon have,

[00:27:09] there's a stone rolled in front of the tomb.

[00:27:12] As if Jesus hasn't said enough shocking things so far in this story,

[00:27:16] he now says,

[00:27:17] remove the stone.

[00:27:20] Can you imagine the awkwardness among the crowd?

[00:27:23] Did he just say that?

[00:27:25] Did I hear him right?

[00:27:27] Martha decides to speak up.

[00:27:29] John describes her as Martha, the dead man's sister.

[00:27:33] Just to remind us that Lazarus is dead,

[00:27:35] just in case you missed it.

[00:27:37] They're standing by the tomb of a dead man.

[00:27:41] Martha raises the sad, awkward reality of the situation.

[00:27:45] She says,

[00:27:46] Lord, there is already a stench because he has been dead four days.

[00:27:53] Notice her lack of belief.

[00:27:55] She says she believes that Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

[00:27:59] And yet when he's standing there in front of a tomb,

[00:28:03] she can't believe that he'd be there for any reason other than to mourn.

[00:28:10] He replies in verse 40,

[00:28:13] Didn't I tell you that if you believed,

[00:28:15] you would see the glory of God?

[00:28:19] So they take away the stone.

[00:28:23] Then Jesus prays.

[00:28:25] And this prayer is where it all comes together.

[00:28:29] This is where we hear why Jesus delayed two days.

[00:28:33] Why he allowed Lazarus to die.

[00:28:36] Why he rejoiced that he wasn't there to heal him.

[00:28:40] It's because his disciples and friends don't believe yet.

[00:28:44] They don't believe in Jesus.

[00:28:46] They've seen him heal the sick, and yet they don't believe.

[00:28:49] They've even seen him heal someone from a distance.

[00:28:52] Back in chapter 5, Jesus was in Cana,

[00:28:54] and with a word he healed a boy who was in Capernaum.

[00:28:57] He was more than 30 kilometers away.

[00:29:00] Jesus could have healed Lazarus from where he was.

[00:29:03] He didn't need to travel down.

[00:29:05] They've seen him do that before,

[00:29:07] and they still don't believe in Jesus.

[00:29:09] They say the right words, but when push comes to shove,

[00:29:13] all they can think about is death.

[00:29:15] They don't believe that Jesus can give them eternal life.

[00:29:19] They don't trust him to give them eternal life.

[00:29:24] And if they don't trust him, then they're dead.

[00:29:28] This is a desperate situation.

[00:29:32] It's like holding out a rescue ring to someone drowning who refuses to take it.

[00:29:37] They don't believe the ring can save them.

[00:29:39] What do you do in that situation?

[00:29:41] The person will die if they don't take the ring.

[00:29:44] So you take drastic measures.

[00:29:46] You punch them if you have to.

[00:29:47] I know a lifeguard who did that.

[00:29:49] He punched a 70-year-old drunk woman,

[00:29:51] knocked her out cold because she was drowning,

[00:29:53] but she wouldn't let him rescue her.

[00:29:55] Because he cared for her.

[00:29:57] He knocked her out so he could save her.

[00:30:01] Jesus let Lazarus die because he loved Lazarus,

[00:30:06] and Martha, and Mary, and the disciples, and us.

[00:30:10] Because he wants them and us to believe that he is the resurrection and the life.

[00:30:17] And by believing, they and we will have eternal life.

[00:30:23] Listen to Jesus' prayer in verse 41.

[00:30:27] Jesus raised his eyes and said,

[00:30:29] Father, I thank you that you heard me.

[00:30:33] I know that you always hear me.

[00:30:35] But because of the crowd standing here I said this,

[00:30:39] so that they may believe you sent me.

[00:30:44] After he said this, he shouted with a loud voice,

[00:30:49] Lazarus, come out!

[00:30:52] The dead man came out, bound hand and foot with linen strips,

[00:30:57] and with his face wrapped in a cloth.

[00:31:00] Jesus said to them,

[00:31:02] Unwrap him and let him go.

[00:31:36] What do you do if you've just seen someone raise a dead man to life?

[00:31:41] What impact does it have?

[00:31:43] For many, it has the impact that you'd hope for.

[00:31:46] They've seen exactly what Jesus said they'd see.

[00:31:50] They've seen his glory.

[00:31:52] They've seen what's great about him.

[00:31:54] How wonderful that what's great about Jesus is that he saves people from death.

[00:32:00] People look for glory in personal achievement, or promotion, or money, or success.

[00:32:06] Jesus is glorified by saving people.

[00:32:10] And many of the Jews who come to sit with Mary see that, and believe.

[00:32:15] Jesus said to his Father in heaven that he wanted people to believe.

[00:32:20] Martha's already reminded us that the Father gives what Jesus asks, and that's what's happened.

[00:32:25] This is the thing that tipped them over the edge from unbelief to belief.

[00:32:30] And because they believe, then they too are saved from death.

[00:32:35] Even if they die, it'll only be sleep.

[00:32:38] Jesus will wake them up when he returns.

[00:32:41] Because of what Jesus has done, they now have eternal life.

[00:32:46] It was totally worth it.

[00:32:51] Remarkably, there are other people there who respond completely differently.

[00:32:57] It's a response we've seen a couple of times, with the man who was healed after being sick for 38 years, with the blind man's parents.

[00:33:06] These people, rather than believe in Jesus and acknowledge him as the giver of life, run off to tell the Pharisees what Jesus has done.

[00:33:16] People like to say that seeing is believing, but that doesn't take sin into account.

[00:33:21] For some people, when the light comes into the world, they want to run away from sin, run out of the darkness and enjoy the warm glow of Jesus' light.

[00:33:32] Others see the light and flee.

[00:33:36] They cover their eyes, they do whatever they can to stay in the dark, to stay in sin.

[00:33:42] The Pharisees are shocked by this new development.

[00:33:45] It was hard enough to say that Jesus was evil when he was just healing people.

[00:33:50] That was enough of a sign to show that God was with him.

[00:33:53] How about now that he's raising the dead?

[00:33:57] Sadly, rather than acknowledge the truth of who Jesus is, they too flee back into darkness.

[00:34:05] Up until now, all the attempts to kill Jesus have been sudden responses to things he's said.

[00:34:11] A crowd becomes an angry mob that becomes a lynch mob.

[00:34:14] But the lynch mobs haven't done the job.

[00:34:17] So the Pharisees decide enough is enough.

[00:34:20] They get together with the chief priests and they call a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

[00:34:25] If you want to learn more about the makeup of the Sanhedrin, join the Stories of a Faithful God Club

[00:34:30] and listen to the second interview with James and Julian, which will be out next week.

[00:34:34] We go into more detail there.

[00:34:37] Basically, the Sanhedrin rules over the religious law of the land.

[00:34:41] In the secular West, that might not sound like much.

[00:34:45] But in ancient Judea, it's pretty massive.

[00:34:48] The Sanhedrin gather together and ask exactly the wrong question.

[00:34:52] Or at least, they ask exactly the right question but refuse to give the right answer.

[00:34:58] In verse 47, they ask,

[00:35:00] What are we going to do since this man is doing many signs?

[00:35:05] That's exactly the right question.

[00:35:07] And the right answer is, believe in him.

[00:35:10] What we've been seeing all through the gospel.

[00:35:12] The signs prove who Jesus is, the Christ or Messiah.

[00:35:16] They prove where Jesus has come from.

[00:35:18] He's come from God.

[00:35:19] So, believe in him.

[00:35:22] But since they refuse to accept that answer, they end up going in completely the wrong direction.

[00:35:29] They say,

[00:35:30] What are we going to do since this man is doing many signs?

[00:35:34] If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him.

[00:35:38] And the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.

[00:35:43] Do you see their fear?

[00:35:45] They're afraid that Jesus will spark a rebellion.

[00:35:48] In fact, they assume that that's what will happen.

[00:35:52] And they're afraid that it'll lead to destruction by the Romans.

[00:35:56] There are so many problems with that line of thinking.

[00:36:00] Firstly, they assume that Jesus' miracles are genuine.

[00:36:03] They're not doubting that, which is great.

[00:36:06] But they refuse to respond appropriately.

[00:36:08] They're afraid to face up to the facts.

[00:36:12] Secondly, there's absolutely nothing that Jesus has said or done

[00:36:16] that shows he does want to start a revolution.

[00:36:20] Others may want it.

[00:36:21] They might be excited that Jesus could be the guy to lead them.

[00:36:25] But it isn't what Jesus wants.

[00:36:27] In fact, he's actively worked against it.

[00:36:31] Back in chapter 6, after the feeding of the 5,000,

[00:36:34] the people tried to make Jesus their king.

[00:36:37] Declaring Jesus king would be an immediate declaration of independence against Rome.

[00:36:42] But Jesus refuses that path.

[00:36:45] He gets out of there as quickly as he can.

[00:36:49] Somewhat ironically, there are Jewish revolts later in history,

[00:36:53] and they do lead to the Romans' coming.

[00:36:56] In 70 AD, after a horrific and brutal siege,

[00:37:00] they enter Jerusalem and destroy the temple.

[00:37:03] Later in the 130s, the Jews follow a so-called Christ,

[00:37:06] and the Romans say enough is enough.

[00:37:09] After another brutal war, they flatten Jerusalem,

[00:37:12] kick out all the Jews, and rename it with a Roman name.

[00:37:16] Both of those rebellions, though, are by people who don't follow Jesus.

[00:37:22] The Christians stayed well out of it.

[00:37:24] Again, we touch briefly on this in the second club episode with James and Julian.

[00:37:31] The third problem here is the problem of fear.

[00:37:35] This has come up so many times in stories of a faithful God,

[00:37:38] of people fearing the wrong thing.

[00:37:41] These leaders fear the Romans and what they'll do,

[00:37:45] just like the Israelites feared the Egyptians by the sea.

[00:37:48] What about fearing God,

[00:37:50] who sent his son into the world,

[00:37:52] who's made it so obvious that he's the one to believe in,

[00:37:55] who's done sign after sign after sign?

[00:37:58] What a foolish response to a man who's just raised the dead to life.

[00:38:06] The high priest, Caiaphas,

[00:38:08] stands up and rebukes them for being gutless.

[00:38:11] He rebukes them for being afraid.

[00:38:14] Not for being afraid to stand with Jesus.

[00:38:17] He isn't the one voice of reason here.

[00:38:19] No, he rebukes them for not having the guts to kill Jesus.

[00:38:24] He also rebukes them for not having the insight to see how they can benefit themselves.

[00:38:30] They have a pretty good position here,

[00:38:33] and they shouldn't let Jesus mess it up.

[00:38:36] And so, as the ultimate cynical politician,

[00:38:40] he says to them in verse 49,

[00:38:42] You know nothing at all.

[00:38:44] You're not considering that it's to your advantage

[00:38:47] that one man should die for the people,

[00:38:50] rather than the whole nation perish.

[00:38:54] It's a simple problem, he's saying.

[00:38:56] If Jesus lives, the nation perishes and you lose your position.

[00:39:00] If Jesus is killed, the nation lives and you keep your position.

[00:39:05] This isn't rocket science, people.

[00:39:08] But of course,

[00:39:10] even as these people are plotting murderous evil,

[00:39:14] God has his plans too.

[00:39:17] God's power is so amazing that

[00:39:19] He doesn't have to change evil people's plans

[00:39:22] to bring about what He wants.

[00:39:24] He's perfectly capable of working through their evil plans

[00:39:28] to bring about good.

[00:39:30] You see it in John's description of Caiaphas' words.

[00:39:34] He says in verse 51,

[00:39:35] At one level,

[00:40:05] Yet, God is actually working through that evil

[00:40:08] to speak about the greatest good in all the universe.

[00:40:13] These people are going to kill Jesus.

[00:40:17] And Jesus' death will save the people of God.

[00:40:20] Not from the Romans, though,

[00:40:22] but from sin and death.

[00:40:25] And it won't just save people in Judea.

[00:40:28] It'll save God's people who are scattered all over the world.

[00:40:32] And by that, John doesn't mean Jewish people specifically.

[00:40:34] That's not the right category anymore.

[00:40:37] It's anyone,

[00:40:39] Jew or Gentile,

[00:40:40] Greek or barbarian,

[00:40:41] slave or free,

[00:40:42] anyone who believes in Jesus.

[00:40:45] Jesus has already talked about this back in chapter 10,

[00:40:49] when He said that He has sheep not of this sheepfold,

[00:40:52] and He needs to bring them in too.

[00:40:54] John's already spoken about it back in chapter 1.

[00:40:57] He said,

[00:40:57] He, Jesus, was in the world,

[00:41:00] and the world was created through Him,

[00:41:02] and yet the world did not recognize Him.

[00:41:04] He came to His own,

[00:41:05] and His own people did not receive Him.

[00:41:08] But to all who did receive Him,

[00:41:11] He gave them the right to be children of God.

[00:41:17] Jesus' death is the greatest news in all the world.

[00:41:22] It's hope for the world.

[00:41:24] Jesus is the resurrection and the life,

[00:41:27] and He gives us that life through His death.

[00:41:31] Through the evil workings of the Sanhedrin,

[00:41:34] Jesus accomplishes the good plans of God.

[00:41:39] And so from that day on,

[00:41:40] the Sanhedrin plot to kill Jesus.

[00:41:44] This isn't going to be a half-baked lynching.

[00:41:47] It's going to be thought through.

[00:41:49] It's going to be planned.

[00:41:51] It's going to be successful.

[00:41:53] So John tells us in verse 54,

[00:41:56] Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews,

[00:41:59] but departed from there to the countryside near the wilderness,

[00:42:03] to a town called Ephraim,

[00:42:05] and He stayed there with His disciples.

[00:42:08] So, the Sanhedrin have retreated into their corner,

[00:42:13] huddling together to plan the murder.

[00:42:15] Jesus has retreated into the countryside,

[00:42:18] staying with His disciples.

[00:42:20] Soon though, it's time for Passover,

[00:42:24] the greatest festival of the year.

[00:42:27] Jesus has gone to Jerusalem for a few festivals through the Gospel.

[00:42:31] He went to a Passover where He cleared the temple.

[00:42:33] He seemed relatively unknown before that,

[00:42:36] but He certainly made an impression.

[00:42:38] He missed the next Passover.

[00:42:40] He was feeding the 5,000 in the wilderness.

[00:42:42] He's been to the festival of shelters or tabernacles.

[00:42:46] He's been to the festival of dedication.

[00:42:48] There's been tension every time He's come to Jerusalem.

[00:42:52] But now the tension is at fever pitch.

[00:42:55] John tells us that lots of people are coming in from the country

[00:42:58] to purify themselves before the Passover.

[00:43:01] In verse 56, He says,

[00:43:04] They were looking for Jesus and asking one another as they stood in the temple,

[00:43:08] What do you think?

[00:43:09] He won't come to the festival, will He?

[00:43:12] The chief priests and the Pharisees have given orders

[00:43:15] that if anyone knows where He is,

[00:43:17] He should report it so that they can arrest Him.

[00:43:21] What's going to happen?

[00:43:23] Will He come?

[00:43:25] Well, that's a story

[00:43:27] for another series.

[00:43:28] I want to finish the episode with a final reflection on belief.

[00:43:35] Right near the end of the gospel,

[00:43:37] in John chapter 20, verse 30,

[00:43:39] John tells us this.

[00:43:40] He says,

[00:43:57] Some of you listening may not yet have started believing in Jesus.

[00:44:01] I want to invite you to reflect on what we've seen and heard from Him.

[00:44:06] His words, His actions,

[00:44:09] they all point us to who Jesus is.

[00:44:12] The Messiah, or Christ,

[00:44:15] is the Saviour King.

[00:44:16] The one who gives eternal life.

[00:44:19] Who brings you into truth and light.

[00:44:21] Who rescues you from darkness and death.

[00:44:25] He's the good shepherd who leads you to green pastures and cool waters.

[00:44:31] Believe in Him.

[00:44:33] Trust Him.

[00:44:34] Don't make the mistake that the Pharisees and so many others make.

[00:44:38] Don't flee back into the darkness.

[00:44:41] Submit your life to Jesus.

[00:44:43] Run to the light.

[00:44:45] Let Him save you.

[00:44:49] Many of you listening will already believe in Jesus.

[00:44:52] Maybe you have for a short time.

[00:44:54] Maybe you have for a long time.

[00:44:56] John wrote his gospel for you too.

[00:44:59] He wanted to give you courage

[00:45:01] and remind you why it's worth continuing to believe.

[00:45:05] The road to the new creation can feel long.

[00:45:09] There are so many hard things on that road.

[00:45:12] But we have the good shepherd guiding us.

[00:45:16] The king who's the resurrection and the life.

[00:45:18] The one who we can absolutely trust

[00:45:21] to wake us from the long dark sleep.

[00:45:25] Keep trusting.

[00:45:27] Keep believing.

[00:45:29] Jesus is our loving,

[00:45:32] powerful,

[00:45:33] faithful

[00:45:34] God.

[00:45:48] I hope you've enjoyed this series on the first half of John's Gospel.

[00:45:52] I've been able to make this another series because of a small number of generous donors who've said,

[00:45:58] this is valuable.

[00:45:59] Would you consider showing your support by becoming a donor?

[00:46:03] Either as a one-off or as an ongoing supporter?

[00:46:07] You can do that by joining the club and selecting a higher tier or simply by donating at faithfulgod.net,

[00:46:13] even if it's only a dollar an episode.

[00:46:16] I'd love you to join the club.

[00:46:17] We're going to have some interesting things on there.

[00:46:20] Also,

[00:46:21] if you use Apple,

[00:46:22] please leave a review.

[00:46:23] It helps people to find the show and I'd love to hear what you think.

[00:46:27] If you're on Spotify,

[00:46:28] leave a comment on the episode.

[00:46:30] Give it a star rating.

[00:46:32] That would be great.

[00:46:33] I'll be back again in a couple of weeks with a new series in the Old Testament.

[00:46:38] Until then,

[00:46:39] keep trusting Jesus.

[00:46:40] Bye for now.

[00:46:48] Thanks for listening to this episode.

[00:46:50] If you think this podcast is helpful,

[00:46:52] then please help Dave to keep it free for others

[00:46:54] by making a donation at faithfulgod.net.

[00:46:58] That's faithfulgod.net.

[00:47:00] Don't forget to like and subscribe on whatever app you're listening on.

[00:47:04] You can also follow Stories of a Faithful God on Facebook and Instagram.

[00:47:09] If you know or have kids,

[00:47:11] make sure you check out the sister podcast,

[00:47:14] Stories of a Faithful God for Kids.

[00:47:26] Just before we go on,

[00:47:28] give us a picture of,

[00:47:30] I guess,

[00:47:31] the geopolitical,

[00:47:34] or sorry,

[00:47:35] the strategic importance of the location of Judah.

[00:47:39] Because in a sense,

[00:47:40] it's not,

[00:47:42] you know,

[00:47:42] it's not like it has lots of gold in it or anything like that.

[00:47:46] But in terms of when,

[00:47:47] in the power play between these different empires that come and go,

[00:47:51] what is the value of owning Judea?

[00:47:54] It's on the,

[00:47:57] the main transport network that runs from Mesopotamia.

[00:48:04] So Tigris and Euphrates,

[00:48:07] arcing in a crescent shape over to the Nile.

[00:48:11] Unless one wants to travel through what's now the Northern Saudi Arabian Desert,

[00:48:16] the main way is to go through what is now Lebanon,

[00:48:23] Israel,

[00:48:25] into Egypt.

[00:48:26] And it means that you've got a lot of trade,

[00:48:30] whether it's timber going from Syria down towards Egypt,

[00:48:36] or whether it's going to be goods being taken from Egypt across to Mesopotamia,

[00:48:40] or vice versa.

[00:48:41] There's this trade artery that runs through the area,

[00:48:47] also heading up towards Turkey.

[00:48:49] So the third big power broker in the area,

[00:48:54] what had been the Hittites,

[00:48:55] and then subsequent Hellenistic states later on,

[00:49:00] they're all transporting their goods either along the Israeli coast or through the Israeli territory.

[00:49:09] And so Israel sits as a controller of that.

[00:49:14] The Egyptians try to use Israel and then Judah as a buffer zone,

[00:49:21] as an early protection from Assyrians and from the Babylonians and later from the Persians.

[00:49:29] But also that those who are in control of Mesopotamia,

[00:49:35] trying to maintain an increasing amount of the transport network,

[00:49:40] want to gain control over Judah and the western portions of Jordan as well.

[00:49:49] So sitting in that key pinch point of trade,

[00:49:53] if you're a powerful king in the area like Solomon,

[00:49:57] you can control that trade and be the sort of meeting point of all those different cultures.

[00:50:04] But if you're not powerful, like Judah had become,

[00:50:08] you then become the plaything and a thing to have by the bigger empires.

[00:50:14] To hear more of this and other bonus episodes,

[00:50:17] sign up to the Stories of a Faithful God Club.

[00:50:21] You can sign up by following the link in the show notes,

[00:50:24] or you can go to patreon.com

[00:50:27] and search for Stories of a Faithful God Podcast.

[00:50:30] Stay tuned.

[00:50:30] First.