Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends on this Tuesday,
Yesterday we began a 20-day journey, with Jesus and His disciples, toward Passover/Easter weekend 2023. We joined them when Jesus had paused to make a profound and shocking statement to His friends who were walking along with Him. Matthew was an eyewitness, and he records the troubling words Jesus said that day: “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day He will be raised to life!” (Matt. 20:17-19)
Luke gives us this commentary of the disciples’ response: “The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what Jesus was talking about.” (Luke 18:34)
None of the Gospel writers tells us exactly where Jesus was when He made this deeply troubling prediction, but we presume they were beginning their journey toward Jerusalem with Jesus for the annual Passover celebration. I envision that they had stopped along the side of the road, perhaps in the shade of a tree, and Jesus simply made the statement. I imagine Jesus often paused in their travels to tell those with Him where they were going, because I imagine they were people just like you and me, who from the time we have been little children, whenever we are traveling somewhere we have three questions… ‘WHERE are we going’? ‘WHY are we going there’? ‘What will happen there’? Do those questions stir up lots of memories, both from your childhood and perhaps when you had little children traveling with you?
None of the Gospel writers tell us where Jesus and His traveling troupe were coming from that day, but I’d like to suggest one reason the words Jesus spoke may have been so shocking is what I see in John 11:54 “Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead, He withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with His disciples. When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem…” (John 11:54,55)
Now, why you might ask, was Jesus needing to almost hide from the public? Well, the story that precedes this statement is the remarkable account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. I presume John and all the disciples were eyewitnesses to this unexplainable event, but John is the only one who includes the story of Lazarus in his account of Jesus. John gives us great detail including explaining WHY Jesus delayed when He first received the news that his friend Lazarus was sick, and I urge you to listen to the dramatized audio Bible version of John 11 at the conclusion today.
The popularity of Jesus had grown, especially in the towns around Lake Galilee. That was home to Jesus and most of His disciples, so whenever Jesus came back from His travels word spread quickly and large crowds assembled to see Him. In the region of Jerusalem, however, the popularity of Jesus was opposed by the religious leaders and their dominance over life all around the region of Jerusalem.
Bethany, the hometown of Lazarus and his two sisters, was only a few miles east of Jerusalem, on the other side of the Mount of Olives. Jesus and His friends stopped in Bethany often for a visit with Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Almost always a delicious meal was part of their visits. We all know the difference a great home cooked meal can make after a long day of traveling, don’t we?!
On this occasion, however, Jesus and His friends were quite a distance from Bethany when Jesus received the news that Lazarus, His friend, was very, very sick. The disciples assumed they’d head toward Bethany immediately, maybe even walking through the night to arrive as quickly as possible. But Jesus shocked them by staying where He was two more days! In response to questions, Jesus simply answered “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4)
Have you been troubled, my friends, by painful things which happen to you when you feel quite confident God could have done something to prevent the tragedy? Have you yet learned to trust God especially when things in life don’t make sense to you? Here’s a powerful statement made by one of the wisest men who ever lived, King Solomon: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways honor God and HE will direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5,6)When Jesus and His friends finally arrived in Bethany, only to be told Lazarus had already died, and in fact had been buried four days, can you imagine the confusion of the disciples? They had lots of questions… the same questions you and I would have asked. The same questions you may have even now about some major events in your life. Do you believe Jesus’ words also apply to you and me, even in our difficult situations: “it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
Is God fully aware of ALL that is going on in your life and is God working in the situations and circumstances of our world for the accomplishment of His purposes for HIS glory? Maybe the bigger question is this: are you and I content to let God be sovereign and supreme in our lives, even when difficult things are happening to us? Lazarus’ sisters weren’t so sure. Both of them expressed their disappointment to Jesus: ‘Lord, if You had been here my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21,32)
Just look around at this scene. Red eyed sisters, weary from crying. Friends and neighbors weary from grieving and trying to care for all the details of death and burial of their friend Lazarus. And look at the disciples with wrinkled brows. Why, why did Jesus delay in coming? Why did He do nothing but apparently ignore the pain and suffering of Lazarus, Mary and Martha who had so many times been so generous in care and love for Jesus? In that moment Jesus said something that startled them: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in ME will live, even though they die; and whoever believes in Me will never die! Do you believe this?” (John 11:25,26) Everyone was stunned, and I think everyone was grateful Jesus was looking at Martha, for none of them wanted to answer His question. What could Jesus possibly have meant by this profound, outrageous statement? Death is certain for every human being, how could belief in Jesus possibly help someone avoid death?
But we understand, don’t we, my friends? Death is simply the end of this earthly life, the separation of our body from our soul & spirit which are immortal and will continue living forever. Jesus was here making the profound declaration that HE, as God the Son, holds the key to eternal life. Those who believe fully in Jesus for their salvation from their sins, will receive from Jesus eternal life with God in heaven at the moment of their earthly death. (John 14:6) Those who reject Jesus or believe in something or someone else for eternity will find themselves separated from God, at the time of their earthly death and for all eternity. (John 3:36)
That’s why the statement Jesus made was so radical. Martha responded with radical truth of her own: “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Messiah, the Son of God…” (John 11:27) My friends, it is imperative that we all understand that finding eternal life through Jesus must begin with certainty of His identity. Our sin separates us from God and destines us to hell. Only God can forgive us of our sins and bring us to heaven and Jesus made it very clear that glorious rescue happens ONLY in a relationship of full trust in Jesus as the Son of God. (John 3:16; 14:6)
Everyone was watching very closely. It’s one thing to make a bombastic statement like Jesus had just made, it’s another thing to prove it! What could Jesus do to PROVE His authority to make such a declaration? Jesus asked to be shown the tomb. Tears rolled down His cheeks. Death, what a terrible thing, but worse than death is doubt and the strangling fear of death. Jesus shocked the people: “Roll away the stone” Jesus said as He pointed to the large stone blocking the entrance to the little cave where Lazarus’ body had been placed four days before. What? Why? Martha respectfully objected, “But Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days already.” (John 11:39) Martha was right, the death smell of decaying flesh is suffocating.
Jesus smiled; I think in anticipation of what He was about to do: “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” Let’s pause right here. You’ve been at funerals and so have I. You’ve seen caskets and cemeteries and gravestones. You know the finality of death. Is anything more final than death? Words, when looking at death, are meaningless unless a power stronger than death can empower the words. So, what are you facing today, my friends, that needs the power of God unleashed in your life and your situation? What would it take for you to see the glory of God unleashed into your situation today? I’ll meet you right back here tomorrow and we’ll see what Jesus did when facing this death situation. Today’s Scripture is John 11:1-40.
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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