Let the Dead Arise!

Jn. 11:1-44

Let the Dead Arise! Joh 11:1-4 Now a certain man was sick,

Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet

with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying,

"Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that

the Son of God may be glorified through it."

The Gospel of John is very unique from the other Gospels!

▪The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark & Luke) are about 80% alike!

▪Yet the Gospel of John is about 80% different from them!

▪John is a Gospel written to prove that Jesus was in fact the Son of God, God among us!

▪His first miracle is found in this Gospel alone▸Jn. 2:1-11 “water into wine!”

I have always considered this to be one of the most amazing miracles Jesus ever did and

tonight we will see why!▪Jesus has the power over life and death!▸1Cor. 15:55-57 "O Death, where is your sting? O

Hades, where is your victory?" The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.▸Eph 2:5-6 even when we were dead in trespasses,

made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Knowing the end before the beginning!▪Joh 11:4 When Jesus heard that, He said,

"This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

▪Joh 6:6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.

▪This should always give us hope, God knows and understands all things, He knows exactly what He is doing, all we need to do is have faith and trust Him!

I. Who Was Lazarus?▪If asked to make a list of people in the Bible,

Lazarus is likely to be on the list.▸There are only two people in the Bible with this

name, but both are unforgettable!–The story of the rich man and Lazarus (Lk. 16)–Lazarus the brother of Mary and Martha (Jn. 11

and 12)▪Lazarus was a close friend of Jesus!▸We are told three times “Jesus loves Lazarus!”

–Jn. 11:3, 5 & 36

Jesus was not looking at this the way everyone else was!

▪When we hear that one of our loved ones is sick and maybe dying, what do we do?▸Joh 11:6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He

stayed two more days in the place where He was.▪Jesus knew that this was going to be used to

bring glory to God! (Cf. Jn. 11:4)▸If we could only learn to see things the way that

God does!

II. What Happens to Lazarus?▪Now I was one of them little boys that would

drive you crazy with questions!▸When I read this I can’t help but wonder, “what

kind of sickness did Lazarus have?”▸One thing for sure, whatever it was it was

enough to kill him!▪This was very difficult for Mary & Martha and

they both knew that Jesus could have cured him!▸Jn. 11:20-21 & 32 cf. Jn. 11:15

“Jesus Wept” (Jn. 11:35)“Rejoice always” (1 Thess. 5:16) “the second” (Lk. 20:30)

▪Even knowing what He plans to do, Jesus weeps in sadness because of the pain of others! ▸Rom 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and

weep with those who weep.▪When Jesus gets there Lazarus has already

been dead for 4 days!▸This is around the time the death of a loved one

really sinks in and initial shock has past!

III. How Jesus Resurrects Lazarus!▪I have a cd of the late Marshall Keeble preaching

on this passage in my car and he makes a statement that I would like to share with you!▸“Jesus had to call Lazarus by name, because if He

didn’t everyone in the graveyard would have had to come forward!”▸“You know for sure that someone is dead when

they stink, and Martha said, “Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days!”

▪I believe Marshall Keeble was exactly right!

“Lazarus come forth!” (Jn. 11:43)▪Wouldn’t you have liked to have been there

that day! I know I would!▸In my mind I can see everybody at this time

just standing on their toes, looking, trying to see!▪“And he that was dead came forth!”

(Jn.11:44)▪Jesus can simply speak a word and raise the

dead! ▪All of this is done for our benefit!▸Jn. 11:40-42 cf. 20:30-31!

Conclusion:▪Each and every account in the Bible is designed to

teach us something! The most important question to consider is “what is God trying to teach me here?”

▪Death is not the end with God, God is the God of the living!▸Mk. 12:27 "He is not the God of the dead, but the

God of the living.”

▪Are you a dead man walking? Or have you been made alive again in Jesus?