St. Paul’s Sermon 2005

The Fifth Sunday in Lent - March 13, 2005

Texts: Ezekiel 37:1-14; Romans 8:6-11; John 11:1-45

“Out of the Depths of Death”

John 11:1-45

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. [2] This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. [3] So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." Phileo- fond of- This is Jesus’ good friend.

[4] When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. Tips hand. No matter what you’re going to hear- the end of the story won’t be death- odd way to tell a story- but is he talking about resurrection? Or does he expect his audience to have heard of this story, so this is his way to introduce the story so that they listen carefully? This is old John- he was THERE! Listen up!

No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." Glorified- refers to Jesus’ death- sets stage- as he shows he is Lord of Life and Life itself- sets himself up for death- heightened below.

[5] Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [6] Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. What kind of love is that? One of several places where there should be a big pause.

[7] Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."

[8] "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?" The last time he went down to Judah, they tried to kill him. They were reminding him; they’re reminding you.

[9] Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. [10] It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light." Jesus is light; they don’t have to fear darkness.

[11] After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."

[12] His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." [13] Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

[14] So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, Now it’s getting interesting. Nice job, Jesus; you waited around and now he’s dead. Wait a minute; how did Jesus know that? What’s going on?

[15] and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. That’s why Jesus does all he does. So they’ll believe.

(Jesus said:) But let us go to him."

[16] Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." Laconic Thomas gets it- to go back to the south, to Judea and Jerusalem where the Jewish and Roman leaders were WOULD mean death. Maybe death for them all. When we hear Peter’s denial at Jesus’ trial in a few days- that’s what the stakes were. Now there’s a break as they take a couple days to hike down there.

[17] On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. [18] Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, [19] and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. [20] When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. First Martha, the busy one, bustles out and takes Jesus to task. She’s angry; at the same time, she’s hopeful; she scolds Jesus; she takes him to task, and he doesn’t reprove her. Do you get angry with God? Are you hurt or puzzled? God can take it when you honestly get angry, if you honestly come and talk it over.

[21] "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. [22] But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

[23] Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

[24] Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

[25] Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; [26] and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" The promise is also a call to action.

[27] "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." This is one of the strongest statements of faith in the Gospel.

[28] And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." Curious. Is she lying? Did Jesus ask for her, but we don’t have that part? Is she trying to martial her forces and put pressure on Jesus?

[29] When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Mary is the one who “got it” and came to sit at Jesus’ feet. Normally in that culture women wouldn’t have been allowed in such company. Jesus respected women and set them free.

[30] Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. [31] When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

[32] When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." This blaming thing had been practiced. They had probably been saying this for days. They were angry and hurt that Jesus had not come.

[33] When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. This combination of words, “deeply moved in spirit and troubled” are very powerful emotional words. They mean he lost it; he was overcome; he it shook him to his core; isn’t good we have a Lord who is so moved by the death of his saints?

[34] "Where have you laid him?" he asked.

"Come and see, Lord," they replied.

[35] Jesus wept. The verse every Confirmand wants to memorize. It’s a worthwhile one- good to remember that we’ve got a Lord who weeps at the pain of his people.

[36] Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"

[37] But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" [38] Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. [39] "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." The King James Version is great here- “Lord, by this time he stinketh” That’s the normal course of events. Decomposition has set in. It’s as hot as Phoenix. Lazarus is really, really dead.

[40] Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"

[41] So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. [42] I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." Jesus wants to make clear who is going to do this miracle- the Father.

[43] When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" [44] The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. OK, right now we need a big pause to imagine that scene in our minds. Imagine the reaction of all the people standing around as Lazarus wiggles out. Imagine the scene.

Got the scene in your head? A dead guy wiggles out, like a mummy. There are screams and fainting. Some turn pale with fear. Some try to run away, but can only run in place. There are little puddles under a few folks.

How would you have reacted? Think of the funeral of someone closest to you. Imagine.

Here comes the funniest one sentence of the entire Bible. Jesus, master of the obvious:

Jesus said to them, "Unwrap him and let him go."

What else COULD he say? Four days.

[45] Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, trusted in him.

This would be just a curious story, if there wasn’t a “so what?” Many trusted in Jesus. That’s what this was for- remember, [15] and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe.

and

[25] Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; [26] and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

As you hear this story this morning, the Holy Spirit is taking these words and burning them into your heart. You can’t hear this story and not react. If it nestles into your heart, it will create faith in a Lord who weeps at the pain of his people; it will create faith in the Lord of Life. If you harden your heart and reject the one who gives you life, your heart will go away a little harder today. Don’t do that. Jesus calls you to trust him, to eternal life. Hear his word of promise. Invitation, Amen.

Ezekiel 37:1-14

The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. [2] He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. [3] He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?"

I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know."

[4] Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! [5] This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. [6] I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.' "

[7] So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. [8] I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

[9] Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' " [10] So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army.

[11] Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' [12] Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. [13] Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. [14] I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.' "

Romans 8:6-11

The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; [7] the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. [8] Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

[9] You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. [10] But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. [11] And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.