The Great I AMs of the Gospel of John “I AM the Resurrection and the Life”

1. God and Human Suffering

• From the beginning, death has functioned as God’s megaphone to communicate the seriousness and perverseness of sin, Genesis 2:15-17, Romans 5:12

• Illness, blindness, and even death itself provide the means for profound expressions of God’s love and grace, Romans 5:18-21

 

1. Lazarus Dies for the Glory of God and Out of the Love of Christ

• Lazarus and his sisters are close friends of Jesus, John 11:1-2

• Lazarus gets sick and his sisters demonstrate their faith in Jesus by sending for Him, John 11:3

• Jesus identifies the purpose to the suffering of Lazarus: the demonstration of the glory of God, John 11:4

• Jesus intentionally waits, John 11:5 He waits despite their appeal to Him to help. He waits despite His close relationship to them. He waits despite His love for them. He waits despite His full knowledge of what is happening.

• Jesus rejoices that He was not there to intervene for Lazarus so that faith would be built into the lives of His disciples, John 11:14-15

 

1. Jesus Raises Lazarus as a Demonstration of the Glory of God and as a Demonstration of His Love for Others in the Midst of Suffering

• Jesus declares, “I AM the resurrection and the Life,” John 11:21-27

• Jesus bears the pain of human suffering, John 11:28-35

• The crowd responds with confusion, frustration and anger, John 11:36-37

• Jesus raises Lazarus thus bringing clarity to the glory of God and the love of Christ, John 11:38-44

 

1. Two Responses to the Demonstrated Love, Grace and Power of God: Faith OR Rejection, John 11:45-46

 

 

 

 

Scripture Reading John 1:1-5 (Slides)

 

• We began a new series of sermons last week on the Great I AMs of the Gospel of John

• Instead of breaking from that them for the week of Easter, I selected as a text for today from the Great I AMs and Jesus raising of Lazarus (Header Slide)

• This event functions as a microcosm of the entire force of the Bible

• All there is to know about the basics of life, death, afterlife, God, humanity, suffering, and Jesus’ role in all of that can be seen in this event in John 11

 

1. God and Human Suffering

• From the beginning, death has functioned as God’s megaphone to communicate the seriousness and perverseness of sin, Gen 2:15-17, Rms 5:12

• Read Genesis 2:16-17 (Slide 2)

• Read Romans 5:12 (Slide 3)

• Illness, blindness, and even death itself provide the means for profound expressions of God’s love and grace, Romans 5:18-21

• Read Romans 5:20-21 (Slide 4)

• The event of John 11 functions as a movie trailer for the ultimate story

 

1. Lazarus Dies for the Glory of God and Out of the Love of Christ

• His Own Trial, Crucifixion, Death, Resurrection on His mind Near Jerusalem

• Lazarus and his sisters are close friends of Jesus, John 11:1-2

• Read John 11:1-2 (Slide 5)

• Lazarus gets sick and his sisters demonstrate their faith in Jesus by sending for Him, John 11:3

• Read John 11:3 (Slide 6)

• Jesus identifies the purpose to the suffering of Lazarus: the demonstration of the glory of God, John 11:4

• Jesus intentionally waits, John 11:5

• Read John 11:4-5 (Slide 7)

• He waits despite their appeal to Him to help. He waits despite His close relationship to them. He waits despite His love for them. He waits despite His full knowledge of what is happening.

• Love is not defined by the removal of anything difficult

• We understand this

• As a parent there are times when we make our children experience things they would not choose for themselves

• Because, in our knowledge and our limited understanding, we know the things that might actually stir their hearts, even if it is hard for them Love Defined by Showing the Glory of God through the Son

• The most loving thing anyone could ever do for another person is to reveal to them the reason God made them

• We have been made to see glory and sin keeps us from seeing the glory of God

• The most loving thing in the world is not to eradicate premature death

• The most loving thing in the world is to reveal God’s purpose for our lives

• “I would prefer have God’s love – I would prefer see God’s love for me in His revelation of His Son to me - than say…my brother, my wife, my husband, my child, my grandmother, my grandfather, my friend…”

• Read John 11:6 (Slide 8)

• Jesus is now ready to go to Bethany and He dialogues with His disciples over the journey

• They don’t want Him to go there because the Jewish leadership seems ready to kill Him

• Read John 11:11-13 (Slide 9)

• Jesus rejoices that He was not there to intervene for Lazarus so that faith would be built into the lives of His disciples, John 11:14-15

 

• Read John 11:14-15 (Slide 10)

• 4 Days or 400 Days or 400 Years

1. Jesus Raises Lazarus as a Demonstration of the Glory of God and as a Demonstration of His Love for Others in the Midst of Suffering

• Jesus declares, “I AM the resurrection and the Life,” John 11:21-27

• Discussion between Martha and Jesus

• Read John 11:20-21 (Slide 11)

• See the amazing faith of Martha

• Read John 11:22-24 (Slide 12)

• Jesus affirms this basic theology, Lazarus will rise again

• Mary affirms it too, but Jesus wants to make sure we know why we can affirm the resurrection of Lazarus

• Read John 11:25-26 (Slide 13)

• The source of resurrection, the reason there will be a resurrection is because of who Jesus Christ is

 

• “Do you believe this Martha? Do you still believe this even when your brother has died?” “I believe that You are who You say that You are.”

• The crowd responds with confusion, frustration and anger, John 11:36-37

• Jesus raises Lazarus thus bringing clarity to the glory of God and the love of Christ, John 11:38-44

• Read John 11:35-37 (Slide 14)