John 11:1-16; 42-44
THE CASE OF THE DEAD BROTHER
Intro: The school system in alarge city had a program to help children keep up with their school work duringstays in the city's hospitals. One day a teacher who was assigned to theprogram received a routine call asking her to visit a particular child.
She took the child's name androom number and talked briefly with the child's regular class teacher. We're studying nouns and adverbs in his class now,the regular teacher said, and I'd be gratefulif you could help him understand them so he doesn't fall too far behind.
The hospital program teacherwent to see the boy that afternoon. No one had mentioned to her that the boyhad been badly burned and was in great pain.
Upset at the sight of theboy, she stammered as she told him, Ive beensent by your school to help you with nouns and adverbs. Whenshe left she felt she hadn't accomplished much.
But the next day, a nurseasked her, What did you do to that boy?
The teacher felt she musthave done something wrong and began to apologize.
No, no, said the nurse. You don't know what I mean. We've been worried about thatlittle boy, but ever since yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He'sfighting back, responding to treatment. It's as though he's decided to live.
Two weeks later the boy explainedthat he had completely given up hope until the teacher arrived. Everythingchanged when he came to a simple realization.
He expressed it this way: They wouldn't send a teacher to work on nouns and adverbswith a dying boy, would they?_
Hope is defined as the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that eventswill turn out for the best. Hope is something we all want, andit is something we all need._
Hope is a powerful thing,even for non-humans. A number of years ago researchers performed an experimentto see the effect hope has on those undergoing hardship.
Two sets of laboratory ratswere placed in separate tubs of water. The researchers left one set in thewater and found that within an hour they had all drowned. The other rats wereperiodically lifted out of the water and then returned.
When that happened, thesecond set of rats swam for over 24 hours. Why? Not because they were given arest, but because they suddenly had hope!
Those animals apparentlyhoped that if they could stay afloat just a little longer, someone would reachdown and rescue them._
The power of hope cannot beunderestimated. When hope fails, dreams shatter and people give up.
John 11 describes one of thegreatest hopeless cases in the Bible. Anyone looking in on the death of Lazaruswould conclude that he was dead, and that there as no hope. Yet, even in theface of absolute hopelessness, the Lord Jesus Christ demonstrates His power tostep into any situation and transform that situation into a time of blessing;this even includes situations that appear hopeless.
As we continue to survey someof the hopeless cases of the Bible, lets consider The Case Of The Dead Brother. I want topoint out the specifics ofthis case that teach us there is Hope ForHard Cases.
I.INSURMOUNTABLEPROBLEMS
There were several problemsin The Case Of The Dead Brotherthat declared this case to be hopeless. Let me share a few of those problemswith you. It may be that you are looking at what you think is a hopeless casetoday. Lets see if there are any parallels with your hopeless case.
A. V. 1-3 The Problem Of Disease - Jesus receivesword that His friend Lazarus is sick.That means Lazarus was weak, diseased,totally lacking in strength. Mary and Martha, the sisters ofLazarus, are concerned about their brother, so they send word to Jesus to comeand heal Lazarus. Their request says a lot about how they viewed the Lord.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>They recognized His compassion.They believed that He cared about their family, and that He cared aboutLazarus. So, it was logical to conclude that He would come and help them intheir time of need.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>They also recognized His identity. In verse 27,Martha declares that she believes Jesus is the Sonof God. These sisters had probably seen Jesus heal others, nowthey look to Him, and the Son of God, to come and heal their brother.
The request made by Mary andMartha speaks to us as well. Their request reminds us that Jesus Christ is tobe the first resort in any time of trouble. When difficulties arise in life, weare to turn to Him for the help we need. When we do, we are to have faith inHim, that He will be able to do what we ask Him to do. That is what the Bibleteaches, And all things, whatsoever ye shallask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive, Matt. 21:22.
B. V. 4-10 The Problem Of Delays - When Jesus hearstheir urgent request, He reacts in a surprising manner. Instead of getting upand walking the five miles to get to Lazarus, Jesus stays where He is for twomore days. He tells the disciples in verse 4, that under ordinarycirc*mstances, Lazarus would recover. But, He also indicates that these are notnormal circ*mstances. He hints in verse 4 that Lazarus will die, which isexactly what happened, verses 11-14.
Could Jesus have healedLazarus? Of course He could have! He could have spoken the word where He wasand Lazarus would have been made perfectly well. But, He didnt! Jesus remainedwhere He was, and He did not heal Lazarus, because He actually wanted Lazarusto die. Why? He waited until Lazarus was dead because God would get greaterglory from the resurrection of Lazarus that He would from him being healed, v. 4.
Regardless of the Lordsreasons for His delays, Mary and Martha were forced to watch Lazarus waste awayand die. They were forced to wash his body, prepare it for burial, and lay itin a tomb. They were forced to feel pain, heartbreak, sorrow and doubt. Theywere forced into an impossible situation.
Thats how it goes sometimes,isnt it? You bring you problem to the Lord, and what you receive in return issilence. You call on Him, expecting HIm to answer your prayers and meet yourneed, and all you get in return is nothing. In fact, sometimes the problemsjust get worse. Sometimes situations turn desperate. Sometimes you need ananswer today, but that answer doesnt come today, or even tomorrow.
Here is what we need toremember in the times of divine silence: The Lord was able to see what thesisters and the disciples could not see. He was able to see beyond the crisisof the moment to the glory God would receive through the crisis. He knew what wason the other side of the pain, the problems and the pressure. He knew theoutcome before the crisis even reached its peak.
God knows more about oursituation than we do.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding theevil and the good, Pro. 15:3.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in hissight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom wehave to do, Heb. 4:13.
Our duty is to learn to trustHim, even when we cannot figure out what He is doing and why He is doing it.The Lord knows the outcome of our crisis before our crisis is even born. Oursole duty in regard to waiting on the Lord is summed up in the words of Jesusin Mark 11:22,when He said, Have faith in God.In John 14:1,He said it this way, Let not your heart betroubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. The Psalmistsaid in Psalm62:8, Trust in him at alltimes; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
C. V. 11-16 The Problem Of Death - As I said, becauseJesus waited, Lazarus died. Matters went from bad to worse. The situationreturned from desperate to impossible. Lazarus is dead, and Jesus did nothingto stop it. This was an insurmountable problem.
D. V. 21-22; 32 The Problem Of Doubt - Their pleas hadbeen unanswered and they were defeated, discouraged and distressed. When theydid talk to Jesus face to face, they both brought up the problem that plaguedtheir minds. When they said, Lord, if thouhadst been here, my brother had not died, they were simplyasking, Why didnt you come? We thought youloved us! Where were you when we needed you the most. Iunderstand a little of what they felt, dont you? It is easy to get discouragedwhen the Lord doesnt do things in our way, in our time.
Many believers lose thebattle right here! They will get mad at God when He doesnt do as they say, andthey will get on the outs with Him; some will even quit on Him. When peoplegive up on God, they usually miss the greatest of His miracles! Its always toosoon to quit!
I.Insurmountable Problems
II.INCONCEIVABLEPROMISES
When Jesus arrives inBethany, He comes upon a scene of utter despair. He finds the communitymourning the death of Lazarus. He finds two very brokenhearted sisters. Hefinds, what most would consider to be, a hopeless case. Jesus walks into thattragic scene with words of comfort, hope and blessing. He enters that place of Insurmountable Problems and gives themsome Inconceivable Promises.Lets consider His promises for a moment.
A. V. 23-25 There Were Promises About Death - Marthameets Jesus and tells her that her brother will riseagain. She says that she believes that he will live again in the resurrection. Jesus then gives herone of the greatest promises in the New Testament. He basically says to her, The resurrection of Lazarus does not have to wait until afuture event. I am the resurrection and the life. Jesus tellsher that He is the resurrection, and that knowing Him in a faith relationshipbrings a person face to face with death-defeating, life-giving power.
B. V. 26 There Were Promises About Deliverance -Jesus goes on to promise Martha that every person who places true faith inJesus will never experience death. He promises to deliver His people from thedeath experience altogether. That does not mean that believers dont lay downtheir mortal bodies, because they do. It means that they dont experience whatthe Bible refers to as the second death,Rev. 20:11-15;Rom. 6:23. It means that when believers lay down their mortalbodies, they leave this world of pain, sorrow and suffering and go to a newland of peace, love, joy and there they enter the presence of God, 2 Cor. 5:1-8.
C. V. 25-26 There Were Promises About Dependence - AsJesus closes His words to Martha, He asks her a very important question: Believest thou this? In other words, Martha, is your faith in me and in what I can do? Martha,are you trusting me with everything, even with your soul? Jesusis telling Martha that faith in Him translates into the believer seeing andexperiencing great things in this life, and in the life to come.
The Lord has always been ableto walk into our hopeless cases and give us hope through His promises. Thepromises made to Martha here deal with the hopeless case of death, and theyoffer hope to all those who know the Lord. Thankfully. The Lords promises arenot limited to the realm of death. His promises encompass all of life and giveus hope regardless of what we face. Notice a few of His precious promises forour hopeless cases.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Thereare promises about salvation - John 3:16; Acts16:31; Rom. 10:9, 13.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Thereare promises about sin - Psa. 103:12; 1 John1:9.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Thereare promises about the future - Rev. 21:4; John 14:1-3.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Thereare promises about trouble - Phil. 4:6-7; 1 Pet.5:7
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Thereare promises about loneliness - Heb. 13:5; Matt.28:20.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Thereare promises about peace - John 14:27; Phil.4:6.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Thereare promises about needs - Matt. 6:25-33; Phil.4:19.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Thereare promises about prayer - Jer. 33:3; Matt.21:22.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Thereare thousands of promises that relate to every conceivable area of our lives.Everything God has promises, God is able to do. He will honor His promises toyou, and He will never fail to do what He says He will do. That is our God, andthat is His guarantee to His people.
The question today is this:Do you know Him? If you are saved by His grace. That is, if you have beenconvicted of your sins, and you have turned to Jesus Christ in repentance andfaith, believing that He died for your sins, was buried, and rose again thethird day, you are saved, and the promises of God are yours! If you have notbelieved the Gospel, there is really only one promise you can lay claim to.Here it is: All that the Father giveth meshall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out,John 6:37.
I.Insurmountable Problems
II.Inconceivable Promises
III. INCREDIBLE POWER
When Jesus entered that sceneof hopeless sorrow, He did not just come in with soothing words. Jesus enteredthat hopeless case and demonstrated His sovereign power. He didnt just makepromises, He did something about the problem. The power He wielded on thatoccasion is the same power He can and will bring to bear in your hopeless case.
A. V. 33-38 It Was Manifested In His Compassion -Having spoke to both sisters about the death of their brother, Jesus is movedby the scene before Him. Imagine, for a moment, what was happening there.Martha and Mary are there. They are weeping for their brother. They areheartbroken, devastated and emotionally shattered. They are visiblygrief-stricken. Other friends and family are there, they are also weeping a thetomb of Lazarus, v.33. As was customary in those days, the family had brought inhired mourners who were wailing as only they can do in that part of the world.If you have seen images of a middle eastern funeral, you have some idea of whatwas going on there that day.
Jesus sees all this grief, and it touches Him.The Bible says in verse33 that He groaned in thespirit. That same verse says that He was troubled. Verse 35, the shortestverse in the Bible, says, Jesus wept.Verse 38describes Jesus as groaning in himself.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Theword groaning literallymeans to snort like a horse.It is the image of indignation and anger.Perhaps Jesus is angry over the unbelief of those weeping at the tomb. PerhapsHe is angry about the effects of sin that brought death and sorrow into theworld.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Theword troubled means to be agitated. It carries the idea ofbeing restless; of being shaken, ofexperiencing shock. Jesus is deeply shaken by the death ofLazarus and by the grief of the sisters.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Theword wept means to shed tears. Jesus knew what He wasgoing to do. For Him, it would be a time of joy as He glorified His Father by raisingLazarus from the dead. Yet, He was touched by the grief and pain all aroundHim. He felt the pain of His friends, and it touched Him deeply. It literallywrung the tears from His eyes.
Whats the point? The pointis this: Jesus cares! He is not some remote deity, removed from the plight andpain of His people. He is a present Lord, Who feels the pain of those He loves,Heb. 4:15-16.He cares for you, 1Pet. 5:7. Thus, He enters into your hopeless cases with a heartof compassion. He understands where you are and He enters into your sorrow,helping you by giving you His grace, 2 Cor. 12:9; His peace, Phil. 4:6-7;His strength, Isa.41:10. Folk, He cares! You do not have to carry your burdensalone!
B. V. 41-42 It Was Manifested In His Connection -While He was here in this world, the Lord Jesus did nothing for Himself, or byHimself. Everything He did was determined by the Father. He looked to HisFather for the power and permission for everything He accomplished in thislife, John5:19. On this occasion, Jesus lifted His voice to His Father inprayer. He looked to the Father for the power needed to raise Lazarus from thedead.
Jesus tells us in this prayerthat He really had no need to talk to the Father out loud. The Father alwayshears the Son when He calls. Jesus could have talked to the Father from Hisheart, and the answer would have been the same. Jesus called on the Father forall to hear so that they would know, so that we would know, that He has powerto help us when we face the hopeless cases in lives.
When Jesus ascended back toHeaven after His resurrection, He sat down at the right hand of the Father inHeaven. What is He doing there? The Bible is very clear about this matter: Heis making intercession for His people, Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25. This just means thatJesus still has the ear of the Father. We are in Him, and He is in us. TheFather is in Him, and thus, the Father is in us. 2 Pet. 1:4 tells us that weare partakers of the divine nature.There is a heavenly connection that should comfort us when we face the hopelesscases of our lives.
The prayer Jesus prayed thatday gave hope to all who heard it. The fact that there is a divine connectionshould give us hope as well. It means that we are not in this world alone. Weare not just wandering aimlessly about hoping things will work out. We are inthe Fathers hand, John 10:28-29. He knows the path we walk, Job 23:10.He has planned every step we will take in life, Psa. 37:23. That divineconnection reminds us that God is in control of all of life, even of thehopeless cases you are staring at today!
C. V. 39-40; 43-44 It Was Manifested In His Control - Jesusgroaned. Jesus wept. Jesus was troubled. Then, Jesus commanded the stone to berolled away from the door of the tomb. This command is met with immediateunbelief by Martha, v. 39. Jesus soothes her fears, v. 40.He prays, v.41-42. Then, Jesus does the unthinkable! He walks up to the tombof Lazarus and cries with a loud voice, Lazarus,come forth! Jesus commands a dead man to obey a command that hecannot hear, and that he cannot possibly obey. Dead men dont hear commands.Dead men dont respond to commands. Dead men dont obey commands. Yet, Lazarusdid! How? He was no longer dead! At the command of Jesus, Lazarus was madealive, and he came out of the tomb. Jesus says, Loosehim, and let him go.
What a marvelous scene thisis! One simple phrase from Jesus, and the same power that brought about thecreation of the universe, caused a dead man to live! That is the power of theGod we serve today. This is the picture of a sovereign Lord. It is the image ofOne Who is in absolute control of all things! (Ill. Luke 1:37; Eph. 3:20; Eph. 1:11; Matt.28:18)
Think about it!
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>If Hecan speak and worlds appear, He can take care of your hopeless case.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>If Hecan speak and trillions of stars begin their ceaseless orbits through space, Hecan take care of your hopeless case.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>If Hecan speak and the waters teem with fish, the heavens fill with birds, and theearth is covered with animal life, He can take care of your hopeless case.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>If Hecan breath into a pile of dust and create the human race, He can take care ofyour hopeless case.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>If Hecan speak and calm the stormy waves, He can take care of your hopeless case.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>If Hecan touch a leper and make Him clean, He can take care of your hopeless case.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>If Hecan open the eyes of the blind, He can take care of your hopeless case.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>If Hewalk on the water, He can take care of your hopeless case.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>If Hecan feed the multitudes with 5 loaves and 2 fish, He can take care of yourhopeless case.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>If Hecan speak and bring the dead to life, He can take care of your hopeless case.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>If Hecan conquer sin on a borrowed cross, and defeat death in a borrowed tomb, Hecan take care of your hopeless case.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Whatdo you say to that, except Hallelujah?
This was not a scene ofuncontrolled chaos. This was a scene of perfect divine control. This was ascene of absolute divine power!
Conc: Thats Him! Thats justwhat Jesus does. He walks into hopeless situations and He brings hope. He isstill doing that today.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>I amspeaking to some people who are looking at hopeless cases.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Itmay be some physical ailment that has you filled with fear.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Itmay the fact that you know you are lost, and you dont want to die in thatcondition and go to Hell.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Itmay be lost children, or other family, and you fear for their salvation.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>It maybe some financial need thats not being met.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Itmay be the pain of betrayal, and of a broken heart.
<![if !supportLists]> <![endif]>Itmay be one of ten thousand different things, but whatever it is, the Lord weserve is able to handle your hopeless case today.
Bring it to Him. If it is aperson, bring them to Him. Whatever it is, bring it to the Lord and watch Himwork it out for His glory and your good. He knows what He is doing, and you cantrust Him.
A man approached a littleleague baseball game one afternoon. He asked a boy in the dugout what the scorewas. The boy responded, Eighteen tonothing--we're behind.
Boy, said the spectator, Ill bet you're discouraged.
Why should I be discouraged? replied thelittle boy. We haven't even gotten up to batyet!_
It may appear that you are ina hopeless situation today. Thats merely how it appears! If you could see theLord today, you would see that He is just warming up. When He takes His turn atbat, everything will change.
1 http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/h/hope.htm_2 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hope?s=t_3 http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/h/hope.htm_4 IBID_
