John 11:17-27

17 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 18 Bethany was only a few miles[d] down the road from Jerusalem, 19 and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” 23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” 25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”

It is here in the midst of the crisis that second we see:

2. The Comfort

As Jesus goes to Bethany, He is closing in on the cross and is less than 2 miles from Jerusalem. While He is aware of the cross and the coming pain he is focused on the plan. Many of us choose to focus on the problems and the pain and we miss God’s plan. Instead of focusing on a problem free life start seeing God’s plan for life. Now when it comes to comfort the first thing I want you to see is the:

1. Supporters

It’s in the sorrow of life that we can come alongside to console and comfort others. Sorrow provides an opportunity to serve and support. Instead of seeing sorrow as an obstacle and a problem we need to start seeing it as an opportunity to serve. Many of us miss opportunities to serve in the midst of sorrow because we focus on our comfort instead of our call. Nobody likes sorrow but it is a part of life and when you start viewing it as an opportunity to serve instead of making it about our comfort we make it about caring. Second we see the:

1. Sisters

Look how differently they responded to the Redeemer, when they heard that Jesus was coming, Martha went to meet Him while Mary stayed home. How different from the time before when Jesus showed up and Mary sat at His feet while Martha was too caught up to take the time. It is here that we see their different personalities, which respond differently depending on the situation. The let’s get down to business type A personalities, can get so caught up in the job that they miss Jesus. While type B personalities are more driven by being than with business. But notice when you change the situation, from Jesus coming to dinner to Jesus coming because of death, there is a flip in response. Now its Mary who misses out and Martha who meets with Jesus. I believe many pastors have done a great disservice to Luke 10:38-42 where we find Mary sitting at the Saviors feet while Martha gets worked up and worried. Unfortunately what many have communicated is that we need to be more like Mary. We have used this passage to praise one personality while putting down another. So why don’t we come to John 11 and tell Type B personalities off? The truth is every strength has a backside weakness. There are positives and problems to every personality. It’s here that we see Martha’s type A business personality shine as she seeks the Savior, while Mary’s Type B more contemplative personality gets caught up in the sorrow and misses the Savior. The point is it’s not about changing your personality or trying to be more like a Mary or a Martha, it’s about being aware of your weaknesses, and being on guard so you don’t miss God. I can get so busy that I don’t take time to be, but some get so busy being that they don’t get busy with business. Sometimes we need to slow down and sit on the couch with Christ, but there are also times when we need to get busy and get off the couch so we don’t miss Christ. Every personality has weaknesses where they are prone to miss the Messiah. One got caught up in the dishes the other in distress. One got caught up in making sure everything was good the other in grief. We need to be careful that we don’t praise one personality while poisoning another. We need to guard ourselves against responding solely based on our personality and preference. Here is the point regardless of your present situation or your personality you need to pursue Christ because it’s not about your personality but His presence. As Martha comes to Christ her first statement reveals the roller coaster of belief that many of us go through. She starts with blaming and ends with believing. This is not the first time Martha has complained to Christ, she complained over her sister and now her brother. There are lots of things we could complain about but here is the greater question, are we going to spend our time complaining or communing with Christ? Now I want you to notice that Jesus didn’t chastise her for complaining He comforted her and gave her hope. In her pain he reminded her of His power. Because our pain can distort our perspective and prevent us from seeing God’s power and what is really possible. Instead of resting in his power and having peace we become restless in the pain and resentful. Look at how Jesus answered Martha’s agony, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.” Jesus said, “I AM” – these are the words that God used to reveal His identity when Moses asked for words to reassure the people that he was truly sent from God. The words “I Am” mean “the one who is, was and always will be.” This was a direct statement of Jesus deity, he was reassuring Martha that He was indeed God in the flesh. Jesus didn’t just give her an answer he said I am the answer! Jesus then turned to Martha and asked not only a pointed question but a personal one: “Do you believe this?” He didn’t ask her how she felt; he asked her if she believed. It’s not based on feeling it’s based on faith. I love what the Apostle Paul says of his own life and faith in 2 Timothy 1:12, “… I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” Martha revealed that she did believe in Jesus. In the midst of the crisis she has the courage to believe Jesus, but what about you, do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe that Jesus is the Resurrection and the life? Do you believe that Jesus is the way (the only way) to eternal life? The Answer wasn’t just for Martha, Jesus also wanted to speak to Mary, so he sent Martha as the messenger. Sometimes God using mourning as the vehicle to bring us His message. It’s here that we see Martha go from sorrow to serving. When we come to Him we find hope and healing, and our despair is replaced with direction. As believers we don’t have to be stuck in the sadness, because Jesus is greater than any situation or struggle. Because of Him we can go from hopeless to helping. But when we get caught up in the things of life we tend to miss the Lord. Martha got caught up in making the house look good Mary got caught up in grief, not bad things just not God things. Christ wants to comfort us but we have to come to Him. So what is it that is keeping you from coming to Christ?

John 11:1-16

A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. 2 This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. 3 So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” 4 But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” 5 So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, 6 he stayed where he was for the next two days. 7 Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.” 8 But his disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again?” 9 Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. 10 But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.” 11 Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.” 12 The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” 13 They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. 14 So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.” 16 Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.”

As we have been journeying to the cross with Jesus we have seen Him cross paths with one who was blind and another who was bound up in his belongings. Today as we continue to journey with Jesus we will see one who was buried. You see the first man went from seeking to sight, the second went from seeking to sorrow, and today we see those who go from sorrow to serving.  The story in John 11 starts with a:

1. Crisis vs 1-3

Many of us get mad at God when we have to go through challenging times. Especially when those challenges involve the loss of a loved one. But challenges are an opportunity for us to call out to the Lord and lean on Him. What we all want is to pursue a problem-free life but that’s just not realistic. In this life, we will have problems and it’s here that we learn our first valuable lesson, bring your crisis to Christ. Mary and Martha took their problem to Jesus. What about you who are you taking your problems to? Are you taking your cares to Christ? Many of us are running to people instead of the provider, looking for a feel good instead of looking to God the Father? But it’s here that we discover the second truth, not only are we to petition God but we are to be patient with our petitions. Because it’s here in the midst of the crisis that we discover a:

1. Delay – Vs 4-6

How do you respond when your desires meet with delay? Delays can cause us to question God’s love instead of lean on His love. But we need to remember that when God lingers it doesn’t lessen His love. The challenge is that we live in an instant gratification culture, so instead of waiting, we tend to whine. Not only does waiting tend to lead to whining but delays often lead to demanding. Instead of resting we become restless and often resentful. Instead of waiting we worry which leads to us trying instead of trusting. Do you treasure God’s timing? God has gracious intentions even in seeming delays. Sometimes what seems like procrastination is actually preparation. Jesus was preparing them to experience God’s glory and sometimes we have to go through the groaning to get to the glory. Are you willing to let God use your pain to proclaim His power? Why do Saints suffer, sometimes so others can see the Savior. Are you willing to let God use your wounds to witness to a watching world? Are you going to trust His timing or throw a temper tantrum? Sometimes we want a solution to our suffering more than we want the Savior. But it’s in our pain that we see God’s promises and power. It’s here that we see the third truth not only do we need to petition Jesus and be patient but we need a proper perspective on:

1. Death Vs 11-16

Even the sickness that leads to death does not separate the saved from the Savior. Jesus refers to the death of a believer as sleep, making it more familiar and less formidable. The picture He paints is not one of problems but one of profit. Because when Jesus compares being buried with going to bed, unless you’re a child you look forward to bedtime, because in sleep we get to rest from our labor. We don’t have to fear death instead we can see it as favorable. But don’t miss the real:

1. Danger Vs 7-16

Jesus is the one who takes the risk so we can rest. The people of Judea want to kill Jesus and when the disciples focus on the danger they start telling Jesus what to do. Fear often causes us to follow our plans, not the Fathers. The disciples were basing their decisions on the obstacles not on obedience. It’s interesting to note the differing perceptions here between the sisters Mary and Martha and the disciples. Mary and Martha’s perspective was that Jesus didn’t come soon enough, where the disciples felt that he was going too soon. Who was right? Neither, it’s not about our timing it’s about His. Because the disciples focus on the danger and not the deity their plan involved avoiding the perceived problem and not do anything. What about you, are you going to play it safe and stay back or go with the Savior? It is here that Thomas the one who is so often criticized because he later doubted speaks up, remember these are His first recorded words. Thomas says that he would rather suffer with the Savior than play it safe without the Savior. This is the crossroads of conviction, am I going to walk with Jesus into the war or play it safe and sit on the sidelines? Am I going to follow my feelings or follow the Savior? What about you, are you going to seek safety or serve the Savior? You are going to spend your life on something, so why not spend it serving the Savior? When we live for the Lord we never lose, but when we sit on the sidelines and play it safe we squander our lives. You are either going to be a fair-weather follower or a faithful one. Thomas conviction challenged the other Christians to stop being cowards and start being courageous. Are you going to be a courageous Christian and follow Jesus even when it’s not popular, or are you going to be a coward so that you can feel comfortable and safe? Most Christians today are following fear because they are focused on the obstacles instead of the opportunities. While the rest of the disciples were making decisions based on the culture Thomas had the courage to look to Christ. Where are you at in your walk, are you following Christ courageously or cowering to the culture?