SERMON ON John
11:1-44 March
13, 2005/Grace Lutheran
The Gospel of John is all about belief. I almost always suggest that those who are looking over the fence into Christianity or just beginning their faith life start by reading John. John tells stories about Jesus for one reason and one reason only. And he even tells us his reason for writing: In chapter 20, verses 30 and 31, the writer says, “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
The writer “John” makes that point very clear in today’s lesson. In fact, Jesus says it four times:
in verse 5 “‘This sickness [of Lazarus] will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.’”
in verse 15: “‘Lazarus is dead and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe.’”
in vv. 25-26: “Jesus said: ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.’”
and in v. 42: Jesus prays: “‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 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.’”
These events happened and this account was recorded so that those people who were there that day, and we here today, would believe that Jesus is the Son of God, sent to give eternal life to those who will receive it.
Back in chapter 10, I imagine that some of the onlookers were struggling to stifle yawns. Jesus is talking and talking and talking. “Yeah, well, we’ve heard about religion before,” they say to themselves. So, to get their attention and force the question, God does something astounding. He allows a man to die—to lie in his grave for four days—and then, with his words alone he brings the dead back to life. Jesus says, “Now, who’s yawning?” What happens forces a choice: either Jesus is some kind of deceiver (and the stories about him are some kind of lie) or Jesus is Lord and God.
So, the question today is the same as what Jesus asked his friend Martha: “Do you believe this?”
The point is—you either believe that Jesus is the Christ, your Lord---or you don’t. The book of John makes it very clear: If you want to believe, you will. On the other hand, if you are still enthroning your right to believe whatever you choose, your intellectual standards for proof, your authority over your own life—then Jesus will not be the Lord of your life. You are making the choice not to believe. The next time you read the Gospel of John, notice the relationship between “will” and “belief.” Over and over, in passage after passage, the writer tells us: God does not play favorites. He gives faith (the ability to believe) to whoever will receive it.
Therefore, the appropriate response to this Gospel text is very straightforward: accept God’s gift—believe in faith—trust in Jesus’ promise—hope for the present and the future—be grateful—and finally, rejoice!
But wait a minute—the story isn’t over. What happens after Lazarus comes out of his grave? Look at the last thing Jesus says: “[Then] the dead man came out [of his grave!], his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. [Then] Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’”
So we are standing there watching a man walk out of his grave! And right away, Jesus commands us to do something. Because the second message of this passage, and this sermon, is that belief is not merely a matter of mind—belief must occupy the body as well.
This is an issue for some of us in the crowd. We aren’t bored and unbelieving; we aren’t surprised at the miracle. Some in the crowd believed when they first saw Jesus coming. They knew even without the miracle that he is God. But some are still merely “believing bystanders,” just onlookers, sightsee-ers. Some of us are Christians only in our minds; we still haven’t taken up the task of unwrapping the dead.
So, what is Jesus
calling us to do? What does it mean to “unwrap the dead”?
Well, first of all, who are those who have been raised from death to life? (Be careful, it’s trick question.)
Look at Romans 4: 4-5, 11: “Therefore
we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as
Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too
might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will
certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. …So you also
must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” To whom is the writer speaking? To you, to me, to
Christians of his day, to Christians of all time.
To us who believe with our minds,
Jesus says, “Believe with your behavior.”
To all your brothers and sisters in Christ, who “were dead in trespasses
and the uncircumcision of [their] flesh, [whom] God made…alive together with him, when he forgave us
all [their] trespasses,” (Colossians
And what is it that
we see Jesus do in this Gospel lesson?
So, our heavenly
Father, in Christ Jesus, through the power of His Holy Spirit who lives within
and among us, makes it very clear what is required: namely, that we BELIEVE and BEHAVE as
followers of Jesus.
So I ask you what Jesus
asked Martha, the sister of Lazarus: “Do you believe?”
And I ask what Jesus
implied in his command to the bystanders: “Will you put your faith into action
today? Will you look to the needs of each
other, be present with compassion, pray with conviction, speak the words of
life. Will you take off the grave
clothes, and live?”
Copyright
© 2005 Pastor Beverly C. DeBord,
Publish by permission
only. Contact Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church