Death, Do You Fear It?

Christ Jesus Loved Lazarus

On a difficult Sunday evening some twenty years ago, Kenneth O. Gangel found himself locked in a bitter public debate with Madeline O'Hare on a live television broadcast in Miami, Florida. The debate lasted for ninety minutes and was played by no rules other than those the two hostesses made up as they went along. In the original plan, they were to talk about thirty minutes and then take calls. But the program director decided that the repartee was sufficient in itself and calls were not necessary. Before this decision, however, two or three calls did come in. One caller asked Mrs. O'Hare, “In the view of atheism, what happens when I die?”

You can imagine the response. Though Mr. Gangel did not recall the exact words, Mrs. O'Hare indicated that death presented the absolute end of any existence and the caller need not pay any attention to Christian nonsense about life after death. You can imagine the response of Mr. Gangel, who pushed in at some point where his adversary had to take a breath (the pattern for most of the evening). Mr. Gangel affirmed the centrality of resurrection in the message of the gospel and the hope of eternal life with Christ so repeatedly promised in the Scripture. This is precisely the centerpiece of John, chapter 11.

We do not always understand what God is saying or what He is doing. And the most critical point of misunderstanding centers in what God has to say about death. Yet this very point separates Christianity from all other religions and exalts God above every pretender. If you miss His truth about life and death, you miss everything. 

John 11:1-15
11:1 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."

4 When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." 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.

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?"

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." 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, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." 

 

1. Death of Lazarus (vs. 14)

In our study of John you have seen how John chose to record at least seven miracles that prove that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. 

In the first six miracles you can see that Christ Jesus has power over the physical aspects of life, including the human body, the natural elements, time and space, and even food and drink. In each case Christ Jesus did not perform the miracle to bring attention to Himself, but instead to point people to God and His kingdom. 

While the miracle was manifested in the physical realm it was to bring mankind to a deeper spiritual awareness.

Death, contrary to popular belief it is not a natural extension of life. Whoa, Bro. Orden what did you just say? I said, “Contrary to popular belief death is not a natural extension of life.” If there is an appointed time for everyone to die (Hebrew 9:27), how can I say this? Many psychologists an thanatologists would argue this point today. But death is not natural, it is an enemy, created as a result of sin in the garden. 

Remember that when God created man and woman they had not yet experienced sin, and as such there was no death in the garden. It was not until Eve and Adam ate the forbidden fruit that sin entered the garden and the world. And it was at that moment that death entered the world (Romans 6:23). There was one destine to die before the beginning of time, Christ Jesus would face death and defeat it once and for all so that you can live forever.

This brings us to Christ Jesus and Lazarus.

2. Christ Jesus Loved Lazarus (vs. 1-3)

There is an intimate tenderness in the announcement brought to Christ Jesus that Lazarus, “he whom You love,” is sick (v. 3). 

Here in verse 3 John used the common form of love phileo (fil-eh'-o) - to be a friend to; to describe the love between Lazarus and Christ Jesus. Later in verse 5 John used agapao (aga-pah'-o) – to love much; to describe the love between Christ Jesus and Lazarus.  

According to the account in Luke 10:38–42 Christ Jesus had enjoyed the hospitality of this home and during that final, costly week it became His place of retreat (Matt. 21:17; Mark 11:11–12). We are made keenly aware here of the precious gift these three loving friends were to Christ Jesus.

Because we live in a fallen world even as Christ followers we to experience pain and suffering. We see an example of this in verses 3-6.

3. Lazarus Was Sick Unto Death (vs. 3-6)

If Christ Jesus loved this family so dearly, how strange that He would stay where He was for two more days, unhurried and seemingly unconcerned. It was a long walk from where Christ Jesus was, beyond the Jordan to Bethany; a day's journey or better. 

More than likely Lazarus was already dead by the time the messenger reached Him. Maybe Christ Jesus was waiting for a divine signal when to go to Lazarus? Maybe Christ Jesus knew that His work in Bethany done in His own time would bring greater glory to His Father than if He hurried off to Bethany immediately.

What ever His reason Christ Jesus let the servant and the disciples know that Lazarus' sickness would not end in death and that it would it would be for the glory of God. But what could Christ Jesus possibly mean here in verses 4? Lazarus was more than likely already dead and had been so for about two days.

So if Lazarus was dead and Christ Jesus had misspoken Himself, then how could God be glorified? How could He be the Messiah?

Christ Jesus staying two days longer was not through lack of love for this distressed family, but merely that He might have a more favorable opportunity of proving to them how much he loved (aga-pah'-o) them. 

Christ Jesus never settles for a lesser blessing when He can bestow a greater one. God's delays in answering your prayers offered in distress, is often proof of His purpose to bestow some great kindness on you. It maybe that in His wisdom God finds it necessary to permit an increase of the affliction, so that His goodness may be more attention-getting in its removal.

 I know that to the non-believer or maybe even to the believer, who has gone through or is going through a hard time; this may sound like a pat answer or a Christian cop-out. But God's Word says:

"For God so (aga-pah'-o) loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). 

Because of this, We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Rom. 8:28). 

Why? Listen to Christ Jesus' answer, I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10). 

I guess the question this morning is will you take Christ Jesus at His Word?

4. It's Time To Go (vs. 7-10)

Christ Jesus never brings His people into any danger except that He goes with them in it. Christ Jesus and disciples started back to Bethany, located in Judea. Jerusalem is in Judea, the Pharisees were in Jerusalem and the Pharisees wanted to kill Christ Jesus. Unbelieving Judea, which would become the place of Christ Jesus' suffering and death. It was no wonder Christ Jesus' disciples, who were now calling Him “Rabbi,” recall the last attempt of the Jews to stone Him and ask if He really is planning to go there again.

But there is an appointed time, the twelve hours of daylight, when work is to be done. This is a time when a person does not stumble because the sun is shining. When darkness comes no work will be done. 

Christ Jesus would finish the mission the Father had given Him during His appointed time before the darkness of opposition closes in! He knew what He had to do and what God’s timetable was. And no one could change that agenda.

It has been said, “Wise is person who know that they have their own day of opportunity, a time for God’s work. Night will come when they can no longer work.” Brothers and sisters your daylight is now, but by the looks of things it is waning quickly. Will you be about the work of the Lord while it's still daylight? 

If you don't know Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour you are still stumbling in the darkness. Follow the call of the Holy Spirit this morning and He will lead you safely out of the darkness (death) into the light (life).

5. Lazarus Is Asleep (vs. 11-15)

“Sleep” was a common metaphor for death in Jewish texts and throughout the ancient world (Greek myth even portrayed Sleep and Death as twin brothers). 

Christ Jesus here speaks of Lazarus' death as sleep, after all physical death is merely an incident in the presence of the One who is Life. 

Christians who die are not gone; their bodies are just temporarily asleep until Christ Jesus comes and wakes them up. And make no mistakes about it the Lord is coming back one day and waking up all who have fallen asleep believing in Him. 

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thess 4:13-18

The disciples, still so earthbound, misunderstand and thought that Christ Jesus was speaking of that healing sleep which comes after the crisis and fever have passed. Lazarus would then become well. Would this not make the trip to Judea unnecessary?

Now Christ Jesus bluntly states the simple fact, “Lazarus is dead” (v. 14). He was “glad,” not that Lazarus had died, but for the sake of His disciples whose faith would be strengthened when they saw God’s power manifested through His action. Now the time had come. “Let us go” (v. 15). They were not going to view a lifeless body; Christ Jesus said they were going “to him.” They were going to Lazarus so that Christ Jesus could “wake him up”. 
  

Conclusion: Death, many fear it. Some say it is the end of existence, and some say you move to a higher plane of existence. I say to you that death is not to be feared if you are a Christ Follower. For the follower of Christ Jesus, our bodies will sleep for a while and then Christ Jesus will come and wake us up. Not only that, He will take us to live with Him in a real place called heaven forever, guaranteed.

For the person who does not know Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour I'm afraid it's a different story. Death is something to fear. When you step into eternity without Christ, you are stepping into an eternity of darkness, and worse – eternal separation from God.