April 7, 2003
LifeWay Family Bible Series for April 20
Christ's call to life demands a response
___John 11:1-4, 21-27, 38-40, 43-44
___By Tim Owens
___First Baptist Church, Bryan
___John 11 contains one of the most incredible stories--the raising of Lazarus from the dead. There are many different ways one can deal with this miraculous sign from the life of Jesus.
___One study that unfolds the richness of this passage is to focus on the responses of the crowd to this amazing event. After all, it is not every day that people see a dead man walk out of a tomb. It is the reactions of the people to this miracle that present some timeless lessons.
___Jesus had been ministering elsewhere when word came to him that Lazarus had died. Mary and Martha had sent word to him that their brother was sick, but by the time Jesus arrived Lazarus had died. It seems Martha was somewhat bitter that Jesus had not come immediately when he learned about the condition of Lazarus. Martha believed that if Jesus had arrived on time, her brother would not have died. She did not understand why he was allowed to die.
___It is in this context that Jesus spoke those magnificent words to Martha: "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" (John 11:25,26). Martha's inner response might have been, "Listen, in the midst of my pain and grief, I don't need a theological dissertation."
___Jesus asked where Lazarus was laid. He went to the tomb and in a loud voice cried out, "Lazarus, come out!" Everyone must have held their breath. This man, who had been dead four days, stepped out of the tomb alive. What an amazing story.
___The first response given by the crowd was one of resistance. There were some who did not want Lazarus back alive. They despised both Jesus and any good thing Jesus might bring. One might think it was the agnostics who felt that way. However, it was not the irreligious who felt that way, but the religious people.
___One might ask, "How could anybody be resistant to this event?" The fact is sometimes Jesus is a threat to those who are comfortably religious. Jesus has a way of breaking into comfort zones and bringing discomfort. The hymn writer said, "Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to thee." Religious people often want to say, "Take my life and let it be" period.
___The straight-laced Pharisees and the rationalizing Saducees became strange partners over this event in the life of Jesus. Theologically they were poles apart, but their hatred for Jesus brought them together. They consulted with each other over the question of what to do with Jesus.
___From the discussions emerged Caiaphas, a politician at his worst. He was brief and to the point when he said: "You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish" (John 11:49,50). While Caiaphas had no idea what he was saying, John used his entire gospel to explain this one statement, "It is better for one man to die than that all the people perish." This statement became a testimony of light and hope to a dark, dead world--for Jesus indeed died not only for a nation, but for the whole world.
___The second response given by the crowd was one of indifference. A huge crowd witnessed this miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. Many people believed on Jesus, but not everyone was impressed. Jesus cried out with a loud voice, not so that Lazarus, the dead man, would hear him. He cried with a loud voice in order so the people would not mistake that this was a miracle of God. Jesus cried out with a loud voice so the claim he made to be the resurrection and the life could, in fact, be validated by the miracle. Yet there were some who did not believe, and therefore they became indifferent.
___It is good for God's people to stop and evaluate where they are with Christ. Perhaps there was a time when love for Christ was the sole motivation of life and a daily, obedient walk with God was the passion of life. Over the years, however, with all the responsibilities and circumstances of life, love and passion have almost died. Yet there is a voice that can awaken the dead. That voice cries out, "Lazarus, Mary, John, Martha, come forth!" The voice of Jesus is still calling men and women from living death to newness of life.
___The third response given by some in the crowd was one of commitment. Jesus had taken his disciples quite a distance from Jerusalem. They went for a quiet retreat to a place where they would be able to refresh their souls. It was in that context that the message reached him that Lazarus had died. This prompted Jesus to leave the safety of the countryside and go back to Jerusalem.
___The disciples did not want him to go; they knew that in Jerusalem death awaited him. It looked for a moment that Jesus might have to walk to Jerusalem alone, but one of the disciples stepped forward and said, "Let us also go, that we may die with him" (John 11: 16).
___May the response of God's people be one of total commitment--"Lord, because You truly are the resurrection and the life, we will go with you, even if it means death."
___Question for discussion
___
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