JOHN 11 PART 1, WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR IN LIFE.

John 11 Part 1

We Have Nothing to Fear in Life.

What To Do When Someone or Something Dies?

A long time ago I heard a preacher pose this question. His answer was “You Resurrect it!!” Jesus conquered death, hell and the grave. Sometimes resurrecting whatever or whoever died is the appropriate response. With no fear of death we realize we have absolutely nothing to fear in life.

Matthew 10:7   And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

8   Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

We see Jesus demonstrating this instruction to raise the dead in a very dramatic, faith building way, in the first part John 11. I suggest you take a few minutes and read the first 40 verses of this chapter to get an overview the sequence of events. We’ll be studying a very significant aspect of His power and character. Nothing is impossible with God.

Have you ever been so sick that you thought you would die? I came very close to death several times in my life but not until afterward did I ever think I was going to die. I won’t get into the many close calls from before I was saved and full of “youthful indiscretions.” Suffice it to say I cheated death and was rescued by angels before I knew about anything spiritual. There have been times since I surrendered to Jesus, in 1971, that even when I was in severe pain, my only thought was getting out of pain and crying out to God for relief. I had a heart attack in 2009 and found out later that I was within 3 hours dying. If my daughter hadn’t insisted that they take me to the hospital I would have died. When complications from the open heart surgery, and bad reactions to the medications given to me, brought me close again a few times, the thought that I could die never crossed my mind. Again and again I found out later how close I had come to eternity. No doubt God had His hand on my life, as He does on yours and had on Lazarus.

Jesus had a close personal relationship with Mary, Martha and their brother Lazarus. They were like family to Him, part of His inner circle. They knew they could contact Him if there was a problem. For so many believers, asking Jesus for help, or at least other believers for prayer, is so often a last resort. I’ve learned of situations where people get out of the hospital, so angry at the pastor for not coming to visit them they’re ready to leave the church. The pastor would have been glad to go see them but nobody called him to let him know that person was in the hospital. The Bible instructs us:

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James 5:14   Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

15   And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

16   Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Mary and Martha did just that. But Jesus didn’t respond immediately; He had something greater to do for them than an immediate response would have facilitated.

John 11:3   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.”

Now you would think Jesus would head out right away but instead He interjects a teaching moment. After two days He sets up the disciples up for a priority check.

John 11:7   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.”

Earlier He said,

John 9:4   I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. [KJV]

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Jesus did not share the disciples’ fear of returning to Judea. He had His mission to complete and a prophetic timetable to stay on. He was the light of the world and explained his actions relative to that timetable. He had to fulfill prophecies and teach more things before the night of His arrest would come. We need to share His sense of urgency and God’s perfect timing.

An important principle the disciples needed to grasp was the difference between carnal thinking and the infinite wisdom of the Father. These next verses probably blew their minds.

John 11: 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.”

Can you picture the question mark on their faces when he spoke verse 15?

Carnal thinking could not figure out what Jesus was talking about. They thought they really believed and were confronted with a challenge to that thought by the Master. Do you think they had any idea that Lazarus was going to come walking out of the grave? What would you think if you didn’t know the story already?

Romans 8:6   For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

To help you understand the scene Jesus was walking into in next verses, especially verse 19 below, let me tell you that there are those in traditional Jewish society who are excellent mourners. They show up during the period of time after someone is buried when the family is at home “sitting shivah.” I can tell you first hand that when they see a family member regaining composure, drying their tears, they come over and get them crying again.

John 11:17   When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days.

19   and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss.

Martha never lost faith, even when her brother died. When Jesus got there she spoke in words reflecting her confidence beyond what her intellect grasped.

John 11:20   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.” (Emphasis added).

Jesus responds to her with words that show us What Make Him Tick.

John 11:23   Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24   “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.”

Her reaction is a blessing that shows part of what Jesus was after in verse 15 above. Then we see her sister Mary’s different attitude

John 11:32   When Mary came [to the place] where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33   When Jesus saw her sobbing, and the Jews who had come with her also sobbing, He was deeply moved in spirit [to the point of anger at the sorrow caused by death] and was troubled,

34   and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said, “Lord, come and see.”

35   Jesus wept. [AMP]

Now the stage is set for the miracle.

John 11:38   Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”

Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

40   Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”

41   Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

42   And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.”

43   Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!”

44   And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” [AMP]

Jesus had promised the disciples,

15   And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.”

Any unbelief in anyone there was shattered. Now they saw a man that was in the grave for four days get up and hobble out in obedience to Jesus telling him to come out. Jesus so often used miracles to demonstrate the love of God to people. He always wants people to turn from unbelief, turn from their sins and be saved. Here we see that He has the power over death, so what are you worried about?

Prayer: Father help us to see things with the eye of faith, to look beyond the natural circumstances and see life from Your perspective. Help us to respond to things in a way that reflects You, Your love, Your wisdom, Your peace and grace. Your power and love is so great that it is not even limited by natural death. With no fear of death we realize we have absolutely nothing to fear in life.