The Gospel accounts tell of a glorious morning. That day, the disciples discovered the empty tomb, realizing that Jesus had been raised from the dead. But just prior to this event, Jesus had raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. From that account, we can see why the resurrection of Jesus is so relevant for us today. Stay with us.
From Chicago, this is The Moody Church Hour, a weekly broadcast of worship and teaching with Pastor Philip Miller. Today, another in a long series of messages from the Gospel of John, a series we're calling Loved by Jesus. Our focus, the resurrection. Here now is Pastor Philip, along with worship leader Tim Stafford and Executive Pastor Bill Birchie.
Well good morning everybody and welcome to The Moody Church. We're so glad you're joining us today whether you're here in the room or joining us online or by radio. We're so grateful you've made us a part of your worship time today. And we are going to celebrate Jesus, the resurrection and the life. One of the most beautiful stories in the Gospel of John as Jesus raises his good friend Lazarus to resurrection life.
It's beautiful, and it gives us each hope because Jesus is not just the resurrection and the life in the past, he is our resurrection. And life as well. And so, as we begin this service, would you join me in prayer as we begin? Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you.
that Jesus has conquered death. that he has defeated the grave. and that our future is secure in Him. He is our resurrection and the life. And if that's true, then everything changes in our lives and for eternity.
So help us to understand that more today. As we worship you and turn to your word, help us. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. The grace of God has reached for me and pulled me from the raging sea and I am safe on this solid ground.
The Lord is my salvation. I will not fear when darkness falls. His strength will help me save these walls. I'll see the dawn or the rising sun. The Lord is my salvation.
Who is thy Lord and our love, strong to save, faithful in love? My death is great and I'll pay you one. The Lord is my salvation. My hope is hidden in the Lord. He flows his promise all his words.
When winter fails, I know spring will come. The Lord is my salvation in times of waiting times. Of me when I know lost, when I am weak, I know His grace. The Lord is my salvation to save Hainfall in love. My dead is brave in the magic one.
The Lord is my salvation. And when I reach my final day, He will not leave. Leave me in the grave, but I will rise, He will call me home. The Lord is my salvation, Good is my Lord our God.
So do save faith all in love. My faith is faith in the middle dream one. The Lord is my salvation. Glory be to God, the Father. Glory be to God, the Son, glory be to The Spirit The Lord is our salvation.
Glory be to God, the Father, glory be to God, the Son. Glory be to God, the Spirit, the Lord is our salvation, the Lord is our salvation, the Lord is our salvation. Buried in me my shame Who could carry that kind of weight? It was my dream till I met you I was breathing the night alive All my failures I tried to hide It was my dream till I met you You called my name And I ran out of that grave Out of the darkness, into your glorious name, you call my name and I ran out of that grave out of the darkness into your glorious name.
Now your mercy has saved my soul.
Now your freedom is all that I know. The old man knew, Jesus, when I met you, you called my name. And I ran out of that grave out of the darkness into your glorious day. You called my name, and I ran out of that grave out of the darkness into your glorious day. I needed rescue, my sin was heavy.
But chains break at the weight of your glory. I needed shelter, I was an orphan.
Now you call me a citizen of heaven. When I was broken, you were my hero.
Now, your love is the air that I'm breathing. I have a future, my eyes are open. Cause when you call my name, I'm red out of that grave out of the darkness into your glorious name. You call my name, and I'm led out of that grave. Out of the darkness, into your glorious name out of the darkness, into your glorious name.
I can take the home because He lives all spirit because I want He wants us to live just because He's Him, redefining. We will glorify the King of Kings, we will glorify the Lamb, we will glorify the Lord of Lord, who is the great high hand. Lord Jehovah reigns in majesty, we will bow before his throne. We will worship Him in righteousness, we will worship Him the Lord. He is Lord of heaven, Lord of earth, He is Lord of all who live.
He is Lord above universal. All praise to Him we give. Hallelujah to the King of Peace. Hallelujah to the Lamb. Hallelujah to the Lord of Lord.
Who is the great I am? Hallelujah to the King of Peace. Hallelujah to the Lamb. Hallelujah to the Lord of Lord. Who is the great I am?
Amen. Doesn't singing praise to the Lord like this just make all of the temporal problems we have seem like nothing? What a wonderful place to be. Thank you for being here in person and online. Let's pray.
Our Father, this is what we were created for: to give glory and honor to you through your Son Jesus. And when we sing together like this, when we hear the voices of our brothers and sisters around us. whose lives have been changed by the gospel, sing praise to your name. We are reminded of that truth. There's nothing more important.
You are beautiful, you are glorious, you are holy. You are loving. You are kind and patient. And we need you. We need you.
above all, and we thank you. That you're with us in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Please be seated.
Jesus Christ the living joy He came down to earth from heaven for his God as Lord of all. Grand was a stable and his great voice us all. Help for thee thy glory, and all our Savior holy Jesus, our traveled pattern. Day by day, my gods grew. He was little weak and helpless.
Tears and smiles like us he knew and he filled with for our sadness and share within our gladness Our eyes and shall see him in his life for that shall so dear and gentle is our glory. And he lives his children on the place when he is glad in the power of Jesus' name, let angels prosper and fall. Bring forth the Lord tired again, and proud Him. Bring forth the Lord tired again and proud Him. Gloria, we found the sacred throne, we all is free and war.
We'll join the everlasting song, and thou halt will join the ever sing song, and proud singing. What we're going to do is we're going to look at an event that took place just a couple weeks before Jesus' own resurrection, and that is when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Uh this account Undergirds. and anticipates and foreshadows what will happen with Jesus. Jesus shows us the significance of his own resurrection ahead of time by raising his friend Lazarus.
From the grave. And so we're going to be today in John chapter 11. We're going to look at verses 20 to 28 and 32 to 44. If you would grab your Bibles and open them up to John chapter 11, that would be great. If you didn't bring a Bible and would like to use the blue Pew Bible there, you can find today's reading on page 897.
Yeah.
Now just by way of background as we get started here, Lazarus lived in a town called Bethany, which is just a couple miles from Jerusalem. He lived there with his two sisters, Martha and Mary, and these three were good friends of Jesus. Lazarus had contracted a deadly illness And so his sisters sent for Jesus because he was a healer. But by the time Jesus had arrived, Lazarus had. had died.
In fact, he had been dead for four days. and everyone believed that all hope was lost. But friends, hope is never lost. When Jesus is your friend. Amen?
So let's listen in now to this very tender, honest story in John chapter 11. Let's bow our heads and ask the Lord to be our teacher as we turn to God's Word. Heavenly Father, we ask now that you would show us Jesus. in all of his power, his love, and his resurrection strength. As we see it through the eyes of this family devastated by loss.
We pray this in Jesus' beautiful name. Amen. Amen. John chapter 11, verse 20.
So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you. Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.
And Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? Martha said to him, Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.
When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, The teacher is here and is calling for you. I skip down to verse 32.
Now, when Mary came to 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. When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, Where have you laid him? They said to him, Lord. Come and see.
Jesus wept.
So the Jews said, See how he loved him? But some of them said, Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man? from dying. Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave and a stone lay against it.
Jesus said, take away the stone. Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he's been dead four days. Jesus said to her, Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?
So they took away the stone. Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me. When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out. And the man who had died came out.
His hands and feet bound with linen strips and his face wrapped with a cloth. And Jesus said to them, Unbind him and let him go. Thanks be to the Lord for the reading of his word.
Now, I don't know about you, but this scene is so gripping, it's moving to my heart. It's almost impossible to read it and not be moved. And at the very center of this account is a statement that Jesus makes. It's in verses 25 and 26. I am the resurrection and the life.
Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never Die. And this statement has really three phrases in it. And what I want to do this morning is tackle that central statement in each of those three phrases in turn. And what we're going to see is the resurrection that is near.
That is there. And that is here. The resurrection near, the resurrection there, and the resurrection here. And this statement is the key to understanding how Lazarus was able to walk out of his grave. It's the key to understanding how Jesus was able to walk out of his grave a couple weeks later.
And it is the key to understanding how you and I can walk out of our graves. as well.
So let's go. First, the resurrection near. Jesus opens this phrase saying, I am the resurrection and the life. I am the resurrection. and the life.
Now Jesus' statement is not, I have the power of the resurrection and the life. Nor is it, I can give you the resurrection and the life, or I have the keys to the resurrection. And the life, although all of those things would be true. What he says is: I am the resurrection and the life. Which means that Jesus himself, Jesus is the key to resurrection life.
Jesus is the key to resurrection life. Jesus is the epicenter of resurrection life, if you will. We think of like an earthquake, right? All the power radiates from a central point, the epicenter, and of course it's very destructive and tears everything apart. But what Jesus is saying here is, I am the epicenter of life.
I have life in myself, and it is like seismic waves pulsating from my being, not in destruction, but in life-giving power. That's the picture here. I am the resurrection and the life, and I have come near to you now. I am right here. In space and time, the embodiment of resurrection life.
And I am standing right here with you. You. Ha ha ha ha ha. This is an utterly audacious statement, isn't it? I mean, who says this?
It would be one thing if Jesus said, I can give you the principles. I'll teach you the principles so that you can live a resurrected life. But that's not what he says. He says, I am the resurrection. I am the resurrection.
the life. Frenzy. You have to do something with this Jesus. Either he's raving mad. or he's lying through his teeth.
Or he is, in fact, who he says he is. Yes. I am the resurrection and the life, and I am come near to you. Today. Martha and Mary called for a healer.
what they never expected. was the resurrection. and the life.
The resurrection. is near. Secondly, The resurrection there. Jesus says in the second phrase, whoever believes in me, though he die, Yet shall he live. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.
Live. Do you see this phrase? Whoever believes in me. Though he die past tense, yet shall he Live future Test. Jesus is saying, For those who believe in him, listen.
There is life beyond death. There is life beyond death. That Jesus is the key to resurrection life beyond death. Death. Jesus is the key to resurrection life beyond Death.
Remember what Jesus told Martha in the conversation in verse 23? He said, Your brother will live again, he will rise again. And Martha responded, verse 24, I know he will rise again on the last day. the resurrection of the last day. See, Martha understands her Bible.
She knows her Bible well. That people were made for eternity. that we were never meant to die.
So God had promised at the end of time that he would resurrect everyone who had ever died and some would live in eternal life and relationship with God forever and others would be raised for judgment far from his presence. Forever. And Martha thinks that when Jesus says, your brother will rise again, He's talking about that ultimate final resurrection on the very last day. But Jesus, of course, has more immediate plans, doesn't he? And I love the heart of Jesus that we see in this passage.
In verse 33, It says Jesus was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, where have you laid him? And they said to him, Lord, come and see. And then the shortest verse in all the Bible. Jesus.
wept.
Now this is amazing to me, friends. Jesus already knows what he's about to do, doesn't he? He knows he's going to raise Lazarus from the dead. But instead of rushing past the sorrow, that he's about to turn to joy. He enters into the pain and agony of the moment.
He feels it all the way down. Jesus Wept. And friends, this is so very different than the way that we tend to deal with death in our culture, isn't it? As far as I can tell, we have basically two strategies here in the West to deal with the reality of death. The first thing is we deny it.
We deny it. We ignore death, we don't like to talk about it, we don't like to think about it. We change the subject, we look away. We are profoundly uncomfortable and embarrassed by death, aren't we?
Some of you are uncomfortable right now because I'm bringing it up. And psychologists tell us that the more we deny a fear, the more it has control over our lives, right? This is not healthy. The second way we try to deal with death is we sentimentalize it. We say, well, you know, death is just a natural part of life.
It's just a drop of water slipping back into the big ocean. The people that have gone on are like stars watching over us. You know, they'll always be a part of us. They'll live forever in our hearts. But, friends, the Bible doesn't do either of these things.
It doesn't deny death and it doesn't sentimentalize death.
Now the Bible is utterly honest about the reality of death. Here's the Bible's view of death: three pieces to it. Number one, it's an enemy. Death is an enemy. Notice how Jesus responds here.
In verse 33 and 38, he is deeply moved, right? That's what it says. It's literally in the Greek, he is indignant or he is angry. It's the idea of like a sorrowful rage. He's bellowing mad at death here.
In verse 35, it says, Jesus wept. Not a little opre tear, no. He bawled his guts out. Body convulsing weeping. Why?
Because death is an enemy. And deep down you and I know that's true. We know that death is a horrific, twisting, dehumanizing, monstrous thing. Our very being recoils at its presence. Because we know What the Bible says, the second thing the Bible says, is that Death is unnatural.
Death is unnatural. The Bible tells us we were never meant to face Death. God made us to live forever. And death is an unnatural parasite. Sapping life and goodness from this world.
This is not the way it's meant. to be. which is why Jesus is angry. It's why he weeps. It's because death is leaving fang marks on his friends.
And Jesus grits his teeth and says, this ends now. Because the third thing the Bible tells us about death. is that it's defeated. It's defeating. Jesus went to the cross.
to die for the sins of the world. To defeat Satan and to put death to death forever. The Bible promises that one day Jesus will renew this universe and death shall be no more. Revelation 21 verses 3 to 5 say this: Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more. For the former things have passed away. Behold, I am making all things new.
So when Jesus says, I am the resurrection and the life, whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. He is saying that the key to life beyond death, to the resurrection out there. is available to us when we believe in Him. When we trust in Him, when we place all of our hopes in Him, the future resurrection out there can become ours in Jesus' name. Christ.
Now this is amazing. What Jesus is about to do is take a little bit of that Resurrection at the end of time and drag it back into the present and enact it in the raising of the person of Lazarus. The resurrection in the life that has come near in the person of Jesus, the one that is promised one day out there, he will drag back and deliver here and now. This is the resurrection here. Right in the middle of time.
Watch what happens. Jesus wipes his tears, he prays to his father. And then this Jesus. who is resurrection life himself. Who offers resurrection life at the end of time, who bellows and rages against death?
He looks death in the eye and, with the all-powerful voice of the Son of God, cries out, Lazarus, come out. And death Yields. To Jesus. Oh.
Now think with me. Or clap. See quit me. Think with me for a moment. When did Jesus gain triumph over death.
When did Jesus gain triumph over death? It was on the cross when he died and rose again, right? Which has not yet happened. At this moment, right? Jesus raises Lazarus from death.
Before he's conquered death on the cross in his resurrection.
So he's acting now in the future victory that is coming. Which means, listen. The only way Jesus can raise Lazarus from the dead right now is if Jesus goes to the cross in the future. In other words, Lazarus lives. Because Jesus will die.
Jesus, knowing full well what it would cost him. lays down his life so his friend can live. Jesus died for Lazarus. John 15, 13 says, Greater love has no man. Then he laid down his life for his friends.
See, Jesus says, I am the resurrection and the life. I am the key to resurrection life, and I've come near to you. And whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. I am the key to resurrection life beyond the grave. Out there one day, that life can be yours in me.
And I am the resurrection and the life here and now. Everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Die. Jesus is saying, I am the key to resurrection life here and Now Jesus is saying I can offer you. a kind of life that even death cannot touch.
A spiritual life on the inside of who you are that will never die. It is an everlasting and eternal spiritual life on the inside. See, the Bible tells us that we were created for life, and it has two dimensions. There's the physical exterior life that we have, and then there's the spiritual interior life that we have. And just like we depend on food and drink to sustain our physical life, we depend on God, relationship with God, to sustain our interior spiritual life.
Life. But the problem is We have all disconnected from God. We try to do life on our own and in our own way. It's what the Bible calls sin. And the result is that we're dying on the inside.
When you unplug from the source of life, you die. But then Jesus, God's own Son, came. And he took our death on the cross. He died in our place and for our sake. He bore all of our sin and shame, and he rose again to make us right with God.
So that as Jesus says, everyone who lives and believes in me. We'll never. Die. Friends, if we believe in Jesus, He promises us a spiritual life on the inside, right here and right now. How do we get it?
How do we get it? But you have to get it the same way Lazarus got it. There's three things you need. Number one. You need to be Jesus' friend.
Number two. You need to be hopelessly dead.
Okay. And number three. You need to respond to his voice. Don't you see? When Jesus died on the cross for you, He forever settled that debate.
You are a friend of Jesus. That's why he died for you. God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have everlasting. Life. You are a friend of Jesus.
Hopelessly dead.
Well, that one's pretty easy, right? We're all dead in our trespasses and sin. You got that one. Check, right? What's the third one?
This is really the only one you have to worry about. is to respond to his voice when he calls. That's what Lazarus did. Jesus said, Lazarus, come out. And he heard.
and believed and obeyed. And he lives. That's what we have to do. John, come out. Anna, come out.
Lisa, come out. Taylor, come out. And if you obey. If you will respond, Jesus' resurrection life will flood into you right now. And right here.
And it will be yours. Forever. So here's my question for you in closing. Is this resurrection life real? in you.
Is this resurrection life real in you? Not is it real to your grandma. Not is it real in theory. But is it alive? Is it living inside of you?
Do you know what it is to have the life of Jesus inside of who you are? Have you ever responded to his voice?
Some of you right now are feeling a stirring in your heart, a longing to be alive like this. That's not from me. I can't do that. I can't call you into life. That's Jesus.
Calling you. He's saying come out Come alive. Come into a whole new life in me. Arise. And live.
Do you want this resurrection life that Jesus offers, friends? How would you respond? Coming to Jesus is as simple as A, B, C. A, we admit. We admit that we are sinners far from Jesus.
B, we believe. We believe that Jesus has done everything to make us right with God when he died in our place. and rose again. And see, we commit. We commit our lives to him.
Say, come be my Savior, be my Lord, be my everything. I'm yours. And when we do that, Admit, believe, and commit. The life of Jesus. becomes ours forever.
Because Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die. Yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never... Die.
Do you believe this? Do you? Believe this. Oh, to see the dawn on the darkest day, Christ on the road to Calgary, stride by sinful men torn and meet them. Bail to a crossford is the power of the cross Christ we gave Spain for us to wait O'er the breadth and forgiveness Oh to see the rain raised in our face Everyone with sea every heart, every believer in your blood's gave God is the love of the cross, Christ He gave save for us to blame for the birth praise, and for him and death who rose.
All the daylight fleets, now the ground beneath quakes as its neighbor bows his hand. Urgent toiling to ten of grace to horse the victory for the boundary. Here I come in my name is in those born to your song I am great and the strongest year I desire to live one to serve as long. Is the love safe along this man? For our benediction today, I want to go look at those verses I quoted in my message from Revelation 21.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people. And God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. and death shall be no more.
Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, Behold, I am making All things. No, amen. We can't wait. This is what the resurrection means.
everything sad will one day come untrue. This is beautiful. We love you, Moody Church, more than you know. And now Go and be the church. Have a great Sunday.
On today's Moody Church hour, we heard Pastor Philip Miller with another message in a series he's calling Loved by Jesus, the book of John. We heard about the resurrection, lessons from the raising of Lazarus from the dead.
Next time, we see Jesus as the ultimate servant, washing his disciples' feet. The new year is a time for beginnings. We'd like you to have a book by George Sweeting on How to Begin the Christian Life. It tells new believers how to follow Jesus. This book is yours as our thank you when you give a gift of any amount to support The Moody Church hour.
For details, call 1-800-215-5001. That's 1-800-215-5001. Online, go to MoodyChurchHour.com. That's MoodyChurchHour.com. Or write to us at Moody Church Media, 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 60614.
Join us next week for another Moody Church Hour with Pastor Philip Miller and the congregation of historic Moody Church in Chicago. This broadcast is a ministry of The Moody Church.
