MISSED LYRICS/ OPPORTUNITIES/ FAR SIDE Missed – Significance of Resurrection Tracking Significant “Becoming” moments in the Life of Jesus through the Gospel of John Today? Tackle another oneOne of the most well-known stories – resurrection of Lazarus – missed the expansive significance/ shrunk our experience of real LIFE 7th Miraculous “Sign” in the book of John - John favorite way of describing the miracles of Jesus . Distinction: Miracles vs. signs miracles - supernatural acts of God to intervene in the natural world of human beings . Right thing to do – alleviate human suffering or discomfort . Demonstration of Jesus’ supernatural power - . Reinforce the authority of Jesus’ teaching – add credibility . Also to point people to Jesus Himself - deeper meaning beyond the miracle or event itself - to something bigger and deeper . Because remember, John’s purpose in writing is to give us a window into the inner soul of Jesus - reaffirm His essential identity 1st - Water to Wine at wedding in Cana - Jn. 2 2nd -Healing a Royal Official’s son - Jn. 4 3rd - Healing of Paralytic at the pool of Bethesda - Jn. 5 4th - Feeding of 5,000 - Jn. 6 5th - Walking on the Water - Jn. 6 6th - Healing of Man born Blind - Jn. 9 7th - Miraculous story we will look at today - Raising of Lazarus - combines the final “sign” with one of Jesus’ most memorable self-identity claims #7 – Hebrew Numerology – significant as the number of completion – very intentional Catalytic event that seals Jesus’ fate - triggers the conspiracy to kill him - it is the final nail in the coffin Event Surfaces 6 dimensions – SIX EXPANSIVE TRUTHS - Expand our Mental Space FIRST - LET ME WALK US THROUGH THE STORY – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Other side of the Jordan river, some 50-60 miles away from Bethany Gets the message that his close friend Lazarus is deathly ill . Because Jesus is very close to them all (use of the word phileo expectation is that He will rush to get there as soon as possible - come and cure him Jesus drags His feet - waits 2 extra days - so uncharacteristic of Jesus and the disciples are perplexed (I like to watch Jesus in these types of situations – so chill and unflappable) - setting up a showdown with sin, evil, and especially death if we take v. 4 and v.11 & v. 14 at face value- Jesus is very intentional here - in Lazarus being dead for 4 days, heavy decomposition of the body is already in full swing – setting the table the glory of God to be revealed Jesus arrives and is met by Martha outside of the village - fascinating one-on-one conversation with her - (read Jn. 11:17-27) - One of Jesus’ self-identity claims - I am the resurrection and the Life “do you believe THIS” . Their view - all the dead went to a place called Sheol - where they lived vague, shadowy, strengthless, vague, “meh” existence - awaiting the moment that those who belong to God would be bodily resurrected on the last day – the
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MISSED LYRICS/ OPPORTUNITIES/ FAR SIDE
Missed – Significance of Resurrection
Tracking Significant “Becoming” moments in the Life of Jesus through the Gospel of John
Today? Tackle another oneOne of the most well-known stories – resurrection of Lazarus – missed the expansive
significance/ shrunk our experience of real LIFE
7th Miraculous “Sign” in the book of John - John favorite way of describing the miracles of Jesus
. Distinction: Miracles vs. signs
miracles - supernatural acts of God to intervene in the natural world of human beings
. Right thing to do – alleviate human suffering or discomfort
. Demonstration of Jesus’ supernatural power -
. Reinforce the authority of Jesus’ teaching – add credibility
. Also to point people to Jesus Himself - deeper meaning beyond the miracle or
event itself - to something bigger and deeper
. Because remember, John’s purpose in writing is to give us a window
into the inner soul of Jesus - reaffirm His essential identity
1st - Water to Wine at wedding in Cana - Jn. 2
2nd -Healing a Royal Official’s son - Jn. 4
3rd - Healing of Paralytic at the pool of Bethesda - Jn. 5
4th - Feeding of 5,000 - Jn. 6
5th - Walking on the Water - Jn. 6
6th - Healing of Man born Blind - Jn. 9
7th - Miraculous story we will look at today - Raising of Lazarus - combines the final “sign”
with one of Jesus’ most memorable self-identity claims
#7 – Hebrew Numerology – significant as the number of completion – very intentional
Catalytic event that seals Jesus’ fate - triggers the conspiracy to kill him - it is the final nail in the coffin
Event Surfaces 6 dimensions – SIX EXPANSIVE TRUTHS - Expand our Mental Space
FIRST - LET ME WALK US THROUGH THE STORY – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Other side of the Jordan river, some 50-60 miles away from Bethany
Gets the message that his close friend Lazarus is deathly ill
. Because Jesus is very close to them all (use of the word phileo
expectation is that He will rush to get there as soon as possible - come and cure him
Jesus drags His feet - waits 2 extra days - so uncharacteristic of Jesus and the disciples are perplexed
(I like to watch Jesus in these types of situations – so chill and unflappable) - setting up a
showdown with sin, evil, and especially death if we take v. 4 and v.11 & v. 14 at face value- Jesus is
very intentional here - in Lazarus being dead for 4 days, heavy decomposition of the body is already in
full swing – setting the table the glory of God to be revealed
Jesus arrives and is met by Martha outside of the village - fascinating one-on-one conversation with
her - (read Jn. 11:17-27) - One of Jesus’ self-identity claims - I am the resurrection and the Life
“do you believe THIS”
. Their view - all the dead went to a place called Sheol - where they lived vague,
shadowy, strengthless, vague, “meh” existence - awaiting the moment that
those who belong to God would be bodily resurrected on the last day – the
future day when the Messiah would come and usher in the new world. (– Believing
that the universe has been created by a great God and that he means to heal and redeem it.
When that happens, He will forgive his people their sin, establish justice, end suffering, heal a
creation, and bring the righteous dead back to life. This resurrection would be dramatic,
obvious, undeniable, and done on a mass scale. It would happen to all of God’s children, and it
would end human history… like war, square dancing, and football resurrection was not an
individual sport)
. Restricted, limited, narrow view
Jesus then has an emotionally draining interaction with Martha’s sister Mary - vv. 28-37
. She collapses in full, melt-down mode - at his feet (piptw, not proskuneo) . Devastated, broken - maybe even feeling angry/betrayed
. Placement of the word “mou” - different from Martha’s
. Here we see the sheer humanity of Jesus - moved/ Jesus wept (dakruo - to authentically enter
into the emotions - not clinical or distant (klaio) - professional mourners present
. See Something Else – visceral emotional stew brewing inside Jesus ...
. embriaomai - brewing anger and resolve - used of a bulls or horses snorting
- preparation to engage in aggressive behavior
. tarasso - to be tossed around – agitated
. Combined - ( - learning that a valued staff member’s husband was diagnosed with a
rare form of cancer - “I Hate This!”)
. Plus - edakruo - wept - not distant/clinical/ fabricated (professional mourners)
. authentic grief at the devastation sin, evil, death turned out on human race
. Put all three together - (Go Time!)
The Rest is Literally History - Jesus moves to the tomb - prays to the Father
. then with a loud shout (expressive of extreme authority – [only 4 places where Jesus
shouts – in the boat in the storm, here in Lazarus story, and on the cross])
and he commands Lazarus to come out of the tomb.
. At that moment – in the same way that the wind and waves immediately quieted in the storm
on the lake, the natural processes of death are instantaneously reversed - Lazarus comes
walking out of the tomb – is unwrapped and restored to his family
The Final Section of John 11 (11:45-57) records the polarizing effect of this miracle on the crowd
. also cements the resolve of the religious leaders to figure out a way to execute Jesus
SIGNPOSTS TO SIX EXPANSIVE TRUTHS - Extend and Enrich our Grasp = Expand Experience
1) Points Us To Jesus as the Source of Real Life
. Jesus IS the life - articular “the” - (zoe) - the one and only source and repository of the
kind of life that makes you fully alive in all facets and dimensions of life.
2) Points Us To Jesus’ Authority Over the Natural Laws of the Universe
. Jesus demonstrates His raw power to interrupt and alter natural processes
. miracles unearth God’s power and might
3) Points Us To Jesus’ Supernatural Power Over Physical Death
. Death is the ultimate obscenity - oppressive curse that dogs the human race
(Children’s prayer … bullies and intimidates us) (Woody Allen)
. Yet – Jesus’ command initiates a complete reversal of death’s effects on Lazarus
What kind of power??? Intercept and roll back the process of decomposition, make
dead cells come alive, arrest and override the onset of rigor mortis, reroute blood
pooling in the body, unclog arteries clotted with blood, restart dead organs, fill collapsed
lungs with air? What kind of power reconnect decayed synapses and regenerate/activate dead
brain cells? What kind of power does it take to shock a nervous system back into operation
without any kind of assistance from external stimulus or advanced medical technology?
(Medical profession would kill to develop this!)
Then Ask: How does this happen instantaneously/ just by speaking a word?
. A supernatural miracle of the highest order
4) Anticipates Jesus’ Own Bodily Resurrection from the Dead
. I myself am the resurrection
. One of the Unique Aspectsof Christianity – traces its origin to a single day in history. No other
religion does this. On a Saturday morning in early April in AD 30, there was no such thing as
Christian faith. One day later on Sunday – boom – there it was.
. matter of real historical record – evidence for the historicity of the NT and Jesus is
overwhelming
5) Points Us to the Reality of A Dimension of LIFE Beyond Mere Existence
FOMO - the real, deep reason that FOMO exists is the vague sense that we were made for more and we
are missing out - not $, success, accomplishments, more “likes’ or more clicks)
Something fundamental and grounding
(George Carlin – Difference between Baseball and Football – home – home, the deepest yearning of the
human heart – to belong, to be safe, to be prized, to be secure. Not home – homesickness -What Jesus
taught was that without God we have a cosmic homelessness)
Ps. 90 – You have been our dwelling place in all generations
Something beyond mere existence – level beyond – more alive
(Carter’s Death – more alive than I am)
6) Points Us to the Reality of Eternal Life
. Starting RIGHT NOW – for this life, in this world
. Jesus’ resurrection is the 8th great sign
. significance of numerology - “7” - complete - creation story takes 7 miraculous acts –
so this 8th sign signals a “new creation” 2 Cor. 5:17-18
. “I am the resurrection and the LIFE. whoever is believing in me will live, even if he dies and everyone who is alive and believes in me will never (ou me) die forever – .
. start a new life right now that will never end - Romans 6:4-11
. Activated by trusting faith - embracing Jesus with all you have and all you are for the
rest of your life (Hokey Pokey)
(Circles Diagram) (Our souls have been “dis-integrated” by sin)
. (mechanism) – the resurrection of Jesus
. (result) – release of Real LIFE
. (activation - “trusting faith”)
. Outcome - clean slate - total and complete forgiveness, A new power to overcome
residual sin and evil - new orientation to God, new motivation to change and live
for Him, new mind, heart, new hope, new perspective, community of people to
belong to – new life, not a retread of your tired, worn out, frayed past existence.
. Finally - Someday Completed - Our FUTURE bodily resurrection - when we pass from
this life - Life exponentially explodes into a level of life full-strength/
supercharged, beyond wildest imaginations - whole again (Circles Diagram)
Fill-In the Blank: Jesus’ Resurrected Life in us is stronger than death
FIRST - LET ME WALK US THROUGH THE STORY – EXEC SUMMARY
Perea/ Batanea - 50-60 miles away from Bethany
Gets the message that his close friend Lazarus is deathly ill
. Because Jesus is very close to them all (use of the word phileo
expectation is : rush / come and cure
Inexplicably, Jesus drags His feet - waits 2 days –disciples perplexed
Chill and unflappable/ intentionality/ setting up a showdown
Lazarus dead 4 days/ heavy decomposition / setting table
Jesus arrives/ met by Martha outside village - fascinating 1-1 conv
Jn. 11:17-27 – Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb 4 days. Bethany was near Jerusalem about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 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 tp her, “Your brother will rise again”. Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day”. Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in me, even though he dies, yet shall he live – and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe THIS?” She said to him, “Yes Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” – 1 Jesus’ self-identity claims –
I am the resurrection and the Life “do you believe THIS” . Their view - Sheol -vague, shadowy, strengthless, “meh” existence
(Ortberg Quote on resurrection)
. She makes an amazing confession (bad rap)
Jesus then has an emotionally draining exchange w/ Mary
. She collapses in full, melt-down mode - at his feet (piptw) . devastated, broken - maybe even feeling angry/betrayed
. placement my “mou” - different from Martha’s
. Sheer humanity of Jesus - Jn. 11:33-35 -Now 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. moved - (dakruo - authentically enter emotions) not clinical (klaio) . See Something Else – visceral emotional response brewing
2 Cor. 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold – the new has come
This is what Jesus means - “I am the resurrection and the LIFE. whoever is believing in me will live, even if he dies … . start a new life right now that will never end - Romans 6:4 – We have been buried with Him through baptism into His death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead, we too might walk in newness of life!