The Resurrection of Lazarus, Part 1
John 11:17-25 ERV
“Jesus arrived in Bethany and found that Lazarus had already been dead and in the tomb for four days. 18 Bethany was about two miles from Jerusalem. 19 Many Jews had come to see Martha and Mary. They came to comfort them about their brother Lazarus. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to greet him. But Mary stayed home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you anything you ask.’ 23 Jesus said, ‘Your brother will rise and be alive again.’ 24 Martha answered, ‘I know that he will rise to live again at the time of the resurrection on the last day.‘ 25 Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection. I am life. Everyone who believes in me will have life, even if they die.’”
I want to talk to you today about 3 kinds of faith—yesterday faith, someday faith, and faith for today. Notice in our text how Martha exhibits the first two kinds of faith—faith for yesterday—“if you had been here,”
And someday faith—“I know that he will rise to live again.”
But what Jesus was looking for was now faith, today faith—the faith that believes that, even though things had not gone down like the sisters had hoped, He was still the now answer for their dilemma!
After expressing her disappointment that Jesus was, in her opinion, late, Jesus looked at Martha and said, “I am the resurrection and the life...” (NKJV)
The two keywords are, “I am.”
Notes
The first thing that jumps out is that Martha’s faith was inflexible.
Notes
John 11:14-15 NKJV
Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.”
Notes
I. Don’t lock Jesus in a box of your own expectations
Isaiah 55: 8-9 LB
“This plan of mine is not what you would work out, neither are my thoughts the same as yours! 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours, and my thoughts than yours.”
Notes
Hebrews 11:8 NKJV
“He went out, now knowing where he was going.”
Notes
You see, Abraham’s faith was in a NOW God, a TODAY God…
His faith said, “He’ll take care of me today, He’ll guide me today, He’ll feed me today…..He’ll get me there when He gets me there, but right now I trust Him to work out His plan today!”
Notes
Then Martha also had someday faith—“I know that he WILL rise to live again at the time of the resurrection on the last day.”
So we also learn from Martha:
II. Don’t limit God to someday
John 11: 35 NKJV
“Jesus wept.”
Notes
Someday faith is easy faith…it’s east to say: “Well, someday I believe God will do this or that.”
But it’s the today kind of faith, the “rubber meets the road” kind of faith, that we need most!
Psalm 46:1 CEB
“God is our refuge and strength, a help always near in times of great trouble.”
It’s the today kind of faith that brings home the bacon,
brings peace in a storm,
opens that needed door,
And resists the devil till he flees!
Jesus wanted Mary, Martha, His disciples, and all the funeral attendees to know that He can do something now—not just yesterday, not just someday, but today!
So He walked up to the tomb where Lazarus lay and said, “Roll away the stone.”
Notes
And that’s what we’ll talk about next time—rolling away the obstacles between you and your answer.