John chapter 11, this is on page 1004 if you're using the Bible from the rack over there. And this morning we'll be doing what I've carefully considered in terms of titling. Last week we did The Death of Lazarus Part 1, and this week will be The Death of Lazarus. Let's give ear now to God's holy, inerrant, and life-giving word, John chapter 11, beginning in verse 17. Now, when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four 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. And 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? She 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 calling for you. When she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that he was going to the tomb to weep there. 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. Jesus saw her weep. And the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was greatly moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 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? As far as the reading of God's word, may he blessed to our hearts. So we spoke last week in the set of this passage about this family of Mary and Martha and Lazarus, these siblings, and they send word to Jesus these were people that he was obviously close with. They weren't in his inner circle of disciples as it were, but nonetheless there was a close affection that they shared one another for them for him and him for them and so when Lazarus was ill, they sent word to Jesus to come. And we spent a lot of time last week looking earlier in the chapter at what it says, particularly in verse five. Now, Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. And then the next verse says, so, because he loved them, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. And that's a really profound thing to think through. Because our instinct, our impulse is to say, well, if he loves me, he will answer right away. He will do exactly what I think I need, exactly when I need him to do it. And yet this narrative paints a very different picture. Because he loved them, he waited. And now when he arrives, Lazarus is already dead. And we talked last week about, How could that possibly be a good thing? The reason that's a good thing, as we will see, is Christ himself receives even more glory by raising this man from the dead than he would have from healing his sickness, healing his infirmities. And they will grow stronger in their faith, seeing how great an enemy Christ is able to overcome on their behalf, even death. And so we pick up here, in the middle of the story, and they don't know how this is going to turn out yet. And it's safe to say that these sisters are both grieving the loss of their brother. It says that when he arrived, when Christ arrived, he found out that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now, there was a thought, this is not to say that these sisters believe this or that Christ was in any way affirming this, but there was a thought in the ancient world that your soul remained with the body for about three days before going to wherever it's going to go. And so by coming on the fourth day, Jesus is coming when any shred of hope for anything is dashed, is gone. And he's coming when he has been in the tomb four days and these women are grieving. Now everyone grieves differently. I'm looking out at a room full of people who have all grieved at various points in your lives. Some very serious, very sad things. Others maybe haven't encountered death personally of someone that you're close to yet, but we've all grieved in some way or another. And I assure you, if you live in this fallen world long enough, you will grieve. And the world has a certain paradigm that they think everyone goes through. And there's these five, steps of grief. There's, it begins with denial and then anger. So first you deny the sad thing has happened. Then you're mad that it has happened. Then there's bargaining, seeking a way to change it or make it better. Then there's depression. And finally there is acceptance. And those are kind of the five stages of grief that, that worldly secular psychologists would espouse are the normative pattern. Some people may go through those steps. Generally, a theory like that doesn't pick up as much traction as it has unless there's some element in which people do that. But I want to say that everyone grieves differently. And what we ultimately need to reach is not just a position of acceptance, but we need to reach a position of comfort and hope and trusting in the Lord. Mary and Martha are grieving the loss of their brother. They've sent for him, and they grieve differently. as we see in this passage, why? Because they're different people. Anyone in here exactly like your sibling? No? Okay, we're different people, they grieve differently. Don't look at the only child. Different people grieve differently. And so what we have here is these two women are going through The same loss, and yet they're processing it differently, and Jesus is going to bring the three things that are needed ultimately. He's going to bring the truth, he's going to bring comfort, and he's going to bring confrontation. And we're gonna work through that. Truth, comfort, and confrontation. And we see first that he brings the truth in his interaction with Martha in verses 17, to 27. Again, we see that he's arrived on the scene in verse 17, and the author, John, makes note that he's in Bethany, which is near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and that reminds us of where we're at in John's narrative, where Lord willing, going to finish the first half of this gospel before we take our summer break to study 1 John, which is the book of the signs, and then the second half of the gospel, 12 to 21, It's the book of the passion, and so John is letting us know he's on his way to Jerusalem. He's rounding the end of his ministry here. This is going to be the last great sign that he does, and this reminds us that all of the work the Lord Jesus does for his people, every single bit of it, always has the cross in view. It always does. It's either leading up to it, or in our case, is flowing out of it. Right? We just sang, oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus, which is one of my favorite hymns. And it's interesting to note, particularly in John's writings, both in his gospel and in his epistle, that whenever he speaks of the love of God for his people, which is the basis of all that he does for us, immediately, either before or after, within a verse or two, he's talking about the cross. Right? First John chapter four, verses eight to 10, I'll paraphrase, he says, In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us. And what? And gave His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. What does propitiation mean? Anybody? I have failed you. Propitiation means sin atoning wrath-absorbing sacrifice. It means that on the cross, God showed his love for us by laying our sins on the Lord Jesus, that he became the propitiation for our sins. That is the love of God shown forth, and all that Christ does for his people, in one way or another, is connected to the cross. That's why we are so cross-centered here, because that is the source of the power by which Christ does all of his work for his people. And in verse 19, we see that there are many Jews that have come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. It was a common practice at this time that there were people who, their job, their vocation, for lack of a better term, was to mourn and grieve with you, to come alongside you and cry with you. And so they've all gathered and Jesus has now finally arrived. He was sent for all the way back in verse three, but it says that when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, not only had she sent for him, but she ran to meet him. She went to him. She sent for him and then she went to him. And that's a good paradigm as well for us to keep in mind as we live life in this fallen world. We need to do both of those things. We need to call for the Lord, but we also need to go to him. It's often the case that when we go through trials, when we go through matters of great loss, it tends to be that we think only about the loss. We think only about that which is hurting us and harming us. And yet we should actually be sending for the Lord. We should be calling for him in prayer, in desperate pleas of mercy. And then what we need to do is then we need to go to him. It tends to be that in times of hardship and sadness, People want to withdraw from the church, withdraw from the community of God's people, but no, we need to go to him as Martha models for us here. She went when she was grieving to the Lord. She called for him, but she also went to him in worship. And she testifies to him of her faith in verses 21 and 22. She says, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. You could have stopped this. That's not an accusation. Some people take it that way. She's saying, she's in the anger step. If we're going through that process, Lord, if you had been here, this wouldn't have happened. That's not what's happening. She's affirming. I know that you have the power to intervene. I know that you could have prevented this. And then she says, and I know even now that whatever you ask from God, he will give to you, this is a strong testimony to faith in the Lord Jesus that she gives here. Because she knows that Jesus is greater than death. She testifies that at the end of these verses, verse 27, that he is the Christ, that he is the anointed one, he is the one foretold who would conquer death. All the way back in Genesis, Genesis 2.17, The prohibition is pronounced, and the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die. Genesis 3.15, there will come one who will crush the head of the serpent. He is that one that will reverse the curse. And she's saying, I believe that. And she's also saying that I believe that you are the one who intercedes for me. Whatever you ask in God's name, whatever you ask of God, will do for you, and that ought to be another source of great comfort. I would commend to all of you all to know that the Lord Jesus actually lives right now, today, and is praying for you. Somebody please read Romans 8, 34. And then somebody else, Hebrews 7, 25. Who's got Romans 8? Mr. Gamble, all right, now I need another reader for Hebrew 725. Hit it, Jack. 34. 34, all right. All right, who is to condemn Christ Jesus as the one who died? More than that, who is raised? Who is at the right hand of God? Who is indeed interceding for us? The Lord Jesus is at the right hand of God, interceding for us. It's a common thing for Christians to ask in times of struggle and hardship. We do it here all the time. Please pray for me about this, about that, about the other thing. And you ought to get a sense of comfort knowing that the people of God are praying for you. But how much more comfort ought you to have knowing that Christ himself is right now at the Father's right hand praying for you. Hebrews 7.25, who's got it? Miss Berenger. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. Always lives for what reason? To make intercession for them. That is what he is doing. He's interceding for you at the side of the Father. The old Puritan author Robert Murray McShane once said, if I could hear Christ Jesus praying for me in the next room. I would not fear all the powers of hell. I would not fear all the powers of sin. I would not fear all the powers of evil. And yet the distance makes no difference. He's not on the other side of this wall praying for you. You don't hear it. And yet knowing that he is ought to make all the difference in the world for us. And so Martha rather testifies that these things are true, that she believes them. And Jesus comes and he actually, He doesn't correct her, but he pushes her even further into the truth that she needs, and he says in verse 23, your brother will rise again, and she says, yes, Lord, I know that at the day of resurrection that will happen, which, by the way, confirms that there was a hope amongst the Jewish people of a resurrection. It's not a completely New Testament idea that's as often asserted, because she's saying this at a time when the New Testament hadn't been written yet, she says, I know there will be the day of resurrection. I know he will rise then. But Jesus says, I am the resurrection. Where I am, that power is, that power lies, that power resides. I am the resurrection, he says, 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? It's the most important question that anyone will ever ask you, do you believe that Jesus is who he says he is? And she says, yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who's coming into the world. And we see that for Martha, what she needs in her time of grief is to be reminded of the truth that she already knows. So often that is the case in our lives. That we are in bouts of depression, we're in bouts of anxiety, we're in bouts of all these different things, Not always, but often because we're forgetting things that we already know. There are legitimate exceptions to that, but the predominant case is that I'm forgetting certain things are true about God. That I'm forgetting that he is all-sufficient for all things, and he has said he will never leave me nor forsake me. When I feel that nobody understands me, I'm forgetting that God is omniscient. He's all-knowing. Of course he understands me. When I am feeling that nobody can help me in this trial, I am forgetting that God is omnipotent, that he is all-powerful. When I feel that I am all alone, I forget that my God is omnipresent. He is always with me. And so what Martha needs is to be reminded of the truth that she already knows, and that's why we press so hard on doctrine in this church. because I want you to have those resources in your mind, at your fingertips, as it were, because life is hard, and what you need is the truth of God's word, and you need to know it. So that's Jesus bringing the truth to this situation of who he is. And next he's going to bring some comfort as he addresses Mary. And we read this in verses 28 through really to the end of the passage is all kind of focused on Mary. Martha goes to her and says, the teacher is here. He's calling for you. And now Mary goes to see the Lord. and she is still greatly in distress. All of the mourners that are there see her running, presumably, tears still rolling down her face, and so they go with her. And what's a really wonderful and comforting thing is that while it is true that oftentimes what we need in these moments of loss and grief is to be reminded of the truth that we already know. When Mary shows up, tears still rolling down her face, Jesus does not say, oh, you foolish little girl. Don't you know the truth? Don't you know who I am? Don't you know why are you being this way? No. That's not how he greets her. That's not how he deals with her. He's gentle and lowly in heart. And he cares for her, and he loves her. And what she needs is the comfort of his presence and knowing that he cares for her and her loss. And that's why those two little words in the shortest verse in your Bible, John 11, 35, Jesus wept, are so dear to so many Christians. There is certainly a time to weep with those who weep. Romans 12, 15 actually commands us to be that sort of people. So we don't always need to beat up those who are in moments of distress and doubt and whatever with the truth. Rather, there's an appropriate sense in which we can come alongside them and weep and know that Jesus knows full well what is about to happen. He knows what we will talk about next week when we get to the death of Lazarus part three. He knows what he's going to do. And yet he weeps with her. And it's a reminder of the offense and the sorrow that sin and the curse bring into our world, bring into our life, that even the Lord Jesus himself, it says that he was greatly moved, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And what a comforting thought it is to know that God doesn't just look down on us with pain. a desire to fix it right away, but a desire to show compassion and relate to us. My daughter is six going on 19, and she gets upset about things that I know are relatively inconsequential. This particular group of girls didn't want to play with me today, or some The girl that goes to her school may not have noticed her to give her a hug. I'm not looking at anyone in particular. I'm just kidding. That didn't happen. But she gets upset over things that seem relatively inconsequential. And my job in that moment is not to say, Brooke, that's stupid. No. I put my arm around her. I hug her. I tell her I'm sorry it happened because I am. Then we come alongside and we give better ways to think about these things. But it matters where we start. Mary needed, and so that's what Jesus provides for her. And then lastly, we see in verses 36 to 37, he's brought the truth, he's brought comfort, and now he brings confrontation. He says, in verse 34 actually, where have you laid him? And he's going to go to the site where death reigns, where the enemy reigns. and he's going to move into motion the plan of redemption, the plan of resurrection, but he is willing to go and confront it on the spot where it resides, and he will do that for you as well. Where sin and death are present in your life, what you need is for the Lord to come and the Lord to speak, put the life and the power of his word into whatever that particular area is, and he will do it. And just as we will see next week that he calls Lazarus forth, so also he will call you to a greater walk with him, a more sanctified walk, putting sin to death in your life that you might pursue life and holiness and peace. One of my favorite verses in all the Bible, 2 Corinthians 3.18 talks about when we behold his face, he sanctifies us from one degree of glory to the next. When we draw near to him, he draws near to us, putting sin to death in our lives and giving us newness of life. Let's pray. God in heaven, we give thanks to you for your word. We thank you that you are the God of all comfort, who comforts in every affliction. The more that you comfort in various ways, that you comfort by the truth of your word, and you comfort by assuring us of your great love for us. Father, I pray for these, my dear young friends, that they would know that comfort, that they would know your love for them, that they would know the truth of your word, and that they might walk all the days of their life as becomes the children of light. We ask this in Christ's name and for his glory, amen.