Thoughts Of Some Guy In Ohio
Thoughts Of Some Guy In Ohio
What If Easter Isn't About Bunnies, But About Breathing Life Into Death?
Standing at the tomb of his friend Lazarus, Jesus did something unthinkable—he commanded a man dead for four days to walk out of his grave. But why did Jesus deliberately wait until Lazarus died before coming to Bethany? The answer reveals a profound truth about God's work in our darkest moments.
We often wonder why God allows suffering or seems absent when we need him most. Like Martha and Mary who confronted Jesus with their grief—"Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died"—we question divine timing. Yet what appears to be divine delay often positions us to witness God's most spectacular work. Before commanding Lazarus to emerge from darkness, Jesus wept alongside the mourners, showing that even when he's about to perform an extraordinary miracle, he first enters our grief.
The resurrection of Lazarus wasn't just about restoring one man's life. It was Jesus demonstrating that nothing—not even death itself—could stand against his authority. This story offers hope to anyone feeling abandoned in their darkest hour. Mary and Martha's confusion turned to astonishment as their brother walked out of the tomb, still wrapped in grave clothes. Their story reminds us that whatever burden, sickness, brokenness, or addiction we face, we serve the one who raises the dead.
Have you experienced this life-changing encounter with Jesus? If you're still keeping him at arm's length, consider diving deeper. As the sermon concludes, "I would rather drown in an ocean of Jesus than die on land by myself." Share your questions, doubts, and struggles with us as you explore what it means to follow the one who promises resurrection not just after death, but in this life too.
You know, easter is one of the biggest holidays for the church and not just the church, I mean. The world celebrates Easter Most places. You know you get an early break from work on Good Friday. If you're lucky, most places are going to be closed today, on Easter Sunday, so if you didn't get what you needed for dinner, good luck. There's this kind of this recognition, right, and so we live in a world that celebrates it differently. Some people choose to do Easter egg hunts and you know they have an Easter bunny.
Speaker 1:We were driving up and down the road the other day we were doing the Christ walk on Friday, and there was this truck just driving back and forth up Sunset Boulevard with a bunny in the back and all I could think about is that person has to be hot, because it was like 85 degrees. But collectively, the church gathers together this time of year and prioritizes it. We put on our best clothes, we get new shoes that aren't Chuck Taylors. My wife told me I look like an adult this morning. I don't know how I feel about that, right, I don't know. I was like I don't know what to say to that. But we put on our best clothes, we go and buy our Easter dresses, we get together with family yeah, fine, I'm getting to my point. I promise, I promise. But we do all of this, we put all of this energy and time and really, at the end of the day, none of that matters. There's nothing wrong with it, there's nothing wrong with getting dressed up, there's nothing wrong with prioritizing time with family, but at the end of the day, really what it comes down to is what Jesus did on the cross. A friend of mine has a church up in Michigan and him and I talk every now and then and he texts me early in the week and we have this group of preachers. We pray for each other, praying for each other on Sunday morning and he says, listen, he's like, just give them Jesus. He's like that's what the world's in need of, that's what the world needs to see. And so we're actually going to talk about a resurrection this morning, but we're not going to talk about Jesus. I know how do you have a resurrection Sunday and not talk about the resurrection of Jesus? But I think it's important that we look in John chapter 11. That we look in John chapter 11. We are going to talk about a man who came out of a grave. We're going to talk about a man named Lazarus.
Speaker 1:So now, starting in verse 1, it says Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary, and her sister, martha. This Mary, whose brother, lazarus, now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. By the way, I love the fact that John includes that little parenthesis, because I feel like maybe people were confused about what happened and, when that moment happened, who it was. So he writes down in great detail that it's at Lazarus' sister who actually wipes and anoints Jesus.
Speaker 1:We continue in verse 3. He says so the sisters sent word to Jesus. Lord, the one you love is sick. When he heard this, jesus said the sickness will not end in death, no, it's for God's glory, so that God's Son may be glorified through it. Now, jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
Speaker 1:So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days and he said to his disciples Let us go back to Judea. But, rabbi, they said A short while ago, the Jews there tried to stone you and yet you were going back. Jesus answered are there not 12 hours of daylight. Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world's light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light. After he said this, he went on to tell them Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I'm going there to wake him up. His disciples replied Lord, if he sleeps he will get better. Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly Lazarus is dead and for your sake, I am glad I was not there. That you may believe, but let us go to him. Then Thomas, also known as Didymus, said to the rest of the disciples let us also go, that we may die with him.
Speaker 1:You know, when we read the beginning of this story, it kind of blows my mind, knowing what Jesus is capable of. Why would he wait? Why would he not immediately rush to Lazarus' side? There's a moment. I have a visual element, by the way, if you haven't seen the Chosen series from a pastoral standpoint and preaching sermons, their visuals are phenomenal and I love just some of the things that you can see. And so there's actually a scene here. Let's watch this Ministry, ministry.
Speaker 1:When we read the text, when Jesus is trying to explain to his disciples about Lazarus and it's interesting to me. But he says that he's asleep, and they're confused, because if you're sick, the best thing for you is sleep. And so he clarifies with them. You don't understand. He's dead, he's died. So Jesus says to them listen, it's for your sake, and I'm glad that he did. And, like I said once again, when I read this story, when I read the context of this, why would Jesus be glad that Lazarus died? That doesn't make any sense to me. When I read the context of this, why would Jesus be glad that Lazarus died? That doesn't make any sense to me. Why would you want death? And so Jesus kind of rallies them together and says listen, let's go to Judea and let's go visit Mary and Martha and Lazarus. So, starting in verse 17, it says On his arrival, jesus found out that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days Now.
Speaker 1:Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. Lord, martha said to Jesus if you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that even now, god will give you whatever you ask. Jesus said to her your brother will rise again. And Martha answered I know he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. And then Jesus says to her I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even though they die. And whoever lives, whoever lives by believing in me, will never die. Do you believe this? Yes, lord, she replied. I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who has come into the world. And after she said this, she went back and she called her sister, mary aside. The teacher is here, she said, and is asking for you. When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him.
Speaker 1:Now, jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house comforting her noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to tomb so mourn there. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and she saw him, she fell at his feet and said Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come along with her were also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled in his spirit and troubled when have you laid him? He asked. Come and see Lord. They replied and Jesus wept. Then the Jews said See how he loved him. But some of them said You're not he who opened the eyes of the blind man and have kept this man from dying Again? We're left in this moment. We come to the text with a hindsight because we know what's coming. But Mary and Martha, all they know at this moment is that my brother is dead. And their response is genuine Jesus, if you had just been here, you could have done something. So Mary meets Jesus, martha meets Jesus Reminds me a lot of people that I meet who don't know Jesus.
Speaker 1:When bad things happen, they're confused, they're angry, they're upset. They don't understand how a God, such a loving God, could allow bad things to happen. They don't understand how a God, such a loving God, could allow bad things to happen. So I think that's something that I wrestle with. I mean, I'm human after all. What if Jesus had shown up, what would have been different? What could he have done so many things for Lazarus, so many things? And he shows up and Martha confronts him, and then Mary says the same thing, and there's a moment where, in his humanness, he feels sorrow, he feels brokenness, he feels hurt, he feels pain and he's grieving the loss of one of his best friends. And still there's that lingering question in the back of everyone's mind why didn't he come sooner? All of this could have been avoided. I think about that a lot of times.
Speaker 1:When people ask the question why does God let bad things happen? I can give you an answer, but it's not going to be one you like. The answer is sin. Sin has distorted everything. You and I were meant to live in this kind of brokenness. You go back all the way to the garden and Adam and Eve. They had it perfect. They walked around naked with no shame. That doesn't seem like a big deal to us, but they were so in tune with God and the presence of God that they had everything they need. Every need was met, and the moment sin crept in, it destroyed that for them. Sin has corrupted the world that you and I live in. It causes division, it causes hatred, it causes judgment. It has ruined everything. It's the reason cancer exists.
Speaker 1:I believe that cancer was not the plan. None of this illness, none of this was supposed to be part of it. But we've messed it up. Adam and Eve couldn't they just couldn't get over themselves. They had to have it all. They just couldn't get over themselves. They had to have it all. And when they got it all, they got it all. You ever had your kids, and your kids are trying to do something really dumb. And you're like listen, I know what's going to happen if you do this. And they do it anyways. And you're like I told you, and I feel like in this moment, jesus comes in this humanity, in this brokenness, and he grieves that they don't understand just yet. But the beauty of this story is it doesn't end there.
Speaker 1:Lazarus had laid in the grave for four days. In Jewish custom, the belief is that the spirit doesn't leave the body until three days after. So Lazarus had been dead for four days. Four days of mourning, four days of brokenness, four days of asking the question Jesus, why didn't you just show up? And then he arrives and he grieves, he says take me to the tomb and what happens next is the single greatest thing in this moment. You have to understand that, prior to what's about to happen, those who were following him hadn't quite seen anything like this yet. They had seen healing, they had seen miracles. There was a dead girl that he actually did raise from the dead, but they thought that she was asleep because she had just passed away. But here you have Lazarus, dead and gone in darkness, and his sisters and the mourners lost, with no hope, and Jesus goes to the tomb. And this is what happens.
Speaker 1:Can you imagine the intensity of that moment? To be standing in front of a grave that you've been mourning at for four days, watch your brother rise out of it, to watch him come out in grave clothes. You know? The answer to the question why did Jesus take so long is simple Because he needed them to understand that not even death could stop him. Listen, he's the only one in all of creation who has ever done that. He's the only one who can stand in front of a grave and bring people out from it. Listen, he needed them to understand. He needs us to understand that there is nothing that can stop him to understand. He needs us to understand that there is nothing that can stop him. Satan has nothing. Hell will not prevail. It cannot prevail as much bad as in the world. There's always hope in the one who can raise the dead, because that's what this is. That's why Easter is so important, because the world has nothing else to offer, but we offer them this.
Speaker 1:I can't imagine what it was like to be Lazarus. If I was Lazarus, I would have worked that into every story for the rest of my life. Seriously, all you stubbed your toe. That hurt. You know what really hurts being in a grave. I would have found a way to talk about it. I would have told that story to anyone who would listen. You could not have shut me up because he was literally in brokenness. To anyone who would listen, you could not have shut me up Because he was literally in brokenness. He was dead, buried in a grave and he came back to life covered in darkness, covered in grave clothes, set free from the Messiah. Set free from the Messiah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I remember my life before Jesus. I was caught up in my own darkness, my own sin, my own grave. I remember the hopelessness that I had. I remember being broken. I remember trying to find ways, to find anything that would bring me joy. And then I met the Savior. Savior, I met the one who saved me from myself. I met the one who makes the blind see. I met the one who feeds the hungry. I met the one who comforts the hurting. I met the one who weeps for brokenness. I met the one who comforts the hurting. I met the one who weeps for brokenness. I met the one who raised a man from the dead. I met the one who went to the cross and raised from the dead himself.
Speaker 1:So when we say that the world needs jesus, that's what they need. They need hope. Jesus is the only thing that gives me hope, no matter how bad it gets, no matter how tough it is, no matter how much I struggle in this world. Because I know christ, because I've given my life to him, I have hope for my future, and not just when I die. We get stuck on that. But I have hope now in this world that he's going to change me, that he's going to transform me, that my story is going to make a difference.
Speaker 1:Everywhere that I go, my hope and my prayer is that I get to tell someone about Jesus, church, that that's what we are supposed to do. You and I have been saved from the grave. We should not be quiet about it. We know someone who raises literally raises people from the dead. We know someone who sacrifices his life for you and I. We know someone who provides hope, life, eternal hope. The world doesn't need another church. I know that sounds bad. There's a lot of churches, churches all over this country. What people need is they need Jesus. They need to find Jesus in those churches. They need to find Jesus in your home. They need to find Jesus at work, that you work with them. They need to find Jesus everywhere they go, because you should be taking Jesus to them. This is wonderful.
Speaker 1:I love getting together on Sunday morning, but if this is the only time we talk about Jesus, we've missed it. If Easter is the only time we use this to really talk to people about Jesus, then we've missed it. We've missed the whole point of this, because every day is Easter for us. Every Sunday is Resurrection Sunday for us. Every moment of my life is the realization that the God who loved me, died for me, was buried and rose again. Lazarus had to die so that Jesus could show who he really was. Jesus waited and in their moment of confusion, in their moment of darkness, in their moment of grieving, jesus raised a man from a dead.
Speaker 1:So to me, whatever you're going through in life that tells me that God can handle it. He can. Whatever burden, whatever worry, whatever concern, whatever doubt you have, the one who can raise men from the dead is the same one who died for you. You know, churches, especially around this time of year, is always hard. What do you say, what do you do? The resurrection story has been told so many times, but I like to think my friend said it was true Just give them Jesus. That's what they need.
Speaker 1:So let me introduce you to the one who can raise people from the dead. Let me introduce you to the one who can raise people from the dead. Let me introduce you to the one that can overcome whatever burden you might have in your life. Let me introduce you to the one that can heal sickness, that can heal brokenness, that can heal marriages, that can overcome addiction. Let me introduce you to the one who died on a cross, took upon your sins in order that you and I could be restored back into a relationship with God. Let me introduce you to the Jesus who changed my life, because I promise you, if you embrace Him, you'll never be the same. Thank God for that.
Speaker 1:All right, let's pray. God, we thank you so much for who you are, for everything that you've done. My words don't even begin to really, god, I've got nothing. I've got nothing that can say, but thank you. Thank you for everything. Thank you for dying for me, thank you for everything. Thank you for dying for me. I would love you to thank you, son. Let me pray Amen, amen. You know, as we close out the service today, I just want to extend that invite to you.
Speaker 1:Maybe you haven't made that decision, maybe you're not sure yet. Maybe you're still trying your way in your options and you're wondering if this Jesus thing is real. There's a lot of questions that come with it. I get it. When I first started following Jesus, I was hesitant. I didn't jump into the deep end yet. I had the kiddie pool. I had some questions I had to ask. I had some things that I needed answered for me. But the more I grew in my relationship with him, the more I realized that I would rather drown in an ocean of Jesus than die on land by myself. And so I have lived my life to try to help other people do it with me, because I think it's so important that we let Him change us and we give our lives to Him, because there is no one in this world who has ever done for me what he did, who has ever done for me what he did. It'll change your life. I promise you. It'll change your life.