Sunday Sermon Bullet Points 4/3/22: The miracle that broke the back of the religious
The miracle that broke the back of the religious
Opening Text:
John 11:1-7 (NKJV) 1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” 4 When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
Introduction:
- The story of Lazarus was the final significant miracle before Jesus was to enter the Passover and Crucifixion week.
- This family, Martha, Mary, Lazarus, were important during the life of Christ.
- Their first encounter when Martha approached Jesus and invited Him into their home.
Luke 10:38-42 (NKJV) 38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house
1. This sickness is for the glory of God… how can this be?
John 11:4 When Jesus heard that, he said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be gloried through it.”
Verse 4 “that the Son of God may be glorified through it”
- There are so many ways that Jesus can be gloried through sickness…
*Important to stay in faith as we walk through times of sickness in our life.*
- Jesus’ response to Lazarus’ sickness was to wait…
John 11:5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.
*I want to acknowledge that this topic can be very sensitive and hit very close to home for many of us.*
- God had a plan and a timing that needed to be aligned to fulfill His plan perfectly.
Psalms 40:1-3 (NKJV) 1 I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. 2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. 3 He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD.Sometimes some things just have to happen in order for us to believe when the Lord shows up and gets us through them.
John 11:15 ” I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”
- Martha came to Jesus.
John 11:17-20 (NKJV) 17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19 And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.
Luke 10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” 41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
- Be like Martha and Mary.
- When Jesus saw them weeping He groaned…
John 11:32-34 (NKJV) 32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?
- Jesus wept because of their unbelief…
John 11:34-39 (NKJV) 34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” 37 And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” 38 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
- “Did I not say to you…”
John 11:40-44 (NKJV) 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
- Raising Lazarus from the grave was the final act that broke the back of the religious rulers and from this time forward they sought a way to kill Jesus.
John 11: 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”
John 11:53-54 (NKJV) 53 Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.
Conclusion:
- There is so much to take in from this story.
- What was the last thing Jesus told you?
- Be a runner like Martha and yet a waiter like Mary.
- And know that God has a plan, and His timing is perfect, so let us be patient and wait for Him to show up.