Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

Discuss the sleep of death for the believer; illustrate with hibernation

Note the importance of a proper understanding of the hope of resurrection:

Paganism was and is without the resurrection hope (Eph.

2:12; 1 Thess.

4:13).

Greek philosophy taught the immortality of the soul, the soul being considered divine; whereas for the body, being matter and therefore considered evil, there was no hope.

Paul’s proclamation of the resurrection was ridiculed in Greece (Acts 17:32).

Liberal theology, denying the infallibility of the Bible, generally reduces the resurrection hope to a modern version of the immortality of the soul; that is, man’s true “self” continues to exist in an immaterial, ghost-like spirit body.

To Karl Barth, who also rejects the infallibility of the Bible in the traditional sense of the word, the end means “eternalization”; that is, after this life men and women will eternally exist in the mind of God, not in reality (Church Dogmatics [1964–82], 3/2:698ff.;

3/3:99ff.;

257ff.).

According to Scripture the soul is not divine or as such immortal, nor is the body evil.

Created in the image of God, the man and the woman were “very good” in every aspect of their being (Gen.

1:27, 31; 2:21) and were destined to eternal life in body and soul (Gen.

3:22).

Even after the fall, we do not need deliverance from the body; we rather need that our body and soul be delivered from the power of sin and death, which Christ grants to believers (Jn.

6:40; 11:24–26; 1 Cor.

15:54–56).

[ZEB Q-Z]

Main Thought: Through faith in Christ, we don’t decay forever in some terrifying grave, but merely slumber peacefully awaiting our awakening from a simple cave.

Has Jesus turned your “grave” into a mere “cave?”

Sub-intro:

John records seven miracles before the crucifixion, and all are deeply significant.

The raising of Lazarus is the last and greatest, for in this sign Jesus reveals Himself as the Destroyer of death, mankind’s last and greatest enemy.

If miracles are enacted parables, then this one is a magnificent demonstration of Christ’s power to bring to life those who are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph.

2:1).

[Stephen F. Olford, Institutes of Biblical Preaching, Volume Two (Memphis, TN: Olford Ministries International, 1981).]

Body:

I. Christ’s Confrontation of Death (John 11:1-16)

A. He Brings Light to Death’s Darkness (John 11:1-10)

Note - Discuss insights gleaned on the geography of “Bethany” and where Jesus was when summoned.

Periphrastic Participle “was sick.”

A question relating to divine providence arises just here.

A man who is an object of Jesus’ love lies sick.

There are those who say with some vehemence that it is sinful for a child of God to be sick, and utterly contrary to His will.

Unless the case of Lazarus is exceptional, this position cannot be substantiated.

We will have to say that the case of many others is exceptional, such as Trophimus, Epaphroditus, Timothy, and even the apostle Paul.

Those who assert that the Christian can claim healing for the body on the basis of Christ’s redemptive work must face the fact that death is obviously the will of God for His people, and death is brought on in multitudes of cases by illness.

Is then the death according to God’s will but not the sickness which produces the death?

Furthermore, why should we attempt to distinguish sickness from other forms of distress which make up the trials of life allotted to us?

They are all part of our earthly pilgrimage and are designed to cast us the more completely upon God than we might be otherwise.

Those whom the Lord loves most He chastens most severely.

Abraham was called the friend of God, and he was tested most sorely.

[BibSac V104]

What Lazarus’ name means.

Martha & Mary.

As an old Wesley hymn puts it, we need to have a balanced life:

Faithful to my Lord’s commands,

I still would choose the better part:

Serve with careful Martha’s hands

And loving Mary’s heart.

[Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 335.]

Sickness unto death.

Glory.

Love.

Delay.

Doom.

Light.

B. He Brings Reality to Death’s Presence (John 11:11-16)

Note - Sleep as death

And thus it was that scarcely had Lazarus sat down in his Father’s house: he had not got his harp of gold well into his hand: he had not got the Hallelujah that they were preparing against the Ascension of their Lord well into his mouth, when the angel Gabriel came up to where he sat, all rapture through and through, and said to him: ‘Hail!

Lazarus: highly honoured among the glorified from among men.

Thy Master calls up for thee.

He has some service for thee still to do for Him on the earth.’

And the sound of many waters fell silent for a season as they saw one of the most shining of their number rise up, and lay aside his glory, and hang his harp on the wall, and pass out of their sight, and descend to where their heavenly Prince still tarried with His work unfinished.

And Lazarus’s soul descended straightway into that grave, where for four days his former body had lain dead, and towards which our Lord was now on His way.

And the first words that Lazarus heard were these, and the voice that spake was the voice of his former Friend—“Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me.

And I knew that Thou hearest me always.

Lazarus, come forth.”

And he that was dead came forth bound hand and foot with grave clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin.

And Jesus wept at the contrast between heaven and earth, and said, “Loose him, and let him go.” ~ Alexander Whyte

Christ “glad”

Thomas

“By His teaching, His miracles, and His own resurrection, Jesus clearly taught the resurrection of the human body.

He has declared once for all that death is real, that there is life after death, and that the body will one day be raised by the power of God.” ~ Wiersbe

II.

Christ’s Compassion in the Midst of Death (John 11:17-37)

A. He Gives Words of Comfort and Hope (John 11:17-27)

Note - Resurrection and the life

Faith

Messiah

But the main teaching of the miracle is enounced in the words of Jesus: “I am the Resurrection and the Life.”

In this statement two truths are contained: (1) that resurrection and life are not future only, but present; and (2) that they become ours by union with Christ.”

[EB]

B. He Grieves with the Feelings of Our Infirmities (John 11:28-37)

Note on Burial Customs -

Mourning - During the time between primary and secondary burial, members of a Jewish family were in a state of mourning and abstained from full participation in the normal course of ordinary life.

Rabbinic sources describe a series of mourning rituals that unfolded in three stages.

For the first seven days after a death in a Jewish family, the nearest relatives of the deceased would remain at home, grieving and receiving the condolences of extended family and friends (Jn 11:19).

During this time, relatives would usually leave home only to visit the tomb (Jn 11:31).

After seven days of intense grieving, there followed a thirty-day period of less acute mourning, during which the immediate family was expected not to attend festive social gatherings or to leave town.

After thirty days, most aspects of normal life resumed, except in the case of a parent’s death: when one’s parents died, mourning for them lasted until the day of secondary burial (Mt 8:21–22).

[DNTB]

Note - on Jesus Groaning and Weeping, consider:

As He observes Mary and the Jews who are with her weeping, Jesus Himself is overcome with emotion.

The word translated “groaned” (Greek embrimaomai, here and in v. 38) usually refers to anger and many believe that it does so here.

They suggest that Jesus was angry with sin and Satan, the ultimate causes of death.

However, this does not seem to fit the situation here.

Jesus was not so much angry as sharing Mary’s deep sorrow.

This understanding of “groaned” is confirmed by the fact that it is paired with “was troubled” (Greek tarasso).

Whenever John uses this word (in the derived sense with reference to the emotions) he always refers to a state of sorrow and perplexity, never to anger (see 12:27; 13:21; 14:1, 27).

It is also confirmed by the fact that in v. 35 Jesus will burst into tears, an action much more appropriate to sorrow than anger.

Furthermore, those who observed Him evaluated His mood as sorrow rather than anger (v.