By The Rev. Dr. Paul A. Leggett
Sunday, March 1, 2009 · First Sunday of Lent
Sermon Text: John 11:17-27
Sermon Theme
There is no more tragic event than the untimely death of a loved one. Of all the miracles Jesus performs, including raising the dead, John focuses most specifically and dramatically on the raising of Lazarus. Paul calls death, “the last enemy (I Cor. 15:26). Martha is disappointed in Jesus. He did not come when she thought she needed him the most. She is not sure what Jesus can do to help her but she is confident he can do something. Jesus, however, is prepared to do far more than she could ever have imagined. Martha and her sister, Mary, will be transformed along with Lazarus who will be raised from the dead. They will experience Jesus as “the resurrection and the life.” In Christ, we experience the same transformation, the overcoming of death itself.
Sermon Outline
- Time. We are told that Lazarus has been in the tomb four days. According to both Greek and Jewish belief in this period, this meant that the soul had fully left the body. Martha expresses the finality of Lazarus’ death: if only Jesus had come earlier, her brother would not have died. For Martha, what has happened cannot be undone. Death is inevitable and final. Martha is left, like most of us, with the regretful, “if only. . . .” Some things can never be changed. Or can they?
- Trust. Contrary to all the human wisdom and experience of the ages, Jesus states that he is “the resurrection and the life,” and that those who believe in him “will never die.” Martha cannot fully comprehend this. Later on when Jesus asks to have the stone removed from Lazarus’ grave, she protests that, after four days, “there is a stench.” Martha’s trust in Christ, like ours, can only go so far.
- Transformed. Jesus' “I am” statement that he is the “resurrection and the life” is the ultimate statement of transformation. There are ancient stories of people coming back from the dead under the most extreme and unusual circumstances. Jesus needs no special effort. He simply stands before the open tomb and says, “Lazarus, come out!” Lazarus will instantly be transformed from death to life. Yet everyone watching, including his sisters, Mary and Martha, will also be transformed. The point is that Jesus can do anything. He is not limited by time, circumstances, our lack of faith or even by death itself. We struggle and suffer often because our faith is too weak or limited. Jesus asks us the same question he asked Martha, “Do you believe this?” By God’s grace, to believe fully in Jesus is to have a hope that will never end. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Nothing can ever change that.
Questions for Us
- Do you think Martha is an example of our thinking that God is limited by the same things that limit us? How often do we use the phrase,"if only," especially with regard to what God might have done in the past?
- How do we understand Jesus' statement that he is "the resurrection and the life"? Are we able to believe that Jesus can resurrect things in our lives that appear to be beyond hope (dead and stinking)?
- What do we expect from Jesus? Do we really imagine that our lives can be transformed here and now? How do we demonstrate our hope in Jesus?
