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      "Victory Over Death" - Part 2
      John 11:17-27
      Theme:       It is infinitely better to be occupied with the Giver rather than the gifts.

      1. The Presence of Favor in Death – 11:17-22

        1. The Inconspicuous Demonstrations of Favor – vv. 17-19

          1. Jesus decides that the time is right to go and fulfill the intention of God for Lazarus’ death – that is, that the Son of God may be glorified by it." – cp. v. 4
          2. They left the Transjordan region for Bethany of Judea and "when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days."
            1. This represents the first "inconspicuous demonstration" of God’s gracious dealing with us as we suffer the consequences of death – He is accomplishing something greater in us than the death.
            2. As mentioned in the last section, Jesus’ 4 day delay in coming was designed to provide incontrovertible evidence of His glory.
            3. There was a false "superstition" swirling that the soul of a dead person hovered around the body until such a time as decomposition convinced them that reunion was impossible.
            4. Some believe that the significance of 4 days demonstrates that the Lord's’ grace allowed any questions to be eliminated that Lazarus was truly dead.
            5. This demonstrates that God desires to use death as a means to accomplish His intention and to glorify Himself.
          3. The second "inconspicuous demonstration" is the number of people that God gathered to observe and testify of the miracle that He was about to accomplish.
            1. We are told that "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."
            2. As many who have endured the death of a loved one can testify, the ministry that people accomplish simply by coming to "pay their respects" is a tremendous encouragement to someone mourning.
            3. Here we see that "many Jews had come" – indicating that God had provided them the blessing of a large number of people coming to encourage and comfort them in their hour of loss.
            4. But, it also meant that many "skeptical" people ("Jews") would be on hand to give testimony to the accomplishment of Christ.
          4. Once again, this provides us a glimpse into the way that the death of Lazarus was greater than the immediate circumstances – even as the death of every believer provides an opportunity for God to work inconspicuously in the lives of people touched by that death.

        2. The Inconsolable Desire for Favor – vv. 20-22

          1. However, when a person is going through the tremendous heartache of mourning, they are looking for something to comfort them that is conspicuous and yearn to know why some it has happened.
          2. Here we see Martha – the one normally given to duty and responsibility – responding with impulse to the Lord – "Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house."
            1. Here you see the difference once again in Mary and Martha – Mary was more tender, emotional, and subjective in her spirit – possibly having isolated herself from the crowd as she attempted to gather her thoughts and determine how she should respond now if Jesus were to come.
            2. Martha, on the other hand, was busy interacting with those who were present and immediately hurried to the Lord who she felt had "let them down."
          3. It is clear that even prior to sending the messenger to Jesus several days earlier that the sisters had consoled themselves with the thought that if Jesus would arrive, he could heal Lazarus.
          4. This became the torture of their mourning – that Christ could have done something about this, but He wasn’t here – "Martha then said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died’."
          5. Martha, as the one consumed with duty, may have resented the fact that Jesus could have done something about it but didn’t "show up."
          6. Although distressed at what Jesus had failed to do, she displays her great desire for relief from the agony of death by alluding to the message that Jesus had sent back with her messenger: "Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."
            1. The term that is used here for "ask of God" (ai[thsh/) implies the petition of one who is lesser in position than he to whom the petition is made as opposed to (ejrwtavw) which more frequently suggests that the petitioner is on a footing of equality or familiarity with the person whom he requests
            2. By this she is not saying that she believed that Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead, only that He had a special relationship with God and could possibly pray that her suffering be relieved.

      2. The Promise of Freedom from Death – 11:23-26a

        1. The Guarantee of Freedom from Death – vv. 23-24

          1. In keeping with the statement that He had made in the Transjordan (v. 4) "Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again’."
          2. This is a promise given directly to Martha concerning what Jesus intended to accomplish immediately in her brother.
          3. Because of her agonizing heart, and previous efforts to console herself (assuring herself and being assured by others that the promise of future resurrection would be fulfilled), she was unable to appreciate what Jesus was saying.
            1. Clearly, Scripture promised a future resurrection to Old Testament saints – cp. Psalm 16:9-11; Psalm 49:15; Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2
            2. Her response demonstrates that her great hope was this future resurrection – "Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day’."
          4. But Jesus was not referring in this context to the ultimate resurrection, but to an immediate resurrection for the purpose of displaying His glory.
          5. In a spiritual sense, based on the next several verses, Jesus refers to the power of God to quicken people from a condition of spiritual deadness that is just as powerful as physical death – cp. Ephesians 2:4-7.

        2. The Guarantor of Freedom from Death – vv. 25-26a

          1. In order to clarify His promise to Martha, Jesus utters one of the most profound statements in Scripture concerning the issue of death.
          2. He says, "I AM the resurrection and the life" – emphasizing that Jesus isn’t having to approach God as a man would have to do, rather, that all power resided in Himself as the Messiah – the Son of God.
            1. The statement "I AM" (ejgwv eijmi) when used by Christ is a divine formula that clearly claims messianic identity as Jehovah – cp. Exodus
            2. This is the fifth of seven «I am» statements (I am the … Bread of Life; … Light of the World; … Door; … Good Shepherd)
          3. He here impresses on Martha that all power over life and death resides in Himself – that Lazarus hope is not in a "last day resurrection" but it is in Jesus Himself.
          4. Herein lies the great & merciful lesson of Christ’s absence – with Him removed, nothing but death is left; but, with Him present, resurrection and life is assured.
          5. He doesn’t ask Martha to believe in a resurrection, but that she believe in Him ("infinitely better is it for us to be occupied with the Giver than His gifts.")
          6. Thus, He calls Martha (as well as all other men) to personal faith in Him – "He who believes in Me will live even if he dies."
            1. Clearly Jesus here is "playing" on words as He contrasts different kinds of death.
              1. Spiritual death – the separation of one’s soul from fellowship with God (the natural condition of men as they are born sinful that results in personal sin – Romans 5:12)
              2. Physical death – the separation of one’s soul from one’s own body (the inevitable result of personal sin – Romans 6:23)
              3. 2nd (Eternal) Death – the separation of the body and soul from God eternally (the final judgment of God on all sinners not reconciled to God through faith in Christ – Revelation 20:12-15
            2. By faith, men are given eternal life so that they will over come Spiritual Death if he experiences physical death – "He who believes in Me will live even if he dies.".
          7. He goes further in explaining this by stating: "…and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die."
            1. By this Jesus declares that to be made alive spiritually is to forever avoid Eternal Death – "… will never die."
            2. The consequence of faith is life and the consequence of life is faith in the Person of Christ Jesus whom to know is Life Eternal – cp. John 17:3; 1 John 5:11-12

      3. The Proposition of Faith in the Deliverer – 11:26b-27

        1. The Call to Believe – v. 26b

          1. The faith that Jesus calls on Martha to express is the very reason for the death of Lazarus – to allow the glory of the Son of God to shine.
          2. He draws her focus to Himself as being the provision of God who possesses in Himself the authority and power to grant eternal life and asks her "Do you believe this?"
          3. This is where Jesus will go in every heart who ponders the claims of Jesus Christ to be the Promised One of God – every individual has to decide from themselves (with the aid of God’s Spirit) whether or not they believe that Jesus Christ is this provision.

        2. The Confession of Belief – v. 27

          1. Martha’s response is beautiful – in the midst of her grief and agony, she makes this statement: "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ …"
            1. The use of the perfect tense indicates that it is a faith that was once given and permanently remains.
            2. Essentially she says, "What has happened to my brother does not alter my awareness that You are the Promised One of God.
          2. She goes further to ascribe to Him divinity – "… the Son of God, even He who comes into the world."
          3. Even though she believed that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, she had no idea what this would mean in her current distress and agony of heart.

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