We appreciate so much those who
play the musical instruments. We thank the Lord for the talents
that he's given these and that they use them for the Lord. If
you will, open your Bible with me again tonight to John chapter
11. John chapter 11. And this evening, the Lord willing,
we will be looking at verses 17 through 27. And without preaching again from
the first 16 verses that we looked at last Sunday evening, I want
to remind us of three things that we see in these 16 verses. First, we see that the Lord Jesus
received a message from Martha and Mary that their brother Lazarus
was sick. You notice that in verse three,
therefore his sister sent unto him saying, Lord, behold, he
whom thou lovest is sick. And then also we notice that
the Lord Jesus told his disciples that the sickness of Lazarus
was for the glory of God, and it would result in him, that
is in Christ, being glorified. Notice that in verse 4. When
Jesus heard that, he said, this sickness is not unto death, but
for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified
thereby. And a third thing I would point
out to us is in verse 14 we see that the Lord Jesus Christ told
his disciples that Lazarus was dead. Now he had spoken of death
under the symbol of sleeping, but make no mistake about it,
Lazarus was dead. That's very important that we
keep that in mind. Now tonight, We're looking at
the verses which tell of the Lord Jesus Christ coming to Bethany
and speaking with Martha. First, there are four things
that I want to point out to us. First, the Lord came to Bethany,
which was near to Jerusalem. Notice in verses 17, 18, and
19, Then when Jesus came, he found
that he had lain in the grave four days already. Now Bethany
was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off. And many
of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning
their brothers. The Lord with his disciples came
to the outskirts of this village by the name of Bethany, and it
was less than two miles from Jerusalem. In this village lived
a family of at least three, that is of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Three in this family that we
are told that the Lord Jesus Christ loved. I want to remind
us that there's no family There's no village, there's no town or
city where death does not come. It's not possible to surround
a city with the highest of walls and keep out the king of terrorists. Every hamlet, village, town,
and city has its burying place, or as we call them, cemeteries. Bethany, less than two miles
from the temple in Jerusalem, less than two miles from the
altar that God had ordained, but still could not ward off
death. Now in those days, and in a place
like Bethany, the burying place would usually be outside the
city limits, outside the wall of the city. I used this fact many times when
I was in Mexico and would go into a new village, Brother Groover
as well, Walter Groover and myself, years ago. Many times when we
would go into a new village, on the road in we would pass
the cemetery. It was always outside the walls
of the city. And I used this fact many times
to introduce my message. A cemetery means that there's
death, and death means that there's sin. The wages of sin is death. That's what the scriptures declare.
That's what we know to be true. The wages of sin is death, but
the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. The Bible speaks of three kinds
of death, and every one of these three kinds of death is the result
of sin. Had there been no sin, there
would have been no spiritual death, no physical death, no
eternal death. But the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Eternal life is a gift. Make no mistake about it. Spiritual
life, eternal life is a gift. It cannot be bought. It cannot
be earned. It cannot be deserved. Eternal
life is a gift and eternal life is a gift of God. He's the only
one who can give eternal life. The church cannot give it. The
Virgin Mary cannot give it. Eternal life is a gift of God
and always through our Lord Jesus Christ. God gives eternal life,
but He gives eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ. In other
words, through His person and His work, God gives eternal life. And I want to make this point
before I move on. Notice in the verses that we
read, The scripture in verse 19 says,
and many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them
concerning their brother. Their brother Lazarus was dead
and their friends came to comfort the two sisters. They did not
come to say their prayers for Lazarus. They did not come to
say the rosary or to begin novenas, but they came to comfort the
living. Nowhere in the Word of God are
we ever taught to pray for the dead. When a person dies, we no longer
pray for that person. Pray for their family, pray for
their friends, absolutely. Be with them to comfort them,
yes. But we do not pray for the person
who has passed away. And here's the wonderful thing.
For those who know Christ as their Lord and Savior, they are
complete in Him. Look with me to Colossians chapter
2. Colossians chapter 2. In other words, when someone
passes away, when someone dies, I'm speaking about a believer,
we don't have to call the priest. There's nothing that we must
do for him or her. That person in life, in Christ,
is complete. Complete means complete, doesn't
it? I mean, that just means that
you don't need anything else. Complete in Him. This is what
we read here in Colossians chapter 2, verses 9 and 10. For in Him, that is in Christ,
dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him. Don't you rejoice in that truth
tonight? If you know Christ as your Lord
and Savior, you are complete. And you don't need anything.
In fact, if you add anything to Christ, You've spoiled His
work. Salvation is a gift of God through
the Lord Jesus Christ. You are complete in Him. And when death comes to the child
of God, and it shall come for all of us unless we live unto
the Lord's coming, when death comes there's nothing that needs
to be done The believer is complete in Christ
and merely goes home, goes to be with the Lord, which is far
better. Far better. All right, let's
go back to the text. So first of all, the Lord came
to Bethany, which was near to Jerusalem. I just make the point
that in every town, village, hamlet, pueblo, No matter how
high the walls are, death enters. And the reason death comes is
because sin is there. But secondly, I want to point
out to us, Martha's coming and speaking to the Lord in verses
20 through 24. Then Martha, as soon as she heard
that Jesus was coming, went and met him. But Mary sat still in
the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus,
Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But
I know that even now whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will
give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, thy brother
shall rise again. Martha said unto him, I know
that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. And I would just remind us here
of two truths. First of all, God's children,
God's children do not all have the same traits. If you have more than one child
in your family, you know that each one is different. Each one
is different. Each one has their own personality,
their own traits. And in the family of God, the
household of God, all of God's children do not have the same
traits. And we see this especially concerning
the two sisters, Martha and Mary, in that passage in Luke chapter
10, which tells of Martha, The Scripture there says, she being
combered about with much serving, but at the same time her sister
Mary sitting at Jesus' feet. Martha by nature, this was her
nature, this was her trait. She was a very busy, she was
a very active, demonstrative person, and she couldn't wait. When she heard that the Lord
Jesus had come, she goes immediately to meet the Lord. Mary, she's
of a different disposition. She's a person who by nature
is quiet, gentle, meditative, and she sets it home. Now in
the passage in Luke, and I assume we're all familiar with that
passage, so we're not turning there. But in the passage in
Luke, we know that the Lord commended Mary. He said she had chosen
the best part. She was sitting hearing the words
of the Lord Jesus Christ. But I agree with J.C. Rowe. It seems here that she missed
the best part by staying at home as she did. And Martha going
immediately to see the Lord because it was to Martha that our Lord
makes this wonderful confession that we will see in just a moment.
Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. What a revelation
confession. I am. The great I am. Martha, I am the resurrection. Mary missed
this. She missed this. The second thing I'd point out
is that all believers First of all, all believers do not have
the same traits. And you know, God made you. He made you. He made you to be
you. Right? Don't try to be somebody
else. Don't try to have the traits
or the personality of someone else. Let them be them and you
be you. That's the way God made you. And He made you that way for
a purpose. And His purpose is for His glory. And you fit right in to the family
of God, to the household of God. And if you try to be something
that you're not, you're not going to serve in that position that
the Lord fitted you for. Secondly, not only Do all believers
not have the same traits? But all believers do not have
the same degree of faith. We do not all have the same degree
of faith. Faith is a gift. And faith, like
every gift, may grow. If you look at what Martha says
here, she's just like, or she was just like you and I, She's
like all true believers in the sense that, yes, she believed,
she had faith, but mixed with her faith was much weakness. Let me point this out to us.
When she said, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had
not died. Didn't she realize that without
him being there, if it were not his will, had not been his will,
that her brother would not have died? Lord, if thou hadst been
here, my brother had not died. Did she not realize that whether
he was there or whether he was a great distance away, if it
had not been his will, For Lazarus to die, he would not have died. And then when she said, Once
whoever thou ask of God, God will give thee. She speaks as
if he were much like one of those Old Testament prophets like Elijah
or Elisha, who too raised boys from the dead, but they did so
in prayer. They did so praying and asking
God to raise that child. When the Lord Jesus raised the
daughter of Jairus, you remember when he went into that room and
people just started laughing at him when he told them outside
the room, she's not dead, she's sleeping. He goes in, he takes those three.
apostles with him, Peter, James, and John, and the little girl,
the 12-year-old girl's mother and father. Did he pray? Did
he bow his head and pray, Father, please, please, Father, if it
be Thy will, Father, restore this girl to her life? Did he pray? Of course not. He
said, Maid, Of course, he didn't say it loud like that, I'm sure.
You know, his voice was gracious, wasn't it? Grace was poured into
his lips. But my point is, he simply said,
made arise. And she arose. And that day when
he raised the widow's son of Nain, he didn't pray. He said,
Young man, I say unto thee, I, I, I say unto thee, arise. Martha did know that there would
be a resurrection at the last day. She did confess that. And that tells us, of course,
that that was a truth that was taught through the Old Testament. But the religious leaders of
that day were divided. You know, we read about the Pharisees
and we read about the Sadducees. And one thing about the Sadducees
is they did not believe in a resurrection. And most of the high priests,
from what I've read, came out of that group of the Sadducees. You know, Paul used this one
time to his advantage. As it's recorded, if you want
to look at it in Acts chapter 23, when he was being charged
and his accusers were there and he realized that some were Pharisees and some
were Sadducees. Acts chapter 23 and verse 6. But when Paul perceived that
the one part were Sadducees, they didn't believe in a resurrection,
they didn't believe in angels, they didn't believe in spirits.
And the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council. Notice he
did this when he realized they were divided, these two groups.
Men, brethren, I'm a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee of the
whole and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.
And when he had so said, what happened? These two groups, they
started fighting each other. There arose a dissension between
the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the multitude was divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angels
nor spirits, but the Pharisees confess both. Remember Dr. Peter Conley, he made a play
on that name, Sad You See. He said, you see, they were sad,
you see. They did not believe in the resurrection. They were sad, you see. All right,
let's go back to the text, John chapter 11. I want us to look next at our
Lord's declaration or confession in verses 25 and 26. When Martha
said, I know that he shall rise in the resurrection at the last
day, Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection. You're looking
at the resurrection. You're hearing the resurrection
and the life. I am the resurrection and the
life. He that believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth
in me shall never die. Believest thou this? Now, what
did he mean when he said, I am the resurrection? Every resurrection,
every resurrection, underline that, every, every resurrection,
whether it be a spiritual one from death in sin or a physical
one from the grave, the Lord Jesus Christ, He is the author
and He is the cause. Every resurrection, when the
Lord quickens someone and they're brought to life to trust in Christ,
He's the cause. Without Him, there would be no
resurrection. And one day, there will be a
resurrection from the grave He's the cause. He's the one who will
call. He's the author of the resurrection,
both physical and spiritual. Keep your place here, but look
back to John 5. In John chapter 5, and beginning
with verse 25, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
the hour is coming, and now is. when the dead shall hear the
voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. For
as the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to
have life in Himself. Now, when it speaks about the
Father giving the Son, we're going to read more here, but
remember this. He's speaking as the God-Man. He's speaking as the Mediator,
as the Eternal Son of God. He's always had all power. always
had all authority. But it is as the God-man mediator,
the incarnate deity, the Son of God, that he says, for as
the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them, even so
the Son quickeneth whom He will. For the Father judgeth no man,
but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, that all men should
honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth
not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily,
verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth
on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. Now notice,
verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is
when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God. Those
who are spiritually dead, and all men are by nature, spiritually
dead. And he calls using the gospel. Remember the scripture says,
I'm not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto
salvation unto every one that believeth. Now, if the gospel
is the power of God unto salvation, then men must hear the gospel.
And in hearing the gospel, they hear the voice of the Son of
God. He speaks and He gives life. They that hear shall live. For
as the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to
have life in Himself, and hath given Him authority to execute
judgment, also because He is the Son of Man. Marvel not at
this, for the hour is coming, He didn't say, and now is. He
did in that verse before, didn't he? The hour is coming, and now
is. But no, now he says, for the
hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall
hear his voice. I am the resurrection and the
life. It is his voice in the gospel,
attended with almighty power. which is the means of quickening
or raising God's chosen people, which they hear, and when they
hear, they live. And one day it will be His voice
in the last day that men who are in their graves shall hear
and come forth. I am the resurrection. I am the life. All life All life,
whether it's natural life or spiritual life, it all comes
from Him. Every breath that I breathe,
every breath that you breathe, He gives us. All life. Natural life and certainly all
spiritual life comes from Him. In Him we live and move and have
our being. Now those who believe in Christ,
though we die physically, shall live. We don't die spiritually. The body dies, yes. For all who live spiritually,
that is, who believe in Christ, shall never die. And in both
of these places, before I go to the last point, let me just
emphasize this. In both of these places, we see,
or at least we should see, the importance of believing, of faith. In John 5 it is, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him
that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. And here in
this verse, it is, Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall
never die. And you notice the Lord asked
He got very personal with Martha, didn't he? Believest thou this? Do you believe tonight? Do you
believe? Believest thou this? And my last
point is her confession, verse 27. She saith unto him, Yea,
Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ."
Can you say that tonight? Now think about this. She was
looking at this man. She knew she'd had experiences
with him before visiting her home. He's a man. As far as a man, he looked just
like her brother, Lazarus. And yet, the Jesus Christ of
Nazareth, I believe that thou art the Christ. I believe that you're the one
who was promised all through the Old Testament. I believe
that you're the one that that God spoke of, the Father spoke
of even in the Garden of Eden when He said, the seed of the
woman shall bruise the head of the serpent. I believe that thou
art the Christ. I believe that you're the one.
You, I'm looking at you, that you are the Christ, the one,
the only one. of the billions of men who've
walked the face of God's earth. You're the only one who is ordained
and anointed to be the mediator between God and man. I believe
that. And then that wasn't all, she
said. I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, who
should come into the world. That's a confession that will
last, right? That's a confession tonight,
if you can confess that and rejoice in Jesus Christ as
your Lord and Savior. I believe that thou art the Christ.
Don't have a doubt in my mind, do you? Jesus, the Jesus we read of here,
that was born a little over 2,000 years ago now, born of the Virgin
Mary, was crucified under Pontius Pilate. I believe that He is
the Christ. I don't look for another. I believe
He's the Christ. And I believe He's the Son of
God, manifest in the flesh. That was her confession. I trust
that you believe as well tonight. And if you do believe and you've
never confessed your faith, you need to do that publicly in baptism. Follow the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm going to ask