John 11 All Age Sermon

John 11 – All Age Sermon

JESUS WAITED (verses 1 to 6)

• One of your best friends is very sick and may not get better. When do you visit? Imagine you have the cure for this friend’s sickness. Would that be an extra reason to visit straight away?

• Jesus stayed where he was (a day’s walk away, on opposite side of River Jordan) for two more days after getting the news about Lazarus. Does that surprise you? Does it make Jesus look bad?

• But the Bible actually says it was because Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary that he delayed going. How can this be?

• Jesus explained that Lazarus’s illness would not end with death. The disciples thought this meant Lazarus would not die, but Jesus did not mean that, as we will see.

• Jesus also said that what was happening to Lazarus was for God’s glory, so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.

• Jesus waited because he loved his friends.


JESUS WENT (Verses 7 to 10, 17 to 28)

• After waiting 2 days, Jesus suddenly announced to the disciples Let us go back to Judea.

• Judea is where Lazarus lived, in a village called Bethany. But Bethany was very near Jerusalem – and the disciples were worried about going back because Jesus nearly got attacked with stones the last time he was there.

• Jesus went in SADNESS, knowing he would be too late to stop his friend dying.

• in FAITH, knowing God was going to do something amazing. J was on a mission to do his Father’s will and to defeat death and evil for good.

• in FEAR, knowing he wouldn’t be coming back. Only one-way tickets were available. It was not an easy journey for Jesus.

• Jesus went because he loved his friends.

JESUS WEPT

• Tears like ours, like the ones in this bottle.

• We shed tears for many reasons, some good and some bad. Jesus shed tears too but his tears were never selfish or hopeless.

• Salt water is a symbol at the Jewish Passover meal because it reminds people of the tears that were shed by their ancestors when they were slaves in Egypt.

• But the point of Passover is to celebrate that God didn’t leave his people as slaves; he set them free.

• Losing someone is sad. Death makes us afraid because we cannot see what happens next. Death is upsetting – (like when we found a dead baby boar on Montserrat)

• But Jesus’ tears were not hopeless. He knew the final enemy, death was about to be defeated. Because his tears are not hopeless, ours don’t need to be either.

• Jesus wept because he loved his friends.

JESUS WON

• Dramatically, allowing no room for doubt about what had happened.

• To reverse what had happened to Lazarus – showing everybody that death is not the end of the story. When we trust Jesus he can bring good things out of the bad things that happen.

• To rehearse what was about to happen to him (for his own benefit and to help people understand later).

• Jesus won because he loved his friends. He wanted them to live without being afraid of dying. He wanted to people to know they could trust God completely and forever.

• Everybody will die one day, but because of this story, and even more because of the Easter story, we can be sure that dying will not be the end. Something even better than being saved from dying will come afterwards.

We end with two great quotes from the Bible which confirm God’s plan to wipe away every tear from every eye and to put an end to death forever.

On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
from all the earth.
The LORD has spoken.
In that day they will say,
“Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the LORD, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25.7-9)

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21.3-5)