Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany,
the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment,
and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus
was sick.)
Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord,
behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
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.
John 11:1-4
Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day?
If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because
he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in
the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
These things said he: and after that he saith unto them,
Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake
him out of sleep.
Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do
well.
Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he
had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the
intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his
fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
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 brother.
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 saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in
the resurrection at the last day.
Jesus said unto her, 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?
She saith unto him, Yea, Lord:I believe that thou art the
Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
And when she had so said, she went her way, and called
Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and
calleth for thee.
As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came
unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but
was in that place where Martha met him.
The Jews then which were with her in the house, and
comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up
hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto
the grave to weep there.
Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw
him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if
thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also
weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and
was troubled,
And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him,
Lord, come and see.
Jesus wept.
Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!
And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened
the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man
should not have died?
Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the
grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.
Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of
him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he
stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou
wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
Then they took away the stone from the place where the
dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said,
Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of
the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe
that thou hast sent me.
And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice,
Lazarus, come forth.
And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot
with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a
napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go
John 11:9-44
1. Your relationships and your friendships will connect
you to the power of God.
Lazarus was connected to the power of God because of his
sisters who were close to Jesus. Jesus Himself was interested
and moved to help Lazarus because of His relationship with his
sisters.
Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany,
the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment,
and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus
was sick.)
Therefore HIS SISTERS SENT UNTO HIM, saying,
Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
John 11:1-3
2. Some problems come for the glory of God. Through
that problem, the glory of God is revealed.
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 . . .
John 11:4
3. Jesus is never in a hurry. Do not worry if Jesus does
not seem alarmed about your problem. He is well
able to solve your problem in due time.
Jesus answered, ARE THERE NOT TWELVE HOURS in
the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not,
because he seeth the light of this world.
John 11:9
4. The miracle of raising someone from the dead is
the most fantastic of all the miracles Jesus ever did
because it combined 3 fantastic miracles in one.
Then they took away the stone from the place where the
dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said,
Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of
the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe
that thou hast sent me.
And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice,
Lazarus, come forth.
And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot
with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a
napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go
John 11:41-44
i. The first miracle was the calling of the spirit of Lazarus
from heaven or hell.
ii. The second miracle was the restoration of a decomposed
body to normalcy.
iii. The third miracle was the healing of Lazarus’ body of the
disease from which he died. If he were not healed of the
disease he died from, he would have immediately died
again when his spirit returned to his body.
iv. Through this ultimate miracle, Jesus Christ demonstrated
His supremacy over death, sickness and all the tragedies of
mankind.
5. The miracle raising of Lazarus from the dead
demonstrates the love of God, the compassion of Jesus
Christ, the greatness of Jesus Christ and the power of
the Holy Spirit.
… For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he
might destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
6. “Lazarus come forth” – Jesus is calling you to come
forth from physical death and spiritual death.
7. Open your heart to the call of the Lord as He summons
you to come forth out of death.
