John chapter 11 you may remember that I
have been going through a series in the
Gospel of John studying the seven signs
that are recorded in the Gospel of John
seven miracles and they're called signs
in the Gospel of John because what does
a sign do a sign points you in the right
direction unless you live in boston in
which case it doesn't matter what
direction you're going you will get lost
but normally signs are supposed to point
you in the right direction I think I
even have some pictures of signs that we
could put up because that's what
miracles were meant to be in the new
testament and in the old to every
miracle that God did was meant to be a
sign that points people to some truth
about who God is and how he deals with
people even the miracle we saw today of
God providing housing is a sign that
points us to a living God who loves us
and provides for us everything is
pointing to him now in the Gospel of
John now Jesus did a lot of miracles
right tons of miracles he killed
hundreds thousands of people in his
earthly life he did all kinds of
different things but the Gospel of John
records seven of them to make specific
points about who Jesus is and we are now
on sign number seven sign number seven
net anyone remember some of the early
ones that first one where Jesus was at a
wedding they ran out of the wine he
turned the water into wine and not just
a little bit remember we talked about he
filled up 76 enormous juggs of line and
he wasn't just making wine for people he
was teaching that God saves the best for
last that the water of the Old Testament
will change into the wine of the new
then now the law will be replaced with
the Holy Spirit in our hearts little
later Jesus did some healings remember
he healed a paralytic a man who was
laying by a well sort of waiting for
some sort of a miracle to happen for 38
years a man who was very passive who did
not have a very good attitude who was
just waiting around for something to
happen and Jesus said you get up take
your mat and walk and then change
because if you don't change your
attitude something worse might happen to
you so that was someone who needed
healing not just of his body but of his
attitude he did a couple other healings
Jesus also multiplied bread and he
walked on the water but now we're coming
to his final and greatest sign this is
the final one in the Gospel of John that
points to the reality he's about to
accomplish in the cross and resurrection
John chapter 11 so let's read this
together and it deals with people that
jesus knew personally and intimately now
it's personal this is something that is
one of the most intimate interactions
that Jesus has with people in all of the
signs recorded in the Bible John chapter
11 says the following says now a man
named Lazarus was sick he was from
Bethany the village of Mary and her
sister Martha this Mary whose brother
Lazarus now lasik was the same one who
poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his
feet with her hair so the sisters sent
word to Jesus Lord the one you love is
sick when he heard this jesus said this
sickness will not end in death no it is
for God's glory so that God's Son may be
glorified through it now Jesus loved
Martha and her sister and Lazarus so
when he heard that Lazarus was sick he
stayed where he was two more days and
then he said to his disciples let us go
back to Judea verse 8 but rabbi they
said a short while ago the Jews there
tried to stone you and yet you are going
back and jesus answered are there not
twelve hours of daylight anyone who
walks in the daytime will not stumble
for they see by this world's light it is
when a person walks at night that they
stumble for they have no light after
this he said after he had said this he
went on to tell them our friend Lazarus
has fallen asleep but I'm going there to
wake him up his disciples said lord if
he sleeps he will get better and Jesus
had been speaking of his death but his
disciples thought he meant natural sleep
so when he told them plainly Jesus told
them plainly Lazarus is dead and for
your sake I am glad I was not there so
that you may believe but let us go to
him then Thomas also known as didymus
said to the rest of the disciples let us
go all so that we may die with him verse
17 on his arrival Jesus found that
Lazarus had already been in the tomb for
four days now Bethany was less than two
miles from jerusalem and many jews had
come to Martha and Mary to comfort them
in the loss of their brother this is a
funeral when Jesus comes to a funeral
things get interesting when Martha heard
that Jesus was coming she went out to
meet him but Mary stayed at home Lord
Martha said to Jesus if you had been
here my brother would not have died but
I know that even now God will give you
whatever you ask jesus said to her your
brother will rise again Martha answered
I know he will rise again in the
resurrection at the last day and Jesus
said to her I am the resurrection and
the life the one who believes in Me will
live even though they die and whoever
lives by believing in me will never die
do you believe this yes Lord she replied
I believe that you are the Messiah the
Son of God who is to come into the world
after she had said this she went back
and called her sister Mary aside the
teacher is he or she said and is asking
for you when Mary heard this she got up
quickly and went to him now Jesus had
not yet entered the village
was still at the place where Martha had
met him when the Jews who had been with
mayor who had been with Mary in the
house comforting her notice how quickly
she got up and went out they followed
her supposing she was going to the tomb
to mourn there when Mary reached the
place where Jesus was and saw him she
fell at his feet and said lord if you
had been here my brother would not have
died when Jesus saw her weeping and the
Jews who had come along with her also
weeping he was deeply moved in spirit
and troubled where if you laid him he
asked come and see Lord they replied
jesus wept then the Jews said see how he
loved him but some of them said could
not he who opened the eyes of the blind
men have kept this man from dying Jesus
once more deeply moved came to the tomb
it was a cave with a stone laid across
the entrance take away the stone he said
but Lord said Martha the sister of the
dead man by this time there is a bad
odor for he has been there for days and
the then jesus said did I not tell you
that if you believe you will see the
glory of God so they took away the stone
and then Jesus looked up and said father
I thank you that you have heard me I
knew that you always hear me but I said
this for the benefit of the people
standing here that they may believe that
you sent me and when he had said this
Jesus called out in a loud voice Lazarus
come out and the dead man came out his
hands and his feet wrapped with strips
of linen and a cloth around his face and
Jesus said to them take off the grave
clothes and let him go how about that
huh how about that father in Jesus name
I thank you that you are the
resurrection and the life God there is
not a person in this room who has not
tasted grief at some point in their life
and some have had quite a cup full of
grief in their lives I thank you God
that you are not a stranger to that
Jesus I thank you that you came to the
funeral two thousand years ago to say
something to us to do something that
would never be forgotten and I pray Holy
Spirit that you would speak to us today
we're listening in jesus name amen amen
if Jesus's miracles were signs then this
one is an enormous billboard the size of
Times Square and I see four words
written on it you have a hero and this
is where Jesus really takes off the
Clark Kent outfit and you see that big s
written around his chest and it's a good
thing because we need a hero don't we
and this time it's really personal these
are Jesus's most close and intimate
friends along with his family and
disciples Mary Martha and Lazarus maybe
you read in Luke chapter 10 where Jesus
would go over their house for dinner and
he would eat over their house Martha was
the kind of person whose house I think
always had people coming and going and
there was always food on the table and
you didn't have a choice you were going
to eat right and he would know anyone
like that a person who is just like that
she opens her home and people come going
in Jesus would come over regularly and
he would just be there and he would eat
with them one day it tells the story
where he's eating with Mary and Martha
we assume Lazarus is hanging out to eat
stuff in his face probably and Martha
gets annoyed with her sister Mary
remember the story it says Jesus marries
just sitting there listening to you and
she's left me to do all the work and all
the preparations would you tell her to
help me I just imagine the kind of
comfortable relationship that they had
that Martha felt free to involve Jesus
in an argument with her sister that's
how often he came over the house that's
how comfortable they were together and i
love the way Jesus answers her remember
the story Martha
Martha you're so stressed out about so
many things but not so many things are
required let's just have cornflakes
today huh let's just sit down Mary's
chosen the better part I'm taking Mary
side in this one just relax let's spend
time together Jesus was that close to
Mary and Martha these were humanly
speaking friends of his right so can you
imagine when he hears the news that
Lazarus and even the way they say it the
one you love is sick Jesus your best
friend is sick now what do you expect
Jesus to do when you send a message to
him saying Jesus your closest friend is
very sick what do you expect him to do
so let's go let's go heal him right got
to get over there gotta get there as
quickly as we can what does Jesus do he
stays where he is two more days have you
ever felt like you call on God to come
help you and he seems to be taking his
time have you ever had that experience
where he's de lis seems like Jesus is
delaying like he's stuck in traffic
somewhere you know and I got this
situation where are you God my brother
Lazarus is sick and Jesus is just taking
more time and Jesus makes it clear to
his disciple see this illness is not
unto death this illness has a purpose we
talked about this the miracles of God
happened in our messes we have a mess
God intervenes and speaks a message to
us our messes are opportunities for his
messages amen I stole that from brother
Leroy who probably stole that from
someone else your mess is an opportunity
for God's message to you and Jesus had
an important message and he had to let
this mess get very messy now you could
say does he care is he just saying no
big deal
no I'm going to go and fix it I'm just
going to let them suffer there for four
days is that Jesus is attitude you know
the Bible says very clearly if you look
with me in in chapter 11 and verse of 5
look what it says it says now Jesus
loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus
the Bible goes out of his way its way to
tell us that Jesus loved them and that's
the first thing i want to say when it
seems like God is taking his time when
it seems like God is far away it doesn't
mean he doesn't love us it just means he
has a purpose and everything is in its
time now eventually he does get going he
goes there and he gets there but Martha
and we're going to talk about this story
in terms of three different encounters
first Jesus has an encounter with Martha
then he has an encounter with Mary and
then finally he has an encounter with
their brother we'll talk about that too
but you've maybe had this happen I've
had this happen when I come to a funeral
sometimes before I even get into the
room someone comes out no and you're and
you bump into someone even at the door
before you've gone in and I know that as
we talk about this we're we're going
into holy ground because funerals or
memories that are very sad and painful
and we're remembering that Sid setting
and jesus is coming to that setting he's
outside the town and Martha comes to
meet him and she makes a very simple
statement Jesus if you had been here my
brother wouldn't have died now what's
implied in that statement Jesus where
were you where were you why did this
have to happen that's a natural question
we asked sometimes when things happen
and we say God it just seems like it
just seems like you weren't there I
don't understand it doesn't just seem
like you why did this happen does Jesus
rebuke Martha for that statement does he
say Martha stop that no but what does he
say to her
look with me coming down to John 11
verse some verse 22 Lord Martha said to
Jesus verse 21 if you had been here my
brother would not have died but look at
the second part of her statement but I
know that even now God will give you
whatever you ask sometimes we suffer
with the question God I don't understand
but I know that even now I want to focus
on those two words even now that is
those two words are power words they're
words that say that God even though all
of this is happening even now I know
that you're still God even though it
doesn't make sense to me even now I know
that you have not left me and that you
still can do something she still had
faith but she just didn't understand
what was happening it was a general kind
of confused faith there was pain in it
and Jesus says okay your brother will
rise again isn't that amazing Jesus now
is pointing her to the truth of her
faith of what that means she's getting
her general faith to be specific your
brother will rise again and she at this
moment I imagine through some tears says
I know that he will rise again in the
resurrection at the last time day she
believed somehow she believed that God
would give her brother life again
sometimes we just have to say it even if
you don't feel it sometimes you just
need to say the truth that you believe i
believe that he will live again but you
see sometimes we can believe the right
things but not believe in the right
person necessarily just because she has
correct faith she's an Orthodox Jewish
woman who believe that in the end God
would raise the dead but correct faith
is not always complete faith sometimes
we can believe the right things but we
don't believe them in the right way and
Jesus realizes that Martha's faith is
correct but it's not complete she
believes the right things but she needs
to believe in the right person she says
Martha I don't think you completely
understand what resurrection means
resurrection isn't just something that's
going to happen resurrection and the
life is standing before you at this
moment she needs to believe in the right
person and Jesus says I am the
resurrection and the life the one who
believes in Me will live even though
they die it is possible and I believe
that many of us come to church and we
have a faith we believe some of the
right things about God but we have not
yet understood who jesus is our faith is
correct but it's not complete and I
believe that Jesus is standing right
before us saying no no you need to
understand that the life is not just a
concept not just a religious idea there
is a personal connection with God that
you're lacking and it's time for you to
discover that and now is that moment
resurrection and the life they're
different things resurrection is what
Jesus does at the end of time when he
raises our bodies from the dead but the
life is who he is a divine spiritual
energy that Jesus had the key can
transmit to people and make them live
because he lives his life is contagious
life the Bible says in John chapter 1 in
him was life and that life was the light
of men the light shines in the darkness
and the darkness has not overcome it we
need to receive the life of Jesus into
us otherwise our spirit is dead that's
why becoming a Christian is often called
being born again because we receive a
spirit it's not just that we convert to
a different set of beliefs okay it's not
that we just start attending church we
receive the Holy Spirit into US and that
spiritual energy I'm not trying
to get all weird and you know kind of
science fiction with us but there is a
spiritual energy that comes into a
Christian and begins to bring them to
life they wake up your spirit wakes up I
am addicted to this process I tell you I
there's nothing I love more than meeting
people who are coming to church just
getting to looking for God and then they
begin to connect with Jesus that life
starts getting into them and it starts
shining out of them the Bible says if
anyone is in Christ he is a new creation
the old has gone the new has come there
is a life in you that is starting to
shine and eventually that life will
explode in a physical resurrection on
the last day Jesus is the resurrection
and the life that's why he said I am the
bread of life if you eat this bread you
will never be hungry again because that
bread that that that body of Christ
which is not just the communion supper
although that symbolizes it that faith
in Jesus gets in you and transforms you
and you just can't keep it back have you
had this experience yet if you haven't
Jesus wants you to know it's right there
for you that he is the resurrection and
the life but he doesn't leave it there
he looks at her at the end of this
statement any ass her do you believe
this you see there's something we have
to do we can't just passively listen we
need to respond and say yes Lord and
it's not just believing in certain ideas
it's in trusting yourself to a person
Jesus says I Martha says I believe that
you are the Christ the Son of God who
was to come into the world eternal life
is a relationship with God through Jesus
with Jesus who is the son of God and we
know him in that life then gets into you
and starts to transform you it works now
Martha needed to be at a graveside to
learn this and it's not easy but
sometimes it's in our moments of sadness
and pain that we discover who God is in
a deeper way it's then that we say do I
really believe what I say
I believe do I really believe in Jesus
or am I just religious God doesn't call
us to be religious churchgoers he calls
us to know the living Christ just like
job who at the end of his life or at the
end of his suffering I'm sorry before
his life was restored job said before my
ears had heard of you but now my eyes
have seen you there comes a moment where
you say God I've heard of you all these
years but now my eyes have seen you I
pray that our eyes be open just like
that miracle where Jesus smeared the mud
on that guy's eyes to give him new eyes
just like God creating Adam with the mud
of the earth so that he could see the
glory of God in the face of Christ I
pray that God enable us like Martha to
say yes Lord I believe now then Martha
went back to the house and she found
Mary who was sitting in the house crying
she that Jesus is asking for you she
brings Mary comes out Mary and here we
come to our second encounter so in the
first encounter Jesus revealed his his
identity that he is the resurrection in
the life but in this encounter Jesus is
going to reveal his heart to marry and
to the people around her into us so Mary
comes out and the first thing she does
is she just falls at Jesus's feet crying
I don't know if you've had this
experience that when you see a loved one
in a moment of grief even though maybe
you see them all the time but it the
first time you see them in that moment
just something makes you cry because
you're seeing someone you love and it
just brings that to you and that's
what's happening with Mary she comes and
she just falls at Jesus's feet and what
does she say to Jesus look with me here
look what does she say to Jesus and I'm
looking here in verse verse 32 she says
lord if you had been here my brother
would not have died have you heard those
words before didn't Martha just say that
right now dead what does Jesus say you
know I I heard a seminary professor
mine said did Jesus say look Martha
already laid that trip of me would you
on me would you just leave me alone but
look I know I'm late I'm sorry all right
but I'm here no Jesus doesn't do that he
doesn't even answer her this time he
doesn't even interact and it says
something because here you know what we
could ask ourselves the question he
should just tell her marry you should
just be happy because Lazarus is going
to live again right stop trying just get
up does Jesus say that to her because
her grief is real her sadness is real
and Jesus is going to face in this
encounter death itself in all its
ugliness in pain now look what it says
in John 11 33 it said when Jesus saw her
marry weeping and the Jews who had come
along with her also weeping the Bible
says Jesus was deeply moved in spirit
and troubled now there's a couple words
that are important here the greek word
for deeply moved here is Embry mom I
Embry mom I you don't need to memorize
that I'm not going to quiz you on it
later it is a word for being disturbed
and angry and scolding even it's it
comes from the word for a horse that's
snorting and in the old test in the King
James translation it's translated jesus
groaning in his spirit I think that's an
accurate translation Jesus is groaning
in his spirit with a certain type of
anger at this moment and it says he was
troubled disturbed and shaken Jesus is
upset her and there's a groaning that's
happening why is Jesus upset he knows
he's going to raise Lazarus from the
dead right why is he so upset that he's
even vocalizing an in frustration I
believe at this point Jesus sees one of
the most precious people in the world to
him suffering and he sees what death has
done to this family and he starts
getting angry at it
see the world was never supposed to be
this way Jesus is angry with an
indignation indignant means you're angry
at something that's wrong it's not
supposed to be this way and you feel
indignant at it you're angry the world
is not the way it is supposed to be and
Jesus is at this moment experiencing a
hostility not towards people but towards
death itself think about the news we
hear every day think about the news we
heard in the past two weeks the world is
not supposed to be a place death was
never part of God's original plan we
were created for life sin is what oh
sure death into the world and so and uh
guys I don't know if there's a buzz I
don't know if you hear but just want to
come back to this think about the things
we've heard in the news this week did
anyone when you heard some of the news
did anyone experienced some anger spears
some anger a little bit now usually in
our society we channel that in different
directions sometimes we might channel
that anger towards people or towards
groups and sometimes it might be
understandable but here it is not anger
and a person it's anger at a situation
it's anger at a world where people can
take a gun into a restaurant and shoot
innocent people it's anger at a world in
which a wild animal can kill a child
before its parents the world was never
supposed to be that way and if you
wonder how Jesus feels about it he's mad
there's an anger it shouldn't be this
way sin and Satan have defiled a good
world have taken good people and a good
thing and have twisted it and have
demeaned people that God has created and
Jesus is beginning to experience
indignation you know my son asked me
once a couple years ago we were looking
at a picture of a mummy and it was a it
was a disturbing picture it wasn't a
mummy that was a neat one it
was one that was kind of distorted and
it was a gross mummy it was disgusting
mummy right and he was looking at it and
he asked daddy why did God make a world
where people end up like this kind of
tough questions for a 30 at night when
you just want to go to sleep right if I
God didn't make a world for this to
happen this is never what God wanted
humanity to be like sin did this sin
twisted this world and in this story we
see Jesus facing it head on and he asks
a question that I want to focus on he
asked where have you laid him and they
answer come and see those are important
words in the Gospel of John to say come
and see when they first came to Jesus
they said Jesus where you're staying and
Jesus said come and see in other words
you can come into my world this little
interaction Reese is where have you laid
him and they say come and see he's
asking to go into their world and
they're inviting him see it's one thing
to go to a graveside it's another thing
to invite Jesus to come along and that's
what she does she invites him along and
Jesus goes along to the gravesite it's
like he's becoming one of us and he
shares in this moment and he comes to
that graveside it's like Jesus is an
incarnation God becomes a person knows
how we feel and what did Jesus do when
he got there did he come up to the
graveside whistling I know what I'm
gonna do no what did Jesus do the Bible
says two words jesus wept Jesus cried
with them and again I we might wonder
why is he crying if he knows that his
friend in just a couple minutes is going
to come out of that cave why did jesus
cry you see I think at that moment Jesus
is weeping along with Mary and feeling
her tears and not just hers I think
Jesus is imagining the tears at a
thousand grave sides at a thousand def
beds in a thousand hospitals a thousand
battlefields I think at that moment
Jesus
weeping along with mothers morning their
children parents morning for the other
their their husbands and wives that he
is morning along with all humanity that
has cried throughout the centuries that
at that moment Jesus is tasting it and
he's crying with us and he gets up and
again there's that word again he gets up
from that crying angry he gets up
groaning in his spirit it shouldn't be
this way it was never supposed to be
this way and this is the moment have you
ever seen in the movies where somebody
is is being attacked by bad guys and
then your hero starts getting mad you
know kind of like the Hulk only good you
know and gets that fire in his eyes and
he gets up and he turns and he faces the
bad guy that's what Jesus does here
Jesus with anger and fire in his eyes
gets up and decides I am going to kill
death even if it kills me our hero is
getting mad for us sometimes people feel
like God is mad at them and God does
grieve over sin he gets angry but God
gets mad for us he fights for us and
Jesus is getting up and he is facing
that grave and he is coming at it with
anger in his eyes and here's the third
encounter of this story Jesus is going
to reveal his power when he says take
away the stone I imagine a little anger
at his voice it had been four days now
the ancient rabina chol belief was that
the spirit of the person hovered around
the body for three days and then if he
couldn't go back in then the person is
finally dead so after four days death is
irreversible I would think after 20
minutes right but whatever the case for
them it was four days and Jesus said
four days he's in the grave he says you
take away that stone and martha has her
complaint again Lord by now there's prob
ibly a terrible odor and I can just hear
Jesus again saying Martha Martha he
doesn't say that here but I could just
hear it in the tone of his voice Martha
didn't I tell you that if you believed
you would see the glory of God like
Martha hang on here it's all going to be
good now i know what i'm going to do
take away that stone and they take it
away and i imagine them scurrying away
people are gathered around the entrance
of that cave and Jesus prays saying
father I thank you that you always hear
man oh you'll always hear me but I'm
saying this for them really but at that
point it's like he's channeling the the
power of heaven to do something amazing
he prays and then he cries out Lazarus
come out you ever know somebody who has
a voice that you will obey right maybe a
particular member of your family who has
a voice that when you hear it you say
yes sir or yes ma'am well Jesus put on
his daddy voice right here or his mommy
be put on he put on that Lazarus you
will come out or you will come out
you're not going to think about it
you're not you're coming out now and
this this Authority we're talking the
voice of creation the voice that said
let there be light the voice of Yahweh
speaking from Mount Sinai the voice
speaking out of the burning bush this is
the voice of God that thunders the the
thunder of many waters of Jesus speaking
with authority from heaven saying
Lazarus you will come out now and it's
an amazing picture the Bible makes it
very clear that he was still wrapped up
so and in those days they would wrap
them around right at the ankles in the
hands and they had the shroud over his
face so he comes waddling out you can't
walk when you're tied like that but you
can waddle and he's waddling out can you
just imagine the response of people
attacking just the stunned response of
people as this man emerged from the tomb
and there's an interesting detail jesus
said untie him and let him go
untie him and let him go you know it's a
good picture for us isn't it people come
to Christ they're alive again but
they're still tied up with the old grave
clothes sometimes and I would imagine
the Bible says he raised him from the
dead he doesn't say he cleaned all those
clubs I imagine they were stinky cloths
that needed to be untied and folks if we
want to be a church of the resurrection
we're gonna have to untie some messy
grave clothes that people still have
wrapped that they can't untie themselves
even though they've come to life they're
going to be need help getting unbounded
we're going to need to help with that
and Jesus calls us to be the part of the
process and he is coming out and he's
walking and he's untidy can you imagine
when he's looking Jesus in the eye again
we didn't read it but after this what
did they do of course what do you think
Martha and Mary are going to do to
celebrate all this let's eat let's get
the food going so there was a meal given
and Jesus is on or and Lazarus was there
at the table do you imagine the
conversation Lazarus was it like to be
dead my goodness I know it's crazy here
you are and they're eating and Jesus is
there and Martha is serving of course
what else is she going to be doing and
Mary what else is she doing listening to
Jesus and she takes that perfume and
pours it on Jesus's feet and the house
was filled with the fragrance you see
after the resurrection there's new life
in their celebration and there's a meal
Jesus is the resurrection and the life
and he as our hero fights death for us
and conquers it decisively that is the
hero that we have that's what this
miracle says it's a huge banner that
says you have a hero that Jesus has
finally done it but he knew that this
was just a picture because you see
Lazarus what's going to happen to
Lazarus after this after the meal after
everything several years later what do
we see what eventually happened to
Lazarus he died again he's one of those
unusual people who has the privilege of
dying twice
some of us have experienced that several
times we know how it is you see that's
still not the answer his mortal body was
resuscitated but we need more than a
resuscitation we need a resurrection and
that can only happen if death itself is
not just reversed but undone from within
jesus knew for me to really conquer
death I'm gonna have to get in the grave
with them it's not enough for me to weep
outside the grave and call them out I'm
gonna have to climb in and bust out from
the inside you ever seen the movie The
Matrix since we're talking movies today
you know the end of the movie that weird
thing with that guy you know that dude
that neo guy jumps into the bad guy you
know the suit guy he jumps into him and
busts out from the inside if you haven't
seen the movie that's okay don't have to
just imagine that scene he goes inside
and he busts out from the inside that's
what Jesus did to death you know it's
interesting that wait a minute who would
wrapped Jesus's grave clothes you ever
wondered about that see Lazarus was like
this he needed the clothes unwrapped how
about Jesus the Bible makes it very
clear that his clothes his grave clothes
the the the wrappings were left neatly
laying right on the stone where he was
put it was all laying perfectly neatly
as if he had just floated right out of
them you see Jesus's body is not just
any body Jesus's body is the
resurrection body of the new creation
physical physical enough to eat physical
enough and not to eat you know that
obviously but physical left for him to
eat right physical enough to touch Jesus
had a physical body but it was a body
that belonged to that new time when
we're going to have spiritual bodies
when there's going to be a new heaven
and a new earth and there's going to be
new trees and new clouds and new brass a
new fruit and new rice and beans and new
are a buzz and and and we're going to be
we're going to be in a new heaven and a
new earth and we're not even going to
need a son because the glory of God is
going to shine on us you know
maybe there's a son but you can't see it
because God's Shekinah glory is going to
be so bright and those bodies are
physical but they can pass through walls
as my son says they can teleport and
that body just came and floated right
out of those clothes I imagine you know
legend has it that there's a shroud with
the image of a face who knows but can
you imagine the face just burning its
image as he came out I could why not who
knows you know jesus is alive Jesus
conquered death from within I said the
last enemy to be destroyed is death
itself then death and Hades were thrown
into the lake of fire and Jesus didn't
need any help moving the stone alley to
do was this and was young and he's
walking out and it says that this will
one day be our future because of what
Jesus has done that what happened to
Lazarus is going to happen to us but
much better because we're not going to
have to waddle out of our Braves at the
end of time the Bible says in a flash in
the twinkling of an eye on the last
trumpet for the trumpet will sound the
voice of Jesus and the dead will be
raised imperishable and we will be
changed and then the saying that is
written will come true death has been
swallowed up in victory where O death is
your victory where O death is your sting
God has done it and there will come a
time I believe this with my whole heart
when this world will be transformed and
our bodies will be resurrected spiritual
bodies and we will be with the lord and
he will reign from Jerusalem and the
kingdoms of this world will become the
kingdoms of our God and there will be no
more death or mourning or crying or pain
he will wipe every tear from the eyes
for the old order of things has passed
away and there will be one seated on the
throne who will say behold I make all
things new
our God has done it we have a hero we
have someone who goes to the grave with
us who is not dispassionately distant in
your suffering and your grief and the
people that you've lost and the pain
that you've experienced the things in
your life that happened that never
should have happened when you wondered
where's God where were you if you were
here it wouldn't have happened those
things God says I love you and I cry
with you I grown with you it should have
never happened but we live in a dark
fallen world but God is not helpless
Jesus rises from that weeping and says I
will conquer death for you none of us
can do it ourselves we all need a hero
we all need a Savior we all need someone
to do this for us and we come to that
point and say god I thank you that I
don't have to even try to do this myself
you're gonna fight this battle for me
because you went into the grave for
three days and you came out yourself and
you reign in glory seated at the right
hand of the Father you have done the
victory you've conquered death you've
conquered Satan you paid the penalty of
sin and we can now live without fear of
death anymore we can live in freedom and
enjoy now our hero may seem absent at
times it may seem like he's far away and
he doesn't understand but he does he is
coming he is the one who commands death
to run away he's the one who is the
resurrection and the life who puts that
indestructible life into us if we'll
have faith in Jesus and he now turns to
us and says and now do you believe this
and that's how we need to answer today
do I really believe and we can say that
today we're going to have the Lord's
Supper in just a moment and this is a
moment for us to say god I thank you
that I don't have to fight this battle
myself I thank you that I have you to
fight for me I thank you that you went
into that grave and you blew it up from
the inside and you came out the other
side and that I can believe in you I
believe that you are the son of God the
christ the king who was to come into the
world now I'm going to invite us we're
going to celebrate the Lord's Supper
today and this is a moment for us to
come and say Jesus these symbols remind
us that you tasted death for us and that
you came out the other side of it and
Jesus I believe I believe but I want to
invite you and I'll invite the musicians
to come on up to and get ready I want to
invite you if you've never made that
decision to put your trust in Jesus
don't wait until your deathbed to do so
amen it's much better to accept Jesus
before you're about to die okay now you
could I believe you could accept jesus
at the last minute and it's it still
counts right there's a story of a man
who was dying next to Jesus on the
crosses right he was next to Jesus he
was a thief and he says he looked over
at Jesus and said you know what we're
here because we deserve this but this
man's done nothing wrong he said
remember me when you come into your
throne and Jesus looked at him and said
I tell you the truth before the Sun sets
tonight you'll be with me in paradise
because his spirit was going to be with
God in paradise and one day his body
that was sleeping would also wake up and
he would be alive again so you can
accept jesus at the last minute and
that's okay but why take that chance and
not just taking the chance you see when
we receive Jesus in our heart we receive
life into us and that life of God
transforms us and you can see it in
people's eyes it's a joyful thing when
God begins to work in you from the
inside out don't wait now is the day of
salvation now is the day when God
invites us to say yes Lord I believe
that you are the Christ the King and I
trust in you so if you want to make that
decision today I'm just going to invite
us all in a moment of Prayer to get real
quiet before the Lord and I want to
invite you to open your heart to God so
let's all just pray here father I thank
you
that you know what it is to suffer I
thank you God that you tasted death for
us lord I thank you that at that
graveside you wept with people that you
love and that you know how we feel even
when it seems like you're far away you
are not far away you are the
resurrection and the life and now I want
to ask if there's anyone here everyone
praying I'm going to ask everyone just
close your eyes and let the peace of God
just just be with you if today you want
to make that decision to accept Jesus in
your heart as your Lord and Savior you
haven't done it before you're not sure
you've really made that commitment now
is the time i invite you to raise your
hand good and high before the Lord as a
statement of faith saying Jesus I
receive you in my heart god bless you
god bless you yeah is there anyone else
who wants to make this decision you want
to accept Jesus in your heart god bless
you Greg god bless you anyone else you
want to accept Jesus you want to say God
I believe that you are the resurrection
in the life and I don't want to wait for
the last minute I want to know that life
now anyone else don't leave from here
without making that decision amen amen
now Greg and a young man here I'm gonna
invite you to say this prayer with me
okay we're gonna say a prayer and I just
ask you to repeat this prayer with me
yeah just just you right we if you want
to Yakima Shelton could you stand with
him that's good yes God knew now I'm
going to invite you to say this prayer
with me just repeated and if you want to
also stand with Catherine you can and or
with shell now I invite you just to to
repeat it as if anyone else wants to
it's not too late is there someone else
someone else who wants to come up and
accept Jesus in your heart I don't want
to rush through this okay okay i invite
you guys to repeat this prayer with me
okay it's a prayer of inviting Jesus
into your heart okay dear god I thank
you that you love me I
confess that I am a sinner but I believe
in Jesus that you died for me on the
cross and that you rose again I invite
you into my heart Jesus to be my Lord
and Savior change me today and give me a
new beginning in Jesus name Amen praise
death