INTRO
The French philosopher Voltaire once said: “Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.” Voltaire spoke of a form of faith that lives, breathes, and moves beyond the ordinary, to the extraordinary.
In like manner, Dale Carnegie spoke of a form of living that echoes Voltaire’s thoughts on believing beyond the power of reason. Carnegie once declared, “Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours.”
These words spoken by earthly men ring of the eternal truth spoken by Jesus Christ when he commanded Lazarus to come out from the grave, and live. These words highlight the kind of living Jesus desires for us all —in the here and now — that emerges from believing beyond the ordinary in his resurrection power. For Christ said, to live is to believe in me; and, to believe in me, is to live.
This morning, we’re going to venture into the Gospel of John and see what Jesus is saying to us about truly living from the wellspring of believing in him. We’re going to hear his words to Mary and Martha in their darkest hour. We’re going to hear his words spoken to Lazarus as he commanded him to live again. And, in like manner, we’re going to hear Jesus Christ speaking to our souls as he encourages us to rise and embrace the extraordinary and faith-filled life he’s calling us to embrace. So with that, let us open our Bibles to the Gospel according to John, Chapter Eleven. Let’s start off our times by reading verses 1-6. READ VV. 1-6.
SOMETIMES JESUS WAITS TO SHOW US SOMETHING MORE EXTRAORDINARY
You know, up until verse six, everything seems, well… copasetic. But, then we read in verse six that Jesus doesn’t dash off to Mary and Martha side — right away. Instead, He waited two days before leaving for the village where the sisters and Lazarus lived.
Let me ask you: aren’t Jesus actions a bit — well, interesting at the least — and maybe somewhat unsettling? I think they were; and I believe this is why….
The Jesus we often want to imagine runs to our aid in our times of need, right when we want him to. I don’t know about you, but I often want God to hasten to my side, answer my prayers in quick fashion, and fill my every desire and need —kinda like Mary and Martha.
You know, our culture has done a great job of training us to live in such a way that demands immediate gratification.
And, even though they didn’t live in an age of immediate gratification, Mary and Martha wanted Jesus to come and heal Lazarus from his sickness, before death had its final say.
You know what though, I don’t blame them — I bet we’d all want the same. What’s interesting though, I think is this: Mary and Martha didn’t live as we do now with all our fancy gadgets that allow two-way communication in the blink of an eye. They didn’t live in a time, like us, when we could hop in our cars and grab a bite to eat at our favorite restaurant, when we don’t like what’s in the fridge.
However, scripture indicates they wanted Jesus to come and fill their pressing want, however noble it was —in quick fashion.
The bible affirms that God answers our prayers in his time, so that his glory will be displayed (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Verse four gives credibility to this notion. 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.”
See, everything that Jesus does is to glorify the Father, and in like manner, the Father loves to glorify his Son. And for his own glory and for our benefit, God often waits in answering our petitions so that he can reveal something more extraordinary than we can envision, and to give us that which we truly need, verses that which we want.
Jesus wanted to show Mary and Martha something spectacular, so that they could live and believe beyond the ordinary, with their brother at their side. Let’s jump down to VV. 17-27
A CALL TO BELIEVE BEYOND THE EXTRAORDINARY
READ VV. 17-27
So, as Jesus enters into Bethany, Martha runs to meet him. She catches up to Jesus — probably out of breath at this moment — and immediately she laments in her anguish: “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” I can just hear her heart ripping, with maybe a few undertones of anger or resentment laced within.
You known, she was already saddened because her brother died. However, her grief was probably aggravated because of her perception that Jesus failed to rush to her brother’s aid. I think we can empathize.
When this type of thing happens today, sometimes we feel that those we expect to rush to our side, and fail to do so, are callous and uncaring. I get that!
We’re fallible, sinful, and prone to mistakes. Sometimes, some of us — maybe all of us —come across as uncaring. But Jesus was the furthest thing from uncaring.
I think in many ways most of us are the same. Nevertheless, he delayed in answering Mary and Martha’s plea — so that he could broadcast a call for all to believe and live beyond the extraordinary.
Jesus had a bigger picture and wanted to reveal his glory to Mary and Martha, his disciples, and those who travelled from Jerusalem to comfort the family.
So, before he revealed his glory and called his followers to live and believe, he offered words of comfort, but also words that spoke new life, by saying, “Your brother will rise again.” What Good news this is; what gospel truth! And to this, Martha replied, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
It’s interesting, Jesus meant one thing, but Martha interpreted Jesus’ words another way. She understood Jesus to mean that Lazarus will rise in the last days — as will all of us who profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
I get her. I think if I were in her shoes, I’d probably think along the lines. I mean, how many people today call others forth from the grave to live again? It doesn’t happen now, not really anyway, and it wasn’t a common thing then either. I think we can understand her confusion; and Jesus did too. So then he says to her....
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
Twice Jesus declares that when we believe in him, that we’ll live. He literally meant that when we truly believe in him, we’ll be resurrected with him in the last days. Still, metaphorically speaking, Jesus was also saying that when we believe in him, he gives us the power to live life to the absolute fullest, a life that goes well beyond the ordinary.
For truly, when we believe in Jesus, we can live beyond the ordinary and without reservation. Jesus wants us to live — in the here and now — with the renewing of our minds, bodies, souls, and spirits (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 4:16 & Ephesians 4:23) in such a way that, in his power, we’re able to press into God’s desires and will for our lives.
As followers of Jesus, we know this to be true — intellectually. However, so did Mary, Martha and the disciples. Yet, I don’t think Martha really understood what Jesus was trying to say; and Jesus knew this.
So… he asked Martha, “Do you believe this?” And hearing only his words, and not his heart and underlying gist, she replied, “Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the Christ.”
She said all the right words, and she believed in her heart, at least in some degree, that Jesus was the Messiah and could do all things.
However, Martha still had lingering doubts — doubts that prevented her from pressing into a faith that believed beyond the power of reason.
I think in many ways, the average person is the same. But Jesus wants so much more for us; and he’s calling us to believe and live, beyond the power of reasonable belief.
He’s calling us to live again in his resurrection power in the here and now —even amidst our lingering doubts. Let’s jump down to verses 38-43 to see what I mean.
A CALL TO LIVE
READ VV 38-43.
I love this, Jesus says, “take away the stone.”
This stone: it was a seal signifying the grave had its final say. It was a thing that prevented the outside air from entering in, and kept the stench of death at bay.
Symbolically, we can say these stones amount to a form of doubting that prevents God’s Holy Spirit — his pnuema, his breath that gives new life — from filling our lives with a breath of fresh air.
Stones of doubt trap the stench of our sins within. Stones of doubt prevent the wind of God to refresh our lives and carry away stinky thinking and stinky believing.
Jesus commanded the stone rolled-away so that he could give new life to Lazarus, and reveal the Glory of Father through him. But Martha didn’t believe. She doubted.
So, while Jesus was literally saying, “Roll away this stone so I can call Lazarus forth to live again,” he was also saying, “Martha, roll away your stones of doubt, believe and live.”
He was saying to her: Martha, believe in me with all your heart, live for me, die with me, and when you do you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours.”
So, at Jesus’ command, the people rolled the stone away from Lazarus’ tomb. They set aside any doubts they might have had, rolled away their stones of disbelief, and believed when it was beyond the power of reason to believe that Jesus can and does all things for the glory of God, and to give us new life in him.
Upon their faith-filled action, Jesus praised the Father and thanked him for answering his prayers. Just then, he called Lazarus forth from the grave.
Jesus’ calling of Lazarus to live again was nothing short than the largest display of God’s glory ever manifested. For you and me, and for all who believe and confess Jesus Christ, it means we too will walk out from the grave and live eternally with our God. What is more, it also means were given that same gift now.
A CALL FOR US TO LIVE BEYOND THE EXTRAORDINARY
Can you picture the crowd, Mary and Martha, and the disciples that wonderful day? Their once nominal belief must have turned into something extraordinary. Even though some later had fleeting moments of doubt — as we all do from time-to-time — the disciples and early church went on to live and believe beyond the extraordinary.
No longer could they have been bored with life. They threw themselves into God’s calling upon their lives with all their heart, souls, minds, and strength. They lived for Christ and his will. They died for him — many brutally. And I am sure all found a new form of happiness they never thought could be theirs.”
Because Jesus delayed in giving them the ordinary, he made visible the extraordinary life he desired for his followers to live. He said to them, believe in me and live. He said, roll away your stones of doubt, and come forth from stink’n think’n and be transformed by the renewing of your minds, souls, and spirits.
Jesus wants that for us too. God has such wonderful plans for us. God has such wonderful plans for all who confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, and believe in him when it is beyond the power of reason to believe. Jesus is calling us to come forth from our graves and truly live for him, with even more faith than we have now.
He’s asking, ““Are you bored with life?” “Then if you are,” He continues, “discover your passions and purpose, and throw yourself into my work.” He saying, “believe in with all your heart, live for me, die for me, and through me you will find happiness and fulfillment that you had thought could never be yours.”
God’s waiting for us with outstretched arms to embrace the life he has for each one us. Whether we’re eight or eighty-eight, there’s so much more for us to embrace, and do for God. Let’s today have the courage to hear God’s calling to roll away our stones of doubt, and to walk out into the light of a new day with the freshness of God’s spirit upon our lives, and believe and live for God in a whole new way.
May God this day bless us and renew us. May his Holy Spirit blow upon us and refresh us in his grace. May he roll away our stones of doubt, and give us new life with him: in eternity, and in the here-and-now. Amen. Let’s us pray.
