Passion Sunday - 5th Sunday in Lent
Mike Bowler
Ezekial 37:1-14, Romans 8:6-11, John 11: 1-45
May my words and our thoughts be acceptable to you, O Lord. Amen
Lazarus lay sick and dying in a house in Judea, tended by his sisters Mary and Martha. Their friend Jesus was some distance away, probably at least a days journey. A simple message was sent to Jesus, merely saying that “…the one you love is sick.” (John 11:3). This message didn’t demand that Jesus respond immediately, or what he should be doing with the information, or what he aught to do for Lazarus and his sisters. In faith and trust, the news just stated the fact.
Jesus’s reaction might even seem casual, but his response was prophetic. “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s son may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4). Even though Jesus loved Lazarus, Mary and Martha dearly, he was still going to remain where he was for another two days! In our impatient modern world, if Lazarus was our friend, we would booking tickets, cancelling appointments, making phone calls and getting in an agitated state in our rush to get to his side. Jesus wasn’t being callous but was going to do things in His time. Earlier in Johns gospel, we are reminded by Jesus that His time has not yet come. In the story of the wine at the wedding, Jesus’s response to His mother telling him there was no more wine, He responds ”Dear woman, why do you involve me…My time has not yet come.” (John 2:4). When it was suggested by Jesus’s brothers that he go to Judea so that his disciples might see the miracles he did, Jesus’s reply was “The right time for me has not yet come;…” (John 7:6). The Lord’s timing is His timing and not ours.
Two days after getting the news about Lazarus, Jesus did inform the disciples that they were going back to Judea. This caused the disciples some concern, as there had been attempts to stone and seize Jesus when they were in Judea only a short time before. (John 10:31-39).
Jesus answers his disciples with a comment on the use of time. Outwardly it appears to refer to there being 12 hours of daylight and that walking in the daylight reduces the chance of stumbling, as opposed to trying to walk at night, when having a fall would be more of a risk. All very practical. The disciples were asked the question “Are there not 12 hours of daylight?” (John 11:9). We are given our days, from midnight to midnight, and those days are the length they are. Nothing we can do will change the length of them. God also gives us our lives, and that life is our allotted time. Within that day, there should be enough time for us to do what we have to do. If we use our time well, all that we ought to do should be completed within that period.
So often we are in haste, we think we are short of time, we are asked to make time. We stress about what we haven’t been able to do, or what lies ahead that still needs to be done. Sound familiar? In God’s plan for our day, we can complete our allotted task within the time allowed.
In the Night Prayer in our prayer book:
It is night after a long day. What has been done, has been done; What has not been done has not been done; let it be. (NZPB pg 184).
As William Barclay puts it, there is no necessity for haste; but equally, there is no room for waste.
By this time, Jesus knew that Lazarus had died, although he used the euphemism that he was asleep, which the disciples initially mis-understood. The disciples, even Thomas, were prepared to join Jesus as he journeyed back to Martha and Mary, and Lazarus. Possibly even to their own deaths. Jesus knew that God’s son would be glorified through the death of Lazarus.
Four days after Lazarus died, Jesus arrived at the home of Martha and Mary. There was perhaps a sense of frustration in words of the sisters, when they separately said to Jesus “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died” (John 11:21,32). It also indicated their faith that had Jesus been with them in their time of need, this would not have happened. Perhaps they even felt a little angry and separated from Jesus at this time.
A call to Jesus in their and Lazarus’s time of need had seemingly gone unheeded. They had waited, initially hoping that Jesus would save their brother, but that had turned to despair when He didn’t arrive. They had asked, but hadn’t received. To make matters even worse, in Jewish custom, the soul departs the body after three days, so Lazarus was well and truly dead by now!
Jesus and his disciples had made the dangerous journey back to Judea and had arrived too late to be of much help, except perhaps to comfort the grieving sisters.
Despite the hurt, disappointment and grief of Martha and Mary, they still had faith “ ..I know that even now God will give you what ever you ask.” (John11: 22)
Martha understood that Lazarus would rise again in the resurrection at the last day. (John 11:24) However, Jesus replied that “I am the resurrection and the life…,whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25,26). This is in a similar vein to the Jesus’s teaching recorded earlier in John’s gospel “Who ever believes in me….streams of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:38).
Jesus was thinking of everlasting life, not suspending the biological limitations of our bodies becoming old and dying. His comments earlier about day lengths was also to remind us that an allotted time is what we are given. Far more precious is the promise of everlasting life. Indeed death might be seen as only the end of the beginning.
There was a lot of wailing and weeping going on at the house. This would have been a loud demonstration of grief. We are told that Bethany was only two miles from Jerusalem, so probably a large number of people had come to comfort the family of Lazarus. This distressed Jesus and he was troubled and visibly moved.
Jesus Wept
There are three occasions where it is mentioned that Jesus wept in the bible. On this occasion of Lazarus’s death (John 11:35), in Luke where He wept over Jerusalem up His triumphal entry (Luke19:41) and also mentioned in Hebrews (Hebrews 5:7-9) when he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears.
Jesus Wept.
Jesus was very much acquainted with the sorrow and grief of not only Mary and Martha but of us all. He understood that the sting of death hurt so much. He wasn’t being emotional or sentimental. He was caring for them, he was carrying their burden, he felt for their human-ness. This was a compassionate Jesus who quietly and deeply wept.
Jesus had a far greater plan for Lazarus. As Jesus asked for the stone to be rolled away, Martha was concerned with house keeping matters. Lazarus had laid in his tomb for four days. Things were not going to be pleasant.
Jesus prays loudly so that he is heard. He knew that Lazarus would be coming out of the tomb, risen from the dead. He needed the crowd to know also that God had sent him so that they may believe.
As Lazarus emerged from the tomb, Jesus commanded that the grave clothes be removed and Lazarus be let go. (John 11:44).
What does this story mean to us in Ashburton as we journey with Jesus towards Easter 2023?
Gods timing is perfect. Mary and Martha had to learn that in God’s plan, Lazarus was to die and be raised again, so that the people might believe that Jesus was sent by the Father. We must understand that Jesus won’t always answer when or how we might expect but this doesn’t mean our prayers go un- heard. Even the most painful situations will bring Glory to God. We must not be afraid that a God given solution may be a bit messy. In faith we need to trust that God’s plan is perfect.
Let us remember that each day we are given on this earth is a gift from God, to be used to His glory. Let us use our time wisely.
Let us not feel the separation from God during our life’s journey. Let us have the faith of Martha and Mary. When you feel abandoned or neglected by God, yet continue to trust in Him, despite your feelings, you are in fact worshiping God in a deep way.
Let us not give in to a feeling of hopelessness. We even saw in the story from Ezekiel about the Valley of Dry bones, a seemingly hopeless situation for the House of Israel, that the Lord will “…put my Spirit in you and you will live…” (Ezekiel 37:14)
Let us be thankful that we have Christ in our lives, that we know the gift of forgiveness and everlasting life has been given to us through His grace.
Moses said to Joshua, “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." (Deuteronomy 31:8)
Amen