Our Beliefs : Sermons : Sermon Archive - 2005 : March 13, 2005
Jesus Takes Away Our Grave Clothes
Lent 5
A Christian man was driving home from the funeral of his wife. He didn't really know what to say to his children who were now motherless. Just then, a truck passed them, and as the truck passed, its shadow passed over the car they were traveling in. Then the man had an inspiration. He said, "Children, would you rather be run over by a truck or by its shadow?" The children said, "Well, of course we'd rather be run over by the shadow because it can't hurt us." Then their father said, "Did you know that 2000 years ago a truck ran over Jesus, so that only its shadow would run over us?" What a great way to describe the death of a believer! Death can't hurt us any longer because for the believer death has lost its power. Death will still affect us. In fact, some day we will be run over by death's shadow because we will die physically. But because Jesus was run over by the full weight of death and hell, we can see that our deaths will actually be the beginning of our lives in heaven.
We will be talking about death this morning. That should make us nervous -- it should have us shifting in our chairs. But it doesn't when we see how Jesus faced death head on in the words before us -- and won.
We find Jesus at the place where John used to baptize just a few months before his death. While he was there, he heard a report that Lazarus, one of his best earthly friends, was sick and close to death. But instead of going right away to his bedside, Jesus waited two more days. Why? "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.' "
Jesus allowed Lazarus to die so he could be glorified through it by showing himself to be God and the promised Savior.Finally, Jesus went to see Lazarus, as well as Mary and Martha, Lazarus' sisters, who by the time Jesus came were mourning their brother's death. Our text tells us, "On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Martha went out to meet him and said, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.' " What did Martha believe Jesus could have done and might still do for her brother Lazarus? She believed Jesus could heal him and might still raise him from the dead. From these words we can already see who Martha knew Jesus was -- her Savior and her Lord, who could do anything he wanted. In Martha's heart, as well as in her sister Mary's heart and their brother Lazarus' heart, the Holy Spirit had already brought about the greatest miracle that can happen to a person. They had been brought to faith. They had been brought from death to life, transformed from those who had been spiritually dead and enemies of God into those who were spiritually alive and friends of God through faith in Jesus. And Jesus now solidified Martha's faith. Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." But Martha didn't fully understand what he was saying, so Jesus had to speak very plainly, and we're happy that he did because we are given one of the most comforting passages in all of Scripture. Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life." Because Jesus is life and resurrection, he could say that the only resurrection and life that will occur must occur through him. How would it occur? Through faith. Jesus said, "He who believes in me will live, even though he dies." In other words, anyone who trusts in Jesus for their salvation will live forever eternally, even though that person will die a physical death. Then he said, "And whoever lives and believes in me will never die." Since a believer's physical death has been turned into the gate of heaven by Jesus life and death, a believer will never die eternally, which is what all people deserve because of their sins. But Jesus' life -- lived for us -- and his death in our place has taken sin out of the way. Anyone who believes in him as Savior will live eternally, and in fact, has eternal life already assured to them here on earth.
What a difference that made for Martha! Jesus directed her to her only hope when faced with the death of a loved one -- he pointed to himself. Did Martha believe everything he had just said? "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." Because Jesus came into this world to suffer and die, when we look at a casket that holds one of our loved ones who has died believing in Jesus, we can be sure of where they are -- living in heaven now and forever with Jesus, which is where we will some day be as well.
Jesus assured Martha of that miracle. But Jesus had more in mind for Martha and Mary and Lazarus himself than that blessed assurance, as great as it was. Not only did he want to show that he is the Lord of Life, he also showed that he is the Lord of Death.
We read: "Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb." We might think that Jesus was deeply moved because of his love for his friend Lazarus. And that would be true, but that wasn't the only reason he was deeply moved. The actual meaning of the word translated as "deeply moved" brings with it the idea of being very angry. What did Jesus have to be angry about? It was staring him in the face -- a tomb, death itself. God not only hates sin, but he also hates the results of sin in our lives, especially the worst result of sin -- death. Imagine that you have a pet dog, and your neighbor tells you that if he ever sees that dog in his yard, he'll kill it. Then think what emotions would be going through you when you wake up one morning and find that your dog is dead and you know your neighbor killed him. Would you be sad? Absolutely. But I'm sure you'd also be angry.
Sadness and anger mixed here in Jesus. We couldn't do anything about the death that ruled over us because of our sins. And those sins are numerous. We can see that Martha had a great faith in Jesus, but it was also weak. She didn't know everything. But do you remember earlier in Martha's life, when Jesus came to her home, did she try to learn more about Jesus as her sister did? No, she was busy taking care of the meal and making sure Jesus was comfortable. Was that wrong? No, but it wasn't as important as her relationship with her Savior. Do we sometimes put a higher priority on the earthly things of this life instead of listening to and growing in God's Word? Sure we do -- more often than we'd like to admit. At those times, we are despising preaching and God's Word. For that sin and every sin, we need Jesus. Because that sin results in us being separated from God, dead in our sins, and we could do nothing about it. But Jesus could do something, and he did do something that amazed everyone in that small town that day, and still amazes us today.
Jesus went to battle against an enemy here. What was the outcome? Because Jesus had never sinned, Death was not his master. It was the other way around. Jesus showed that he was the Lord of Death. And he showed his lordship with some very commanding words: "Take away the stone." Jesus had come to do battle with death. So they took away the stone. And after Jesus thanked his Father who would receive glory by what he was about to do, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The result of Jesus' command here was instantaneous: "The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face." For Lazarus, an amazing miracle had occurred. He had been given an extended life by being raised from the dead. There was no doubt -- he had been dead four days, but now he was as alive as anyone else there.
Sometimes we get bogged down with silly questions in the Bible: What happened to Lazarus' soul? Did it go to God in heaven like the Bible says happens when person dies physically as a believer, or was it somehow kept from going there for those four days because God had a special miracle to perform with Lazarus? We don't know. And in the end, who cares? The Bible doesn't clarify it, so why should we care? Instead, what we should care about, and in fact dedicate our every waking moment to marvel over, is that Jesus battled death head on and won. In fact, it wasn't even a contest! Jesus, just by his powerful word, commanded death to fly away, and it did! No one and no thing can withstand God's power.
How should Jesus' miracle affect us? It should assure us that, when God says, "Whoever believes in me has eternal life," we know it's true. When God says, "I am with you always," we know he's with us with his powerful word, and death, hell, and Satan can't stand against. Jesus' victory over death and the devil is complete! And through faith, Jesus' victory is our victory! Live in that victory! Tell others about it! If there's stuff in your life that is keeping you from having complete joy in your Savior's victory and your victory, then get rid of it. It's not the kind of life God wants you to have.
At the end of our text Jesus said, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." What a beautiful way to describe what happened to us! Jesus took off our grave clothes by saving us from our sins and from death. Now he has let us go, turned us loose into this world that is controlled by sin and death. Do you think Lazarus had some interesting things to say about his experience? So do we. Let us never tire of telling others about how Jesus has transformed our death into life, and has done the same for them as well.
Every new day means that we are one day closer to death. That's true for the believer as much as it true for the unbeliever. But for the believer, every new day means that we are also one day closer to life. Think about that, and live it. Amen.
