John 11: 17-27
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Ed, Rianna, Brandon,
Family, Friends,
I didn’t expect to be here. I never expected to lead Barb’s funeral. I didn’t expect to lead Barb’s funeral so soon. A month ago, none of us would have guessed we would be here. But here we are.
Barb felt sick around Christmas, but worked along with others to lead the Bethel CRC congregation in their last services. Then she was sick with a flurry of tests, doctors, and meds. I first heard from Ed @ 8 am last Friday, “Barb is very sick.”
On Saturday she breathed her last. Although the cancer was widespread in her body, her sickness and death feels really quick. It feels too soon for Barb to die.
Yet here we are. Many of you have travelled a long way to comfort Ed and Rianna and Brandon. Maybe you’re thinking the same thing that Martha was when she met Jesus on the road. “If only the Lord had been here, Barb would not have died.”
I have seen enough of cancer and enough of God’s miracles of healing to believe it to be true. If God wanted to heal Barb of cancer, he could have. And perhaps you know that this Bible story about Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus ends with Lazarus being raised from the grave. I believe that God will raise Barb to life again. That’s why I wanted to preach from this passage today.
It’s something Ed said immediately after Barb died. He told me that Barb believed in the resurrection. Ed said that he believed in the resurrection. He believes that Barb is alive and well and safely in glory with her Lord and Saviour.
Ed’s faith and Barb’s faith is built on Jesus’ assurance to Martha in this passage:
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?” John 11:25–26(NIV)
Amazing promise! Amazing comfort!
How is that possible?
Death is an enemy. Death causes separation, distance, loneliness. Death is the inevitable result of human disobedience.
Adam & Eve were told from the beginning that disobedience would result in death – being cut off from God, their Creator and source of life. All humankind shares in their rebellion. All share in the punishment. At least, until Jesus entered his creation.
God himself came to break the power of death. That’s the reassurance Jesus gives to Martha and all who read this gospel. Jesus is the resurrection. He took human guilt and shame upon himself, dying on the cross for our sake. But death doesn’t have the last word. On the 3rd day, the first Easter morning, Jesus rose from the grave!
He is the resurrection and the life! After defeating sin and death, Jesus stands by his promise: “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”
Barb believes that. Ed believes that. Do you? Sometimes we struggle to believe. In Mark’s gospel we hear a father who tells Jesus, “I believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” Maybe that’s the way you feel at times. Maybe that’s how you feel today. I’m confident that God honours faith that wobbles and looks for God’s help to steady it.
We didn’t read to the end of the chapter. After meeting Martha along the road and having this conversation, Jesus goes to his friend’s tomb with Mary and Martha. When he sees Lazarus’ tomb, the sadness of it all is overwhelming for Jesus. Jesus wept.
It’s not wrong to feel sadness, anger, frustration, and fear at a service like this. Death is sad. There’s something wrong about death. That’s precisely why God has done something about it. That’s why Jesus came into his creation and became human. He came to rescue the world he loves from sin and death.
After weeping at Lazarus tomb, Jesus has folks in the crowd remove the stone in front of the entrance. Standing there among all the mourners, Jesus calls Lazarus to come out. B/c Jesus is the resurrection and the life, Lazarus comes out of the grave and is restored to his family. You can imagine the joy and relief. You can imagine the tears and laughter. It’s a taste of the glorious resurrection and the amazing reunions that will take place on the great day of resurrection.
I’ve know the Wolters family for more than a decade. Eventually I started to hear about the Wolters sisters’ weekends away. The Wolters sisters enjoyed their getaways. Opportunities to travel, relax, perhaps enjoy a beverage or two.
It’s a small taste of the great celebration in the Kingdom coming. The marvellous feast when Christ returns and the dead in Christ are raised to life again. It’s a family reunion, a getaway when brother and sisters in faith will gather to celebrate and hang out together. At the institution of the Lord’s Supper, Jesus promises that he will again drink the wine when he returns in glory at the victory feast!
I didn’t expect to say these things at Barb’s funeral. It wasn’t long ago that I lead her father’s funeral, then her brother Peter’s, and then her mother’s. I’ve seen many of you at those funerals.
And at each service we’re reminded of God’s promises. Jesus has defeated death! He is the resurrection and he gives life to all who believe so that we may live forever for him and with him.
Jesus asked Martha if she believed it. I might ask each of you the same, “Do you believe this?”