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Jesus Is the Resurrection and the Life
John 11:1-54
Friends, we’re surrounded by death. We see it in the news, we feel our bodies aging, and we mourn our loved ones at their graves. Death is also the great leveler. The rich and poor die. The healthy die. The sick die sooner. The old die after a long life. The young also die. Why? Because of sin. Romans 6:23 declares that “the wages of sin is death.” And all have sinned and come short of God’s standard. Therefore all of us must die. And not just death, but judgment. Hebrews 9:27 says, “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” But God is merciful. He gives us a way to escape death and judgment. He knows we can’t keep all his demands, or his laws to save ourselves. He knows we can’t be perfectly good. There’s none good. Our good works are like dirty clothes used to cover a dirty body - they do nothing at all.
But God provides a savior in Jesus Christ because we can’t save ourselves. That’s the Christian message. We see in our text, a foretaste of what he’ll do for everyone that believes in him. He confronted the enemy of death. He declared himself as the giver of life. And he gives hope and assurance to those who worship him. If you want to escape God’s judgment and live eternally and joyfully, come to this giver of life. In this passage, he reveals himself in 3 ways. Firstly, Jesus reveals his divine purposes. Secondly, Jesus reveals his saving character. Thirdly, Jesus reveals his glorious power.
Firstly, Jesus reveals his divine purposes. This account starts off with a crisis. Verse 1 says that Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, was sick. They asked for Jesus because only he could heal him. But Jesus was in Perea, a 2 day journey from them. And when he received the news, he delayed. Why? He had a divine purpose. He delayed for his own glory. But these were his beloved friends. A bit about them. They were likely converted during these last 6 months of Jesus’ life, by the ministry of the 70 disciples. They were also knowledgeable. Of all his disciples, these 3 siblings truly accepted and understood his teachings. He’d repeatedly taught his disciples that he’d die at the hands of the religious leaders and rise again. But they all refused to accept it. On the other hand, Mary got it. She believed; so much so that she anointed him with costly perfume in preparation for his death, verse 2. She believed that Jesus came to die for sinners to save them. So if they were so loved, why did he delay? In verse 3, they sent urgent message to him - “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.” They were worried and expected immediate action from him who loved. So verse 6 shocks us! He decided to stay 2 more days in Perea. From our perspective, it’s contradictory. Love and delay don’t mix. If you love, you don’t delay! If you care, you go!
But Jesus had a purpose. He revealed why he delayed in verse 4 - Lazarus’ sickness wasn’t meant to end in death. It was meant to glorify God and himself. Now, yes, Lazarus died. But his death was not permanent - it was not the purpose of his sickness. The delay was meant for him to die so he could rise again. So the delay and death was a divine set up so Christ could show his power. And when he showed his power, he’d be glorified. It would prove he’s God the savior. But verses 5 and 6 seem so contradictory - he loved them, but he didn’t go to them. Why? Christ loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus too much to give them the lesser gift of healing; when he intended them to have the greater gift - to show them who he was! He is the God who raises the dead. Yes, despite the pain, the glory would be far greater.
But the delay was also for another purpose. After 2 days, Jesus announced it was time to return to Judea - to Bethany. This was also a 2 day journey. But the disciples were terrified. Go back to Judea?! Jesus’ teachings had already angered the religious leaders. He called out their hypocrisy. They instructed others to keep rituals to be good, but they themselves were not inwardly good. They loved honor. They were greedy. They were jealous. So they hated him. In verse 8, they asked - “Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?” You sure you want to go there? They want to kill you. But there was another purpose for the delay. He delayed to strengthen their faith. He used their fear to teach them a profound truth. In verses 9-10 he said - “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.” Now, Jesus wasn’t teaching them best travel practices. He was giving a principle. When you walk in the day, you don’t have to worry. You’re safe. There’s the light of the world. If you walk at night, it’s dangerous. There’s no light. You’ll stumble. Jesus’ point was simple. “Don’t worry. As long as you’re with me, the light of the world, walking in my will, even though you venture into deadly circumstances, you’re safe.” Danger isn’t the absence of safety, it’s the absence of Jesus. Safety isn’t the absence of danger, it’s the presence of Jesus.
Death itself is no problem with Jesus. So even if Lazarus was dead, even if you’re in great danger, there’s no need to fear. Even if you die, with Christ, there’s life. So that’s why in verses 14-15 - “Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe.” If he healed Lazarus when he was sick, yes that would’ve been a great miracle. But the raising of a 4-day old decaying corpse would be a far greater display of power and glory. This would’ve increased their faith. He can do anything! He’s God! I don’t need to fear death! So why did he delay? That they’d see his power and believe.
Friends, you’re dead in your sins. You’re living in the darkness of your sins. Some of you have experienced great scandal. Know this - you can only be safe in Jesus. And no matter what sins you’ve committed - and there’s no doubt you’re guilty of great sin - but you can be saved. And he has a purpose for you to hear this good news of salvation now. So you might know he’s able to save you.
So here, secondly, we see how Jesus reveals his saving character. He finally arrived in Bethany; not to a healing but a funeral. And he knew that. It was deliberate on his part. Verse 17 says Lazarus was already buried 4 days. This means that even if he set off at once when he got news and arrived in 2 days, Lazarus would still have died. But what he wanted his disciples to believe and Martha and Mary and all who were there - was that salvation is found in him. When he arrived, there were many mourners who came from Jerusalem. When she heard he came, Martha ran to him. And her words showed great faith - “if you were here, my brother wouldn’t have died.” Yes, true enough. Jesus could’ve stopped him from dying. She had faith. But not greater faith. She trusted him to prevent death, but not enough to conquer it. And here, he made one of the most staggering claims in all the Bible. Verses 25-26 - “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” Notice he doesn’t say he gives resurrection life, which he certainly does; but that he IS the resurrection and the life. These aren’t just gifts he hands out, they’re realities bound up in him. To have him is to have life. To be connected to Him is to be connected to a power that can’t be stopped by death. So that was the lesson also for the disciples. Why do you fear death? In Christ, there’s no judgment. But without Christ, there’s certain judgment for your soul.
So he turned to Martha and asked an important question - “Do you believe this?” This is the central question of the Christian faith. It’s a question posed to you too. Do you believe Jesus can save you from your sin, from the death and judgment you deserve? That he can raise you from the dead and give you eternal life? Remember, it’s not about religious observance or moral living. No one is able. If you think you’re good - you’re not. You need a savior. It’s about a Person. If you believe Jesus is your only hope in life and death, he’ll save you from your sins. And Martha’s confession was magnificent in verse 27 - “Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” By this statement of faith, she confessed that Jesus was her salvation - that salvation was found in him.
And this is what he’d been revealing about himself all along. Which is why, when he saw the unbelief around him, he was grieved. Now, it was Mary’s turn. She came to Jesus and echoed Martha’s words - “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” Now, notice how he reacted to her weeping and to the weeping of the other Jews. Verse 33 - “he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.” And verse 34 - “Jesus wept.” And it’s not the last time he groaned. When he came to the grave, people were asking - “couldn’t this man who healed the blind, have prevented this man from dying?” And immediately after this statement, Jesus again groaned in himself. Many well-meaning people interpret his troubled soul as one of grief for his friend, in sympathy with those weeping around him. But don’t forget - our Lord purposefully delayed. He waited until the body was in the grave 4 days. At this stage, the body is in the active stage of putrefaction, bloated due to internal gas buildup. The skin is a greenish or purplish-black color, particularly around the abdomen, with intense odor and seepage of fluid like blood and foam from the mouth and nose. That’s why when he asked for the stone to be removed, Martha said he’d stink - it was four days. So why was he troubled? Why did he groan in himself? To be clear, the word “groan” means to be angry. Literally, to snort in anger inside. It is an internal grumbling out of indignation. He was angry by what he saw.
So to be less sentimental than what many would prefer, I’d say that Jesus wept, because he was troubled by the unbelief around him. They should’ve known that he was the savior! They should’ve seen him as more than just a healer. They should’ve recognized he was God himself, able to save and raise the dead. And he can save you from your sins; all your scandal, your hidden inward sins, your hypocrisy, your sins that lead to death - he can save. But you must believe. He sees your sins and calls to you to believe he can save you. He can save, because he’s powerful.
We see thirdly, Jesus reveals his glorious power. Here, he raised Lazarus - a dead man. In verse 38 onwards, he got to the tomb; the stone was against it. It was the fourth day - which in Jewish tradition, the spirit had already departed. He commanded the stone to be removed. He declared in verse 40 - “didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you’d see the glory of God?” When the stone was rolled away, Christ prayed, not because he needed power, but to show his source of heavenly power. Then with a loud voice, he commanded - “Lazarus, come forth!” And death obeyed him. The one who was dead, wrapped, and decaying for 4 days, heard the voice of God - the author of life, the savior - and he walked out. So this wasn’t just a miracle, but a sign. It pointed to something greater. All who believe in Jesus as Savior from their sins, will all be raised from the dead. It shows the future all who trust in Christ will have one day.
Now, what was the result of this great sign? You’d think that everyone would believe right? No. It caused belief in some, but unbelief in others. The sign was performed, the glory was revealed - but the word of God and the works of God always do one thing. They divide. This sign was a sword that divided the people into two camps. Verse 45 - many believed in him. They acknowledged he was the savior - the Son of God. They saw the sign, they heard the voice, and they bowed the knee. Grace opened their eyes. But many also didn’t believe. Grace didn’t open their eyes. Their hearts were hardened. Verse 46 - some reported it to the Pharisees - the religious leaders who hated Jesus. So these saw the same evidence, but their hearts were hard. They didn’t deny that the miracle had happened - it was far too spectacular - but they hated Jesus. They didn’t want forgiveness of sin. They didn’t want a Savior. And despite such a great sign, a religious council was convened to get rid of him. Their words reveal an earthly fear - “if we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” They couldn’t see beyond themselves. They had before them Christ - who would save their souls. But they were more concerned with their position. Even the high priest - Caiaphas - declared that Christ be killed - “it’s better that one man should die for the people, than the whole nation should perish!”
These words were prophetic words that would fulfill Christ’s own teaching. He’d always told his disciples - he’d die for sinners. Christ was always in control of his life. As he preached, he angered the religious leaders. He delayed to display his power, to anger the religious leaders. Why? Because to be the resurrection and the life for sinners - he had to die. How can your sins be removed? Your sins must be paid for. God’s justice must still be fulfilled. So in his mercy, he took on the punishment for all our sins. He who had the power to resurrect and give life; he in whom resided resurrection life; died. And in his power, he rose again - he conquered death so that he can give us all life by forgiving those who believe in him! Do you believe?
And do you see that irony? The plot to kill Jesus began in earnest after he raised a man from the dead. The miracle of life led directly to the decree of his death. And this is also the paradox of the Christian faith. You can only live by believing in one who died for you. You can only have eternal life, if you have someone to die for your sins. And that requires you to believe and repent. To acknowledge your sins and to hate them. Make no mistake, your coming to Christ requires surrender - not just repentance. Your coming to Christ requires you to believe and worship him. And many of you will not want that - because there are sins you want to retain in your life. You don’t want God over your life. You want to remain in power of your life. But this kind of unbelief shows rebellion on your part. And if you don’t believe despite such a great display of mercy and power - your unbelief evokes anger and grief in a merciful God. Do not die. God offers you mercy.
And beloved in Christ, remember that after Jesus raised Lazarus, in a few weeks’ time, he himself died and rose again. Why? He did it for you. And you may be going through a trial now - and his answers seemed to be delayed. But he only does so to display his power in your life. If you know you have eternal life, you can wait for his deliverance. It will be glorious. But there are some of you who are living in your sins. But if you know you have this eternal life - why would you continue in them? There’s a sin in your life now that you must put to death. And why shouldn’t you? Christ died for that sin. He died for it, so you would not live any longer in it. And if you refuse to repent - what does that mean you are? But the same power that raised Lazarus is available today to help you live in Christ. This sign also demands a response from you. You can’t continue any longer in your sin. Do not delay.
1. Jesus Reveals His Divine Purposes (1-16)
A. He delayed for his glory (1-6)
B. He delayed to strengthen their faith (7-16)
2. Jesus Reveals His Saving Character (17-37)
A. Believe that salvation is found in him (17-27)
B. Jesus grieved at their unbelief in him (28-37)
3. Jesus Reveals His Glorious Power (38-54)
A. He raised a dead man (38-44)
B. He caused belief and unbelief (45-54)
* As a matter of courtesy please advise Rev. Mark Chen, if you plan to use this sermon in a worship service. Thank-you.
(c) Copyright 2026, Rev. Mark Chen
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