Bible Passage: John 11:32-44
Pastor: Joel Jenswold
Sermon Date: November 3, 2024

Bulletin November 3, 2024

In the name of, and to the eternal glory of, Jesus,

I want you to imagine that you are looking into your closet at all your clothes hanging there.  Can you picture it?  Okay, find me something you would wear to work.  Find something?  Now pick out something you would wear for dinner out with friends at a nice restaurant.  Got it?  All right.  Now, grab what you would wear to a wedding.  Find something nice?  All right.  Last one.  Pick out what you want to be buried in.    Have you ever thought about that?  Someone may one day look through your closet for something to bury you in.

When Sue and I were first married we lived in a funeral home.  It was very interesting experience.  We learned a lot.  I remember a conversation we had with one of the funeral directors.  She told us they never really use the shoes.  It’s true.  At least it was for her.  When families brought in shoes, they just put the shoes in the foot end of the casket.  Who would know the difference?

Truth of the matter is, some day when they dress me for the last time, I will not be getting dressed for the grave.  I will be getting dressed for the resurrection!  The question is not, “What do I want to wear in the grave?”  But the question is, “What do I want to wear to my resurrection?”

The text before us today is the story of death and graveclothes, and burial, and resurrection.  It is the story of the Savior who gives the command to take off the graveclothes from a man who has been raised from the dead!  “Loose Him and Let Him Go!”

Two sisters had just gone through the task of “clothing” a loved one for burial.  Mary and Martha had just buried their brother Lazarus.  They had done the customary preparations of the day.  They would have washed the body and then proceeded to wrap the body in strips of cloth.  The head would have been wrapped in a cloth.  The body would then have been placed on a slab in a cave-like tomb.  And a stone was rolled into place to close the tomb.  Just like the tomb of Jesus we hear about every Easter.

Something about their brother’s death still sort of gnawed at Mary and Martha.  When Lazarus was taken ill, the sisters had sent word to Jesus.  Lord, the one you love is sick! (John 11:3)  Yet, after Jesus got that message, he waited a couple days before he set out for Bethany.  He didn’t rush.  He waited.  The sisters were very conscious of this.  Our text begins with Mary’s words to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. (v. 32)  She was not angry or lashing out.  But her words do show that she is hurting!

Her words showed it.  Her tears and sobs did, too.  This got to Jesus! When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled…Jesus wept. (v. 33, 35)  There are two different words for crying used in our text.  One of the Greek words for “cry” means “to weep and wail.”  This is the word that is used for the crying of the people.  The other word means to quietly shed a tear.  This is the word used about Jesus.  Jesus is not howling and carrying on.  But a tear runs down his cheek.

Death made Jesus cry.  It broke his heart.  The Son of God sees what sin has done to his once deathless creation.  Because of sin, his dear friend Lazarus had gotten sick.  Because of sin, his sin-weakened body was not able to fight whatever it was, and it killed him.  Because of sin, two sisters had to dress their brother for the tomb.  And because of sin, two sisters were sad and confused.  Because of sin, the sound of weeping and wailing was heard in Bethany.  If you ever think Jesus doesn’t care when your loved one is sick, or when the one you love dies, when you stare blankly into a closet to pick out clothes to take to the funeral home, remember two words:  Jesus wept.  He cares!  The crowd that day was taken aback at the weeping Jesus:  See how he loved him! (v. 36)  Some smart-alecks couldn’t resist a wisecrack.  “Couldn’t the miracle-worker prevent his friend from dying?”

The story gets even better!  For what good would it finally do to have only a weeping Jesus?  A Jesus who weeps and says, “I’m so sorry!  I wish there was something I could do!”  Jesus is more than that!  This is the Savior who can DO something about death!  They arrive at the tomb.  Take away the stone, says Jesus (v. 39)  Martha protests, Lord, by this time there will be an odor because it has been four days. (v. 39)  Death literally stinks.  Jesus reassures her.  She’s not going to smell anything, but she is going to SEE something.  The glory of God’s Son who is stronger than death!

Jesus pauses to pray.  He wants people to know he and the Father are together on this.  And then he says in a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! (v. 43)  There is a lot riding on this moment!  Jesus will either show beyond any doubt that he is God’s, or, if Lazarus remains a stinking corpse, Jesus will be shown to be a huckster and charlatan.  The man who died came out. (v. 44)

Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life BECAUSE of his own resurrection and life!  About a month after Lazarus came out of a tomb, Jesus also would come out of a tomb.  But here’s the difference.  Lazarus did it because Jesus told him to.  Jesus did it because he had defeated sin and death!  And having defeated sin and death, Jesus becomes the source of Resurrection and eternal Life for all who believe in him.  He becomes the Source and Giver of that “deathless” existence we crave!  The raising of Lazarus is like a little prelude and preview of our own!

At the end of our text, Jesus commands, Loose him and let him go. (v. 44)  Graveclothes were no longer necessary, because of Jesus!  Remember that the next time you must pick clothes to take to the undertaker, or when you look at your closet and wonder what they might bury you in.  You are not getting dressed for the grave, but for the resurrection!

Amen.