John 11:1

And truly, Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book. But these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

Father, as we open the Scriptures, as I often pray, I pray that You would open our hearts, our ears, and our minds, that we would receive from You Your word, which is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. Your word is, we believe, inspired by You and useful for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, so that we would be equipped for every good work. So God, by Your Spirit, would You cause Your word to go deep into our hearts, Lord, that it would bring wisdom, understanding, and application for our lives today. Speak to us. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all those that agreed said, Amen. You can be seated.

This summer, we have been studying, in the Gospel of John, the I Am statements of Jesus. The Gospel of John is constructed around seven statements that Jesus made, all beginning with the words "I Am." It is not only constructed around seven sayings of Jesus, but also seven signs of Jesus—seven miracles that are written in this book. John says in John chapter 20 that there are many other miracles that Jesus did that are not written in this book, but these ones are written for a purpose. They are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you would have life in His name.

Now, a fascinating thing is that as you study through the Gospel of John and read the seven I Am statements, you find that many of those—well, not all of them, but a number of those I Am statements correspond with the signs that Jesus gave. For example, the first saying of Jesus, "I Am," is found in John chapter 6. We looked at it several weeks ago, where Jesus said, "I am the bread of life." In that same chapter, Jesus feeds the multitudes with miraculous provision, miraculous bread that He gives to them. He says, "I am the bread of life," and He also multiplies the bread miraculously for them. Then in John chapter 8, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world."

In John chapter 9, Jesus heals a man who was born blind. This man lived his entire life in darkness until that point, and now he is given light and sight by Jesus. The sign corresponds with the saying. Last week, Pastor Mark taught from John chapter 10, where Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep." While this statement is not accounted among the seven signs of Jesus in the Gospel of John, we see later on that he fulfills this word when he gives his life for us during the crucifixion.

As we come to John chapter 11, we will see today that the "I Am" statement found in this passage corresponds with the miracle he is going to perform, the seventh sign given here. It is important to recognize that many of these signs correspond with the sayings of Jesus because I believe that the signs of Jesus authenticate the sayings of Jesus. The message that Jesus delivers, such as "I am the bread of life" and "I am the light of the world," is validated by the miracles he performs.

The miracle we will see in this passage serves as a tipping point because it is the seventh miracle of Jesus before his death on the cross in the Gospel of John. This last miracle is significant for the religious leaders. If you have been with us through the whole series so far, you know that the religious leaders have a growing anger directed at Jesus. This hostility begins all the way back in John chapter 2 when Jesus goes into the temple, turns over the tables of those buying and selling, and drives them out. The anger and hostility of the religious leaders start there, but it continues to grow.

In John chapter 5, Jesus heals a man who was lame at the pool of Bethesda in the northern part of Jerusalem. However, he performs this miracle on the Sabbath, which is a major issue for the religious leaders. Their anger escalates to the point where they want him gone; they want to kill him. We will see a tipping point here in John chapter 11 after this seventh miracle.

On down to John chapter 11, verse 47, we read this: Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do? For this man works many signs." This Jesus is doing miracles, and they cannot disagree with that. This man works many signs, and if we let him alone like this, everyone will believe in him. The Romans will come and take away both our place and the nation. If we allow this guy to continue in this work that he's doing, then we're going to lose our power.

One of them, Caiaphas, being the high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all." I think he's saying they don't understand the extent of the problem here, nor do they consider that it is expedient for them that one man should die for the people and that not the whole nation should perish. He is making the case that this Jesus has to go. Look at verse 53: From that day on, they plotted to put him to death.

It is important to acknowledge that these are the religious leaders. These are the individuals who are to lead the nation of Israel in the first century in righteousness and right behavior. Now, they are deliberating with one another on how they can put him to death. They are looking for an opportunity and plotting together how they would carry out this plan. But what pushes them to this?

Back up to John chapter 11, verse 1. Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. If you have gone through the Gospels before, these names stick out to you because you have read of them before. Mary and Martha, and you have heard the name Lazarus before.

We are given the problem at the beginning of this plot, which is going to thicken as we go through it. Lazarus was sick, and he was from the town of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped his feet with her hair. John is providing us with some context and information because the readers of the Gospel of John, which was the last Gospel to be written after Matthew, Mark, and Luke, had probably read Luke's Gospel. They remember that story, so he says, "This is the same Mary who anointed Jesus's feet." It was her brother Lazarus who was sick.

Therefore, the sisters sent to Him, sent to Jesus, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." Do you know what that is? When they sent to Jesus and said, "He whom You love is sick," that's what we call prayer. That's what we might refer to as supplication or petition. Sometimes it's referred to as intercession. They are sending word to Jesus, and they're saying, "Listen, he whom You love, Lazarus, is sick."

It brings us to a very simple point. Point number one: it is good to pray for those in need. Now, there's nothing profound about that point. I think if you've been a part of a church, this church or any church, for any length of time, you know that that's true. That's revealed in the Scriptures a number of times. We see it not only revealed in the Scriptures, but we see it played out in churches all over this country and throughout the world. It is good to pray for those who are in need, and this church prays for many people who are in need.

Just a few minutes ago, I shared with you about the prayer card, and this is the stack of prayer cards we got last week. Every week, we get about this many prayer cards, and we divide these between our staff on Tuesday mornings. We pray for every prayer need in the church. Then there's a group that gathers on Wednesdays and prays for these in the mom's room across the way. If you're ever available at noon on a Wednesday, you can come and pray for these as well.

So, it's very clearly seen in our own church that we understand the truth of this: it is good to pray for those who are in need. When we pray for those who are in need, we pray with expectancy. We pray with hope. We pray in faith that God hears, and not only that God hears, but that God answers. That's our trust in prayer.

The vast majority of Americans, in poll after poll after poll on this very topic, say whether it is Gallup that is polling them, or Pew Research, or any of the different research firms, the majority of Americans pray, and they do so in faith, hoping that God will hear and that God will answer.

But there's a problem here in this passage. Look at verse five and look at verse six. The two sisters send a message to Jesus: "He whom You love is sick." Then we read this in verse five: "Now, Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus." He loved them. So, in verse six, when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.

Where he was does not seem to fit with verse five. It seems like a sharp deviation. Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, so he decided not to come to them. That just does not fit. We assume when we read verse six that it is going to say, "So he left what he was doing and went up to Bethany." That's what we want it to say, but that's not what it says.

We think that if Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus—and the word for love here is the highest form of love used in the New Testament—then he should drop what he is doing and take care of the immediate need, the problem they are facing in that moment. Yet, when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was.

Have you ever felt like Jesus is dealing with your pressing problems and needs in that way? It seems like he is just too busy dealing with whatever he is dealing with to address your issue. Sometimes, in our experience of life, as we are praying and asking others to pray, it seems to us that Jesus is busy, or he is not listening, or he is delaying. In this, we have to ask the question: why?

Why did Jesus respond in this way? We assume that if God truly loves us, then he will intervene on our behalf in the moment that we call out to him. That is our expectation because we think that is how love is expressed. In the moment, when we have a need, it should be taken care of. If he does not do that, then clearly he does not love us, or maybe he is not there.

I can't tell you how many conversations I have had over the years. I remember a very specific conversation with a man who is now an atheist but once went to church. In talking with him, I discovered the root of the problem. He said, "Listen, my dad had cancer. I prayed for him. He didn't get healed. He died. So God didn't show up. Either he is not there, or he is a jerk." That is what he told me. There are people who assume that is the case. Why did Jesus respond in this way?

Well, you may have noticed I skipped over verse four. Look at verse four: "Lord, he whom you love is sick." In verse three, when Jesus heard that, he said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

Now, we may not like this, and it's a good chance you won't like this reality. But point number two is that God has more concern for His glory than my immediate well-being. There is a part of me, part of us—maybe a big part of us—that has a really hard time with that truth. God has more concern for His glory than my immediate well-being.

Why do we have a hard time with that? Well, because my biggest concern is my immediate well-being. I don't think I'm alone in that. That's my biggest concern in pretty much every situation. Our problems consume our attention. Our concerns are our biggest concern. You might share with me the problems that you are going through, and I might express concern. I probably even pray for you. Let me pray for you.

I hate to say it, but within about 20 minutes of leaving that situation, I might have forgotten. Why? Because I'm more concerned about the fact that I'm hungry, I'm tired, I don't feel well—whatever it may be. We have ourselves at the center of our concerns, and we assume that everybody else should be as well. If you love me, then you will have my concerns high above anything else.

But God's prime concern is His glory, and we have a hard time with that. I know we do. I had a conversation for about 10 minutes after the first service with a woman who had a hard time with that reality. God's prime concern is His glory.

Now, does that mean He does not concern Himself with us? No, that's not what the Scriptures reveal. We do have God revealed in the Scriptures as personally engaged in our lives, and the Scriptures even say He is concerned for those things that concern us. However, in the hierarchy of God's values, His glory is chief. It's at the top. Somewhere down the line is His concern for my eternal position, and then He does have concern for my well-being in the moment, but it ranks lower on the list.

We might have a hard time with that, but that's just the reality of what we find in the Scriptures. As we walk through the story of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, we begin to see that this situation is going to be used for something significant. First, it is going to bring greater revelation of Jesus's true nature. I shared in our very first study in John several weeks ago that the Gospel of John was written around the seven sayings and the seven signs of Jesus to show His true nature. These are written so that you might believe that He is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you might have life in His name.

The pressing situation faced by Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, which was the most important thing in their lives, is going to be used to reveal the true nature of Jesus. Secondly, it is going to glorify Jesus's great power. Given this, when we are going through a pressing situation, it is highly likely that many of you sitting here right now are experiencing some pressing issue in your life. Maybe it's work-related, family-related, or has to do with your marriage or your kids. Perhaps it concerns your own personal health or the health of someone you love. You may be going through a challenging situation right now.

You may have filled out a prayer card or been praying for this for an extended period, wondering where God is and why He has not shown up in this situation. In the midst of that, at the very least, you have to ask the question: Is God trying to reveal something of His nature to me or through me in this? You must ask that question because Jesus says in this passage, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God and the revelation of who He is."

So we have to ask that question: God, are You in this situation seeking to reveal something of Your nature to me or through me? God, how can You glorify Yourself in the midst of this situation in my life or through my life? Those are hard questions to ask. I don't want to diminish the depth of turmoil that you might be experiencing. We might wrestle with those questions and the answers to them, and that is very real. But God is seeking to do something in this situation. As I think about that this week, I wonder: How can God glorify Himself through this situation?

I was reminded of the words of another preacher that I've listened to many times. He has a saying: God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. I was wrestling with that thought this week. Generally, I find that I am most satisfied in my comfort, in my happiness, and in my momentary well-being.

For example, when I land in Newark Airport with my wife and get off the airplane, if they say, "Sorry, your flight is delayed," or "You're not going to get on the next flight; you missed your flight," I am not happy. It did mean that I went to Times Square and had pizza, which was great, but I'm still not happy. My demeanor, my countenance changes because I'm kind of upset that it hasn't worked out the way I thought it should or would.

So, God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. I am trying to learn to be most satisfied in Him and not just in the benefits and blessings of knowing Him. That's hard. It's a hard lesson.

Jesus said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Now, I'm sure that many of you may know the outcome of this story. Maybe you're already reading ahead. Stop it! Or you've read it before. Spoiler alert: Lazarus dies, which is a little bit of an issue because Jesus said this sickness is not unto death.

So, either Jesus was wrong, which I have a hard time accepting, or perhaps—this is a bit of speculation, not Bible interpretation—maybe it wasn't the sickness that killed him. Maybe it was the treatment they tried to give him for the sickness. Perhaps it was the fact that they didn't treat him because they expected that Jesus would show up.

More likely, Jesus has a longer view in mind when He says the sickness is not unto death. He knows what He is going to do in response to what takes place. That's more likely. So, I am stretching it a bit by saying, "Well, maybe they treated him to the point that they killed him, or they didn't treat him."

But whatever the case, Jesus knows there's something bigger going on. He's trying to express that to His disciples. The bigger issue is that this illness is for the glory of God and the revelation of the Son of God, Jesus.

So, look at verse seven. In John 11:7, it says, "Then after this, He said to His disciples," which is some time after the previous events. Verse six indicates that He spent two more days where He was after He received the news. Then, after this, He said to His disciples, "Let's go to Judea again."

A little bit of geography is helpful here. The city of Jerusalem is located in the county of Judea, and Bethany is two miles east of Jerusalem. Just like we have San Diego County in San Diego City, Jerusalem is in the center of Judea. Jesus is outside of there somewhere. John chapter 10 tells us where He went at the end of that chapter; He is somewhere near the Jordan River in Israel, where John the Baptist had been ministering. So, He is out in the wilderness.

After a couple of days doing whatever work He was engaged in—preaching, healing, or whatever it may be—He says to His disciples, "Let's go to Judea." However, His disciples kind of drag their feet. In verse eight, the disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, teacher, lately the Jews sought to stone You, to kill You, and You're going to go there again?" It’s as if they feel the need to remind Him. Have you ever felt you need to remind Jesus of things? I'm sure you have. They are essentially saying, "Jesus, they want to kill You."

As we go through this, we will see that there is a good possibility they are saying this for their own sake. Jesus answered in verse nine, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble because he sees the light of the world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles because the light is not in him."

These things He said, and after that, He added, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go to wake him up." There is so much discussion about these two verses, with all kinds of Bible teachers offering interpretations. I have no idea what Jesus is talking about when He goes off into this little poetic discourse about nighttime and daytime and walking in the light. There is a lot of speculation on this, and while I could come up with various interpretations, I think Jesus's disciples were likely thinking, "What is He talking about?"

Then His disciples said, "Look, Lord, if he sleeps, he will get well." They take Jesus very literally, while Jesus is speaking symbolically. When He says, "Our friend Lazarus is asleep, I'm going to go wake him up," they respond, "If he's asleep, he'll wake up."

We don't need to put our lives on the line. Let's stay here. Everything's just fine down by the Jordan River. However, Jesus spoke of His death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest and sleep. Then Jesus said plainly to them, "Lazarus is dead, guys. How much more do I need to say to you? Lazarus is dead, and I'm glad."

What? I'm glad Lazarus is dead. I'm glad for your sake. He says, "I'm glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe." These things are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in His name. Jesus delayed because He had purpose in His delay. I'm glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless, let us go to him.

Point number three: Jesus allows difficult circumstances to stretch and strengthen our faith. I've experienced that in my life. I know quite a few of you; I know your story. I know you've experienced that in your life. Let me be really clear and candid: I do not always like Jesus's methods. I like the outcomes, but I'm not particularly fond of His plans and His ways. This means that there are pretty regular times where I find myself complaining about His methods. Complaining in prayer—it's very spiritual complaining, but it's still complaining.

I can identify with Israel as recorded in the book of Exodus and Numbers, with their murmuring and complaining. I read through those passages and think, "Yeah, that's me. That's what I would be doing—murmuring and complaining." I think that Jesus's disciples were very similar to us in this. They were not super spiritual. Reading Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John makes this clear very quickly. Peter, James, John, Thomas, Bartholomew—all these guys were not super spiritual. In fact, many times they were kind of cynical.

I think that some of the cynicism and skepticism comes out here in this passage because look at Thomas's response to Jesus's word in John 11:16, and just understand.

Later on, this Thomas is referred to in church history as Doubting Thomas. He says this, and then Thomas, who is also called the Twin, makes a side note. Church history and tradition say that Thomas was called the Twin because he looked a lot like Jesus. It was kind of a nickname: "Hey, there's the Twin; he looks like Jesus."

So, Thomas, who also resembles Jesus, says to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go that we may die with him." There are two general interpretations of this. One is the super spiritual Thomas interpretation: "Look at just the spiritual Thomas. Let us go with Jesus; we will die with him."

Then there's the interpretation that I ascribe to, which is the not-so-super spiritual, cynical, skeptical one: "Let us go up to Jerusalem. I look just like him. Let's die with him. That sounds like a great plan." Why do I think that's it? Because I'm skeptical and cynical, and that seems like something I might say in that situation.

In this, I think there's a real danger for me and for us. There is a real danger when things aren't exactly going the way that we want, think, or expect them to go. We can easily slide toward cynicism. We can easily slip into a skeptical, doubting, distrusting, pessimistic, negative mindset.

Let me just say that doubt, pessimism, cynicism, and skepticism are not spiritual gifts. They are not Christian hallmarks; they are indicative of my fallen, sinful nature. We have to be on guard because it's very easy to slide into that.

Let me confess that for those in ministry, it is often easy to fall into cynicism. I see it in myself, and I am challenged by the Lord when that begins to happen.

And so Jesus, in verse 17, when He came, found that Lazarus had already been dead in the tomb for four days. It seemed pretty hopeless. Now, Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away, as verse 18 says, and many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother. He shows up, but He shows up awfully late. It seems like we are beyond the expiration date. This is not the best situation. He delays, but He delays on purpose. He says, "I'm glad that I wasn't there for this purpose."

As time has gone by, I have experienced that God often delays. There is a saying that God is never late, but He is rarely early. Recently, when I was interacting with other pastors in different areas, like when I was in Scandinavia last week, I found that a lot of times, as pastors are talking, they ask how things are in Southern California and how things are at the church that I pastor. I realized that one of the common responses I keep bringing up is that nothing ever seems to happen at the speed that I would like it to.

I was kind of challenged by my own words. By about the third time it came out of my mouth, I thought, "Nothing ever seems to happen at the speed that I would like it to." It was as if the Lord caught that word for me and said, "Really?" I realized my timetable is not always the way that God measures time. I am challenged to just leave it with the Lord and say, "Lord, Your timing is best." That is a hard one.

Then, in verse 20, as soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Martha was ready to meet with Jesus. As soon as she heard that He was coming, she ran out to where He was. He was outside the city at this point, it seems, in Bethany, a small town outside of Jerusalem. It appears that she went to Him quickly because, in one sense, she had a bone to pick with Him. Now, that's not all.

She has a petition for Him as well, but she's got a bone to pick with Him. Martha said to Him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Have you ever prayed that kind of prayer? "Lord, if only you had..." It's kind of a waving finger prayer. If only you had been here, Lazarus would not have died.

Now, that comment expresses a level of faith. Had you been here, you had the power that he would have been healed. However, there's also a level of doubt in that statement because it seems to imply, "Well, now you're here, and he's been dead for four days. I don't know that you have that power." So, there's faith, but it's mixed with unbelief, and that's all of us. We all kind of wrestle in that place.

But then she gives a statement of faith again. She says, "But even now I know..." She does not say, "Even now, I think," or "Even now, I hope," or "Even now, I kind of believe." She says, "Even now I know that whatever you ask God, God will give you."

Then Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha replied, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." You see, Martha had belief, as the majority of the people in Israel in the first century did, in some form of afterlife. It was unclear to them exactly what that was, but she was with the majority.

There were two different schools of thought in Jerusalem at that time. There was a group called the Sadducees that did not believe in the resurrection. As the saying goes, that's why they were sad, you see. That's a bit of pastor humor right there. Pastor jokes are like dad jokes.

The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection; they were a small group. The larger group was with the Pharisees, who believed in a coming resurrection. They did not know what that was; it was very unclear and dark to them, but they believed in some sort of afterlife and some sort of resurrection.

Do you realize that over 80% of Americans believe in an afterlife? They may not know what that is or be entirely clear about it, but they believe in it and hope for it. So, when Martha says, "I know that he will rise again at the resurrection in the last day," she is in the place that most of your neighbors, friends, family members, coworkers, and peers are at.

They believe in something after this. Do you believe in heaven or some sort of afterlife? Yeah, I kind of believe in that, but they don't have all the details. She didn't have all the details and didn't fully understand it.

So remember, this is to reveal the true nature of Jesus here. Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life." He's clarifying what's unclear to her and to many. What is that afterlife thing all about? He says, "I am the resurrection and the life."

How do I lay hold of that? He continues, "He who believes in me, though he may die, yet he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die." Here’s the important question: Do you believe this?

Point number four: Jesus tests our faith to reveal his greatness. He tests our faith to reveal his greatness. To reveal this, he had to bring her to the place of hoping for a resurrection that wasn't entirely clear. The only way to do that was to bring her to the place where he, whom she loved—her brother Lazarus—is gone. It seems hopeless. It seems beyond the realm of possibility that there is going to be a restoration of life, at least not now. Maybe some way out in the future. There’s that hope, but he who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.

Point number five: The greatness of Christ's power is accessible by faith, to which Jesus asks that important question: Do you believe this? Notice her response in John 11:27. She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who has come into the world."

What was the theme verse of John that we read at the very beginning? In John 20:30, it says, "These things are written that you may believe that he is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name." Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God.

When she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary.

Her sister said, "The teacher has come. He's calling for you." As soon as she heard that, she rose quickly and came to him. Now Jesus, in verse 30, had not yet come into the town but was in a place where Martha met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, comforting Mary, saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out. They followed her, saying, "She's going to the tomb to weep there."

When Mary came to Jesus and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." This reflects the view of Martha. Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her weeping, he groaned in his spirit and was troubled. He asked, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus wept, which is the smallest verse in the Bible. The Jews then said, "See how he loved him." Some said, "Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept this man from dying?" Maybe he could have, but now it seemed hopeless.

Then Jesus, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, objected, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not say that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God?" They took away the stone from its place where the dead man was lying.

Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I know that you always hear me,

There's an interesting story that Jesus tells to a group of gathered people in that passage. He tells a story about a rich man and a beggar. The rich man, it says, was clothed in fine linen and purple, which is very interesting because in that culture, in that day, the person who wore linen were the priests, and the person who wore purple were the royalty. A person who wore fine linen and purple was of the royal priesthood, the high priest.

The rich man fared sumptuously, as the King James Version says, every single day. Then he died, and so did the beggar who sat by his door, waiting for just the scraps that came from the rich man's table. Both of them were carried to the afterlife. There, in the afterlife, the rich man was in torment, it says, in a flame. The man who had been a beggar was in a place of comfort, being comforted by Abraham.

The man who was in torment looked upon the gulf that was between them. He looked at Abraham and said, "Hey, Abraham, just allow him to dip his finger in the water and touch it to my tongue because I'm in torment in this flame." Abraham replied, "Listen, in your life, you had things good, but this man, not so much. Now you're tormented, and he is comforted."

The rich man then said, "Let him go back from the dead so that my brothers would not come here." The beggar's name was Lazarus, which is at least interesting. In Jesus's story, in the Gospel of Luke, the rich man said that if one goes back from the dead, they would listen.

So how did the chief priests respond to the man raised from the dead? They determined that they should kill Jesus, and not only Jesus, but they also decided they should kill Lazarus again. They couldn't have any evidence of that whole raising someone from the dead. It was the wrong response.

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Whoever lives and believes in me shall never die." Do you believe this? That's the question we wrestle with. Do you believe this? Most Americans believe in an afterlife.

Jesus says, "I am the way, the door, the path, the shepherd that leads to that afterlife." Do you believe this? That's the question our culture wrestles with. It's a heavy question.

Would you stand with me as we close in prayer?

Father God, we come and stand before you now, having received from your Word. We pray, God, that you would cause your Word to have its work in us. We thank you that the Scriptures say the prophets foretold that your Word would not return void, but it would accomplish what you set it forth to do. We thank you for the power of your Word.

God, may you use your Word that we've looked at today to encourage and strengthen those who are in a place right now where they are wrestling with some difficulty—something that has been weighing upon them, a health problem, a family issue, a financial issue, whatever it may be. Lord, help them to cast their care, their burden upon you, because the Scriptures say you do care for us. You have a purpose and a plan in the midst of whatever it is we're going through. I pray that that truth would be an encouragement to some today.

But Lord, I trust that as we're standing here today, there are some gathered in this place who realize that they have not yet trusted in you as the resurrection and the life in their lives. I have to believe that you, as you are lifted up here today, Jesus, are drawing people to come to yourself. So, would you draw those people now?

If that's you today, and you realize that you've not put your faith in Jesus, or maybe you've strayed from that faith because you felt like Jesus didn't show up, I want you to know that God has a bigger plan in view for His purpose in your life than you might realize. He's calling you to come to Him. He said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in this shall never perish." Do you believe this?

If you'd like to put your trust and faith in Jesus, as we're in an attitude of prayer this morning, would you just lift up your hand high so I can see it? Anyone here today? God bless you. I see you there on my right. Anyone else? Lift your hand up high. Right here in the middle, I see you. There in the middle in the back, I see you. God bless you. I see you there on the side. Anyone else? Lift your hand up high. I want to lead you in a prayer of faith today, putting your trust in Jesus as the resurrection.

And life for you. So if that's you, would you follow me in prayer right now? Just pray this where you're at, out loud.

Dear Jesus, I know I need You. I realize that I'm far from You. I pray that You would come and restore my life. You would come fill my heart, that You would forgive me of my sin. That You'd help me to follow You by faith, trusting in You. In Jesus' name, amen.