Brent Kuhlman

+ Jesu Juva +

John 11:21-45

Martha and Mary are not pleased with Jesus.  They dialed 911 J-E-S-U-S to let Him know that Lazarus was very sick.  Deathbed sick.  Jesus does show up.  After He purposely stays away for two days.  By that time it’s way too late.  By the time Jesus puts in an appearance Lazarus is dead and buried. 

“Lord if you have been here our brother would not have died!”  They’re disappointed.  Hurt.  Frustrated.  Angry.  Their faith in Him has been stretched to the breaking point.  Even at the tomb Mary still has her doubts:  “What kind of Jesus are you?  We thought you were our best friend!  We just don’t know about you anymore!” “Lord, he’s been in the tomb four days.  He stinks!  Can’t you smell?” 

Do you feel like Martha and Mary?  Do you have your doubts about Jesus?  Are you frustrated or angry?  Find it hard to believe in Jesus these days?  “Where have you been Jesus?  Angie was too young to die!”   

Then listen to the late arriving Jesus.  The Jesus who acts so nonchalant and lackadaisical around death.  He’s come to strengthen your faith in Him.  To you, me, and Martha He says:  Right here and right now!  In our very midst.  And then this wonderful promise:  “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” “He who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?” 

Do you believe this?  That’s the big theological question.  It’s the life or death question.  He wants you, me, and Martha to believe and not doubt. 

Mary too:  “Did I not tell you that if you believe you would see the glory of God?”  That’s why He rips off the prayer to His Father at the grave:  “I’m praying this Father so that those standing here will believe that you sent me.”  John’s entire Gospel is written so that you “may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may life in his name,” (20:31).

Jesus is deeply irritated.  And He weeps.  Not only because Lazarus is dead.  But also because His two best friends won’t trust Him with their brother’s death. 

And so when faith’s at the breaking point Jesus barks out the orders:  “Take away the stone!”  “Lazarus, come out.”  “Unbind him.  Let him go.”

And the text says that many of those standing there believed in Him!

And so did Angie.  She relied on the Lord Jesus and His promises: “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” “He who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.” 

Such faith in Jesus freed Angie to enjoy life.  To do her work at Adaptive Marketing well.  Not for her sake but for the company and the clients.  Safe and secure in the Jesus who is the Resurrection and the Life, she was free to be the woman God made her to be.  Free to live not for herself but for others.  To be wife to you Shannon.  A mother to you Steph, Nathan, and Cody.  To help provide a home, Levis, and cowboy boots.  Free to take pleasure in her sewing and cows.  To enjoy a few beers, country music, and her many good friends in the community.  Drive Nate to all his trap shoot practices and competitions.  Shuttle Steph and Cody to all the gymnastic practices, events, and ball games.  Play a pick up game of softball on those hot and dusty Fourth of July days at the Murdock ball field.  So safe and free in Jesus that, to my horror and dismay, she’d wear her Iowa State Cyclones jacket!  Perhaps we can persuade the people at Fusselman’s to wrap her in another jacket so that when Jesus on the Last Day says, “Angie, come out!” she’ll be wearing, dare I say it, “Red?”  And maybe on that day we’ll be able to persuade her to keep it on!  Can you imagine the look that we’ll get?  And then her wonderful smile and laughter that will be so enhanced by the resurrection?  

After fighting the cancer for eight years, Angie faced another enemy head on in the last few months.  But that monster was a defeated enemy.  Angie’s lord was Jesus, who is the Resurrection and the Life.  That monster swallowed up the Lord Jesus too.  But He gave death such a bellyache that death had to violently retch Him up.  And in the process Jesus broke death’s jaw into a million little pieces on the Third Day.

Angie trusted Jesus with her life.  She even trusted Him with her death.  And so can you.  For this is what Jesus promises: “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” “He who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die.”   In the Name of Jesus.