Let Us Go Too That We Might Die With Him
October 25, 2023
John 11:1-16 | Psalm 90
We’re going to take this chapter (the story of Lazarus) in three parts over these next three days. It will give us Jesus’ seventh sign and fifth I AM statement in John.
It’s a powerful story, not simply because Jesus raises someone from the dead, but also because of what it reveals to us about Jesus’ humanity.
Once again, Jesus is funny with his words, saying that Lazarus is sleeping when he meant he was dead. Then again, perhaps Jesus looks at death differently than disciples do.
Can we give it up for Thomas? The poor guy gets a bad reputation for his questions of doubt in John 20. But rather than call him Doubting Thomas, perhaps we could call him the Impulsive Thomas or I-Always-Say-What’s-On-My-Mind Thomas. Here, he is ready to die with Jesus. (At least…on his terms.)
But perhaps most notable about this portion of the story is Jesus’ approach to timing. He just doesn’t move like we would. If someone’s sick and likely dying, you don’t then decide to wait it out and go later. Surely news was sent to him so he’d come quickly and help the situation.
But he doesn’t.
(And he’ll get grief for it just a bit later.)
But Jesus is Jesus. And his vision is further, wider, and wiser than ours.
John 11:1-16
A certain man, Lazarus, was ill. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This was the Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped his feet with her hair. Her brother Lazarus was ill.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, saying, “Lord, the one whom you love is ill.”
When he heard this, Jesus said, “This illness isn’t fatal. It’s for the glory of God so that God’s Son can be glorified through it.” Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. When he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed where he was. After two days, he said to his disciples, “Let’s return to Judea again.”
The disciples replied, “Rabbi, the Jewish opposition wants to stone you, but you want to go back?”
Jesus answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours in the day? Whoever walks in the day doesn’t stumble because they see the light of the world. But whoever walks in the night does stumble because the light isn’t in them.”
He continued, “Our friend Lazarus is sleeping, but I am going in order to wake him up.”
The disciples said, “Lord, if he’s sleeping, he will get well.” They thought Jesus meant that Lazarus was in a deep sleep, but Jesus had spoken about Lazarus’ death.
Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died. For your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there so that you can believe. Let’s go to him.”
Then Thomas (the one called Didymus) said to the other disciples, “Let us go too so that we may die with Jesus.”
Psalm 90 (& Prayer)
Lord, you have been our help,
generation after generation.
Before the mountains were born,
before you birthed the earth and the inhabited world—
from forever in the past
to forever in the future, you are God.
You return people to dust,
saying, “Go back, humans,”
because in your perspective a thousand years
are like yesterday past,
like a short period during the night watch.
You sweep humans away like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning.
True, in the morning it thrives, renewed,
but come evening it withers, all dried up.
Yes, we are wasting away because of your wrath;
we are paralyzed with fear on account of your rage.
You put our sins right in front of you,
set our hidden faults in the light from your face.
Yes, all our days slip away because of your fury;
we finish up our years with a whimper.
We live at best to be seventy years old,
maybe eighty, if we’re strong.
But their duration brings hard work and trouble
because they go by so quickly.
And then we fly off.
Who can comprehend the power of your anger?
The honor that is due you corresponds to your wrath.
Teach us to number our days
so we can have a wise heart.
Come back to us, Lord!
Please, quick!
Have some compassion for your servants!
Fill us full every morning with your faithful love
so we can rejoice and celebrate our whole life long.
Make us happy for the same amount of time that you afflicted us—
for the same number of years that we saw only trouble.
Let your acts be seen by your servants;
let your glory be seen by their children.
Let the kindness of the Lord our God be over us.
Make the work of our hands last.
Make the work of our hands last!