Glory of God in Resurrection
John 11:38-44
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our text for this morning once again has Jesus being disturbed or upset. He comes the tomb and finds a very expected situation. But I want to start somewhere else.
On the first day of the week, there are three women who have bought spices. This was only the third day that this man was in the tomb. But they asked themselves, "who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?" And when they arrive the stone is already rolled away.
Later at the same tomb, we hear about two men who ran there. The first arrives but does not enter. The second enters the tomb. Both find the same seen. They find the linen cloths lying in one place. In addition, the face cloth was folded and placed in a separate place. All the burial linens were properly folded, as if someone undressing at the end of the day properly folds there clothes after removal.
Hopefully, you will also recognize that in addition at this same tomb, Mary or the women see two angels, or one angel. Luke tells us the Angel says, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen."
I point this out for a simple reason. Lazarus is raised from the dead, but Jesus rises from the dead. Lazarus can not do this on his own, but Jesus does claim victory over death on his own. So beyond the little details that are different, the glory of God is being made known.
Jesus tells Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” Just as previously in John 9, Jesus' disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him." So why did Jesus wait an extra two days before coming to Lazarus, so that the glory of God can be revealed.
Now we come to the great moment. We do not ask who will roll the stone away. Jesus tells them "Take away the stone." There is certainly going to be an odor, but while the women brought spices Jesus is not worried, because the dead one will be alive and stink as much as anyone else.
Jesus already knows what he has asked the father. He already knows the answer to his prayer. Jesus says this before the people, similar to the multiple predictions he tells his disciples of his own death and resurrection.
After making the public display he calls out, "Lazarus come forth!" My favorite quote concerning this passage is that, if Jesus had not said Lazarus all the dead would have been raised. That would be like in Matthew, "And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many."
Lazarus comes out of the tomb. He comes out looking like a mummy. His hands and feet bound with strips of linen. He even has his face wrapped with a cloth. Again, the difference between how Jesus leaves the tomb and Lazarus stands in opposition.
Jesus then commands that Lazarus be unbound and set free. To be unbound stands in opposition to the binding up of the broken heart, but more so to be chained or in prisoned in a tomb. Jesus comes to set us free to no longer be slaves to sin but live and serve the resurrection and the life.
We may not like to think of ourselves as dead, but we are. We are dead in our transgressions. We are dead in our sin. We therefore need to be buried with Christ and raised to new life. Thus, "baptism indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever."
As people who are dead, we can do nothing for ourselves. We need someone to roll away our stone. We need someone to breath life back into us. We need our bonds to be removed. We need someone to set us free. So whether you enjoy swing low sweet chariot or Go down Moses, we are looking for our deliverer.
Jesus Christ is the Resurrection and the life. He is the one who raises us to newness of life in Baptism. He is the one who breaths life into our lungs. He is the one who removes our chains. He even sends us the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in the true faith and help us to lead a moral life.
It is amazing for us to think that even as we confess our sins, and receive forgiveness that is the glory of God being revealed among us. Similarly as we remember our baptism the glory of God is being revealed. Many people want to see the glory of God, and God shows it in the most common of things, but we often want so much more.
There is no greater glory than knowing and receiving the forgiveness of sins in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is the glory of God. Amen.
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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