Sermon for John 11: There is a lot of good news being reported around the world, a kind of resurrection. I don’t mean a Christian resurrection; I mean a democratic resurrection from the tomb of political oppression. No doubt you have heard some of things that have happened these last two weeks. The citizens of Lebanon have taken to the streets and driven out Syria who has long oppressed their country. Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, told Syrian President Assad to end his nation's three-decade occupation of Lebanon. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, abruptly announced plans to hold the first free, multiparty election in his country's history. President Abbas of the Palestinians wants peace with Israel and is fighting for it against the terrorists groups of Islamic Jihad and Hamas.

And certainly we can’t forget the brave peoples of Iraq, of Afghanistan, of Georgia, of Ukraine, who have raised loud their voices for freedom, often at peril to their lives. Each day, there are new tremors signaling the emergence of freedom and democracy. If it can hold, it will be the fall of the Berlin Wall in the Middle East. Hey folks, that’s a resurrection worth noting in my book, that’s good news.

Good News all around us and I have good news for you: God has a resurrection for you!  He wants to bring you out into the light again.  He wants to bring you out of that tomb of oppression and give you a new start.  And listen!  He has the power to do it.  He can bring you back to life.

This powerful story in John 11 speaks to this.  Remember it with me.  Mary and Martha who live in Bethany are some of Jesus’ closest friends… They send word to him that their brother, whose name is Lazarus, is desperately ill.  “Please come.  We need your help.  Hurry.  He is sinking fast.”  But by the time Jesus gets there, Lazarus has died… and has been in his grave for four days.  Mary and Martha come out to meet Jesus and they express their grief:  “He’s gone.  We’ve lost him.  O Lord, if only you have been here, our brother would not have died.”

The family and friends have gathered and in their deep sorrow, they begin to weep over the loss of their loved one, Lazarus.  The heart of Jesus goes out to them… and Jesus weeps with them.  He loved Lazarus, too… and he loves them… and he shares their pain.  Jesus goes out to the cave-like tomb and he says to them: “Roll back the stone!”  Martha, always the realist and ever ready to speak out, protests: “But Lord, we can’t do that.  He has been in the grave for 4 days.  By now there will be a terrible odor.”  Jesus says to her: “Martha, only believe and you will see the power of God.”

So they roll the stone away… and Jesus cries out in a loud voice: “Lazarus, come forth!”  And incredibly, miraculously, amazingly, before their very eyes… Lazarus is resurrected!  He comes out of the tomb.  He still has on his grave clothes.  His head and feet are still wrapped with mummy-like bandages.  Jesus then turns to the friends and family and says to them, “Unbind him and let him go.  Unwrap him and set him free.”

In this graphic and dramatic story, three awesome lessons jump out at us.  Three great truths emerge which can be so helpful to us today.  Let me list them for us: Jesus wept with those he loved and he still does.  Jesus raised people up and he still does.  Jesus included others in the healing process… and he still does.

1. First, Jesus wept with those he loved...and he still does.

2. Second, Jesus raised people up…and he still does.

3. Third, he included others in the healing process…and he still does.

 
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