Drew Boswell

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“The Hearts of the People Must Be Right Before Moving Forward” Joshua 5:1-15

Joshua: Courage Over Fear

A Sermon Series

“The Hearts of the People Must Be Right Before Moving Forward”

Joshua 5:1-15

Introduction

Joshua is reading and studying the writings of Moses – he is meditating on it, talking about it, and he is seeking to do it. Rahab is waiting with the red cord tied to her window, for the army to arrive at Jericho. The people have miraculously crossed over the Jordan River, and now the peoples of the land are aware of their presence.

Prayer

The Setting of the Covenants (vv. 1)

As soon as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.

For the Cananites, these events were horrifying. Over two million people were gathered across the Jordan in the Jordan valley. They clearly were preparing to attack them, but there was the Jordan river in between and it was at flood stage, so they had a little time to prepare for the attach. But then came news that they Jordan River had miraculously stopped flowing and the people crossed over “on dry ground.”

From a worldly wisdom, this would be the time to attach. Leveraging the miraculous crossing, having received the report from the spies about how the people’s hearts were melted – attack now while their spirits were shaken.

“But the wisdom of God is not like human wisdom, and it was far more important that the hearts of the people be right with God than that they gain a momentary military advantage.”[1]

The hearts of God’s people have to be right before any campaigns can be successful.

The Covenant of Circumcision – Identifying (vv. 2-7)

2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.”[2] 3 So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.1 4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: all the males of the people who came out of Egypt, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way after they had come out of Egypt. 5 Though all the people who came out had been circumcised, yet all the people who were born on the way in the wilderness after they had come out of Egypt had not been circumcised. 6 For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the Lord; the Lord swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the Lord had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. 7 So it was their children, whom he raised up in their place, that Joshua circumcised. For they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way.

It does not make strategic sense to march your army right into the teeth of a lion’s head and then completely incapacitate your entire army for “as long as it took them to heal.” But God says, “make flints knives,” so Joshua did it.

“Circumcision was the mark of the covenant; it signified membership in the covenant people of Israel, just as baptism signifies membership in the covenant community of the church today.”[3] It was how God showed that these were His people, and it was also a human response or action taken to show that they are, or want to be apart of God’s people. It was an outward sign of an inward condition.

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Exodus 4:24 God has called Moses to lead God’s people out of slavery and Egypt, he has given multiple excuses, but now he is on the way back to Egypt to do it, “At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. 25 Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” 26 So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

The family consists of Moses, his wife Zipporah, and their two sons. As the family is making their way from Midian to Egypt, they stop at an inn. While they are at the inn, something happens to Moses that the family comes to realize is a life threatening and is directly coming from the Lord. “However, the real question is not how God assaulted Moses but why?”[4]

Those that had wanted to kill Moses in Egypt are dead, but now God is his enemy? God had just given him another round of instructions for what to do when he had gathered the elders of Israel together (vv. 21-23). Moses was the one who God appeared to in the burning bush, and called to lead God’s people out of Egypt – why now, would God seek to kill him?

This passage has many challenges to interpretation – but there is one big idea that anyone seeking to understand what is going on here sees. Circumcision is important to God at this moment in history.

Genesis 17:9-14 helps us to understand what is happening, “And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

Moses had not circumcised his son – he had not kept the covenant. So, Zipporah grabs a stone knife and circumcises the son Gershom, and then places the piece of skin at Moses’ feet. When Moses gives excuse after excuse God patiently gives answers and seeks to reassure Moses, “I will be with you.” But when Moses neglects to circumcise his son, that becomes a matter of life and death. By Moses not following the word of God given to Abraham he “shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

 Moses almost lost his life because he did not follow the Word of God.

God’s people are identified as His people by the following of His law.

 Moses has incurred the wrath of God upon his life because he didn’t pay attention to what was required. What are we supposed to get from this passage? We have to pay attention as we enter into the presence of God (Moses and Joshua removing their sandals), and we have to pay attention as we enter into service of God (Moses as he travels to Egypt and Joshua before going into battle). We ignore God’s Word to our peril.

 Zipporah takes the bloody piece of skin and smears it across Moses’ foot. Later, God’s people will take blood from a lamb and smear it across their doorposts. These are blood signs that they are seeking to follow God’s commands (circumcision and lamb’s blood). Jesus’ blood would be smeared across an old rugged cross. What must God’s people do to be saved from the angel of death? What must Moses do to be saved from God’s wrath? What does Joshua have to do be victorious in the Promised Land? Blood has to be shed in a way that God accepts.

 “Circumcision was a sign of God’s covenant with his people. Within the covenant there is grace and life. Outside the covenant are judgement and death. Moses by not circumcising his son is acting like an Egyptian, rather than a member of God’s covenant people.”[5] These two groups go all the way through human history and on which side of the line you are standing on is eternally important – on one side will be eternal grace and life, and on the other will be eternal judgement and death.

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 There is a fundamental life lesson that Moses needs to learn before he leads God’s people. God has established a blood covenant with His people. “First, God showed Moses the wages of sin by placing him under the wrath of God. But then God’s deadly wrath was turned aside – or “propitiated,” by the blood of circumcision. Blood is mentioned specifically because of a sacrifice and thereby identified with it. It was not a full sacrifice, but it represented Gershom’s entire person, offered in Moses’ place. Moses was saved from God’s wrath by the shed blood of a substitute.”[6]

Hebrews 9:22 “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”

God is wanting to show His people how to be saved. This salvation story goes all throughout all of the Bible, but it includes the Abrahamic covenant – which Moses apparently ignored and failed to keep. Every human being is a sinner who stands under the wrath of God. The only way to be saved from eternal death is for God’s wrath to be turned aside, which can only be done through an act of blood.

By Jesus dying in our place, he turned aside the wrath of God against us. For the Israelites their covenant sign was circumcision – this is an act done to associate themselves with God and with His covenant. But what about Christians? How do we (today) show our association with God?

Colossians 2:11 “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.” In the OT the covenant of association was circumcision and in the NT the covenant of association is baptism. But just like circumcision doesn’t make you a follower of God, getting wet in baptism doesn’t make you a Christian – it has always been and will always be a matter of the heart.

The Covenant of the Passover Meal – Remembering (vv. 8-12)

8 When the circumcising of the whole nation was finished, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. 9 And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day. 10 While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. 11 And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. 12 And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

(v. 9) “And so the name of that place is called Gilgal,” the word Gilgal means “rolling” but was rolling away? God explains it, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” The reproach was that they had not done what God said was to be done for those who wish to be called His people. An entire generation now are following the law. There is reproach from God when His people don’t follow His ways.

Then they celebrate the Passover; they remember the covenant that God has made with them, and how they are to live as His people. But they can’t celebrate the Seder meal (remembering how they had been slaves) until they had been circumcised (the God given way of identifying themselves as God’s people). God’s people were saved from slavery – they remember, as God’s people, how God had saved them.

And from that day forward “the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land.” God stops the manna and the quail – but how are about two million people going to eat? They are now in “the land flowing with milk and honey.” They would be expected to plant crops and follow God’s law regarding planting and harvesting.

Two principles come together – 1) God expects his people to have the right heart and 2) he will give you what you need to accomplish the task (a land flowing with milk and honey) but he expects you to the work (of conquering). The manna has stopped, if they don’t fight and move forward, they don’t eat.

We tend to think that what we do is the most important, but just as important as what we do, is who we are as a person. There are thousands of soldiers lined up to fight this battle – but God would rather have their hearts, more than their swords.

The Battle Will Always be the Lord’s (13-15)

13 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14 And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15 And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

There are two clues to who “the commander of the army of the Lord” is: 1) “Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped” If it were an angel he would told him to stop worshipping him, so this being allowed Joshua to worship, which would only be right if it were God, and 2) ““Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy” This reminds us of Moses and his encounter with God at the burning bush where Moses is also told to take off his sandals (Ex. 3:5).

Notice the commander’s response to Joshua’s question, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” The commander says, “no” I am not for you, and I am not for your enemy – “I am here to lead God’s army. I have come” What is far more important than sides, is who does God identify as His own – who is fighting with Him.

God’s Plan Will Be Accomplished –

Pray that you can be apart of it.

Joshua and God’s army would be fighting together, but make not mistake who was leading (God has arrived and He is in charge) – Joshua and the people have to have the ability to discern God’s voice to know what to do. What you are on the inside, guides the actions you take on the outside – it gives you the ability to hear God’s voice.

2 Kings 6:17 Elisha’s helper woke up early one morning and when he looked up he was surrounded by enemy forces, and he was afraid, “Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

Matthew 26:552-3 when Judas has come to betray Jesus with a kiss, Peter draws his sword, then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?”

God wants us to have eyes to see the bigger picture going on around us –

So God meets with Joshua and when Joshua asks, “What does my lord say to his servant?” He tells him that where he is standing is holy ground (take off your shoes). What makes is holy is the presence of God. Worship is appropriate, questions are tolerated (two swings and two misses) but shoes need to be removed. Then the commander tell him (chapter 6) the plan to conquer Jericho.

1) Identifying as God’s People (circumcision/baptism) 2) Following God’s Commands (The Passover Meal/The Lord’s Supper) 3) Worshipping and Receiving Instructions.

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[1] James Montgomery Boice, Joshua We Will Serve the Lord (Old Tappan, New Jersey; Fleming H. Revell Company, 1989) 57.

[2] For the effects of circumcision on an army see Gen. 34.

[3] Boice, 57.

[4] Philip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word, Exodus (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publishing, 2015) 117.

[5] Chester, 49.

[6] Ryken, 119.

“Three Witnesses to Death’s Defeat” Matthew 28:1-20

Death Defeated

A Two-Part Easter Sermon Series

Part Two

“Three Witnesses to Death’s Defeat”

Matthew 28:1-20

 Introduction

Prayer

The Women (vv. 1-10)

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake[1], for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men.

(v. 1) “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb” – “the verb means to behold, as a spectacle;[2] They designed also, if it should appear practicable and appropriate, to ‘anoint him’ (Mark 16:1), and brought with them spices (Luke 24:1) which they had provided the evening before, when the Sabbath was past (Mark). As they went (Mark 16:3) they were concerned about the question, “Who will roll the stone away?” for they knew from the internment that “it was exceedingly great.”[3]

Sometime before the women’s arrival an angel “descended from heaven,” rolled the stone away, and was sitting on it when they arrived. Accompanying the angel’s descent was an earthquake. And their appearance “like lightning, and his clothing white as snow” and arrival “earthquake and descending from heaven” caused the Roman soldiers who stood guard to passed out from fear. It says, “the guards trembled” – It has the same Greek root as earthquake. The ground shook, and the soldiers shook.

Cornelius Lapide says, “The earth, which trembled with sorrow at the Death of Christ as it were leaped for joy at His Resurrection.”[4]

5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”

(v. 6) “He is not here,” We are not given any details about the resurrection itself, only that by the time the women arrived, Jesus was not there. “The stone was not rolled aside to let Jesus out but to let the women in.”[5] How Jesus escaped we don’t know.

(v. 7) “he is going before you to Galilee” – This does not mean that they will not see him before Galilee, but “that on a certain mountain in Galilee was to be the great meeting, where many disciples should receive the Great Commission,”[6] Even at the tomb, this is not the end of Jesus’ ministry. He is still pointing people toward redemption, salvation, and purpose.

Matthew 26:32 “But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”

People respond in different ways to angels and their messages. John the Baptist’s father when approached by an angel doubted, In Luke 1:18-20 “And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” But the women believe what the angel says, because it matches up with what Jesus had already told them, and they depart quickly.

 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

The women departed with their instructions to tell what they had seen and experienced and it was “with fear and great joy.” We will see that when we draw close to things of God, there will be a combination of fear and joy. They had the greatest news that was possible to have. To them “anything seemed possible now.”[7]

It was while they were hurrying to honor the Savior and bring joy to his disciples, that they met Jesus. If we want to have an encounter with Jesus, then we should run to do good to others and bring joy to the body of Christ.

(v. 9) “took hold of his feet and worshiped him” – “held him, literally seized him or grasped, showing great humility and veneration.”[8]

The angel says, “tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead,” but Jesus says, “go and tell my brothers” – this is a distinct difference between mankind and angels. While we were made “a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:7),” we are “co-heirs with Christ”, and they are not (Romans 8:17). Jesus calls those who have denied Him, abandoned Him, and forsaken Him for dead, “brothers.” Jesus as the Creator of everything, gives His life for His creation so that we may be together as family.

God described Himself to us as Father, Jesus reveals Himself to us as brother, Paul uses the Greek word for love “Philadelphia” as the love that Christians have for each other (brothers and sisters in Christ). God created the world and established the family, Paul establishes the church family, and at the end of time we will be gathered to heaven and live together in eternity with our heavenly Father as a family.

The angel tells them to go to Galilee, Jesus himself says to go to Galilee – something very important is going to happen at Galilee.

The Guard (vv. 11-15)

11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.[9]’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

The soldiers saw with their own eyes the angel descend and roll away the stone, and even before they collapsed in fear may have even seen the risen Lord. Then they give an accurate account to the chief priests, who seem to believe the account as well. Then they assembled the elders, who believe it as well. It’s important to understand that each of these groups believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead.

But the consequence of this truth was too much to take – so they sought to cover it up.

Earlier in Matthew, Jesus and Pharisees were arguing over following the law regarding the Sabbath. A man had a deformed arm was suffering, so Matthew 12:13 “Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.” The Pharisees knew Jesus performed miracles, and now they know He rose from the dead – but what is the consequence to them? What do you do with Jesus?

C. S. Lewis once said, “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him [that is, Christ]: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse…. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”[10]

The soldiers were given an assignment to guard the tomb. “According to Roman discipline, they were liable to very severe punishment for losing what they guarded.” (v. 14) “And if this comes to the governor’s ears” – So they say, “spread this false rumor, take this money, and we will make sure that no harm comes to you.”

The soldier’s account fails on two points, 1) if they were asleep, how do they know it was the disciples that stole the body? Sleeping people don’t make very good eyewitnesses. Also, if one of them awoke, why was not an alarm sounded and the disciples arrested?[11] 2) Why would a Roman soldier go around admitting to doing a bad job?

The soldiers were persuaded to spread a lie they knew not to be true, and to pretend that Jesus did not rise from the dead for money. Money kept them from repenting and giving their lives to what they knew to be true.

How much evidence is enough? If your heart is set against the things of God, and the Holy Spirit is not drawing a person, there is no amount of evidence that will change a person’s heart. They will even believe a lie that is harder to believe than the truth itself.

The Disciples (vv. 16-20)

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

(v. 16) “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee” – Why were there only 11? Judas had betrayed Jesus and had hung himself. The disciples had time to replace him with another to complete the 12 – why had they not replaced Judas? Because there was no point, the Jesus movement was dead.

The church father Jerome said, “Their doubting increases our faith.” Some found it hard to believe that the person a far off (it was in a group of 500) before them was the resurrected Christ. “And Jesus came (near) . . .” When Jesus is close we begin to understand the power and truth of the resurrection. When you draw near to Jesus, He will make things clear. He has no desire to be the far-off God, he wants to be the close-up God of your life. In the Garden of Eden in Genesis God would come close to Adam and Eve, “in the cool of the day,” but sin caused that relationship between mankind and God to be distanced. Christ’s death and resurrection brings us back close to God.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” – Satan and all his dominion poured out all the hate, the vile, and blasphemy he could aim at Jesus the Son. Then all of the Father’s wrath was poured upon Jesus on the Roman cross for the salvation of the world. He was scourged and beaten beyond recognition. He was raised on the cross, pierced for our iniquities.

He was laid in the tomb, dead – and now upon the resurrection, the crown of thorns is removed, the rod used to beat him and then placed in his hand as a scepter is gone, and the mocking robe laid over him by the Roman soldiers is removed – Jesus the Son, now sits victorious at the right hand of the Father, having “All authority” – there is nothing that exists that is not under his reign.

Jesus then gives the disciples what is known as the Great Commission. (v. 19) “Go therefore” – Don’t miss the therefore; We are to make disciples of this resurrected Jesus. We who are Jesus’ disciples know that our Jesus sits with authority over all of creation as King, Supreme Ruler, all bow before Him. There is no one who will not have to give an account to Him.

We go under His authority, to speak and act as His representatives, his ambassadors, his children – but He is the resurrected Lord, therefore, He alone is worthy to be praised, worshipped, honored. Therefore, we tell the world about Him. Therefore, we share His gospel.

This is “the most sublime enterprise that ever human beings have been called upon to accomplish.”[12] Every nation should be discipled to be under His lordship, to keep His commandments.

“baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” – baptism, as a disciple, follows one’s salvation because it “symbolizes burial and resurrection, the actual burial and resurrection of Christ, and the spiritual death and resurrection of the believer in union with Christ (Rom. 6:3).”[13]

“teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” – While baptism is an act of obedience, done one time – observing Christ’s commands is an ongoing act, that we seek to follow Christ’s teachings every day. As a disciple maker learning Christ’s commands is not enough – a disciple maker must teach the disciple how to follow that teachings as a well. “to observe all . . .” There are no sections of Jesus’ teachings that have become antiquated, irrelevant, or untrue.

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” – The word “behold” is used in many places throughout the Bible to signal to the reader something spectacular. Jesus promises to be with us, always. How spectacular is that – this resurrected God, who died for the sins of the world, who has ultimate authority or all of space and time is with us – enabling us to carry out this “Great Commission.”

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[1] Seismo egeneto megas, Robertson, 240.

[2] Matthew 27:55-56 “There were also many women there [at Jesus’ death on the cross], looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.”

[3] John A Broadus, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; Judson Press, 1950) 584.

[4] Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville, Tennessee; Broadman Press, 1930) 242.

[5] Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Matthew All Authority in Heaven and on Earth (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway Publsihing, 2013) 901.

[6] Broadus, 586.

[7] Robertson, 242.

[8] Broadus, 586.

[9] “The absurd and blasphemous medieval Jewish legend called “Toldoth Jeshu” expands this allegation.” Broadus, 588.

[10] C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

[11] Frank E. Gabaelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan Publishing, 1984) 591.

[12] Broadus, 592.

[13] Broadus, 596.

“Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life” John 11:1-45

Death Defeated

A Two-Part Easter Sermon Series

“Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life”

John 11:1-45

Introduction

“John 11 begins the last section of John’s Gospel before Jesus’ final entry into Jerusalem. It was an interlude from his public affairs and form his increasing conflict with the religious leaders. It was also a time of ministry to those closest to him, as Jesus sought to strengthen the faith of his friends and disciples before taking up the cross.”[1]

Prayer

Jesus Delays (vv. 1-16)

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

In the opening verses of chapter 11 John is letting us know who exactly he is describing. He looking back over all the years of Jesus’ ministry and John’s experience and it was the same Mary who later in the timeline will wipe Jesus’ feet with her tears and hair.

(v. 4) tells us why this account has been placed in the gospel, “so that the Son of God may be glorified through it,” – How is Jesus going to be glorified through what has happened to Lazarus and his illness?

Jesus is two miles away, less than a thirty-minute walk – why did it take him four days to get there? “So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” The sisters Mary and Martha expected Jesus to come right away – but he intentionally delayed. The text doesn’t even say he was doing anything that would have caused a delay (like Matt. 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; and Luke 8:43-48).

But so that we would know that he wasn’t being callous toward their request, we are told, that Mary, Martha, and Lazarus knew that Jesus loved them because they said, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” And John again tells us, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus,” – He loved them, and yet He clearly had, multiple times, shown he could heal Lazarus (even from a distance, and not even be present). Why is Lazarus dead? Why would Jesus let someone he loved die?

Was it because He was afraid? Just a few days before John 10:30-31 tells us that because of Jesus’ claim of divinity the Jewish people wanted to stone him, “I and the Father are one.” 31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.” They managed to escape, and now He says, “Let us go to Judea again.” So, he does not seem to be fearful. He talks about going during the daytime, he does not arrive at dark. Jesus has easily escaped as people wanted to stone him, throw him off a cliff, and try to trap him in arguments.

So, he did not delay because He was unable to heal Lazarus. He did not delay because he was scared of being stoned. And He did not delay because he was uncaring or callous toward this family. Jesus delayed because he loved Lazarus.

Genuine love is doing what is best for the other person.

But how is delaying and allowing Lazarus to die, what is best?

There are clues that Jesus gives to the disciples, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep,” – death, in the OT and the NT is referred to as sleep.[2] Sleep does not harm us. It is similar to Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,” When you see the shadow of something, you may fear what casts the shadow – but the shadow of something can’t hurt you. For those who place their faith in Jesus, death can only touch you as sleep or shadow. Paul later asks, “death where is your sting?” The sting of death has been removed by what Jesus is about to do.

Martha’s Response to Jesus’ Delay (vv. 17-27)

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Martha went to meet Jesus, the delay had lasted four days and she wanted to know, “why have you waited so long?” But there is still something she needs to know about Jesus. She says, “whatever you ask from God, God will give you,” Jesus is God – He is the author of creation, All life comes from Him, “I am the resurrection and the life.”

He creates it, gives it, sustains it, and at death will resurrect it. Jesus has complete control of life. The beginning of the gospel of John 1:1-4 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

Death is the result of the fall of mankind, and our sin, “the penalty of sin is death.” The only way to be free from death is to be brought back to life. We are “dead in our trespasses and sin (Eph. 2:1).” Jesus is explaining to Martha, that He is the way to be brought back to life again.

Not at some future last day – but now. Death can move from being our greatest enemy to being a shadow or sleep unable to harm us. So Jesus says, “I am the resurrection.” But how does Jesus, being the resurrection, bring us back to life? Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,”

The reason God gave us this account is so that we may know and believe in Jesus. John 20:31 “but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Apart from Jesus there is no life, only death. Martha says, “Yes, Lord; I believe . . .”

Mary’s Response to Jesus’ Delay (vv. 28-37)

28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

If Martha is the thinker and doer (Luke 10:38-42), then Mary is the emotion and the heart. Both sisters say the exact same thing, but Jesus responds to them differently. One needed to know and understand. The other needed for Jesus to weep with her – to feel this moment with her.

Both sisters would have waited at the window look into the horizon, “when is He coming?” Why isn’t he here by now? Every time we see Mary, she is close to Jesus. When Martha complained about Mary not helping her because of guests in their house[3], Mary is at Jesus’ feet – listening to His teaching. When Jesus calls for her (here), she immediately and quickly went to him, and when she arrives, “she fell at his feet”

All those times of sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening and learning led her to understand something none of the other disciples understood. John mentions (v. 2) “It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair,” In John 12 at a dinner party Mary breaks an expensive glass vile of perfume and pours it on Jesus’ feet and wipes it with her hair. She anoints his body for death 12:7 “Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial.” She will be the only one to understand that Jesus must die for the sin of the world. So, she gave her all because he would give His all.

But at her brother’s grave, she does not want to have a discussion about end times, or theology – her heart is broken. So together for a moment they weep together.

When Jesus arrives and begins to see how death has affected this family, “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled . . . Jesus wept. Jesus is God, who took on human flesh, and he became so human and our sorrows and anguish became His sorrow and anguish. The one true God loves and care for His people.

The word used for Jesus’ weeping here is more in line with sternness and even anger. “It is not just that Jesus was troubled but that he was indignant. Jesus was not merely saddened but outraged at the scene before him”[4] Jesus is with us in our weeping, and he weeps with us – but He stands up to do something about it.

Filled will grief, having the tears still on his face, Jesus asks, “Where have you laid him?” Jesus does not just join the family in mourning – As the author of all creation, as God who has taken on human flesh, He is going to do something about the death that has wrecked this family. He is going to war against death. Death becomes the object of His wrath. What is about to happen is a foretaste of what the deliverance from death that he will give all who believe in Him. He will defeat death.

The Son of Man is Glorified (vv. 38-45)

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

The disciples thought he could heal the sick, stops storms on the ocean, and cast out demons. When they faced the dangerous situation of going back to place of being threatened, (by stoning) they feared for their lives, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

The sisters thought he was able to heal the living – but once a person was dead four days, it was over. What is best for Mary, Martha, Lazarus, the disciples, and everyone that has ever placed their faith in Jesus is that we need to know that He is the resurrection and the life.

So He delays, converses with Martha, weeps with Mary, and yells out Lazarus’ name “come out.” Jesus loves us, so he waited. We had to learn that Jesus is the resurrection. He is more powerful than life itself. God loves us enough to not do what we want him to do, but He does what we need Him to do.

But ultimately all of this is not for Mary, Martha, Lazarus, or the disciples (“so that you may believe.”) It benefited them, but it was not for them. John tells us in the beginning why this took place – “It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” “It is the chief end of man to glorify God.”[5] This is the highest and best thing. The best thing is for God to receive glory. V. 45 says, “Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him,”

Our ultimate purpose is to bring glory to God.

God used Lazarus’ death to bring others to have faith in Jesus. Are you willing for God to use your life for his glory and the salvation of others? Jesus after enduring the humiliation of Roman garrison, and the incredible pain of the scourging, and the weight of the sin of the world as he hung on the cross, cried out “why have you forsaken me?” But He endured the cross knowing that His death and suffering would lead to the salvation of many. Jesus prayed, “Father into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46).

As you sit at your window and wonder, “when is the Lord coming?” Why has he not answered my prayer – know that He loves you, He understands your suffering, and He has a plan to bring God glory through your pain and suffering. “Learn to interpret circumstances by the love of Christ and not Christ’s love by circumstances.”[6]

It is Jesus bringing Lazarus back to life that begins a chain of events that leads to the cross. Next week we will see “that even at the cross, Jesus was not finished (defeating death). For three days after he died, he did something greater than raising Lazarus from the grave. Jesus himself rose from the dead, our sin having been conquered by his blood and death now conquered by the resurrection life he gives to us.”

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[1] Richard D. Phillips, Reformed Expository Commentary, John Volume 2 (Phillipsburg, New Jersey; P&R Publishing, 2014) 6.

[2] Duet. 31:6; Acts 7:60; 1 Cor. 15:18; Matt. 9:24.

[3] Luke 10:38-42

[4] Phillips, 45.

[5] Phillips, 12.

[6] James Montgomery Boice, The Gospel of John, Volume 3 (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Books, 2001) 828.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith." Ephesians 2:8

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