Sunday, April 4, 2021 ~ The Book Of John ~ Series: LOVED BY JESUS ~ Message: The Resurrection ~ Scripture: John 11:20–28, 32–44 ESV ~ Pastor Philip Miller

Image: The Resurrection 

Image:  “HE IS RISEN”

WELCOME

Sunday, April 4, 2021

The Book Of John 

Series: LOVED BY JESUS

Message: The Resurrection 

Scripture: John 11:20-28, 32-44 ESV

Pastor Philip Miller

Scripture Reading Matthew 28:1-9, John 20:30-31 ESV

Matthew 28 and John 20 and Audio

The Resurrection

28 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, 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. 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.” 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.

The Purpose of This Book

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 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.

Image: “The Raising of Lazarus” circa 1517–19 by Sebastiano del Piombo

“I Am the Resurrection and the Life” 

“Jesus Raises Lazarus”

Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” John 11: 39 ESV

(Jesus) he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” John 11:43b ESV

Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” John 11:44b ESV

Scripture: John 11:20-28, 32-44 ESV 

John 11 ESV  and Audio

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

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.”

Jesus Weeps

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.”

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?”

Jesus Raises Lazarus

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.”

“Crown Him with Many Crowns” 1851 Matthew Bridges 

“Christ the Lord is Risen Today” 1739 Charles Wesley 

SERMON NOTES

Sunday, April 4, 2021

The Book Of John 

Series: LOVED BY JESUS

Message: The Resurrection 

Scripture: John 11:20-28, 32-44 ESV

Pastor Philip Miller

The Resurrection: Eternal Life 

“On Easter we traditionally look at one of the Gospel accounts of that glorious morning when the disciples discovered the empty tomb and realized that Jesus had risen from the dead. But this Easter we break with tradition.

 

In this sermon we explore at an event that took place just a couple weeks prior to Jesus’ own resurrection when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

 

It’s a story that shows us the three significant points about the resurrection of Jesus and its relevance for us today: the resurrection near, there, and here:”

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”

The Resurrection: Near, There & Here 

The Resurrection: Near

• “I am the resurrection and the life.”

• Jesus is the key to resurrection life.

“1) The Resurrection Near: Jesus is the key to resurrection life. This is an audacious claim; Jesus doesn’t say that he has the keys to resurrection life, but that his is the resurrection life. Either he’s raving mad or he’s lying through his teeth; or, he is exactly who he claimed to be. The Resurrection and the Life come near to us in the person of Jesus.”

The Resurrection: There

• “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live...”

• Jesus is the key to resurrection life beyond death.

• The Bible’s view of death 

—It is an enemy.

—It is unnatural. 

—It is defeated.

“2) The Resurrection There: Jesus is the key to resurrection life beyond death. When most of us think of death, we either deny it or sentimentalize it. But the Bible treats death differently. Scripture says that death is the enemy, that it is unnatural, and that (incredibly) death is defeated. Jesus Christ went to the cross to die for the sins of the world, to defeat Satan, and put death to death forever. The Bible tells us that one day God will renew this universe and death shall be no more.”

The Resurrection: Here

• “... and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”

• Jesus is the key to resurrection life here and now.

“3) The Resurrection Here: Jesus is the key to resurrection life here and now. He claims to offer the kind of life that eve death cannot touch. But the problem we all have is that we are disconnected from God, choosing to do life our own way. The result is that we are dying inside. Jesus, God’s own Son, came and took our death on the cross; he died in our place and for our sake, bearing all of our sign and shame. And because he rose from the dead, we can be right with God. Through this sacrifice, Jesus become the resurrection life that will flood into us now and forever.”

“Takeaway: Is this resurrection life real in you?”

PASTOR TO PEOPLE

This Sunday is one for the books!

Today we wrap up Care40. Well done, Moody Church! Forty acts of care in forty days: We’ve loved neighbors, fed strangers, surprised outcasts with joy, and lived out the heart of Jesus in our community. Well done!

Today we gather in person for the first time in over a year. What a joy to be back together. I don’t think we’ll ever take gathering for granted again.

And today I get to see you face-to-face for the first time in the Sanctuary. As a shepherd, there’s no better moment than being with your sheep. I expect this will be quite emotional.

But of course, nothing of this compares with the wonder of the Resurrection we celebrate today! Our Jesus rises in power and the world will never be the same. This breath of life will enliven not only us, but, in the end, the entire universe!

So let’s celebrate today! For He is risen!!!

Pastor Philip