Welcome to the Defender Bible Study, a weekly encouragement to equip the body of Christ through the study of scripture and prayer to manifest the gospel to orphans and vulnerable children around the world. This podcast is ministry of Lifeline Children's Services where we believe that defending the fatherless begins by being rooted in God's word.

Good morning. It's Monday, April 7, and this is Blake Wilson, Lifeline's Vice President of Operations. We're gonna keep our study going this morning in the book of John. I wanna try to cover most of John chapter 11 today and this is really all around the death of Lazarus. So it's verses one through 44.

And just for context as we jump in, this is happening right after Jesus was just attempted stoning of Jesus in John chapter 10. So Jesus and his disciples fled and we pick up in John chapter 11 with the healing and the resurrection of Lazarus. But I think it's important for us to remember what has just happened, because you're gonna see some travel and, some opposition as well in in this chapter. So with that in mind, John 11 verse one says, now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

So to get to Bethany, just for context, they're gonna have to go right back through Judea through the line of fire in order to get there. Alright? So think it's important to remember, he was from Bethany. Verse number two is almost just a verse as a John put this in there just as a statement, as a reminder of who we're talking about. There were a lot of Mary's in the Bible, we know names kind of go through seasons, right?

And you could probably think through your circle right now of, maybe some of your children's friends or maybe some coworkers and just a lot of people have the same name. John gives context here that this Mary whose brother was Lazarus now lay sick was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. Alright. So context, this has not happened yet. First of verse two will happen in a few chapters, but this is the same Mary.

Okay. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, Lord, the one who you love is sick. And when he heard this, Jesus said, the sickness will not end to death. No, it is for God's glory that this God's son may be glorified through it. Think it's important verse four just to take a pause there.

Sometimes we look at sickness and we look at deaths and we look at hardships as just a lack of understanding or questioning why did this happen? I love this verse and his response, it is for God's glory so that God's son may be glorified through it. These situations happen. We see it over and over through the gospels. John, I think it's John nine three, we hear about the blind man who was was born blind.

And the question of the Pharisees ask, you know, who sinned? Was it this man or his parents? And Jesus' response to them is, nobody sinned. Like, this happened so that God may be glorified through it. So through the healing, may God be glorified.

So I think that's a good perspective for us to take on things of when we face hardships and trials that we hold onto this hope, that it is God's goodness and glory that will be displayed through it. So Jesus is saying the same thing here that it is for God's glory and may he be glorified through it that the sickness, will not end in death. Verse number five, it says, now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed there for two more days. When he then he said to his disciples, let us go back to Judea.

But Rabbi, they said a short while ago, the Jews there tried to stone you and yet you're going back. Alright? So they were questioning why in the world would you go back through the place that, just tried to just tried to kill you? You know, it wasn't you gotta keep in mind how close this circle was. I mean, disciples, these 12 disciples specifically were doing day in and day out life with Jesus unless Jesus was, you know, retreating to the wilderness to spend time with God, the father in prayer, they were together.

So as Jesus was being stoned or attempted stoning, disciples likely had a lot of trauma of what just occurred. They were right there in the middle of it And they're questioning, no, no, no, like what? Now I'm not going back. Why would you go back? Are you crazy?

So they're asking all these questions to Him of just why in the world would we go back and why would we put ourselves back in that level of danger again? So they began to ask these questions. Did you forget? I mean, they're questioning Jesus, what in the world is wrong? Jesus answered in verse number nine.

Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Someone who walks in the daytime will not stumble for they see by the world's light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble for they have no light. Jesus is just using this figurative language of the difference in walking in the will and the wisdom of God versus walking in your own will and desires. The light in the darkness.

The light is the wisdom and the will of God, the darkness is walking in your own desires. So he's saying, we have to get there because we have to be able to share the goodness of God, like the hope of who I am. There is a message to be shared. I have been given as the Messiah, a mission for my father to go and to share with those who are lost. So he needs to share his hope, and his will.

So let's go back to Judea. After this in verse 11, he said, he went to tell them, our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up. So he uses this euphemism, do you see this in Paul's writing as well, of falling asleep and death because it is temporary. We are true. Jesus, have to, mean, as believers, have to remember this.

This is our temporary home. This death is not forever. We will rise again, we will be in heaven, we will with eternity with Jesus forever. So he uses his euphemism of he's fallen asleep. His disciples replied in verse 12, Lord, if he sleeps, he'll get better.

Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought him in natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, Lazarus is dead and for your sake I'm glad I was not there so that you may believe, but let us go to him. So he just tells them plainly because they're not understanding what he's saying. He says, He's dead. And I'm honestly, I'm glad He's dead because I'm gonna perform a miracle and you're going to believe.

Look at Thomas's response in verse 16, He says, Then Thomas said to the rest of the disciples, let us also go that we may die with him. Now I think you could take that a lot of different ways, like maybe it was just complete humility and loyalty and commitment to Jesus as the Messiah of just saying, they almost killed you and they're probably gonna kill us again. So let's all just go. We've committed to this journey, let's go and put our lives on the line because we are likely gonna die and if you die, we're gonna die with you. Or it could have been complete sarcasm, which is just thinking of Thomas and, what we know about Thomas and his doubt throughout the gospels.

It could be complete sarcasm of let us go that we may die. Like, you're crazy Jesus, what are you thinking? They just tried to kill you once. Why in the world are you going back there? Let's go die.

So I think they can go either way, but we do know that Thomas the doubter, maybe it was a little bit of sarcasm, maybe it was complete loyalty and commitment, I don't really know. But regardless, Thomas responds. In verse number 17, you see kind of giving more into the meat of the story of interactions with Mary and Martha. So it says, on his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Now, it is Jewish superstition here that the spirit would remain around the body for three days just to make sure that the body was truly dead.

But after four days, the death was irreversible. So there wasn't a way that the spirit could enter the body again and the body could be brought back to life. After four days, it was irreversible. So when Jesus goes, Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. And I think that's interesting too to break even any kind of reasoning or any kind of tradition or speculation that the spirit just entered back into the body.

Don't know what has happened or why the Jews believed that this was the case. But for whatever reason, Jesus waited an extra day just to prove this point that he's truly dead. The spirit has left, it is only through a miracle of the goodness and glory of God that he could be brought back to life. So in verse number 18, Bethany was only two miles from Jerusalem and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort him in their loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him and Mary stayed at home.

Lord Martha said to Jesus, if you had been here, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask. Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again. Martha answered, I know he will rise again in the resurrection of the last day. And Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life.

The one who believes in me will live even though they die. And whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this? So Martha, you can see she was a woman of faith in verse number 22. She says, I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.

So you see her deep rooted faith of believing in Jesus and he responds, your brother will rise again. And then she goes back again, depth of her faith. She knows scripture, right? She knows Jesus. Oh yeah, I know, He'll rise again in the last day.

But then you see a shift and I'm guilty of this as well because you think I often put Jesus in a box and just say, well, is what I know and not remembering that He's the creator of the universe, that He can do anything that He wants at His command. So Martha, I'm Martha thinking, okay, this is what I've read, this is what I know, here's a systematic approach, right? That I know He will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Done. That is where my hope is.

That is the expectation. That is the plan. But Jesus comes back to her and says, no, no, no. Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. So it's not what you know.

It's not the resurrection of the last day. He's like, is me. I had the complete control to bring your brother back whenever I want to bring your brother back. I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live.

So he is very direct with her. I would have loved to heard his tone even as he was sharing this. Was he direct? Was he loud? Was he soft?

I don't know. But he clearly communicates that he has the keys, right? He has the keys to death, that he is the resurrection and the life. I'm standing here right in front of you and this is all gonna happen through me. So really changes her perspective and he ends it with a question, Martha, do you believe this?

Do you believe it? And she says, yes, Lord. In verse 27, I believe that you are the Messiah, the son of God who is coming to this world and after she said that she went back and she called her sister Mary aside. The teacher is here she said and is asking asking for you. So then Mary heard this, she got up quickly and she ran to him.

So Martha goes to tell her sister and Mary has a sense of expectation. She she senses something big is about to happen and she leaves from where she is with a group of mourners and she goes to Jesus. So now Jesus in verse 30 had entered the village and was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house comforted her, noticed how quickly she got up and she went out. They followed her supposing that she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

And then when Mary reached a place where Jesus saw, where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at his feet and said, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. You notice any similarities from what we just read about Martha? They say the same thing, if only you had been here. Martha said it in verse 21, Mary said it in verse 32, if you had only been here guys, they were just so disappointed that Jesus didn't come in time because they thought that if he were there, he would have never died. He would have healed him before he died.

But think back to what Jesus just said, this all happened for a reason, right? Even told his disciples, I'm glad he died because I'm gonna use this as a way to make you believe in me, to strengthen your faith. Jesus saw her weeping in '33 and the Jews who had come along were also weeping. He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. He was deeply moved.

He said, where have you laid him? Come and see Lord, they replied and Jesus wept. He was deeply moved and he was troubled. It says that he saw them weeping and was deeply troubled in his spirit. Alright, he saw Mary and how upset she was.

And he began to cry. He wept. I think it's important for us to understand just the tenderness of this and the intimacy of who Jesus is of when we're hurting, he's hurting. He is our heavenly Father. Know, just as I look at my kids, when I see their hearts broken, when I see them upset, when I see them hurting, I hurt.

I hurt when my kids hurt. Breaks my heart to see them mourning, to see them crying. And it's the same same with Jesus. I mean, it's not the same, but you understand what I'm saying. Like, whole another level of intimacy and love of our heavenly Father and what he has for us.

When we're disappointed, when we're hurt, he's also, he's grieving, he's weeping. So he deeply moved. In verse number 36, the Jew said to him, you see how he loved him? I mean, it was evident to all those around him of Jesus's emotion. But some of them said, could not he have opened the eyes of the blind man?

Could he who opened the eyes of the blind man not have kept this man from dying? It's what we what we just talked about back in John chapter nine. It was a miracle, another miracle. Like we saw him do this, we saw him heal this man. Could he not have just kept him from dying?

But Jesus had bigger plan, right? He had a bigger plan that Mary, Martha and the other followers didn't know, they didn't see. So Jesus once again in verse 38 was deeply moved. He came to the tomb, it was a cave with a stone later crossed the entrance. So I think in this passage, it's interesting to look at again, the deep emotion that Jesus had as he was in front of the tomb deeply moved in 38, he was deeply moved in 33 and just emotional at the passing of his friend.

In verse 39, he says, take away this stone, he said. But Lord said Martha, the sister of the dead man, by this time there is a bad odor for he has been in there for four days. So remember what I just shared earlier about the superstition of three days. Four days have passed, Mary knew this. It was deep rooted in the culture.

Like you don't open the tomb after four days. Maybe you open it on day two or three, but you don't open it on day four because there's no hope at this point. Jesus said, did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God? So they took away the stone. Jesus looked up and said, father, I thank you that you have heard me.

I knew that you always hear me but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here so that they may believe that you sent me. When he said this, Jesus called out in a loud voice, Lazarus, come out. The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped in strips of linen and cloth around his face. And Jesus said to them, take off the grave clothes and let him go. So he see Lazarus raised from the dead because of the power of Jesus Christ.

Guys, it doesn't stop there. You know, we're gonna continue reading in the book of John in the next few weeks about what Jesus has done for us. But in Hebrews two fourteen and fifteen, this is where we see about Jesus holding the keys to death and breaking the power of death and sin. It says, since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death, he might break the power of him who holds the power of death, who is the devil and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. There is no more fear of death because of what Jesus has done.

He has broken the power of death. He has risen from the dead and he has given us hope. In John five, the same thing, this is another just hope for us. It says, John five twenty eight, 20 nine, and this is right after the healing of the layman on the Sabbath. So the Pharisees were all been out of shape.

Why in the world are you doing this on the Sabbath? And this is look at Jesus' response in John five, a few chapters earlier. Don't marvel at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in tombs will hear the voice and come out. So we have hope because God has conquered death. He holds the keys to death and he has defeated sin, defeated Satan and we will rise again and spend eternity with him.

Guys, we have the hope of the gospel and the same narrative that we see here as Jesus rises Lazarus from the dead is the same hope that we have. At his command, things will change. And guys, this is where we start our week. This is where we have our hope is that He has defeated sin. He has defeated death and because of Him, have hope.

Let us hold on to that hope as Mary and Martha had hope that Jesus could make all things new and he is making all things new and we have that hope through him this week. Guys, as we close out and start our week, let's just spend some time coming before the father. Our prayer focus this week is gonna be the country of Peru. The Lord has just blessed us to be able to serve for so many years in different contexts across this country. We've seen the adoption process ebb and flow there, but we've seen the church continue to be strengthened and continue to grow and to step into caring for the vulnerable.

So let's just close out just praying that the Lord will bless our team here, our team on the ground, church partners, and that we'll see the people of Peru just come to a deeper understanding of who he is. God, we are grateful for your word, we're grateful for John chapter ten and eleven and to know that he has made all things new. Lord, that we have seen the healing and the resurrection of a dead man because Jesus spoke the word. And Lord, we have hope in that Lord and we know that you have made us new, that you've resurrected our hearts because of your death and your resurrection. So God, as we head into Easter in this season, or we just keep that in perspective of how good you are and the hope that we have in you and Lord as we pray for the country of Peru, we pray that that becomes more and more evident for this country.

God I bless I pray that you bless our team, who is serving there. I pray that you bless these families who are in the adoption process in Peru, for our partners there on the ground who are serving the children. God, just give them endurance. God, I pray for this adoption process to be streamlined. Lord, know the need is great, but Lord, know the bureaucracy just complicates things.

So God, I just pray for leadership within the Department of Child Welfare, Lord that we may see streamlined processes, Lord that the country of Peru's adoption expectations will just be fluid. Lord, that we will see many families be able to enter that process and Lord, we'll just see thousands of children find permanency through international adoption. Lord, we know that you can do it. We know the need is vast and we know that there are Christian families who want to love and disciple these children here. So, yeah, we just pray that that process be renewed.

Lord, I'm grateful for the church there and what you're doing through the church and Lord, may you just raise up believers to care for the vulnerable across the country of Peru. Lord, keep our in country partners encouraged, keep the church encouraged and Lord may you do amazing things as, we know only you can. So Lord, we leave today in knowing and trusting that you can do all things and make all things new. So Father, we love you and we thank you for a new week. We ask these things in your name.

Amen.

Thanks again for joining us for the Defender Bible Study. If you enjoy making this podcast a part of your weekly routine, we'd love for you to take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review the Defender Bible Study to make it easier for more people to find. For more resources and information on how you and your church can partner with Lifeline, please visit us at lifelinechild.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter by searching for Lifeline Child. You can email us directly at infolifelinechild dot org.

We look forward to seeing you again next week for the Defender Bible Study.