Chapel – Dr. Marilyn Draper
GEORGE SWEETMAN: Friends, week after week, we come into this place to gather as the people of God at Tyndale University, and often we take for granted just what happens on the stage. We celebrate the speakers, we celebrate other things, but often take for granted this. Let's not take that for granted. Let's give our band a hand for their work today.
We're particularly grateful for Silas Friesen for being with us today. He's a guest instructor in our music program. Silas is the music director at Little Trinity Anglican Church here in Toronto, and also a Tyndale Seminary student just finishing up. So, we're grateful that Silas is with us this morning.
You know, it's been said that hope isn't optimism nor happiness as joy; and in the face of grief and death, Jesus does what we do, He wept. Yet He declares at the same time that He is the resurrection and the life, and that is what we sung about this morning; now that is hope.
And this morning, we are grateful that Dr Marilyn Draper is with us. Dr Draper is the Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology here, Practical Theology sorry, at the seminary. And she is going to be reflecting on a passage from John 11 this morning with us as we continue, as Dr Michel mentioned, on our journey toward the cross, the hill; recognizing that it's a mere three weeks away until that day and that weekend comes.
Today is also, as many of you will know, is St Patrick Day. And oftentimes we conflate St Patrick's Day to simply be certain green beverages or a green river in the Chicago area, perhaps a parade in New York City. But St Patrick was far more than any of these things. He was enslaved, actually in Ireland for years, was released and then returned to Ireland, and was the one who evangelized that entire island back in the 400s. And it is so significant that we still recall him today as a day to mark as one that is significant in the history of our faith. So I would like to read to you, just before Dr Draper comes, the Patrick compline, but made for the midday. So please pray with me.
In the name of the King of life; in the name of the Christ of love; in the name of the Holy Spirit: the Triune of our strength, We love You, O Lord our strength. The Lord is our rock, our fortress and our deliverer. Our God is our rock, in whom we take refuge. We will praise the Lord who counsels all of us; even at night, even in the day, as our hearts instruct us. We have set the Lord always before ourselves, because He is at our right hands, we shall not be shaken. The God of life with guarding, hold all of us; the loving Christ with guarding will fold all of us; the Holy Spirit, guarding moulds all of us; each night of life to aid, enfold all of us; each day and night of life uphold us. May God shield us; may God fill us; may God keep us; may God watch us; may God bring us to this night and into tomorrow in the nearness of His love. The peace of the Father of joy, the peace of Christ, our hope, the peace of the Spirit of grace, the peace of all peace be all of ours this day in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Dr Draper.
DR. MARILYN DRAPER: Good morning. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life". Through the story of three siblings: Mary, Martha and Lazarus, John chapter 11 gives us hope in the middle of Lent. The author celebrates Jesus as the resurrection life, even in the sorrows and challenges of the world, even in the face of death itself, there is hope because Jesus is here and Easter is coming. Let's pray: Lord, we ask You to speak to our minds, our emotions, and our wills this morning. We pray that You will increase our understanding, help us to love You more, and help us to follow You in Your way, so that You might bring Your impossible new life into our reality and bring us hope. Amen.
Let's start by reading John chapter 11, verses one to three. "Now a man named Lazarus was ill. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. The Mary whose brother Lazarus now lay ill, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped His feet with her hair." Bit of foreshadowing that's not until Chapter 12. "So the sisters sent word to Jesus, 'Lord, the one you love is ill.'" Jesus has already healed the son of a royal official. Jesus healed a paralytic at a pool. Jesus gave sight to the man born blind. Mary and Martha know all about these miracles. So of course, Lazarus' sickness, that's not a problem.
However, they also know that Jesus' life is currently in danger. There have been threats, and so Jesus has quietly withdrawn to a quiet place in the countryside. With a reminder of just how much He cares for them, they assume Jesus will emerge for them. All it will take is a quick touch, a few words, and then Jesus can go right back to where He's staying. After all, Jesus doesn't even have to show up! He could simply speak words of healing. Of course, Jesus will come quickly, or at least send a message, but that's not the way events unfold.
Verse four, "When Jesus heard this, he said, 'This illness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory, so that God's Son may be glorified through it.' Now, Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, 'Let us go back to Judea.'" Jesus tells His disciples very clearly, this illness will not end in death. And then He purposely stays a couple of extra days. When Jesus decides to return, the disciples question his decision. Verse eight, "'But Rabbi,' they said, 'a short while ago, the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you're going back?' Jesus answered, 'Are there not 12 hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world's light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no night.' After he had said this, he went on to tell them, 'Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I'm going there to wake him up.' His disciples replied, 'Lord, if he sleeps, then he'll get better.' Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead, and for your sake, I am glad I was not there so that you may believe. But let us go to him.' Then Thomas, also known as Didymus or the twin, said to the rest of his disciples, 'Let us also go, that we may die with him.'"
The disciples recognize the danger, dark forces are gathering. But now, Jesus has decided to walk right into the risk. He told them that Lazarus wouldn't die, but now He tells them Lazarus is dead. The disciples do care about Mary, Martha and Lazarus, but they are wary of the imminent peril. They thought Jesus was going to heal Lazarus, but if Lazarus is already dead, then why don't they just stay where they are, keep safe, out of danger. How does Jesus respond? He responds by reminding them that He is trustworthy. When people walk in the daylight, they avoid stumbling. Jesus has said a few chapters earlier, "I am the light of the world." So when the disciples follow Jesus, they are walking in the light. They can trust Him to know what He is doing. So the disciples agree to go with Jesus, even though they're aware that this danger might lead to death.
The story continues, verse 17: "On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now, Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother." By the time Jesus and His disciples have arrived, not only is Lazarus dead, but already in the tomb, four days. This time period is significant because there was an understanding that the spirit lingered around the dead for three days in the hope that the body would revive. However, by the fourth day, all hope is gone. Jesus and His disciples arrived to find Martha and Mary and their extended family and friends grieving. They've lost their dear brother. And it's possible the precarious situation for women at the time means they might be in danger of losing other things as well: their home, their wealth, their freedom. We don't know the implications. What we do know is that they were experiencing those emotions that many of us experience when we lose a loved one; shock, grief, anger, depression, fear, uncertainty, certainly a loss of hope. And into the situation of loss and devastation, Jesus arrives.
Verse 20: "When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 'Lord ?' Martha said to Jesus, '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 at that last day.' 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?' 'Yes, Lord,' she replied, 'I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, and the one coming into the world.' Martha hears that Jesus has been sighted outside the village and so immediately she runs, meets Him and confronts Him. "Jesus, if you had been here," read between the lines --like you were supposed to be, "if you'd come sooner, we wouldn't be in this situation."
Martha's faced with a choice, will she turn her back on Jesus? No, instead of turning away, she turns toward because she knows His character. She leans into the relationship she has already established. She has heard Him teach. She's seen miracles. She knows He can handle whatever challenges she bring, and so she's honest with Him about her questions. Jesus is late according to her schedule, but He has come. So she responds to His presence with a word of faith, "But even now, I know that God will give you whatever you ask." We don't know if Martha has something specific in mind. She might just be grasping for a bit of hope. She might be saying, "Jesus, I know that somehow you're able to bring good even when circumstances are really, really hard. So, I'm going to try trust you to provide comfort, something for me to hold on to." And Jesus tells her, "Your brother will rise again." She knows that in the last days, when time ends, Jesus will be raised with all who love God. Jesus corrects her. He doesn't disagree, but He extends her statement. He says, "Martha, I'm not talking about the last days. I'm talking about who I am right now." He offers hope as He invites Martha to take her eyes off our situation by providing a deeper picture of who Jesus is. Right in this moment, Jesus tells her, "I am the resurrection and the life. You can trust me." He's saying, "Martha, I am about life in the future, but I am also about life right now, because I am life itself. If you trust me, you will experience resurrection life. Not just bios, everyday life, but resurrection life, zoe life; life that's real, life that's lasting. If you trust me, I can make everything different. I can even bring life out of death." Martha listens and responds. She confesses what she knows of Jesus.
Throughout the gospel of John, we discover that the disciples often miss what's going on, they don't grasp the fullness of who Jesus is. And, time and again, we're told the religious leaders, they don't understand Jesus either, and they want to fight against him. But listen to what Martha says. She gets it. She bears witness to Jesus' identity. She says three important things: I believe You are the Messiah. I believe You are the Son of God. I believe You are the One coming into the world. Let's unpack these three for just a minute: I believe You're the Messiah, I believe You're the Chosen One, I believe You are the Christ.
I believe You are the Anointed One. I believe You are the one we have all been waiting for. For hundreds of years, we've been waiting for the promised one, the one who will bring freedom from oppressors. We're waiting for the new prophet, the one like Moses, the one who will share God's word and provide for our needs. We're waiting for the King to follow in the line of King David. Martha tells Jesus: You are this one, the Messiah, the Christ who encapsulates all our longings.
Then she says, I believe You're the Son of God. I believe You are unique and special, powerful and good. You are God in flesh. Throughout the book of John, there's an emphasis on the temple. In the Old Testament, the tabernacle and then the temple was significantly marked the place where people worshiped, because God's presence was tangibly there among his people. At the time of the New Testament, the people were hoping for God's presence to return, and Martha recognizes that the presence of God is not in a building, but in the person of Jesus. As both divine and human, Jesus embodies God's glory. I believe she says, "You are the Son of God, the One in whom God is fully present."
And then third Martha says: I believe you are the one coming into the world. I believe that you are the one the prophet said was coming to transform the earth. This new king would come and create a new type of kingdom; the world would be recreated as a place of reconciled relationships, reconciled to God, to one another, within ourselves, and with creation. Jesus doesn't replace the Old Testament, but has come to fulfill it. And so Martha tells Jesus: I believe you are the one coming to make everything new. And so perhaps now, because Martha is feeling more hopeful, because she talked with Jesus, she sends Mary out to see Him.
Verse 28, "After Martha had said this, she went back and called her sister, Mary aside, 'The teacher is here,' she said, 'and is asking for you.' When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now, Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.'" Mary goes to Jesus, she kneels at his feet and repeats what she and Martha have said over and over, "Lord, if you'd been here, my brother would not have died." Then Mary has no further words. She cannot conjole she cannot ask. She's simply overcome with grief. "When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 'Where have you laid him?' he asked. 'Come and see, Lord.' they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, 'See how he loved him!'" Jesus sees Mary, and He hears her. He looks at the others who are weeping. And the text says that Jesus was greatly disturbed and deeply moved. He was troubled in His spirit.
There is this underlying sense of anger. Jesus looks at His dear friends, and He's not angry at them, He's angry at sin and destruction, death and the injustice of it all. Perhaps Jesus is remembering the beginning, before time when God created the world in goodness, when Jesus Himself was involved in the act of creation. The world was a place of creativity and life. However, there have been millennia of heartache. This isn't the way it was supposed to be. Now, Jesus knows He's going to give life to Lazarus. He's already told the disciples His plan. But Jesus doesn't rush through this step. Instead, He calls the women by name. He takes time to be with them. He acknowledges their pain. He weeps with them and over them. God suffers with us and accompanies us in our sorrow. When we grieve, God knows our grief. Others don't understand. But Jesus continues with His plan.
Verse 37: "Some of them said, 'Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?' Jesus, once more, deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 'Take away the stone,' he said. 'But, Lord,' said Martha, the sister of the dead man, 'by this time, there's a bad odor, for he's been there four days.' Then Jesus said, 'Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?' So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, 'Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I know that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.' And when he had said this, Jesus called, in a loud voice, 'Lazarus come out!" The dead man came out his hands and his feet wrapped with strips of linen and a cloth around his face, and Jesus said to them, 'Take off the grave clothes and let him go.'" Jesus acts. He tells them to remove the stone. Martha's hesitant, because she knows there'll be the stench of death, but Jesus encourages her: trust me, Martha, come and participate in my mission to bring forth change. It's Martha's choice, and she cooperates through uncertainty. She agrees to give Jesus freedom to work. The stone is moved. Jesus prays not for His benefit but for the benefit of the people who are gathered. Then Jesus calls Lazarus by name, and Lazarus responds to Jesus' voice. He comes out of the tomb, no longer dead, but alive. He is whole and healed. The impossible has happened. Grief has turned to joy. Heartache has turned to wonder. Jesus reveals that transformation is possible when we respond to His voice.
By bringing life to this family. Jesus has challenged the human establishments of religious and political power. Human systems understand power that grasps for itself; but, they do not understand power that gives itself away, especially gives itself away for the sake of others. Jesus cannot be manipulated, and so the religious leaders now go on and make a plan to get rid of Him. Jesus' intention all along has been to die for the people. He will die, but He will die at the time He chooses, and then He will triumph over death. But that won't happen for a couple of more weeks, and for now, we're left with the question that Mary and Martha and Lazarus were left with: So why then did Jesus act? The author of the book of John gives us three reasons: love, to bring God glory, and to invite us to believe.
First love. Right at the beginning of the story, we're told that Jesus loved this family. Throughout the book of John, this has been a recurring theme: God loves the world and Jesus loves the people within it. Jesus knew Mary, Martha and Lazarus, and cared for each one of them in all their complexities and longings and imperfections. He loved Lazarus in death and in life. He loved Martha in her questioning. He loved Mary in her suffering, and He loves us in all our stress and fear and longing. Jesus offers not a love that takes and consumes, but a love that causes Him to give and to give His all, for them and for us.
Second, Lazarus was raised to glorify God, not because God has a big ego and wants everyone to acknowledge Him so He can feel high and mighty. God is glorified because God is God, and God can do something that no one else can do. God can bring forth life. God can bring life out of death. God can make the impossible, possible. Jesus' friends invited Jesus into the reality so He could touch not only their circumstances, but change them as people. Jesus looked at death and brought forth life. And God received glory because God's presence was tangible right in their midst, in the person of Jesus Christ, because Jesus just isn't about life. Jesus is life itself.
And then third, this invites us to believe. Jesus brings us into God's greater story where the impossible becomes possible and where life emerges out of death. God's plan is to stop cycles of oppression and violence, and to stop the destruction of sin and death one life at a time. The goal of life is not to spend our time preparing to go to heaven. The meaning of life is for us to participate in the life of Jesus, who is the Anointed Messiah, the Son of God, and the One who is coming into the world, not the one who is intent on removing us from it. In spite of all that appears contrary and dangerous, Jesus is still able to make the impossible possible, and so John asks us, "Are we willing to trust Him?"
I want as we close, just to take a moment to reflect. Let's think about the different characters in our story. First, put yourself in the disciples' place. Perhaps you're confused, uncertain about all the dangers in the world right now. Are you still willing to follow? I invite you to bring your hesitancy and fears to Jesus this morning, come and ask Him to be your Light. Then I invite you to put yourself in Martha's place. Perhaps there's some questions or challenges that you have for Jesus. Jesus is here in the presence of His Spirit. So I invite you bring that question, that challenge, that anger that you may have, and ask Jesus about it. Think about who Jesus is, the Anointed One, the Son of God, the One who comes into the world to make it new. Now put yourself in Mary's place. Perhaps you have sorrow or disappointments. Take a moment to recognize God's Spirit. Understand Romans 8 tells us that the Spirit groans with our spirit. The Spirit prays for us when we cannot pray ourselves. Sit for just a moment in the presence of God. And then put yourself alongside Lazarus this morning. Perhaps you're feeling passive or almost dead, or perhaps you're feeling buried in overwhelm, I invite you to listen, allow Jesus to speak your name and respond to His call. Ask Jesus to make the impossible possible and to come and bring you new life.
Triune God. We, thank You that You are the God who created us and the God who loves us. We, thank You that You can handle our challenges, You accompany us in our grief, and that You are able to do the impossible to bring new life and healing. We thank You, Jesus, for being the resurrection and the life. We ask that Your kingdom will burst forth in goodness, and grace, and life itself. In Jesus' name, we pray. And now I invite you to hold your hands out as I give you the benediction: God's story is about new creation, defeating death and bringing forth life. Sickness, death and evil are still present, but we are reminded that Jesus is the resurrection. Even amid grief, God's Spirit works in us as a community to bring forth a whole new story of hope and life. When all appears contrary and dangerous in the world, Jesus is still able to make the impossible, possible. So this week, as you go, we may still be in Lent, but just wait, because Jesus is life. Easter is coming. Amen.
