17 Aug I AM the resurrection and the life
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[c] 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.[d] 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?”
Now, if I asked you this morning, “What’s the hardest problem you’ve had to face as a Christian?” you might say something like, “Doubt—that’s hard.” Or maybe, “Obeying God when everything in me wants to do the opposite.” And yes—those are real struggles.
But I came across a statement recently that really struck me. It said this: “The hardest thing as a Christian is when God doesn’t do what I thought He would do. When God doesn’t act the way I expected Him to.”
Think about that for a moment.
It’s one thing to face trials when you can see how God is working. But it’s a whole different thing when you’re praying, waiting, trusting… and nothing happens. Or worse—it feels like God is moving in the opposite direction.
Some of you know exactly what I’m talking about. You prayed for healing, but the sickness got worse. You asked God to open a door, but every door slammed shut. You believed God could fix it, but He didn’t—or at least, not in the way you thought He should.
And in those moments, you’re left asking: “God, where are You? What are You doing? Why aren’t You showing up the way I expected?”
That’s exactly the lesson we learn in today’s scripture. I want to break this passage into three parts: The Delay, The Response, and The Resurrection.
The Delay (v. 1-16)
Our story today starts with a serious problem: A man named Lazarus was very sick—dying. Lazarus, a close friend of Jesus, became very sick, and his sisters Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus: “Lord, the one You love is sick.”
Let’s see Jesus response in v4-6
Look at vs. 4-6: 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.
The Bible says v5-6, “Now Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus… so when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days.”
Wait—what? That doesn’t seem to make sense.
You’d expect it to say something like, “Jesus loved them, so when he heard Lazarus was sick, he rushed over right away to help.” But that’s not what it says. It says, “He loved them… so He stayed.”
That’s unexpected, right?
Even His disciples—His closest friends who were with Him—didn’t understand why He delayed. When Jesus finally said, “Lazarus has died,” they were probably thinking, “Jesus, what’s going on? Why didn’t we go earlier?” This is the big question we all ask. Why Jesus has to delay?
Have you ever felt that? I have. Many times. And usually, when that happens, we think, “God didn’t answer my prayer. Maybe prayer doesn’t work. Maybe God doesn’t care.” That’s a common reaction. I’ve felt that way too.
Sometimes it feels like God is silent. Sometimes it even feels like He doesn’t care. Life gets really hard, and you’re praying and waiting—and nothing happens. It’s easy to wonder, “God, where are You?”
When bad things happen—like when someone we love gets sick, or we lose someone we care about—it can feel like God is ignoring us. His silence or delay can feel like He doesn’t love us.
But what if God’s delays are actually a sign of His love. Just think about that for second. But what if God’s delay is the way God want to say “I love you, my children”
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But this story teaches us something different. Just because God delays, doesn’t mean He doesn’t care. His delay is not a sign of His rejection—it’s a sign of His love. You will see later how this delay grow their faith. This delay give them deeper understanding who Jesus is.
So next time you feel that God slow to answer, don’t assume He doesn’t love you. He might be doing something bigger, better, and more loving than you can see right now. This teaches us that God’s love isn’t always what we expect, but it’s always what we need. (God’s love doesn’t always look the way we imagine. Sometimes it comes in ways we don’t expect, but it’s always the best for us.)
Sometimes we try very hard to understand. You know what? If we try to understand, we’ll get frustrated—because His ways don’t always match our expectations.
And that’s the moment we face a choice—will we trust our feelings, or will we trust His heart? This is our time to say, “God, I don’t get it, but I trust You.”
One interesting thing that Jesus said here in verse 4 – When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, in verse 4 – He said, “This sickness won’t end in death. It will bring glory to God.”
Most of us would probably pray, “God, please heal me!”. And that’s okay—but we also need to learn to say, “God, even in this pain/suffering/waiting/grief, may You be glorified.”
When we are sick or facing problems or jobless, “How can people see God’s glory through me?” , “pray that Through this jobless or sickness, may God be glorified.”
Your trials are not only about you. Our trial has purpose. Our trial is not useless. God wants to use your trial to bring glory to Him. We may not understand God’s Timing, but we can trust on God’s timing. Sometimes God’s love wants us to waits. Sometimes God’s love allows the hard road. Sometimes God’s love says “not yet” when we are crying “right now.”
What is your response when you find yourself in a difficult situation? Maybe you’ve been praying for a job, but nothing seems to be happening.
- You’ve been asking God for a visa, but the answer hasn’t come—while your friends have already received theirs.
- You’re praying for your sick parents, but instead of getting better, they seem to be getting worse.
How do you respond in moments like these—when your prayers feel unanswered and your heart is weary? – it leads me to my next point
The Response (16–37)
This passage gives us a few honest and relatable responses that we can learn from.
Let’s start with Thomas. In John 11:16, he says, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” Now at first, that sounds brave, right? Like Thomas is ready to sacrifice it all. But if you look closer, it’s more of a hopeless statement. Thomas had seen Jesus do miracle after miracle. He knew Jesus had power. Yet deep down, he still struggled to believe that Jesus’ plan was good.
Now let’s look at Mary and Martha—two of Jesus’ closest friends.
When Jesus finally arrived, both sisters said the same thing to Him. First Martha in verse 21, then Mary in verse 32: ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.’
Can you hear the pain in those words? They’re not just statements—they’re cries of the heart. They had seen Jesus heal so many people before. They knew He had the power to stop Lazarus from dying. But He didn’t come when they expected Him to.
So now they’re standing there, broken and confused, asking the question: ‘Why, God? Why didn’t You stop this? Why didn’t You come sooner?’
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But here’s something interesting: even though Mary and Martha said the same response, Jesus responded to each of them differently. To Martha, Jesus gave a powerful truth- He said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” He reminded her of who He is and what He came to do.
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.”
Verse 23 — Jesus says to Martha, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha answers, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
Now, here’s the thing — a lot of Jewish people in the first century believed in a general resurrection. They believed that one day, in the future, all of God’s people would be raised from the dead. That idea came from the Old Testament — but it was like a puzzle with only a few pieces. You could see the outline, but it wasn’t fully clear yet.
By the time Jesus came along, He’d already talked about resurrection a lot. In John 5, He says the dead will hear His voice and rise. In John 6 — right after feeding the 5,000 — He says four different times, “I will raise them up on the last day.”
So when Martha says, “I know my brother will rise again on the last day,” you can tell — she’s been paying attention. She’s been listening to Scripture. She’s been learning from Jesus. She knows the truth… but she doesn’t yet know the whole truth.
Here’s why — Martha believes resurrection is something that’s going to happen someday. But when you’re standing by a grave, “someday” can feel far away
And let’s be real — we know that feeling. We know what it’s like to lose someone and think, “Yeah, I’ll see them again one day”… but right now? It still hurts. That hope can feel distant. It can feel dry.
That’s exactly where Martha is. She believes — but she’s still broken with grief. Because that hope feel so distant/ far.
And then Jesus steps right into that dry, distant hope… and makes it personal.
Verse 25 — “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though they die. And whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”
Do you catch what He’s saying? He’s not just promising to give resurrection. He’s not saying, “I can make it happen someday.” He’s saying, “I AM the resurrection.”
Resurrection is not just an event on God’s calendar. It’s a Person. It’s Jesus Himself. He is the source of life. It gives Martha deeper understanding who Jesus is.
Before this moment, Martha only knew Jesus as a healer.
She had seen Him heal the sick, open blind eyes, and make the lame walk. But now—now she discovers something even greater: Jesus isn’t just a healer. He is the Resurrection and the Life.
Through the delay… through the tears… through the pain of losing her brother… Martha came to know Jesus in a deeper way. And that’s what matters most.
Church, listen—if there is one thing you truly need in this life, it’s this: to know God more and more. Deeper and deeper.
So let me ask you: what if the waiting you’re in right now… what if the suffering you’re carrying… what if the unanswered prayers you’re crying out—what if all of that is the very way God is revealing Himself to you? What if He’s showing His glory, so that you can know Him deeper and deeper?
Isn’t that the real goal of being a Christian? To know Him more. Let me ask you again—what’s your goal as a Christian? Is it to collect more blessings? To have a pain-free life? To never face struggles? No. That’s not the goal.
Our Goal is to know Him more and more. Deeper and deeper. That is the greatest treasure we could ever have.
Second Response — To Martha, Jesus gave a powerful truth answer. He said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” He reminded her of who He is and what He came to do. But to Mary, Jesus didn’t give a deep teaching.
Mary said the same thing Martha did: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” In verse 33, it says that when Jesus saw Mary crying, and the people with her also crying, He was deeply moved and troubled. Then He asked, “Where have you laid him?” and they said, “Lord, come and see.” And then we read the shortest verse in the Bible: v35 “Jesus wept.”
Instead Jesus gave Mary deep powerful truth, He shared her pain. The Bible says Jesus saw her crying—and He was deeply moved. “Jesus wept”. Isn’t that beautiful?
At first, that might seem strange. Why did he cry? Didn’t Jesus already know that He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead? Yes—He knew from the beginning of the chapter what He was going to do. So why didn’t He just tell Mary, “Don’t cry—I’ll fix it!”
Because Jesus wanted to show us something important: He feels our pain. Even when He knows the pain is temporary, He still weeps with us. That’s the kind of friend Jesus is. A true friend is someone who doesn’t just give you answers but weeps when you weep. Even though Jesus knows the ending—how every story of sorrow will one day be turned to joy—He still steps into our present pain and walks through it with us.
Here is Jesus of Nazareth, the world’s most complete, most perfect man, attending the funeral of a friend and openly weeping, without embarrassment, without apology. In fact, those watching him said, “See how much he loved him!”. That’s the kind of friend Jesus is
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If you feel like crying today, don’t hold back. If it was OK for Jesus to cry, it’s OK for you to cry. God feels your pain — he wants you to let it out — He wants to be a part of your life. God knows what it’s like to hurt.
Sometimes, Christians make the mistake of shutting down other people’s emotions. For example, when someone is grieving the loss of a loved one, they might say things like, “It’s the will of God,” or, “Don’t cry, they’re in a better place.” But that’s not what Jesus did.
Jesus feels with us. That’s why we can trust Him with whatever we’re facing. So, invite Him into your emotions — your happiness, your questions. He will sit with you in them. He will feel with you.
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Mary and Martha give us a beautiful picture of the two responses Jesus gives to suffering.
Martha needs truth. Mary needs tears. And Jesus gives both.
Sometimes you need to understand the theological answer. You need to hear that Jesus is the resurrection and the life. That He is fully committed to you and fully in control.
Other times, you don’t need answers—you need His presence. You need to see that Jesus is not cold or distant, but that He feels the pain of the moment with you. That He stands at your side and weeps.
The Resurrection (v37-44)
Lets have a look the timeline for a moment. Jesus delayed for another 2 days, it means that Lazarus had already been dead for four days when Jesus arrived. But why four days? There is some helpful historical evidence that shows what many Jewish people believed about death. According to some Jewish teachers (called rabbis), they believed that after a person died, their soul would stay close to the body for three days, hoping to go back into the body.
But on the fourth day, when the soul saw that the person’s face had changed colour—meaning the body had started to decay—the soul would finally leave for good.
This belief helps us understand why Jesus waiting until the fourth day to raise Lazarus was such a big deal. Everyone would have believed that Lazarus was truly, completely dead—beyond any hope.
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Jesus stood in front of the tomb and said, v39 “Take away the stone.” But Martha, the sister of the dead man, quickly spoke up. She said, “Lord, by this time there will be a bad smell. He has been dead for four days!”
Then they took away the stone
Then, with a loud voice, Jesus cried out, “Lazarus, come out!” This verse is one of Eleana’s favourite verses – Lazarus, come out! Every time we read this story, she always does this “stop, let me say it.” She screams, “Lazarus, come out!” It is cute. But at the same time, I hate it as well because she becomes awake and it takes me another half an hour to get her to sleep. But if we really think about this verse, this verse is really good! Just imagine – as soon as Jesus cried out, his heart started beating again, his lungs filled with breath, and blood began to flow through his body. Muscles that had gone still started moving. Lazarus, still wrapped in burial cloths, stepped out of the grave alive. Can you imagine the amazement of everyone there? And to everyone’s shock, the dead man came walking out of the tomb.
When Jesus speaks, He doesn’t just whisper—He cries out with a strong, commanding voice. He speaks directly to death and says, “Let go of Lazarus!” .And death has no choice but to listen.
Let me end with a story. In 1941, during World War II, inside the Auschwitz concentration camp, a prisoner escaped. In anger, the commander chose ten men to be starved to death. One of them cried out, “Please! I have a wife and children!”
Then something remarkable happened. A priest named Maximilian Kolbe stepped forward and said, “Take me instead.” The guards agreed. The man with the family was spared, and Kolbe took his place in the starvation bunker. Weeks later, he died so that another man could live.
Kolbe didn’t just help—he sacrificed himself. He stepped in and took the place of another.
That’s exactly what Jesus does for us. Church, in John 11, Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” That’s not just a nice title. That’s not just a comforting phrase. That’s a mission statement.
Jesus wasn’t only going to raise Lazarus from the dead. No—Jesus wasn’t just to help Lazarus. He was preparing to face death head-on, for us. He knew the cross was coming. He knew that in less than two weeks, He would be nailed to a cross, laid in a tomb, and take the full weight of our sin.
The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). That means the cost of our sin is death—not just physical death, but eternal separation from God. And yet, Jesus—perfect, sinless—steps forward and says, “Take me instead.”
He took our place. He bore our punishment. He entered the grave for us.
But death couldn’t hold Him. On the third day, Jesus rose again. But listen—His resurrection was very different from Lazarus’s. Lazarus came back to life, yes—but one day, he died again. Jesus, however, rose never to die again. He defeated death once and for all.
And that’s why Paul could shout, “Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory?” It’s like he’s taunting death—“Death, you used to be the scariest thing in the world. You used to have the final word. But not anymore! Jesus has the final word!”
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So here’s the question for us: If Jesus has already defeated death, why do we still live like death has the last word? Why do we still let fear, worry, or hopelessness take over our hearts?
Think about it. If Jesus really is the resurrection and the life, then death is no longer the end. It’s no longer the scariest thing. It’s just a doorway to being with Him.
But here’s the deeper issue: Do you believe this? Not just in your head—but in your heart
Because the truth is, how you answer that question will shape how you live. If you really believe Jesus has already won, then you can face anything—grief, sickness, fear of the future—with unshakable hope. Your life is not just avoiding death. But following His will.
So let me ask: What’s the fear or the burden you’re carrying today? Can you bring it to the One who says, “I am the resurrection and the life”?
Discussion questions:
- What struck you the most from the sermon?
- Have you ever felt “God’s delay”? What happened and how did you respond?
- Look at Jesus’ response to Marta and Mary’s pain (truth and tears). Based on your experience, which area do you think you need more in your pain and why?
- What does it mean when Jesus said ‘I AM the resurrection and the life’?
- How does the gospel enable you to face the burden/pain/disappointment you are facing today?
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