Title: Bound in sin Christ calls you … “Come out!”
Text: John 11:1-45
Text: John 11:1-45
Facebook live: Bound in sin Christ calls you … “Come out!”
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.”
Death is nothing new. It seems all too common. It invades your life and your family. As a pastor it invades my life too … even if at times it is not a loved one.
I’ve done many funerals. Many for Peace members, some family members, some not connected to a church or here at Peace … but for one who died.
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.”
Death is nothing new. It seems all too common. It invades your life and your family. As a pastor it invades my life too … even if at times it is not a loved one.
I’ve done many funerals. Many for Peace members, some family members, some not connected to a church or here at Peace … but for one who died.
When the call comes it usually sounds like this.
“Hi Pastor Russ; Are you available to do a funeral this Monday at 10 am? It’s for the family of a man who had been sick and now died and they requested a Lutheran pastor.”
I’m usually available.
Jesus got a call too.
11 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.”
Lazarus, the one Jesus loved was ill. In fact, he too would die, though Jesus says:
“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.”
At funerals the grief is real. Family and friends try to make sense out of a life now gone. It seems surreal. How could so much life in this beloved One now be gone?
It makes no sense. The tears flow.
11 [Jesus] 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.
We hear about where they worked. Their service to others and the things they loved - family and friends, cars or boats, golfing and even doing things for others they didn’t even know.
It amplifies the grief and sorrow.
Lazarus had a loving family too; Martha and Mary and friends but also Jesus … who was a dear friend and part of his extended family.
17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 … and many of [their friends] the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them … Martha heard that Jesus was coming [too, so] she went and met him …
As many of those we know get older, they can’t take care of themselves anymore so they rely on others for their care for them or even make their home at a nearby care facility.
Pictures at funerals can bring back fond memories from Thanksgiving and Christmas past or seeing nieces and nephews, children and grandchildren sitting on a couch and bringing into view young and old times of a wonderful life now past.
Death is real though … and at the funeral home our loved one is not pretending to sleep.
Lazarus wasn’t pretending either.
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.”
Visitation before the service brings the stories. Some tears and smiles emerge.
But when the service begins death is real and it is time for all to realize this and for me it is a times to bring peace in a time of sorrow.
For we, who are connected to Christ, this peace comes only from Jesus.
The joys of a wonderful life and loving relationships in a life well lived, pale in comparison to a relationship with the King of Kings. Death is no respecter of persons and comes anyway and at times when it is least expected.
Love is good, and family is good, and friends and coworkers bring joy to our lives in many and various ways but death still comes. It came for Lazarus and it comes for our loved ones and one day for us as well.
24 Martha said to him [about Lazarus], “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?”
At funerals, as the tears flow for our loved ones who are now departed, I speak of the resurrection and the life and the blessed comfort for we who cling to Jesus and the hope of the faith in Christ that those who have now departed held in him.
We cry and grieve but not without hope because we know that we too who believe in Christ Jesus will also spend eternity in heaven with him and with those we love, who believe and were baptized and marked by Christ as his redeemed children!
Tears are real.
33 When Jesus saw [Martha] weeping, and the [the friends] 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!”
Jesus wept for Lazarus, but he weeps for all who struggle with sin in their lives - day in and day out – calling us to cast our cares on him and to receive the forgiveness he won for us at the cross.
No matter how good we are we all still need Jesus and his purifying life, death and resurrection.
Without Christ, all that remains are good memories and like Lazarus a body that remains dead too.
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.”
Tombs and cemetery’s abound, whether local or in a place of our past.
Headstones are not rolled away but are there to mark the spot where the body of a life well lived rests.
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.”
Lazarus came out and so too will our loved ones who die in Christ because Jesus is the resurrection and the life. You and I and all who trust in Jesus will also rise.
We have been given this promise.
Lazarus was raised but also eventually died and waits.
He waits for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and savior Jesus Christ and his return in Glory. Titus 2:13
The grave clothes will give way as we rise - as they did for Lazarus.
For St, Paul writes in 1 Cor. 15:53:
53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
Bound in sin Christ calls you … “Come out!”
Because, Death has been swallowed up in victory!
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
“Hi Pastor Russ; Are you available to do a funeral this Monday at 10 am? It’s for the family of a man who had been sick and now died and they requested a Lutheran pastor.”
I’m usually available.
Jesus got a call too.
11 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.”
Lazarus, the one Jesus loved was ill. In fact, he too would die, though Jesus says:
“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.”
At funerals the grief is real. Family and friends try to make sense out of a life now gone. It seems surreal. How could so much life in this beloved One now be gone?
It makes no sense. The tears flow.
11 [Jesus] 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.
We hear about where they worked. Their service to others and the things they loved - family and friends, cars or boats, golfing and even doing things for others they didn’t even know.
It amplifies the grief and sorrow.
Lazarus had a loving family too; Martha and Mary and friends but also Jesus … who was a dear friend and part of his extended family.
17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 … and many of [their friends] the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them … Martha heard that Jesus was coming [too, so] she went and met him …
As many of those we know get older, they can’t take care of themselves anymore so they rely on others for their care for them or even make their home at a nearby care facility.
Pictures at funerals can bring back fond memories from Thanksgiving and Christmas past or seeing nieces and nephews, children and grandchildren sitting on a couch and bringing into view young and old times of a wonderful life now past.
Death is real though … and at the funeral home our loved one is not pretending to sleep.
Lazarus wasn’t pretending either.
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.”
Visitation before the service brings the stories. Some tears and smiles emerge.
But when the service begins death is real and it is time for all to realize this and for me it is a times to bring peace in a time of sorrow.
For we, who are connected to Christ, this peace comes only from Jesus.
The joys of a wonderful life and loving relationships in a life well lived, pale in comparison to a relationship with the King of Kings. Death is no respecter of persons and comes anyway and at times when it is least expected.
Love is good, and family is good, and friends and coworkers bring joy to our lives in many and various ways but death still comes. It came for Lazarus and it comes for our loved ones and one day for us as well.
24 Martha said to him [about Lazarus], “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?”
At funerals, as the tears flow for our loved ones who are now departed, I speak of the resurrection and the life and the blessed comfort for we who cling to Jesus and the hope of the faith in Christ that those who have now departed held in him.
We cry and grieve but not without hope because we know that we too who believe in Christ Jesus will also spend eternity in heaven with him and with those we love, who believe and were baptized and marked by Christ as his redeemed children!
Tears are real.
33 When Jesus saw [Martha] weeping, and the [the friends] 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!”
Jesus wept for Lazarus, but he weeps for all who struggle with sin in their lives - day in and day out – calling us to cast our cares on him and to receive the forgiveness he won for us at the cross.
No matter how good we are we all still need Jesus and his purifying life, death and resurrection.
Without Christ, all that remains are good memories and like Lazarus a body that remains dead too.
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.”
Tombs and cemetery’s abound, whether local or in a place of our past.
Headstones are not rolled away but are there to mark the spot where the body of a life well lived rests.
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.”
Lazarus came out and so too will our loved ones who die in Christ because Jesus is the resurrection and the life. You and I and all who trust in Jesus will also rise.
We have been given this promise.
Lazarus was raised but also eventually died and waits.
He waits for the blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our great God and savior Jesus Christ and his return in Glory. Titus 2:13
The grave clothes will give way as we rise - as they did for Lazarus.
For St, Paul writes in 1 Cor. 15:53:
53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
Bound in sin Christ calls you … “Come out!”
Because, Death has been swallowed up in victory!
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
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