Unique Church Practices
Welcome, welcome, welcome.
We welcome you if you are here in the live congregation, or if you are watching on KPDR here in Utah, or if you are watching through live streaming, through Roku, Youtube, or through the internet archives. Our approach to doing church is very different, but it is the product of doctrinal positions not creative church playing. So what you will experience here is a few basic things: Prayer, singing the Word of God set to music, a time of silent reflection and prayer, and then a verse-by-verse teaching of the Word. Then we end with a Q and A from anyone who dares, and then wrap it all up by singing a final set of passages put to music. We then invite ourselves to go out into the world and put being Christian into practice individually.
John 11.27
June 22nd 2014
Milk
So let’s pray . . .
(Sing)
(Silence)
The Journey to Bethany
Okay we left off last week with Jesus telling the disciples that they were going to travel from Bethebara to Bethany where Jesus' friend Lazarus was ill. The apostles had warned Him that they sought His life there but He responded to their concerns. (verse 11)
11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.” 12 Then said his disciples, “Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.” 13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. 14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. 16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.
17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already. 18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: 19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. 21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.” 23 Jesus saith unto her, “Thy brother shall rise again.” 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
Understanding 'Sleep' in the Bible
Alright, back to verse 11. Now I personally refer to verses 11-16 as the “Who’s on First” section of the Bible. It’s not out of disrespect but the disciples relentlessly misunderstood Jesus in these verses and it gets kind of comical when we step back and think about it. So, after waiting two days the Lord has instructed them that they are going to return to Bethany where Lazarus and Mary and Martha reside.
(In verse 11 John writes)
11 These things said he (referring to his explaining why they were going to return to a hostile area – which we covered last week): and after that he saith unto them, “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.” Now, we know from having read ahead that Lazarus is dead. (And Jed once said to a sled on his bed) . . . All rhyming aside, Jesus is using the word “sleep” here to mean death. This was not uncommon among the Jews and has led to a whole sideline belief (popularized among the Seventh-day Adventists) that when a person dies they enter into something called, “soul sleep.” Two Christian type churches teach soul sleep – the Seventh Day Adventists and the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The idea is the soul of a person, at physical death “sleeps” in the grave (is unaware of anything) until the resurrection from the grave. The Seventh-day Adventists teach that the soul rests in God while the Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that the soul is completely annihilated and recreated at resurrection. These two groups support these ideas by a few references to sleep in scripture and by a couple of
Examination of the Soul's Fate After Death
Old Testament passages which both come from Ecclesiastes.
Ecclesiastes 9:5 says:
“For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.”
The book of Ecclesiastes is all about the affairs of this world, in the end, being meaningless and I would suggest that this is the context of the writer's point. Then later in chapter 12 at verse 7 the writer says:
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”
Because the writer does not mention the soul of man (but mentions the body (the dust) and the Spirit (which returns to God who gave it) the belief came up that the soul did nothing but sleep.
Illumination from the New Testament
There are a couple of problems with the idea. First, Ecclesiastes is an Old Testament Book that is illuminated by the New – and the New clearly gives us a better understanding of what happens after this life (and it’s not soul sleep). Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes and his world view was very bleak. He speaks to the ultimate emptiness of all that we accumulate and do and it was from this perspective that he penned it.
Finally, we have to look to see what the New includes for us. Speaking to believers, Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 5:6-8
“Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
We also know that Moses and Elijah, their persons (meaning the soul of Moses and Elijah) met with Jesus after their lives on the Mt of Configuration so therefore it seems the human soul does NOT sleep after the death of the body.
The body goes to the dust, the spirit (which was breathed into man goes back to God who gave it) and the soul (which the spirit God breathed into the clay of man) either is present with the Lord or (if the soul of an unbeliever) it goes to hell (or the dark waiting place of remorse).
Figurative Language in the Bible
Another evidence that the soul does not sleep is found in a rather curious factoid related to Lazarus (which we will discover next week).
So why did Jesus not say right off the bat that Lazarus is dead rather than he sleepeth?
1st, sleep as a descriptor of death is used all through antiquity and was certainly part of the Hebrew nomenclature.
2nd, sleep is a far more tender and purposeful description of someone passing than dead, died, or death.
Sleep always intimates the idea that the sleeper will wake up – dead does not.
So to say Lazarus sleeps was a better description for Him to us knowing what He was going to do to bring Lazarus back to life. For this reason there are many passages in scripture that refer to those who have physically died to being asleep.
In 1st Corinthians 11:30 Paul writes:
“For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.”
Admittedly, this could mean are really just sleeping but most think it means many have died. In 1st Corinthians 15:51 Paul, referring to dying, adds:
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,”
Well to note the confusion the word can produce we discover that the disciples didn’t realize that Jesus was speaking metaphorically, saying (verse 12)
“Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.”
Even back then sleep for the ill was known to be a good thing and so they were sort of encouraging the health of Lazarus as possibly improving and therefore not requiring a visit from the Lord. John adds:
13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
So as Jesus was wont to do, He dumbed His speech down and bit and said plainly to them (verse 14):
“Lazarus is dead.”
Can you hear the pin drop?
I mean, what do you do in a situation like this? If you were an apostle, and Jesus tells you flat out:
“Lazarus is dead,” do you weep, break out in tears? Say, “whoa?” I mean on the journey back to Bethany do you sidle up to the Lord, and ask if He can bring Him back to life? "Ya, know Lord, haha,"
Jesus' Radical Perspective on Lazarus's Death
I was kind of thinking about this but we’ve never attended a funeral while following you so are we headed back to participate in the wake or, hahaha, or are you gonna try and, you know (motion with the hands – wooshie?)
But After telling them that Lazarus has died, the Lord adds a somewhat cumbersome passage, saying:
15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
The Greek word translated to “glad,” here in the King James is Chario and it means, cheerful or really pleased and happy. On your account this situation really cheers me up (Jesus is so radical in His ways, His worldview, the eternal view in full operation) “You see,” He seems to be saying:
"If I had been there during Lazarus’s sickness all the tears and begging of his sisters and friends might have moved me to restore His health. And if the Father willed I could not have refused to heal them without appearing to be unkind. And I didn’t come to reveal the Father of unkindness but the Father of lights and love.”
“So,” He seems to be saying, “Though a restoration of Lazarus’ health would have been a great miracle (and think about this for a moment, back in that day AND EVEN TODAY it can be really difficult to know how serious an illness was or wasn’t. You might look like hell and live another fifty years or appear super strong and die suddenly of a heart attack, to the healing of an illness was really paradoxical) but in any case He seems to be saying that “while a healing would have benefited them, the miracle of raising a man after four days dead will be far more impressive and will greatly enhance your faith.”
So He said: “Lazarus is dead and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. All this is good for your belief and faith that I am the Messiah, but then He says:
“Nevertheless, let us go unto Him.”
Thomas's Response
We could read this this way: “In any case (OR) despite of all this, let’s go to him.” Now, Jesus had clearly stated that He was dead. So to go to Lazarus could have intimated that they were going so Jesus could NOW save Him or it could have been as a means to comfort Mary and Martha. We aren’t sure.
Whatever the meaning, John gives us insight into the make-up of Thomas by citing a comment Thomas made to the others: (verse 16)
16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellowdisciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Was this sarcastic? Maybe. They certainly believed going back to Judea was dangerous, so maybe Thomas was being fatalistic and saying:
“Well, isn’t this great. We’re going back to mourn the dead only to join him ourselves when our enemies get ahold of us.”
I mean, maybe Thomas is such a doubtful downer that he was like, “Great, we’ve gotta travel all that way back so Jesus can give attention to a grave – let’s go too that we might die with Lazarus.”
Insights on Thomas
Then there is the thought that Thomas was actually being supportive of Jesus. The Lord said, “Let’s go,” and Thomas says: “let’s go too because we know He’s going to be killed upon his return so let’s go and die with Him also.”
(Beat)
A couple of things about Thomas, which is called Didymus. These are two names that he is known by are names that ironically mean the same thing – twin. Thomas means twin in Hebrew and Didymus means twin in Greek. I would suggest that there is some type of play on words present here because Thomas was sort of double-minded or split when it came to his faith – part of him obviously believed and part of him was doubtful or skeptical.
So I would suggest that this is the first insight we have into this characteristic of Thomas – he was a doubter by nature. I personally think Thomas was adding a somewhat sarcastic comment to their activities. Maybe he thought returning to Judea was foolhardy or maybe he doubted Jesus ability to do anything for Lazarus, who, after two days of delay, was not going to become undead. Maybe he was cynical about their own safety.
Doubt and Faith in the Story of Thomas
…said let’s go die with Jesus who is going to be killed on his return. Whatever it was that drove the sarcasm, I believe it was based in faithlessness or doubt because John is the only one of the Gospel writers to reveal his response here in chapter 11 and he is the only one to reveal Thomas’s response to hearing that Jesus had been raised from the grave (which we’ll read about in chapter 20).
I also think that Thomas represents every human being. Both elements are present within us – doubt and faith – to some extent or another as some are 95% skeptical and 5% believing and vice versa. Looking forward, we know from scripture that this same Thomas was not present when Jesus appeared to the disciples as a resurrected being. When the disciples proclaimed what they saw, Thomas rejected their claims.
The Encounter with the Resurrected Jesus
In John chapter 20:25-27, we read:
“The other disciples therefore said unto him, (Thomas) “We have seen the Lord.” But he said unto them, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.”
I love the response of Jesus in these verses because they seem to reach right into the core issue Thomas bore in his flesh – unbelief. The living word provides us with tremendous pictures. I would suggest that we have been blessed with a great one here in the picture and story of Thomas.
Just as Thomas was a follower of Jesus, so are we. And like him, we too are twins in many ways as we follow Him – flesh and spirit – one of doubt, one of faith. The flesh is constantly at war with the Spirit, pushing toward disbelief and doubt and skepticism. The flesh – the human mind, will, and emotion tells us that God will NOT come through for us, He will not appear when we need Him most, and we must therefore fend for ourselves, that we must do what we have to do to survive, make our own way because nobody else is out there that’s gonna do it for us.
The Struggle Within
All of these messages are messages of the flesh – you are alone, you are going to die, there is no hope in this thing called Christ – might as well…
- Live for today
- Do what you want to do
- Forget relying or trusting in God
On the other hand, we have the Spirit of God, which operates solely on faith and trust and hope in Him. It is impossible to please God without it so it makes sense that this world will operate by the opposite, that the things of this world speak against it, push for the immediate. This spirit of faith tells us to believe on Him and His efficacy, His power, His love, His forgiveness – and to express it all with others. One position is of faith, one is of flesh.
It seems that Thomas battled with cynicism. I get Him. There are things I am just not going to buy into unless it is proven. For Thomas, Jesus being resurrection was one of them. But remember, we have to be fair to Thomas, the other apostles had seen Jesus and were telling Thomas to believe them. In reality, he was doubting their testimony of what they had said they had seen, NOT necessarily the fact that the Lord himself.
Because Thomas was called as a special witness, His seeing the resurrected Lord was part of his ability to testify of Him, so He was ultimately given that physical manifestation. But for eight days, Thomas represents us believers today – those who haven’t seen but are asked to believe in the witnesses of these men. That’s why I think the story of doubting Thomas is present in scripture today – it speaks to those of us who struggle with believing in things we have not had the privilege of seeing. Which, by the way, is the definition of faith – believing in what has NOT been seen. I just love the Lord’s patience with Thomas after revealing Himself.
Faith and Belief in the Context of the Gospel
letting Thomas feel His wounds. All He said to Him (all He said to you and I was) “And be NOT faithless, but believing.”
In our study of Hebrews this is the overall and total purpose the writer has to His once practicing Jews who had coverted over to Christianity – “be not faithless, but believing.”
The Journey to Bethany
So they made the journey (verse 17)
17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
A certain sign among the Jews that Lazarus was dead. Suddenly now, John gives us some back information which seems to come out of nowhere when standing all by itself.
18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off (or two miles away).
Directly east of Jerusalem. Verse 19 tells us why John said this:
19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
By the sound of this it seems like there was a bunch of Jews who were living their lives in Jerusalem and they somehow got wind that Lazarus died and flock to Bethany two miles away.
Of course, we can probably surmise that these Jews were family members (and the families could be large) who came to support both Mary, and Martha and pay their respects for their brother Lazarus. Like their wedding and religious festivals such funeral consolations could last seven full days.
Martha's Encounter with Jesus
(verse 20)
20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
Because of verse 28 it appears that Martha had heard that Jesus was in town and went immediately to see Him without even telling Mary. It is also thought that Martha was the one in charge of the house duties and as such probably believed it her duty if not right to go to Him first.
John adds that Mary sat “still” in the house. Now, the word is not in the original so why is it there? Possibly to create a better picture of the scene. Among the Jews to sit (as in sit in the dust like Job) is a sign of great mourning. John tells us she remained sitting in the house, a sign of mourning.
I guess someone wanted to emphasize the fact that she was truly mourning and describes her not only sitting but sitting still, as if transfixed in grief.
Anyway . . . (verse 21)
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”
This is the first time of two that the sisters will say this to Him. It’s an intriguing line and we could take it negatively or positively. I would suggest that it was said positively, as in, “Lord, we know that you have the power to heal our brother. We know if you were in town when he fell ill he would be alive today.”
I suggest that this is the manner and tone in which these statements were given because of what Martha says next:
Understanding Martha's Faith
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
Now, this verse introduces us to a really interesting factor that we discover through the Greek. It tells us a lot about Martha as a believer at this stage in her life. Let me explain.
There are two Greek words that are generally used when it comes to asking through prayer. The first is Erotao and it is used when someone asks something of another as an equal. Two business partners are driving and one asks the other one to take the wheel – that would be Erotao in the Greek. When Jesus describes Himself or asks the Father something in the New Testament it is always Erotao – meaning He is petitioning God as an equal. Since He, in the flesh, worshipped God in Spirit and in Truth, and since in His spirit Jesus was fully God (God with us) from His spirit His prayers were one of an equal asking of an equal. And Jesus never deviates from this Greek term in making requests of the Father.
But the other Greek word for asking in prayer Aiteo. It’s used when an inferior is asking of a superior.
The intriguing thing here is that in verse 22 Martha says:
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask (Aiteo, as a man) of God, God will give it thee.
Now, certainly, Martha had faith in the power of Jesus connection to the Father, stating that she knew that “even if…"
Jesus, Martha, and Faith
Now, after four days of Lazarus being in the grave, Martha expresses that whatever Jesus asks of God (as His inferior), He will give it to Him. Again, Jesus never placed Himself in the inferior asking position of a man asking God, but here Martha did. Obviously, Martha, like the apostles, believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but had yet to fully realize the fullness of God that dwelled within Him. I mean, the Pharisees or doctors of the Law could conceive of it, why would she?
In any case, Martha does exhibit enough faith in Him as having the ear of God like no other and even states that she believes that even at this point whatever Jesus asked of God, God would give it to Him. Between the lines of all this, I hear a respect for Jesus from Martha (and then Mary). I do not hear them making demands, nor do I hear them trying to get Him to do their will. When Lazarus got sick, all they did was send a messenger to let the Lord know. And now that he has passed, all Martha does is admit that she believes that God would do whatever Jesus asks of Him. I love this about these women. It seems to come from a place of utmost respect, humility, possibly some fear. But it also seems to come from the most faithful Jews having learned to truly rely upon and trust God. What He wants, they want. His will, their will. I want such faith.
The Promise of Resurrection
After dropping the hint, (verse 23) Jesus said:
23 . . . Thy brother shall rise again.
Now, this is really an interesting reply. On the one hand, Jesus tells her that she will receive the very thing she has intimated – the raising of her brother even at this point. But we have to note the vagary of His response. She had come to Him and asked Him to pray (as an inferior man) to God because she knew God would do anything He asked. This was in some ways a detached, impersonal view of Him that Martha had evinced. I would suggest that He wanted Martha to understand His person and relationship to God and all things in a much clearer fashion. So He responds to her view of Him with a very impersonal response or promise, saying:
“Your brother will rise again.”
Believing in the resurrection of the dead, Martha knew this was the case. But that was not her desire at that moment. She wanted Him, Jesus the man, to ask God on her behalf, to raise her brother now. I think Jesus wanted her to know more. So if we take all of this information in hand and sort of look at its cumulative narrative, it seems (to me, at least) that Jesus wanted her to come to Him and say:
“I know that you, Lord, are God with us, and I trust that you can raise my brother even if He has been in the grave for twenty years. Please do it, Lord.”
But this is not where she was in her faith – and because He loved her He wanted to bring her to this place of seeing Him for who He was. So He responds with the rather vague line: “Thy brother shall rise again.”
(verse 24)
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Martha's Understanding
“Lord,” she continues to hint around at vocally and gingerly, “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day,” but her heart was saying, “But I want you to raise my brother up now!” At this point in their discussion it seems Jesus could not hold back any more, and He delivers the message He seemed to long for her to understand.
And so He says to her some amazing words. He says to her (verse 25-26).
Ready? Let me let you in on some recent events with the ministry.
