Lazarus Come Forth!

Well, the title of today's study is Lazarus Come Forth. Lazarus Come Forth. And if you'll take your Bibles and turn to the Gospel of John in John 11. We'll begin reading from John here in verses 1-16. John 11, verses 1-16, as we come today to the incredible account of the raising of Lazarus from the dead back to life. Lazarus being Jesus's dear friend.

And we can ask right up front, how is it that Lazarus could be dead and then be raised back to life? Well, it was only in the hearing of the words Come Forth that Lazarus would rise from the dead. And it was only from the one, one who would dare give such a command in which he would rise. And we'll get to that dramatic command in just a moment.

But let's begin here at the beginning of this incredible account that John has recorded for us. So, John 11, and let's read verses 1-16 here. It says, Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.

Therefore the sister sent to him Jesus, saying, Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, the sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it. Verse 5. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, and when he had heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, Let us go to Judea again. The disciples said to him, Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone you, and are you going there again?

Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in a day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles because the light is not in him.

These things he said, and after that he said to them, Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I might wake him. Then his disciples said, Lord, if he sleeps, he will get well. However, Jesus spoke of his death, and they thought that he was speaking about taking a rest and sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sake that I was not there, that you may believe.

Nevertheless, let us go to him. Then Thomas, who was called the twin, said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. What a passage! We remember in beginning John 11 here that John clearly stated the purpose as to why he even wrote this gospel. It was for the purpose that the hearers would believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and that in hearing and believing, they might have life in his name. You can find that purpose statement in John 20, verse 31. We won't take the time to turn there, but that's John 20, verse 31.

In coming to this 11th chapter, we come to a chapter that's vitally important for that very purpose. It's vitally important for our belief because it contains this event of the raising of Lazarus from the dead to life once again. An event which allows us to clearly grasp that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. We see that the purpose of this miracle is stated just that way.

Look down to verse 15 here, where Jesus clearly states the very purpose of this miracle. Verse 15 again, I'm glad for your sakes, he says, that I wasn't there, that you may believe. And indeed, this is the inherent purpose of all signs and all wonders in which Jesus performed. They were all given to bring about this belief in the hearts and minds of those who would witness them and in the hearts and minds of those who would hear these words like we are today.

And it is this event that John says would be really the event of all events because this event would be the final push. This would cause the final push of the death of Jesus Christ. We see that here in verse 53. Let your eyes go down to verse 53.

Once the authorities understood what happened with Lazarus and what Jesus had performed, we see verse 53, then from that day on, they plotted to put him to death. So this was the miracle of all miracles, really. And they said, that's it. The authority says, we're going to put an end to this man Jesus. And so this miracle's inherent purpose was clear.

And the authorities knew that it had pointed to that Jesus Christ was the very Son of God. That's why it's so very important that we put our time to it this afternoon. So let's begin. Verse 1. Verse 1. First of all, we notice here the individual who is the focus of this miracle. And it's a man named Net Lazarus. Lazarus from Bethany. And the village is further described there as the village of his sisters, Mary and Martha. Now, we can assume that Lazarus was not as well known as Mary and Martha. That's why he's designated as the brother of. You know, anytime you're designated as the brother of, you're not as well known, of course. The brother of, the better known, Mary and Martha. And of course, we know his sisters. Mary's identified there in verse 2. We know as the one who poured perfume on the Lord, wiped his feet with her hair. And John actually describes that occurrence in chapter 12. But here we have it. John 11 opens up with this sick man and a sincere message now in verse 3, which is sent to Jesus. And look what the sisters sent to Jesus here. Look at their message. Verse 3.

Therefore the sisters sent to him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick. So we can notice several things in relation to this message here. First, we could say that we could notice what is the closeness of their relationship and what it must have been. By just simply the fact that they're able to say, Jesus, the one you love is sick, without designated who the one he loved was. That's an indication that he was very close to this family.

And we know he was. He loved these three. And they had a deep relationship. And it's also interesting, I find it here, that this message, they don't even ask Jesus for anything. Did you notice that? They don't say, Jesus, could you come, please, and heal my brother? They merely just send word. They don't even ask him to come, if you noticed. Just merely send the word Jesus, the one you love, is sick.

And that might be so in knowing how much Jesus loved Lazarus. Of course he would respond. Jesus loved him dearly. And that might be an important truth for us to note here. Because it is with that same confidence that we send our messages to God. Our prayers. Our prayers are to be sent with that same understanding of the depth of love that he has for us. And so where is our confidence that he will respond? Well, it's in the understanding of how much he loves us. It's a lesson for us. And you know, just likewise with the sisters here in our prayers, sometimes we shouldn't feel the need to detail how we want God the Father and Jesus Christ to help us.

There may be times in which, just like Mary and Martha, we just simply put forth the situation of help. We rest. We rest in knowing how much he loves us. We rest in knowing that he will respond in that love. And you'll notice here in verse 4, 4-7, Jesus' response that he gives here. Verse 4, again, When Jesus heard that, he said, The sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it. So Jesus states very quickly and immediately, the sickness is not unto death.

And if you read on in the events to follow, you understand, though, that Jesus clearly didn't mean that Lazarus wouldn't die. He certainly knew that Lazarus was going to die, so this is not what he meant. But rather, what Jesus is establishing here in verse 4 is an important one. And it is that Lazarus' death was not the issue. Lazarus' death was not the ultimate issue here. Lazarus' death was not the ultimate outcome of all that was about to come.

And the conclusion of it all was not going to be that the witnesses stood there and stood around and said, Oh, Lazarus had died. He's died. No. The ultimate conclusion will be that the witnesses will stand before an empty tomb and they'll say, What a glorious God and what a glorious Son of God. The ultimate conclusion will be that God the Father and Jesus Christ are glorified through it. That's so important. That's so important. Let's think about this. When you think about those words here, our minds can go back to another instance in which Jesus Christ gave this, spoke in a similar way, gave this same understanding.

Go back just a few chapters to chapter 9 here. And the man born blind. Chapter 9. In verse 1 through 3. Let's turn there for just a moment. Because Jesus is going to give the same understanding and it's the understanding that God's glory and His works revealed is the ultimate significance in all these things. His works and His glory revealed to us is the ultimate significance. Look at this. John 9, verse 1 through 3. Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.

And His disciples asked Him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? And Jesus said, neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. Jesus is saying to His disciples, just so you understand, the ultimate significance, the ultimate significance in a blind man being healed is not necessarily that the blind man sees again. The ultimate significance of Lazarus' sickness and death is not if Lazarus lives or dies.

The ultimate significance, the ultimate conclusion in all these things is the glorification of God and having His works revealed. And that's the significance in all the things that we go through as well. All the things in our life, all the things in our life that we go through, we are to glorify God until He glorifies us. The significance of all that happens in our life and even our death, just as true of Lazarus' life and death, is that it's all to be in the glorification of God and Jesus Christ.

Now, when we understand that, it's quite profound because it resets our focus. It re-establishes our purpose as one of God's called. Because it allows us to see that our whole life, our whole life ultimately, in this existence, only has its relevance in relation to His works being seen in us. It only has its relevance in the fact that His glory is seen through us. Again, that is that can cause a great centering in ourselves when we're going through tough times. That truth. And it's important to establish that right at this moment in this story.

Let's go back to chapter 11, if you will. Chapter 11. Let's read verse 4 again. Chapter 11, verse 4. When Jesus heard that He said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it. So, glorification. And that's important to establish again because we're about to get to verses 5, 6, and 7. And without that foundation, these verses may seem very inconsistent with each other. Look at verse 5 through 7 with this understanding now.

Now, Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard He was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this, He said to the disciples, let us go to Judea again. When He heard that Lazarus was sick, we might expect He loved Him so much, He would have just rushed off to Judea.

Right? Just rushed off. But what happened? No, it says He stayed two more days. It says He loved them, and then it says He stayed two more days before going after Him. So how are we to understand this delay? Well, it's by knowing the ultimate conclusion that is to be achieved. What's the ultimate conclusion to be achieved? The ultimate conclusion is for His works and His glory to be revealed.

And there is a great lesson in that for us this afternoon. When we have presented our prayer of request to God, and we have laid out our request to Him in prayer, laid out our concerns, poured out our hearts, sought for intervention for what elses us and what concerns us, we cannot then judge God's actions in light of our view of how they should work out from there. We do that, don't we? We ask God to intervene, but we've already determined maybe even subconsciously, how we want Him to intervene.

I want you to intervene in this way. I want you to do this healing in this way. I want this or that in this way, whatever it is. And when it doesn't happen the way in our expectation or in the time frame of our expectation, we decide then that that prayer was an answer to our satisfaction. But what are we learning here? What's the lesson? Sometimes God's ways are very mysterious.

Sometimes God's ways are very mysterious. How can you delay in this way, Jesus? How could you delay? Ecclesiastes 11 tells us, As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in a womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes everything. So don't judge God by your own understanding. Rather, rest in the knowledge that He's received your message and He loves you. Rest in that knowledge. Because whatever His delay may be, know He loves you. You don't have to understand, necessarily, the delay. Mary and Martha certainly would not understand the delay, would they? And we don't understand sometimes either why God is a way of understanding the way that He is.

Why God responds in the way He does. In the manner He does. We don't have to worry about that, though. You pray, you lay it out, you send that message, and then you rest in the knowledge that He's received it and He loves you. And He will respond in that love.

Boy, that is a profound understanding that John's given us here. And in everything that happens to us, our focus is on His glory and His works being seen through us. Being seen whatever we're going through. That's our focus. We want His glory to be seen. A glory that one day He's going to share with us, by the way. But that's not now. Our focus is His glory and His works being seen through whatever we're going through.

Well, Mary and Martha and Lazarus and the disciples, they were all about to discover this very thing. So He says, let's go back to Judea. Let's go to John 11 here in verse 8. Let's begin reading again in verse 8. Verse 8, Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone you.

And you're going there again. In the previous chapter we read that they did pick up stones to stone Him. So if Jesus goes back to Judea, very likely that's going to happen again. This may be a concern of the disciples. They're worrying about Jesus, but it also may be a concern in that they know that disciples followed their Master. And so they know that if He goes back, they'll be going back as well.

That fact is born out in verse 16. If you see this, I love this, from Thomas, verse 16. Then Thomas, who's called the twin, said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we might die with Him. And so Jesus Christ says, Let us go back to Judea. That means we're all going back to Judea. As a side note, certainly we can respond in that way, right? When Jesus says move, our answer often is, Are you sure that's a good idea, Jesus?

Well, Jesus continues here. Verse 9 and 10. Jesus answered, verse 9, Are there not 12 hours in a day? If anyone walks in a day, He does not stumble, because He sees the light of this world. That if one walks in the night, He stumbles because the light is not in Him. So, His concern, Jesus' concern is not primarily, of course, with the fact that it grows dark and it's hard to travel when it's dark.

His concern is the darkness of minds and the darkness of hearts of the men and women. The darkness of doubt. The darkness of thinking He's not in control. The darkness of thinking that stones could affect the Son of God. Only if He allowed it. The real problem men and women face is the darkness that confronts us from within. Not from without. This was the journey. This was a journey of Mary and Martha and the disciples, all of them. Continuing here, verses 11-15. These things He said, and after that He said to them, our friend Lazarus sleeps.

But I go that I may wake him up. And His disciples said, Lord, if He sleeps, He will get well. So they're still angling away not to go. He's going to be okay, right? We don't have to go. Verse 13. However, Jesus spoke of His death, but they thought He was speaking about taking a rest and sleep. Verse 14. Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead. I'm glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.

Nevertheless, let us go to Him. So they did. Let's continue here. Verse 17-19. Verse 17-19. So when Jesus came, He found that He, Lazarus, had already been in the tomb four days. Now, Bethany was near Jerusalem about two miles away, and many of the Jews had joined the women from Bethany there, joined the women around Mary and Martha to confront them concerning their brother. So we have the arrival of Jesus here. And something to point out here in verse 17. Here, when Jesus came, He found that He had already been in the tomb four days.

So this gives us a chronological reference here. Pinpoints. The timing from the time that the messenger left to the time that Jesus found Lazarus in the tomb, already dead for four days. So if you really think about it, we can deduce that maybe soon after the messenger left to give this message to Jesus, Lazarus died. Very soon after. How do we know that? Maybe it took a day for the messenger to get to Jesus, and then two days delay by Jesus, and then maybe a day back for Jesus to come back.

So there's your four days. So even without the two-day delay, very probable that Jesus would have arrived not to find Lazarus alive either way. One interesting side note, one of the Jewish beliefs of that time, it was an odd one and an incorrect one, was that the soul hovered around the grave for three days after the death of someone.

Some say three to seven days. The soul hovered around the grave before it moved on. That's where it was moving on to, I guess. So the mourning in Jewish context reached its height at this fourth day because they believed by this notion that the soul had now departed. Four days in the tomb. There's no possibility of us seeing Lazarus again here. So John records in verse 19 the crowd had gathered.

Many of the Jews had joined the women around Mary and Martha to comfort them concerning their brother. So they were sympathetic to the family, but they would have no doubt still been antagonistic against Jesus and his arrival here.

So let's continue. And we want to pay special attention here to the approach and the attitude of Martha. Verse 20-27. Now, Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him. But Mary was sitting in the house. Now, Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.

Jesus said, Your brother will rise again. And Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? She said to him, Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who has come into the world. Let's stop there. So, Martha, we're told in verse 20 here, when she heard Jesus was coming, she jumped up and went out to meet him.

She moved out. That certainly was true to her character. We remember in the well-known account in Luke 10 of Mary and Martha, Jesus arrives at their home there of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. And Martha was the one bustling around, if you remember, making the meal. So she jumps up, she reaches Jesus, and there in verse 21 she speaks right out. Look what she says. Lord, if you had only been here, my brother would not have died. That's quite a statement spoken to Jesus here. And you could read this in a way where it's as if she's rebuking him, can't you?

Lord, if you had only been here, or perhaps, you could read it in a way where it's actually an expression of faith. Lord, if you'd only been here, where she's saying, Lord, I know if you would have been here, Lazarus wouldn't have died. I believe you would have saved him. If you only could have been here, I know how much you loved him. Because in relation to the timing, as we mentioned, it's probable that the messenger had only gone just a short while before Lazarus died, when they sent him out to tell Jesus, and then Lazarus died.

Ugh! If you'd only been here, Lazarus may still be living. Maybe it's an expression of faith. It's an expression of grief, that's for sure. She's pouring out herself. And look at verse 22. But even now, I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you. So, you think in the back of her mind, she's still thinking. Well, I know if you still want to raise Lazarus, Jesus, I know you can do that. So maybe she's thinking that, but it may have just been for a short while.

Because if you go forward to verse 39 here, this is interesting. Verse 39, Jesus says, take away the stone. And who's the first person to say that's not a good idea? Martha, look at this. Verse 39. Jesus said, take away the stone. Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, Lord, by this time there is a stench. For he's been dead for four days.

What's the purpose in that? You're just going to discover my dead brother in there. Why would you do that? So in verse 22, she says, I know you can do anything. And then verse 29, 39, don't bother with rolling back that stone. So what's occurring here? Well, Martha's a lot like us, isn't she? Capable of great statements of faith and then also capable of being unable to walk in such great statements of faith. The waves of a trial lifted up by faith only to crash once again in doubt. Same is true with Martha here. And if you remember, we could presume that the messenger had already made it back to Martha within those four days and she had already delivered to Martha the strange message of verse 4, the sickness will not end in death No, it's for God's glory.

So she has this mysterious statement maybe, rolling through her mind, the sickness is not under death but he's so clearly dead. I think that's what you see here in the expressions of Martha. She's wrestling here with her faith. And now in verse 24, in response to Jesus' plain statement there that your brother will rise again, she affirms her faith once again.

She affirms her faith once again. But it's not in the immediate sense. Did you notice that? It's rather in a resurrection to come. Verse 24, Martha said to him, I know he'll rise again, but in the resurrection at the last day. So she's still in her mind here wrestling with the idea that Lazarus could rise up immediately. She's thinking of the last day, of course, the last day. And if you've ever lost a loved one, this is what happens, isn't it? You look in the Bible and you see the great promises and you believe in Jesus Christ.

You know He's the Son of God. But then in the next moment your heart is stirred to the depths. So you sway between grief and hope. She was moving between those two great things. This is very familiar to us, we know. She needed a renewing of her faith here and it's about to be given to her. Look at verse 25-27. Let's continue here. Verse 25-27. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live.

And whosoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? She said to Him, Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God who is to come into the world. Yes, Lord. She said to Him, I believe You are who You claim to be. I believe. A settled conviction here. And if you notice that Jesus doesn't say, I am the one who gives resurrection and gives life, which of course He does, but it's interesting.

He says, I am the resurrection and the life. So He's saying it's even more than that. I'm the source. I am the cause. I am the very fountain of life, He's saying. In which Jesus' present, resurrection and life are certain. Without Jesus' present, death remains. But Jesus conquers death, don't you know? And Jesus asked this question in verse 26, and it's really a question for all of us. Do you believe this? What strength of His own did Lazarus have in coming out? None. What hope did He have? None. Unless, unless there was one present who could conquer death.

And in verse 28 and following, Jesus is about to speak to Lazarus. And we have this climax of this incredible event. Let's read this, verse 28 through 44. And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary, and called Mary her sister, saying, The teacher has come, and he's calling for you. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into town, but was in the place where Martha had met him.

Then the Jews who were with her in the house and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, She is going to the tomb to weep there. Verse 32. Then when Mary came to where Jesus was, she saw him, fell down at his feet, saying to him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Therefore when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, he groaned in his spirit and was troubled.

And he said, Where have you laid him? And they said to him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, See how he loved him? And some of them said, Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept this man from dying? And then Jesus said, groaning in himself, he came to the tomb, it was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, Take away the stone.

Martha, the Mary of him who was dead, said to him, Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he's been dead for four days. Jesus said to her, Did I not say to you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God? And they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was laying. Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. And I know that you always hear me.

But because of the people who are standing by, I said this, that they may believe that you sent me. And when he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth! And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes. And his face was wrapped with a cloth, and Jesus said to them, Loose him and let him go. I'll stop there. Incredible.

So after Martha had this great declaration of faith there in verse 27, she went back and got her sister, pulled her aside, said these beautiful words. There may be no other more beautiful words for anyone to hear. The teacher is here. He's calling for you. Maybe the secrecy was because of the animosity against Jesus, or maybe more likely she wanted Mary to have this moment with Jesus and get out ahead of the crowd.

The teacher has come, is calling for you. And then verse 29, followed by an immediate response. As soon as she heard, she quickly arose, Mary did, and came to him. She wanted to be with him. The mourners follow, thinking she's going to be at the tomb to warn. So Mary reaches the place. Verse 32, she falls down at his feet. And so interesting here, isn't it? It says the same words to him that Martha said, Lord, if you had been here, verse 32, my brother would not have died.

So again, we said that was maybe a response of a mixture of faith and grief. This time it's offered in a posture of worship. She falls at his feet. So Jesus comes on the center stage here. He'll now come up and look out, and he's about to confront death.

And it's important for us to understand when we come to this moment, just to understand that it's not this isolated event that Jesus Christ is coming to. Let's think about all that has preceded this. Jesus Christ stepping upon this earth, humbling himself. All that was now going to come before was before him to come. His death and resurrection. It says he's confronted with Mary's weeping and the mourners also weeping. He looks out on this group. In verse 33 it says, he groaned in the spirit and was troubled.

Groaned and troubled. And these two words here. The word groaned. Very interesting word. It's a Greek word. And it's a word which is used for the snorting of a horse. The snorting of a horse.

Used at various times to describe that. So it's a deep, wrenching, groaning, moved in a spirit. Very graphic word here. And this word troubled. Just as deep. This is the same word that is used to describe that Jesus Christ was troubled at his betrayal. Same feeling inside of him when he testified, one of you is going to betray me. It's the same sense, the same troubling deep within his soul as he looks out on this crowd.

So keep that in mind as we come to this moment in verse 34 and 35 and he said, Where have you laid him? They said, Him, Lord, come and see. Verse 35, Jesus wept. Shortest verse in the whole Bible we know. And there has been so much commentary, so many sermons given to try to reach the depth of those two words.

Jesus wept. What an expression from our Creator. And how could you grasp such depth of all that that means? Maybe the real question is to ask why. Why did Jesus weep? We could say, and I believe it's in the overflow of the one who is described as the Great High Priest, the one who was touched with our infirmities. He feels what we feel. Sympathizes, truly sympathizes what we go through here in this earth.

He didn't weep because Lazarus was dead. He was about to raise him up. He didn't weep because of that. Rather, Jesus looks out on the sealed tomb, listens to the wailing crowd, and he's confronted with the iron grip of death. Death, the last enemy to be destroyed. And he snorts. He sees all these men and women. He knows. They don't know how to cope with death. Death has a hold on them.

They're trapped by their suffering. Death has overtaken them all. Death has overtaken them all. Their doubt, their emptiness. Beyond it all, the sin which has a hold on them. And he snorts at death. Snorts at it all. And then he weeps.

Jesus Christ, the one who has come to deal with the sting of death. To destroy it once and for all. He now sees it in all of its wretchedness.

But, he stands at this moment not as a helpless spectator. He stands at this moment, rather, as a death conqueror.

His glories we now sing. Who died and rose on high. Who died eternal life to bring. And lives that death may die.

So here we are, verse 43 and 44. Verse 43. Now when he said these things, he cried out with a loud voice. Lazarus, come forth. And he who died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes. His face was wrapped with a cloth. And Jesus said to them, Loose him and let him go. So he cries out with this loud voice. Come forth! Lazarus, come forth! How could he give such a command? Well, he is the resurrection. And he is the life. Lazarus comes out with his grave clothes still on. He says, take him off. Get those grave clothes off him. Loose him, death. Stairs death straight in the face. And says, Loose him and let him go.

How could Lazarus die and come back to life? Ah, he heard the voice. The voice which makes the dead hear. Jesus speaks and in listening to his voice, new life, the dead receive. And in the same way. In the same way. Just as Lazarus was brought back to physical life, in the same way Jesus Christ brings life to the deadness of men and women spiritually. And soon, he will speak the same words. Do you believe this? These words come forth? Well, we'll conclude today with those future words. Let's read those words now. John 5 and verse 25-29. Let's see this future command. John 5 and verse 25-28. Do you believe? Do you believe Jesus once again will come? Look out upon his loved ones and speak these same words. John 5. Well, let's read verses 25-29. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is. When the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who will hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself, and has given him authority to execute Jesus, and to have life in himself. And has given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of Man. Verse 28-29. Do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice, and come forth. Those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation. Let's stop there. Ah! You just see how beautiful this record is of the death of Lazarus, because it's a foretaste. It's a foretaste of all that will become true of the first fruit to have fallen asleep. Do you believe this? Believe it, and believe that the Teacher is now coming, and he's calling for you. And if you will hear him today, one day you will hear that command. Come forth, and you will be raised. Raised as the first fruit. Your grave clothes will be removed, and he will say to death, Loose him, and let him go. For he or she is to live with me forever.

Thank you.