WE SERVE AN AWESOME GOD // Pastor Michael Jackson | St. John 11:11-43
Summary of John 11:11–43
🔷Jesus learns that His friend Lazarus has died. He tells His disciples that Lazarus is only “asleep,” meaning He will raise him from the dead, so that God may be glorified and their faith strengthened. When Jesus arrives in Bethany, Martha meets Him and expresses her faith, saying that if He had been there, her brother wouldn’t have died—but she still believes God will grant whatever He asks. Jesus assures her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.”
Then Mary comes to Jesus weeping, and others follow her. Seeing their sorrow, Jesus is deeply moved and weeps with them—the shortest verse in Scripture: “Jesus wept.” He goes to the tomb, where Lazarus has been dead four days. Though people protest about the stench, Jesus tells them to believe and they will see God’s glory.
He prays aloud, thanking the Father for hearing Him, and then commands, “Lazarus, come forth!” Immediately, Lazarus comes out of the tomb, still bound in grave clothes, and Jesus instructs them to free him.
Points of Emphasis
• Jesus’ compassion and humanity
• His divine power over death
• Faith in Jesus as the source of resurrection and eternal life
• God’s glory revealed through miraculous works