Sermon Video -- Miracles of Jesus Part 7: Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead

SERMON: THE MIRACLES OF JESUS, PART 7 -- LAZARUS RAISED FROM THE DEAD

I.  Introduction

      -- turn in Bibles to John 11:1-4

1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

      -- skip down to verse 17

17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles[b] from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

      -- one more -- skip down to verse 43

43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

      -- because Kim and I both work and tend to have crazy schedules -- constantly running from here to there -- it’s rare for us to find time to actually make a plan and go out and buy enough groceries to get us through the week -- we tend to make supper plans on the fly -- and this results in us going to the store too many times throughout the week

      -- so, what happens is we call each other and get an idea of what’s going on that day and that night and make a decision about supper -- and one of us will run to the store and pick up whatever it is we need -- and, because I work out at Moody, it’s generally easier for me to just swing by and pick up stuff at the store on my way home from work

      -- it works out well -- Kim will give me a list over the phone and I’ll write down everything she needs and, honestly, I can get through a grocery store in a hurry with a list -- I don’t just shop -- I go in like it’s a mission -- usually, we get the same stuff, and I know where it is and I can run in, grab just what I need, and come out in a matter of minutes

      -- but, occasionally, I get tripped up -- for instance, one day Kim sent me to the store to get stuff for hamburgers, and I came home with a large pack of sausage that wasn’t on the list -- and she asked why I got them -- honestly, she’s quit asking now -- she’s knows it’s useless

      -- here’s what happened -- I was running through the store with my list -- knowing exactly what I needed and where it was at -- I was dodging people in buggies -- and skirting around families with little kids in tow -- when it happened -- I smelled sausage -- and I love sausage -- and I was hungry -- I had been at work all day -- so I followed my nose right to the meat department where the store had a woman set up with a grill cooking sausage right there in the store -- she was handing out free samples -- she made me try two different kinds -- and I walked out of there with an entire, family-sized pack of sausage that I had never intended on purchasing

      -- so, what does my purchase of sausage have to do with our study in the Bible today? -- I’m glad you asked

      -- we’ve been going over this sermon series on the miracles of Jesus from the Book of John -- when we started this series, I told you that there were seven miracles given to us in this narrative -- and how it was important that there were seven -- in the Bible, the number seven indicates completeness -- perfection -- wholeness -- it is seen as God’s number, and indicates the completion and perfection of His work -- so, taken together, these seven miracles were given to show us the complete and perfect working of God through Jesus in His earthly ministry

      -- we also talked about how these miracles were given to us as signs that pointed us to who Jesus was and what His purpose in coming to earth was -- through these miracles, we learned more about the attributes and nature and power of Christ -- and they pointed to the reason for which He came -- Jesus didn’t come just to preach and teach and heal for three years and show us how to live as Christians -- no, as we all know, Jesus came to die on the cross for our sins -- to give us eternal life through His atoning sacrifice and to prove His victory over sin and death through His resurrection

      -- the miracles point to this ministry -- every miracle was a sign -- from the turning of the water into wine and His using the water purification jars as holders for the wine because the Jews would no longer have to seek temporary purification through religious rituals -- to the healing of the official’s son, the paralytic man, and the blind man -- pointing to Jesus’ healing of our bodies and souls that would come from the cross -- and, now, His final miracle in this gospel -- the raising of Lazarus from the dead -- pointing to His ultimate purpose in coming to earth -- to be the resurrection and the life for a people living in darkness

      -- so, just like those sausage samples led me to purchase the whole pack of sausages, each of these miracles was like a sample of who God is and why Jesus came -- it was just a taste that promised more -- it was just a bite -- to introduce us to the One who came to save us -- body, mind, soul, and spirit -- so that, we might receive the whole package of Jesus

      -- so that, we might become one with Him and one with each other -- made holy and pure and reconciled to the Father through His body and blood

      -- the miracles were small glimpses of heaven -- small samples of grace -- that pointed us to Jesus

      -- this miracle we are looking at today -- the raising of Lazarus from the dead -- marks a pivotal point in this gospel -- no more miracles are recorded by John after this event -- from this point on, the focus of the gospel of John is on the fulfillment of the purpose of Jesus’ coming to earth -- His death and resurrection -- that is why this miracle is the last -- it is the overarching miracle -- the final sign that foreshadows the good news that the Messiah has come to bring life to us all

      -- so, let us end our time together in this study of the miracles of Jesus by looking at one of the most familiar stories in the entire Bible -- the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead

II. Scripture Lesson (John 11)

      -- this is a long story -- it takes up almost all of John Chapter 11 -- and there is just way too much for me to unpack this morning -- so, we’re just going to hit the highlights that are relevant to our purposes today

      -- if you would, look with me now at John 11, and we’ll start in verse 1

1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

      -- the family of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus are mentioned several times in the gospels -- you’re probably familiar with the story of Martha getting upset at Mary because she wasn’t helping with a meal in honor of Jesus one time -- that happened some time before the events of John 11

      -- Mary, Martha, and Lazarus all lived in Bethany, a small town about a mile and half east of Jerusalem on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives -- there is some indication that Martha and Mary may have lived by themselves and that Lazarus may have had his own home there in Bethany, but that’s just a guess based on the context and interpretation of the various passages -- what we do know is that Jesus loved them and spent time in their homes and was comfortable there -- even when the world was persecuting Him and plotting against Him, He found refuge and peace in their home

      -- so, when Jesus’ friend Lazarus takes ill, the sisters do what we all should do in such a situation -- they cried out to Jesus -- “The one you love is sick” -- we all know what they mean, even though they didn’t come out and say it -- “Lazarus is sick -- come heal him”

      -- they knew Jesus could do that -- they had seen the miracles -- they knew about the paralytic man and the official’s son and the blind man -- they knew that if Jesus came, He would certainly heal Lazarus

      -- but look what Jesus says in verse 4 -- this is key

4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

      -- God had a plan -- Lazarus’ sickness was going to result in Jesus’ greatest ministry and miracle outside of the cross -- this was going to be the ultimate demonstration of God’s grace and mercy and power so that God would receive glory and Jesus would be glorified through it

      -- verse 17

17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles[b] from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

      -- by the time Jesus reached Bethany, Lazarus has died -- Mary and Martha’s homes were filled with mourners -- with people from Jerusalem who had come to grieve with them -- to share in this time of loss -- we understand these verses -- we’ve lived these verses -- we know exactly how this felt to Mary and Martha and their friends

      -- remember, Jesus said this sickness would not end in death -- that this happened because it was intended for God’s glory -- we know this -- but Mary and Martha didn’t -- they’re hurting -- they’re grieving -- they’ve lost their brother -- and their only hope didn’t come in time to save him

      -- verse 20 is what I call a pregnant verse -- there’s a lot of meaning in there -- there’s a lot going on there -- it reminds me of C.S. Lewis’ novel, “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe” -- if you remember the opening of that book, the land of Narnia is held in the grip of cold and darkness -- with little hope that spring will come, bringing light and life to their land once more -- but rumors and whispers can be heard throughout the land -- “Aslan is coming, Aslan is on the move”

      -- that’s what I picture here -- even while the people are grieving -- even while the mourners are comforting Mary and Martha in their home -- the word goes before Jesus and fills the ears and hearts of everyone along the way -- “Jesus is coming…Jesus is coming”

      -- those words bring hope where hope is lost -- those words bring healing where sickness abounds -- those words bring life where death is found

      -- Martha heard those words -- with a broken heart and without knowing what Jesus could do in this situation, she went out to meet Him

      -- “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died -- but even now, God will give You whatever You ask” -- this is a declaration of faith -- Martha’s come a long way from being just concerned about putting together a meal for a friend -- she’s come to believe in who Jesus is -- that He is one that God uses to bring healing -- and now she’s asking for the ultimate act of healing, if that is even possible

      -- Jesus replies to her in verses 25 and 26 with a pronouncement that is second only to His pronouncement from the cross, “It is finished!” -- as she acknowledges her faith in the resurrection at the last day, Jesus responds by telling her, “I am the resurrection and the life -- he who believes in Me will live, even though he dies -- and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die”

      -- this is why Jesus came -- this is what all the miracles were pointing to -- the promise of the resurrection and the promise of eternal life -- it’s important to note both are promised here -- To resurrect something means you bring it back from the dead -- It shows power over death -- To bring something to life means that you give it new life -- it become a new creation -- the old has passed -- the new has come -- that is the promise Jesus is giving Martha here

      -- remember that Jesus ultimately came to do two things for us -- To save us from our sins -- to break the bonds of sin and death -- the eternal death that was keeping us separated from God forever -- and, He came to give us life -- not just to resurrect us, but to make us new -- to give us eternal life -- life with Him -- that begins, not at death, but at the moment someone believes in faith and receives Jesus as their Lord and Savior -- as Jesus said in John 10:10, I have come that you may have life, life to the full -- abundant life -- not just in the future, but here -- now -- on earth

      -- Martha’s faith is made complete on hearing this power “I AM” statement from Jesus -- she boldly proclaims her faith and says, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world”

      -- that’s the whole purpose of the miracles -- that’s the whole reason Jesus turned the water into wine and healed the sick and the lame and walked on the water and fed the 5,000 -- it wasn’t just to draw a crowd

      -- it was to bring them to this point where Martha is right now -- believing that He was the Son of God -- believing that He was the Messiah -- believing that He was the Savior God who came to make us new

      -- skip down to verse 38

38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

      -- the NIV tells us that when Jesus saw Mary and the other Jews weeping with grief at the death of Lazarus that He was deeply moved in His spirit and troubled -- other translations say that the sight of Mary and the Jews weeping stirred Jesus to anger

            -- what caused such extreme emotions in Jesus? -- was it just the loss of a friend -- of someone He loved? -- no, I don't think so -- I think it was related to the reason for which He had come

            -- Jesus was moved in His spirit -- He became troubled and angry -- not just at the loss of His friend Lazarus -- but at the power and control that sin and death had on the human race

            -- it was not God's original intent for sin and death to bind us in chains -- it was not God's original intent for us to live in fear of death -- this all happened in the Garden of Eden when Satan tempted Adam and Eve and caused them to bring sin into this world -- separating them from God and causing them to die spiritually -- this is what deeply moved Jesus -- this is what made Him troubled in His spirit -- this is what made Him angry

            -- so, Jesus asked to be taken to the place where Lazarus lay -- and He stood at the door of that tomb, facing a stone that separated the dead from Himself -- He told them to move the stone away -- to get rid of it, for it would no longer be needed

            -- Martha and the others protested -- they couldn’t move the stone -- it needed to be there -- they always put a stone on the grave of those who had died -- but, remember, this is a sign -- this sign is announcing that the old ways of death were done -- things had changed because Jesus had come

            -- so, the stone was removed -- and Jesus prayed to the Father in the hearing of those gathered there at the tomb -- and, in a loud voice, He called out, "Lazarus, come forth"

            -- can you imagine what that sounded like? -- can you imagine the power that went forth in that call to Lazarus? -- think about it -- the same voice that spoke life into being at the start of time now spoke life into the dead -- all creation -- all of heaven and all of earth -- would have reverberated with the power of Jesus calling Lazarus from the grave

            -- and, then it happened -- Lazarus came out -- "take off the grave clothes," Jesus said, "and let Lazarus go" -- with these words -- with this miracle and with this act of removing the clothes that bound Lazarus in his death -- Jesus proclaimed Himself as the Resurrection and the Life -- He proclaimed Himself the Messiah -- God in the flesh -- God with us

            -- Lazarus was freed -- not only from the cold grip of death in the tomb -- but from the power of Satan and from the power of sin and death that had held this world in bondage for thousands of years

            -- this was the miracle that pointed to the cross -- and the resurrection of Lazarus was but a taste -- it was but a small sample -- of the blessed hope we all now have through Jesus

III.  Closing

            -- and, so, we come to the end -- the miracles of Jesus have been completed -- the signs have been given -- everything has pointed the people to Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah -- and, as the Son of Man is lifted up on the cross -- bearing the sins of the world upon Himself -- He calls on us to see Him and believe

            -- this was John’s purpose in writing his gospel -- this was Jesus’ purpose in doing what He had done -- turning water into wine -- healing the sick and the blind and the lame -- feeding the 5,000 -- walking on water -- and raising Lazarus from the dead -- these were done for the purpose of proclaiming the promise of the cross -- of proclaiming the Resurrection and the Life -- of proclaiming hope for you and for me

            -- as we end our study in these miracles of Jesus, I want to leave you with this final thought -- the miracles of Jesus recorded in the gospels were given for a particular purpose -- they were done for a reason -- but, miracles still continue to this very day -- Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever -- the same God that raised from the dead and healed the sick and the blind and the lame still works in the lives of people in our day and age

            -- miracles may be rare -- God may not choose to heal those we love -- He may allow trials and troubles into our lives -- we have to remember that God’s focus is always on the eternal, not on the temporal -- and our present-day sufferings are nothing when compared to the glory that awaits

            -- yet still, although rare, miracles in this plane do occur -- we have to believe -- we have to trust and have faith -- and we have to accept God’s will, regardless of whether He moves in a supernatural way and does a miracle in our lives or not

            -- as Pat Robertson pointed out:  "It is better to ask confidently for supernatural help, even expect it - and sometimes be disappointed - than not to risk asking at all -- God, of course, can do what He wants, regardless of the faith or expectations of any human being -- But it's part of His scheme of things in the universe to involve men and women in His work - including miraculous work."

            -- so, here’s the take-home message from this study of the miracles of Jesus -- miracles still occur -- Jesus still works in the lives of His people -- and He calls us to join Him in praying and working and serving God in this world today, keeping in mind our ultimate calling, which is to share the good news of His coming, His atoning death, and His resurrection with those around us

            -- let us pray

Sermon Video -- Miracles of Jesus, Part 6: Jesus heals the blind man

SERMON: THE MIRACLES OF JESUS, PART 6 -- THE HEALING OF THE BLIND MAN

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to John 9:1-12

John 9:1-12 New International Version (NIV)

1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

            -- I don’t know of any of you have been down Bemiss Road towards Moody Air Force Base from Valdosta lately, but they just installed a new traffic light at the intersection of Bemiss with the Forrest Street Extension -- this is the way I usually I drive -- and that can be a hard intersection to get through -- so I was glad to see the light go in

            -- when the put the light up, they didn’t immediately activate it -- instead, they put up huge neon caution lights with the message, “Traffic Light will activate on Sept 19” -- and they left that sign up for about two weeks

            -- so, the light’s been there for a little over a week now, and everyone is getting used to it -- or, so I thought -- when I was going home Friday, I merged over into the left turn lane behind another car to take a left onto Forrest Street Extension -- the light was red, and had been so for some time

            -- the car in front of me pulled up to the intersection -- the driver looked at the traffic -- and made an immediate left across Bemiss Road -- blindly running the red light -- luckily, there was no cross traffic, and they made it across safely -- it was almost like he didn’t see the light -- he didn’t the sign -- he was just going through the routine that he had probably done for the last twenty years in order to beat the traffic and get across the intersection

            -- this morning, we’re going to look at a passage where a group of people in the Bible are doing the exact same thing -- there’s a new sign in town -- and even though there’s been huge neon caution lights up announcing a change, these people are blind to the sign -- they’re still doing business in the same old way -- they’re doing the same old thing they’ve always done and are following the same old routines and traditions they’ve always followed -- they’re not paying attention to the sign before them -- and they’re going to miss what’s coming

            -- as you know, we’ve been in a sermon series on the miracles of Jesus as recorded in the Book of John -- John tells us these miracles were given as signs to the people that the Messiah had come to Israel -- and, last week, we talked about the audiences that were given the signs -- how the miracles targeted specific people and specific groups

            -- so far, only one miracle has been performed in Jerusalem -- the healing of the paralytic man by the Pool of Siloam -- as we discussed when we looked at that miracle, that healing was an initial sign given to the people of Jerusalem that the Messiah had come -- the healing by that pool had spiritual significance, as it was related to the drawing of water from the pool as an offering during the Feast of Tabernacles

            -- it was also the initial pronouncement by Jesus to the Jewish leaders -- especially the Pharisees -- that Jesus was in town and that He was proclaiming Himself to be the long-awaited Messiah -- if you remember, Jesus specifically healed the paralytic man on the Sabbath, which provoked the long-standing traditions of the Pharisees

            -- in the miracle we are looking at today -- the healing of the blind man -- Jesus once again sends a direct message and sign to the Pharisees and the Priests that He has come by healing the blind man on the Sabbath, just like He did the paralytic man -- He’s already been debating the Pharisees in the temple courts -- they’re already plotting against Him because of the miracles on the Sabbath and because of His declaration in John 8:58 that “before Abraham was born, I Am,” essentially claiming to be God in the flesh

            -- and now Jesus continues to confront the Pharisees by once again healing someone on the Sabbath in violation of the man-made rules the Pharisees had enacted -- keep in mind, Jesus isn’t doing this just to start a fight -- His actions are flashing, neon lights that are announcing the Messiah has come -- He’s trying to get the Pharisees to see past their religion -- past their man-made rules and ideas about who God is and what the Messiah is going to look like

            -- He’s trying to reach their hearts -- He’s trying to bring them to a place of repentance and forgiveness, so that they might be saved through faith in Him -- but, they’re blind to the signs -- running the red lights so that their religious traditions might not be challenged

            -- the interesting thing in this story is that the blind man saw Jesus, but the Pharisees didn’t

            -- let’s look now at the story of Jesus healing the blind man from John 9 and see what we can learn from this passage

II.  Scripture Lesson (John 9:1-12)

            -- verse 1

1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

            -- so, John tells us that while Jesus is in Jerusalem for the Feast of the Tabernacles, He and His disciples are walking along and happen upon a man who was blind -- we can assume this man is probably sitting by the road begging, as someone who was blind in Jesus’ day probably didn’t have any other way to make a living

            -- the disciples pointed the man out to Jesus and immediately assumed that the man was suffering because of sin -- either his own or his parents

            -- this idea that suffering came through sin was a common idea in Jesus’ day -- there is some truth to this belief -- we know that -- we have experienced that in our own lives -- people suffer because of the consequences of their sins -- and, sometimes, others suffer because they are affected by those same sins -- we all know people whose sins have caused families to divide, affecting spouses and children for decades -- we all know people whose addictions affect not only themselves, but their whole families -- we all have seen the effect of sin in the case of crime and violence and war -- sin can cause suffering -- there is no doubt about that -- but, as Jesus points out here, not all suffering is caused by sin

            -- some suffering happens because we live in a fallen world -- we live in a world that has been corrupted through the original sin of Adam and Eve -- and, as we move farther and farther away from the perfection of Creation, this world continues to decay and degrade -- our environment is affected -- we suffer from storms and natural disasters -- we suffer from maladies caused by disease and sickness -- this is part of living in a fallen world -- suffering is a part of life

            -- this is part of the reason why the Father sent Jesus to earth -- He came to not only heal and save us from our sins, but to heal this land -- as the Bible and our Christmas songs proclaim, the Messiah has come to bring healing “as far as the curse is found” -- Paul said that all Creation was groaning in anticipation of the coming of the Messiah and the healing He would bring

            -- sometimes God protects us from the consequences of our sins and the sins of others -- sometimes God protects us from the suffering inherent in this fallen world -- but, sometimes, He allows us to experience pain and suffering for His purposes -- trials and tribulations can grow us -- they can mature our faith in Jesus -- and they can be opportunities for God to touch our lives in miraculous ways

            -- that’s the very point that Jesus was trying to make to His disciples here -- in response to the disciples’ question about sin in the life of this man, Jesus said that his blindness was not the result of any sin -- instead, the Father had allowed it into his life in order that the work of God might be displayed

            -- when you see someone in pain -- when you see someone suffering -- you shouldn’t immediately assume it’s because of their sin -- it may be because of another reason -- God may have allowed that suffering into their lives for a purpose

            -- Jesus is trying to teach His disciples and us that we should not judge -- we should not seek to cast blame or condemn someone for the place where they are -- instead, we should do the work of Him who has called us -- as long as it is light -- as long as the presence of God is here in this place and we are His people -- saved by His name and called to His hands and feet in this world -- we should seek to help those around us -- to reach out to them in the name of Jesus -- to bring comfort and healing to their bodies and minds and spirits, so that they might come to know and experience God in a miraculous way

            -- our question should never be, “What did you do to get in this situation?” -- instead, it should be, “How can I help?”

            -- verse 6

6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

            -- so, Jesus spit on the ground, made mud with His saliva, and put it on the eyes of the blind man -- He told him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam -- the pool of healing -- the pool known in Jerusalem as the Pool of the Messiah

            -- “Go and wash,” Jesus said -- “Go and make yourself clean” -- and the man did just as Jesus commanded -- he went and washed the mud from his eyes and came home seeing

            -- Jesus had just proclaimed to His disciples in verse 5 that He was the light of the world -- and, immediately, we see Him bringing light to a man who had lived forever in darkness

            -- you need to understand why this miracle of bringing sight to the blind was such a bold pronouncement of the coming of the Messiah -- this was one of the signs prophesied by Isaiah in the Old Testament

            -- in Isaiah 35:5-6, Isaiah said that when the Messiah came, “the eyes of the blind will be opened -- the ears of the deaf unstopped -- the lame will leap like a deer -- and the mute tongue will shout for joy” -- and in Isaiah 42:6-7, Isaiah wrote that the Messiah would be a covenant for the people -- a light for the Gentiles -- and that He came to “open eyes that are blind -- to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness”

            -- when the people of Jerusalem saw this healing, they knew what it meant -- it was a sign of the Messiah in their midst -- people weren’t just healed of blindness -- sometimes, healing from disease happened -- the sick got better -- sometimes, healing from lameness happened -- bones were reset -- muscles came back together -- people could walk again -- but blindness? -- no one ever recovered from blindness

            -- when the people saw this man walking along seeing, they just couldn’t believe it -- some wouldn’t even believe it was the same person

            -- that’s common when Jesus touches someone’s life -- their lives are changed -- and, sometimes, they’re changed so radically, that we just can’t believe it’s the same person -- we’ve all heard testimonies from people who were criminals -- who were bound up in addictions -- who lived terrible lives -- and who were touched by Jesus and were healed and changed in a miraculous way -- that’s what’s going on here -- this man was blind, but now he can see -- a walking billboard proclaiming the coming of the Messiah

            -- everyone wants to know how this happened -- everyone wants to hear his testimony -- it’s the same with us -- when Jesus changes our lives, people want to know how it happened -- when Jesus does something miraculous through us or through this church, they’re going to be drawn to this place to find out what’s going on

            -- they people asked him, “How were your eyes opened?” -- and when he told them that Jesus did it, their next question was, “Where is this Man?”

            -- they know what the healing means -- they know that Jesus is the Messiah -- and now they are looking for Him -- they saw the sign and believed -- but others didn’t

            -- we’re not going to finish this chapter today -- but, as this chapter continues, we see the Pharisees investigating the healing of the blind man -- they want to know how this happened -- who did it -- and what it means

            -- this miracle was a sign from Jesus to everyone in Jerusalem -- but, especially to the Pharisees who wouldn’t believe Jesus when He proclaimed “I Am” in their presence

III.  Closing

            -- someone once asked Helen Keller, “Isn’t blindness the worst handicap a person can have?” -- she replied, “no, it’s far worse to have eyes and not be able to see”

            -- spiritual blindness was not just a problem in first century AD -- it’s a problem that continues to plague us -- everyday we walk past people who are blind -- they just don’t know it -- their eyes are closed to the spiritual reality of God in this world -- their eyes are closed to their need for a Savior -- their eyes are closed to the healing and forgiveness that is offered to them through Jesus

            -- our calling this morning is to be a sign to this world -- to look for the blind around us -- but, unlike the disciples, to not blame them for their blindness but to reach out to them with healing hands and healing words

            -- in his song, “Fingerprints of God,” Steven Curtis Chapman points out that the signs of God’s presence in our lives is always visible, if we but look -- just like the sign that Jesus gave the Pharisees and the people of Jerusalem by healing the blind man, God is constantly speaking to us today and giving us and others signs of His presence and calling in our lives

            -- we just need to learn to see with eyes of faith so that we might receive His healing and experience His grace in our lives -- and we need to learn to reach out to others so that they might experience a miracle through Jesus’ healing touch

            -- miracles still happen today -- Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever -- He still touches lives and changes hearts -- He still brings healing -- physically and spiritually -- and He has invited us to join Him in this ministry

            -- as we leave here today, I want to encourage you to open your eyes and look for the blind -- reach out to them -- give them the message of the cross -- give them the message of Jesus -- and be a sign to this world of what Jesus can do

            -- let us pray

Sermon video -- Miracles of Jesus, Part 5: Jesus walks on water

SERMON: THE MIRACLES OF JESUS, PART 5 -- JESUS WALKS ON THE WATER

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to John 6:15-21

John 6:15-21 New International Version (NIV)

15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

            -- one time, the great American humorist Mark Twain went on a vacation to the Holy Land with his wife -- one night, they were they were staying in Tiberius on the shores of the Sea of Galilee -- the night they were there was one of those perfect nights -- the moon was shining -- the weather was perfect -- it was a picture-perfect romantic setting -- so, Twain decided to take his wife out on the lake in a boat to enjoy the night and to enjoy each other’s company

            -- They walked down to the pier by the hotel -- Twain asked a man sitting in a rowboat how much he would charge to row them out on the water for a little while -- Twain was dressed in his usual white suit, white shoes, and white Texas hat

            -- The oarsman looked at him for a moment and evidently decided that he must be a wealthy rancher from the USA -- he said, "Well, I guess about twenty-five dollars" -- which was an awful lot of money then -- Twain thanked him, and, as he turned away with his wife on his arm, he said, "Now I know why Jesus walked across!"

            [modified from: Ward Williams, "Walking on Water," SermonNotes.com]

            -- this morning, we are continuing in our sermon series on the miracles of Jesus as recorded in the Book of John -- if you remember, John records for us seven miracles in his gospel account -- we’ve already looked at four of these -- this morning, we’re looking at number five -- Jesus walking on the water

            -- remember, these miracles were done for a reason, and John makes that very clear in his account of them -- everything Jesus did had a purpose -- it had meaning -- even His miracles -- and these were given as signs by Jesus

            -- the miracles were as a sign to the people of who Jesus was -- they proclaimed to the world that He was the Messiah -- the very Son of God -- God Himself in the flesh

            -- and, they were a sign to the people that pointed to the reason Jesus had come -- which was vastly different than what the Jews had envisioned -- as we just read in verse 15, the Jews were looking for a Messiah who would be an earthly king -- a Messiah who would restore David’s kingdom on earth -- who would defeat the Roman and cleanse the holy land and restore the Jews back to their place of prominence

            -- but, as we all know, that was not why Jesus came -- that was not the reason God sent Jesus as the Messiah to earth at this time -- the King came to die -- He came to offer Himself as the final atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world -- to reconcile us to the Father -- and to give us eternal life through faith in Him

            -- this is what His ministry demonstrated to the people -- this was what His miracles showed -- this was the sign to the people

II.  The Purpose of the Signs

            -- so, that’s why every miracle -- every sign -- given to us by Jesus is different -- different miracles -- different settings -- different events -- different purposes -- different audiences

            -- the first miracle -- the turning of the water into wine -- was a sign to Jesus’ new followers -- to those handful of fishermen who followed Him when He told them, “come,” by the Sea of Galilee

            -- if you think about it, Peter, James, John, Andrew, and the others really don’t know who Jesus is at this point -- they know He is a rabbi -- they sense He is different -- some of them are beginning to think He might even be the Messiah -- but, they really don’t know -- their faith and trust and belief in Him is in the fledgling stage -- they’re just following Him as they followed John the Baptist earlier

            -- so, Jesus gives them a sign -- He uses the opportunity of the wine running out at an ordinary wedding to point to Himself as the Messiah who has come to purify the world through His very own blood -- we see this in the miracle of water turning to wine when Jesus converts the water jars from their intended purpose as purifying vessels and when He makes the wine appear, which represents for us the blood of Christ and the New Covenant

            -- this was an important sign, given primarily to His handful of followers, to help them know who it was they were following

            -- the sign from the healing of the official’s son was once again given to just a handful of people -- Jesus’ disciples, the official, and his household -- it was intended to grow the faith of the official and to confirm to the disciples that Jesus was empowered by God to fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah in regards to healing the sick, the lame, and the blind -- it pointed to the spiritual healing that Jesus would do on the cross -- and this miracle resulted in an evangelistic movement in Capernaum, as the official told others of the miracle and they began to put their faith and trust in Jesus

            -- the healing of the man by the pool was a sign ultimately given to multiple people in Jerusalem -- it was Jesus’ announcement that the Messiah had arrived -- we didn’t go into great depth about the spiritual significance of the Pool of Siloam to the Jews when we talked about this miracle -- but during the Feast of Tabernacles, the priests would lead a procession of worshipers to the stream that flowed south of the temple in Jerusalem within the walls of the city -- eventually making their way to the Pool of Siloam, through which the stream flowed

            -- men holding shofars would line the procession route and would sound them loudly as the priests passed along the route and then walked down the steps to the pool -- once there, the priest would kneel at the pool and draw three "logs" of water -- about two quarts -- from the pool

            -- the next morning, the people would gather in the outer court of the temple to celebrate the offering of the water -- there were two holes in the altar for liquid offerings -- a larger hole where wine was poured and a smaller hole reserved for the water offering of Sukkot

            -- this offering of the water from the Pool of Siloam was accompanied by the reading of Psalms that prophesied the coming of the Messiah -- and the people would cry out for the redemption and healing of the Messiah

            -- through this miracle of healing the paralytic man by the pool, Jesus proclaimed He was the Messiah to the disciples, the man who was healed, and to the Pharisees who heard the testimony of the man

            -- in the feeding of the five thousand, we see Jesus carrying His message to the people, as the miracle proclaimed Jesus as the God who provides -- that He was the Messiah -- the very same God who provided manna in the wilderness -- each time, the audience who witness the miracles grows and more and more people come to know Jesus as the Messiah through the signs He is giving

            -- but, in the miracle we are looking at this morning -- Jesus walking on the water -- the message is not for the people -- it is just for the chosen Twelve -- this was a miracle given just for them, and no one else -- as we will see, He wanted to demonstrate to them that they could rely on Him even if He they couldn’t see Him -- just because we can’t see Jesus or His Spirit doesn’t mean He isn’t there

III.  Scripture Lesson (John 6:15-21)

            -- with that long introduction, let’s dig into this passage and see what we can glean from this familiar story of Jesus walking on the water

            -- look back at verse 15

15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

            -- all right, so this verse comes at the end of the story of Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5000 -- as we talked about, the people didn’t understand the role of the Messiah -- they were looking for an earthly king -- and, after receiving the sign that Jesus gave them through the miracle of multiplying the bread, the people decided that Jesus was the Messiah -- He would be their king -- and they intended to make Him king by force

            -- that’s a problem we sometimes have -- we want to force God to do our will, rather than ask that His will be done -- the people came up with the idea that Jesus should be king, and they told God to bless their idea, and then they were going to make it happen, whether He wanted it or not

            -- Jesus knew their intent -- He knew they had misunderstood -- He knew that even the disciples had gotten caught up in the moment -- and, like we see so many times, He withdrew from the crowd and went up on a mountain by Himself -- Matthew tells us that Jesus went to the mountain for the express purpose of praying and spending time alone with the Father -- probably, to pray about the response of the people

            -- verse 16

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough.

            -- apparently, Jesus had directed His disciples to go on across the lake to Capernaum by themselves -- it is implied that He would meet them there -- that He would join them later

            -- so, they get in the boat and set off across the lake late that evening -- it is dark -- they only have the lanterns in the boat by which to see -- and, as they head across, a strong wind begins to buffet the boat

            -- we need to understand that this wind is not just happenstance -- this is not just a normal event -- this wind symbolizes the storms that come into the lives of Jesus’ followers

            -- this is something that happens to those who follow Jesus -- if you look at Scripture -- if you read the biographies of the early church fathers or the renowned religious leaders of the past -- or if you just look at your own lives -- you’ll quickly realize that storms come following significant spiritual events -- this is Satan attacking us to keep us from moving forward in our Christian lives

            -- look at what just happened here -- the disciples had seen Jesus do some miracles -- limited in size and scope -- the healing of individuals -- the changing of water to wine in a handful of jars -- but, they’ve never seen or experienced anything like they just saw as Jesus took five loaves of bread and fed a multitude -- 5000 men, not counting women and children -- some commentators think there could have been as many as 15,000 people who were fed that day -- and the disciples watched all this happen and were awe-struck

            -- this was a significant spiritual moment -- this was a mountaintop experience for them -- this was life-changing -- and, immediately after the event is over, they get buffeted by a strong wind that blows against them, trying to keep them from going where Jesus sent -- sound familiar?

            -- Satan will try to keep you from experiencing spiritual mountaintops if he can -- that’s why storms and trouble and tribulation come right before significant events in your life -- that’s why you’ll come up with excuse after excuse about why you can’t go to that event -- I remember arguing with Pat about Emmaus -- I had him in my car, and he argued the whole way to send-off that he needed to be at the Calvary Mule Day festival rather than Emmaus, but I wouldn’t let him out -- and it ended up changing his life

            -- Satan will do what he can to keep you from experiencing a move of God -- but, failing that, he will attack with all his fury after your mountaintop experience, to keep you from moving and growing and doing what God wants you to do

            -- for instance, I have seen that time and time again in the Emmaus movement -- I have seen men and women, both young and old, leave that weekend mountaintop experience on fire for God, only to go back to their lives and immediately face a storms and trials and troubles that derail them and make them forget all they had learned

            -- I have seen that in my own life, when I’ve gone to spiritual retreats or conferences or experienced some closeness with God -- immediately, I get attacked -- it seems like everything goes wrong -- it can get overwhelming -- and, just like the disciples, you just row and row and row and never seem to get where God wants you to get -- that’s what’s going on in this passage

            -- the question is “what do we do about it?” -- “what can we do about it?”

            -- verse 19

19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

            -- in the midst of their storm -- as they battled the winds on the lake that night -- barely making any progress -- they look up, and see Jesus approaching the boat

            -- Mark records that Jesus was actually going to pass by the boat -- He wasn’t even going to stop -- until the disciples see Him and call out to Him in fear

            -- and, here is where the lesson was being given to the disciples and to us -- what do we do when we are in the midst of a storm? -- when darkness surrounds us and we’re buffeted by winds and just can’t get our heads above the water? -- when we just can’t go where Jesus wants us to go?

            -- we should call out to Jesus for help -- the disciples didn’t do that in this storm, not until they saw Jesus walking by -- even then, they were terrified of Him -- as the other writers say, they thought He was a ghost -- you get the sense they knew this was a supernatural event, and seeing Jesus walk by was just another supernatural feature sent to scare them and keep them away from their goal

            -- the disciples failed because they were trying to do things on their own -- they were trying to make it through the storm on their own -- and that’s not what Jesus intended

            -- there was going to be a time -- not far away -- when Jesus was going to leave the disciples alone -- they were not going to have His visible and physical presence with them -- but, they were still going to have to trust in Him and believe in Him and call out to Him for help, even though they could not see Him

            -- Jesus knew they were in the storm -- He knew they needed help -- but, He was teaching them to trust in Him even when they couldn’t see Him -- but, they failed the test

IV.  Closing

            -- John doesn’t give us the account of Peter walking on the water here -- Mark doesn’t either -- but, it’s the same story -- and do you remember what Jesus told Peter when he sank into the waves? -- “Oh, ye of little faith, why did you doubt?” -- in other words, why did you not trust Me? -- why did you not call out to Me?

            -- despite seeing Jesus do great things, like feeding the 5,000 -- and seeing how He could heal the official’s son from a distance -- without even being there -- their faith was just not strong enough yet to believe in the midst of darkness, buffeted by the winds that night

            -- when they finally realized Jesus was near and were willing to take Him into the boat, they immediately reached their destination -- they immediately made to where God wanted them to be

            -- the only way we can do what Jesus wants us to do is to trust Him and to call on Him in the storms -- to keep our eyes of faith on Him, even though we can’t see Him -- to call out to Him with hearts of faith, even though He is not physically present

            -- Jesus showed in this miracle that He is always near -- He is always willing to help, if we but call out to Him -- He showed His power over the storms of life -- both physical and spiritual -- and demonstrated that, as our Creator God, He controls all things, and can suspend the natural laws of this world to accomplish His will and His purposes

            -- He wants you to believe that He is near -- He wants us to trust that He is with us -- even in the darkness -- even in the storms

            -- let us pray