Plain, Simple, Powerful — First Jesus

I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who He is; then Jesus and what He did—Jesus crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:2 (MSG)

“I AM” Changes Who I Am

“I AM” The Resurrection And The Life

The reason my Father loves Me is that I lay down My life—only to take it up again… I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. John 10:17–18 (NIV)

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. 1 Corinthians 15:19 (NIV)

The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 1 Corinthians 15:26 (NIV)

I Am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I Am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Revelation 1:18 (NIV)

Grace Delayed

Lord, the one You love is sick. John 11:3 (NIV)

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days. John 11:5–6 (NIV)

On His arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. John 11:17 (NIV)

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if You had been here, my brother would not have died. John 11:21 (NIV)

But some of them said, “Could not He who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” John 11:37 (NIV)

Grace Missed

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:21 (NIV)

Martha = Dominant one: feminine form of the word meaning lord, master.

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15 (NIV) 

I AM the resurrection and the life. John 11:25 (NIV)

Grace Activated

She went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” …quickly she got up and went out. John 11:28, 31 (NIV)

Mary = Bitterness: rebellious, obstinate, sorrow.

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:32 (NIV)

The act of surrender transforms her lament into worship. When bitterness bows, sorrow worships, and rebellion surrenders; Jesus responds with life-giving power.

When Jesus saw her weeping… He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” He asked. John 11:33-34 (NIV)

Grace Speaks

For what the law was powerless to do... God did by sending His own Son. Romans 8:3 (NIV)

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” He said. John 11:38-39 (NIV)

Jesus does not approach the grave as a spectator; He approaches it as a conqueror who is enraged by the havoc death has wrought on His friends. — B.B. Warfield

“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.” John 11:39 (NIV)

So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard Me… When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out. John 11:41-44 (ESV)

Jesus must come to the tomb of Lazarus, and His voice must cry ‘Lazarus, come forth,’ or else the corpse shall remain inanimate… In His omnipotent voice lies the power. — Charles H. Spurgeon

For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first… Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 18 (NIV)