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UNBIND HIM
JOHN 11:1-44

Pastor Stephen Muncherian
August 17, 1997

Have you noticed how crowded its getting around here. I mean in the Bay Area. I read an article in last Thursday’s San Francisco Chronicle about Cal Trans workers at the Caldecott Tunnel and how commuters have thrown bottles, cans, firecrackers, and even waved guns at them - just because they want someone to blame while they’re sitting in traffic.

I remember when California was the 2nd largest state - and the Bay Area had only about 2.5 million people - about 1/2 the people it has now. When we talked about open space - there really was. And the only smog in the Bay Area was this haze down in San Jose. We used to call San Jose - Little L.A. - it wasn’t a complementary term. It just seemed like there was all this urban sprawl amid the orchards - now its hard to find the orchards anywhere in the Bay Area.

What I’m saying is that there really seem to be a lot of people around us. And, even with all these people - it really is evident how impersonal life can be. We run into each other and say “hi” but are we really aware of each other?

Have you ever wondered if anyone really knows that you exist? Or if your existence really matters to them? Is anyone really listening? Does anyone care?

This month we’re focused on practical ways to encourage and support each other - to stand with each other through the circumstances of our lives.

Please turn with me to John chapter 11. While you’re turning let me mention something I referred to last week. I want to recommend a book to you by Pastor Michael Slater, entitled “Stretcher Bearers”. A good portion of what we are going to look at this morning is presented by Pastor Slater in his book and I highly recommend it to you.

John 11:1 “Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.  It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.  So the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”  But when Jesus heard it He said, “This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.”  Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. (6) So when He heard that he was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where He was.”

Its not hard - if you’ve ever experienced the fatal illness of a loved one - to put ourselves in the place of Mary and Martha. Imagine the emotional turmoil they must have felt. The sisters knew that Jesus was down by the Jordan river - about a two day journey away - they knew that Lazarus needed his doctors - but they also knew that - even moreso - he needed healing through the divine touch of God. So they sent for Jesus.

Since Jesus is not that far away they probably figured He’d arrive quickly. We can almost picture them looking down their dusty road anxiously anticipating His arrival. The morning hours become mid-day - then afternoon - the day passes slowly into night. One last time they look up the road and there is still no sign of Jesus.

It takes the messenger two days to reach Jesus. And Jesus’ immediate response is not to go charging up the hill to Bethany - sirens blaring - red lights flashing - in a get me to the hospital type rush. Jesus decides to wait by the Jordan until Lazarus dies - two days later!

Have you ever been in a place like this? Where you’ve asked God for something crucial - a hard situation in life - and there doesn’t seem to be an answer? Four days go by - and still there is no sign of Jesus.

Finally - still at the Jordon river - Jesus says - verse 7:  “....Let us go into Judea again”  Verse 14:  “....Lazarus is dead - verse 15 - and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

Through the death of Lazarus - Jesus’ timing and words - Jesus is preparing His disciples - something is going to happen - and He’s going to teach them. Good is going to come out of all this.

Verse 17:  “Now when Jesus came, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.” Six days have gone by since Mary and Martha sent for Jesus and now He finally shows up.  “When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met Him, while Mary sat in the house.  Martha said to Jesus, “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”  Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”  “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he 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, He who is coming in to the world.”

Martha is questioning Jesus’ timing - but she affirms her faith in Him. In verses 28 - 32 there is a similar exchange between Jesus and Mary. And Mary also tells Jesus how much they need His presence.

There are two realities here that we don’t want to pass by:

First: This family obviously sensed a real need for God to be personally involved in their lives. They needed to feel His personal touch, His personal concern, and they wanted to feel His love and care at this crisis time in their lives.

Second: Is something Jesus is about to teach them and us. Jesus is about to vividly demonstrate how this family not only needed Him, but they also needed other people supporting them during this hard time.

Word circulates that Jesus has come. There’s a large crowd of friends and relatives who have gathered - many from Jerusalem about two miles away.

Verse 33:  “When Jesus saw her - Mary - weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled; and He said, “Where have you laid him?”

In verse 38, Jesus comes to the tomb of Lazarus - a cave - and there’s a stone across the entrance:  Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, says to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”  Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”  So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me.  I knew that Thou hearest Me always, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, that they may believe that Thou didst send me.”  When He had said this, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”  The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

In this scene there are two powerful truths of application - about supporting and caring for each other - that are important for us to understand.

TRUTH NUMBER ONE: Jesus always deals with the main issue of a problem. Our responsibility is to support Jesus as He’s dealing with the main issue.

In this account there are two main issues. 1) Death and Resurrection (v.14); and 2) Salvation and Eternal life (v.21).

I don’t know anyone - aside from God - who has the gift or power of raising someone from the dead. Second, none of us has the authority and power to grant someone the forgiveness of their sin and to give that person eternal life. These are God’s issues - not ours.

It is really important that we understand our critical role here. Jesus deals with the main issues - God’s issues - while we support the main issue.

This is TRUTH NUMBER TWO: It is our responsibility to deal with the secondary issue of a problem. In the account there are three request from Jesus, asking for the involvement of people.

The first is found in verse 34. Jesus asks the people, “Where did you bury Lazarus?” We know that God knows everything - so there’s a reason why Jesus asks the question. He’s making a point. Jesus’ question is an invitation for the people to become involved in the miracle.

These people had a choice - we have a choice - they can tell Jesus where the tomb is - involvement - or they can choose not to tell Jesus. I wonder - if they hadn’t answered Jesus what would have happened - He might have left and Lazarus would have stayed buried.

We have the ability to choose - sometimes we choose not to obey God or to not be a part of what He’s doing. But, God asks us to be involved - we need to choose involvement.

Secondly - in verse 39 - Jesus asks the people to remove the stone covering the tomb. Can you imagine even making such a request - from two sisters - open the grave of the brother you just buried?

Right away Martha protests. “He’s been dead four days - he’ll stink.” In other words, “What’s the use?”
Again there’s a choice. Involvement or no involvement. Jesus could have just commanded the stone to disappear. This is the same Jesus who created everything - who commanded the wind and waves to cease. I mean, one word from Jesus and “POOF” no stone. But He wanted the involvement of people actively working within the lives of this family.

In verse 44 Jesus makes His third request for the people to become involved. Jesus prays - in a loud voice so everyone can hear - and then shouts at the tomb - “Lazarus, come out!”

And the amazing thing is, Lazarus comes out - bound up like a mummy - probably barely able to slide his feet forward a few inches at a time. I can see him there - just standing in front of the tomb - the crowd with their jaws on the ground - staring in disbelief at what they’ve just seen.

And in verse 44 - here’s the request - Jesus says, “Unbind him, and let him go” - “Remove the bandages.”

This is a secondary issue - Its like Jesus said, “I brought him back from the dead - you unwrap him. This is a secondary issue, and its your job to deal with it.”

What an incredible change must have come over these people’s lives as they chose involvement. Can you imagine them - even years later - telling what had happened to them. “I was there when Jesus came.” “I helped show Him to the tomb.” “I was one of those that rolled away the stone.” “I helped cut the bandages.” “I had a part in a miracle of God.”

Its the secondary issues that wear us down and stress us out - when we wonder if anyone cares. And, its the secondary issues that open up for us the greatest doors of opportunity for ministry - for involvement in people’s lives.

This is what God wants to do in us and through us. What are the secondary issues in the lives of people around us and how has God called us to be involved in them?

Reuben Welch, a chaplain at Point Loma College, wrote a book, “We Really Do Need Each Other”, in which he said:

“You know something-
we’re all just people who need each other.
We’re all learning
and we’ve all got a long journey ahead of us.
We’ve got to go together
and if it takes us until Jesus comes
we better stay together
we better help each other.
And I dare say
that by the time we get there
all the sandwiches will be gone
and all the chocolate will be gone
and all the water will be gone
and all the backpacks will be empty.
But no matter how long it takes us
we’ve got to go together.
Because that’s how it is
in the body of Christ.
It’s all of us
in love
in care
in support
in mutuality
we really do need each other.”