Jesus was deeply disturbed again when He came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone covered the entrance. Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said, “Lord, the smell will be awful! He’s been dead four days.” Jesus replied, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you will see God’s glory?” So they removed the stone. Jesus looked up and said, “Father, thank You for hearing Me. I know You always hear me. I say this for the benefit of the crowd standing here so that they will believe that You sent Me.” Having said this, Jesus shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his feet bound and his hands tied, and his face covered with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.” Therefore, many of the Jews who came with Mary and saw what Jesus did believed in Him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. (John 11:38-46)
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In common lingo, it’s called “sending a message.” The phrase gets used a lot. We send messages all the time - and I’m not talking about text messages or Facebook messages. I’m talking about those times when we say or do something that has a meaning that goes beyond the mere words or actions; something that we hope others will take note of. Sometimes the phrase gets used in sports. If a team beats another team that they expect to play in the playoffs, for example, it’s called “sending a message.” It’s saying “we’re better than you, and don’t you forget it.” Or in a hockey game if a player starts a fight, it’s often called “sending a message.” It’s saying “we’re tough, and we’re not going to be pushed around.” One of the more interesting examples of possible message-sending happened just a few days ago around the election of the new Pope. If you remember, when Benedict resigned, he announced that his title would be “Pope Emeritus,” and a lot of people have speculated that it could be potentially awkward and even troublesome for a new Pope to have a living former Pope around. So there was some interest in some of the first words that new Pope Francis spoke from the balcony at the Vatican: “... first of all, I would like to offer a prayer for our Bishop Emeritus, Benedict XVI.” I don’t claim to know a lot about the internal politics of the Vatican, but I assume that words are carefully chosen, and that Francis used the phrase “Bishop Emeritus” rather than “Pope Emeritus” very carefully, and that Benedict - who I’m sure was watching - probably noticed. And although I know it was a reference to Benedict's former role as Bishop of Rome, which goes along with being Pope, I have also heard that there have been more than a few within the Roman Catholic community who believe that a subtle message was sent by the words - “don’t forget who’s in charge now.” And for someone who possesses the title “Vicar of Christ on earth,” sending a message isn’t inappropriate, because Jesus was a master message sender!
Jesus “sent messages” all the time. Jesus spoke in parables. Jesus used double entendres. Sometimes Jesus took subtle and even not so subtle shots at his opponents. He didn’t toe the party line; He wasn’t afraid to suggest to the people that their leaders might be wrong, and in the process of doing that He drove the religious leaders crazy. He did things that on the surface were hard to criticize but that deep down the religious leaders knew were swipes at their authority. Healing the sick on the sabbath? It broke the Law, as far as the chief priests and Pharisees were concerned, and it was one of the things that started their plotting, but it wasn’t really about breaking the law and it wasn’t only about healing the sick. It was Jesus’ way of subtly saying, “to God, people are far more important than religious rules.” And that was a shot at the whole power structure the religious leaders had established. And then - there was Lazarus. Today’s passage is about sending a message.
This incident takes place just before Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time, and he's sending a message to all those who are going to encounter him there. In John's Gospel, this story is the hinge around which the rest of the Gospel revolves. In Matthew and Mark and Luke, that place is filled by a profession of faith; those Gospels revolve around Peter saying to Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of God." In John, the centrepiece is an action; a moment of high drama. Jesus' good friend Lazarus is dead. He's been dead for 4 days. And Jesus sets him free and lets him loose. Jesus gives him his life back. And everyone sees; and everyone is amazed. And some people believed, and some people reported Jesus to the Pharisees. By this message, Jesus became news: hope for some and a threat to others. But, however, you cut it, Jesus was suddenly news. For there to be a message, of course, there needs to be two things - an audience, and a point. Jesus had both.
The message was sent to a whole variety of people. There was a friend who was about to betray Him; there were disciples who would end up denying Him. There were the people of Jerusalem, who would welcome Him and then turn on Him. There were the religious leaders who would oppose Him, and there were the Romans who would execute Him. You could say that the message was sent to the world and to all generations, because here we are still talking about it 2000 years later! So there’s a definite audience - the question then is: what’s the point?
In a way, this is the beginning of the chain of events that leads to the cross. If we had read on in John 11, we would have discovered that the chapter ends with the orders of the Pharisees to have Jesus arrested if he showed Himself in Jerusalem for Passover. It’s the raising of Lazarus that turns Jesus and the Pharisees into irreconcilable foes. It’s the raising of Lazarus that demonstrates Jesus’ power and authority. If, on the cross, Jesus cried out in a strange sort of triumph, “It is finished,” then with the raising of Lazarus, Jesus has essentially laid down the gauntlet so to speak, and said to all “It is begun.” Here is where Jesus brought life from death. Here is where Jesus brought hope from despair. Here is where Jesus brought joy from sorrow. Here is where Jesus brought laughter from tears. And here is where Jesus sent a message to the Pharisees: “your time is up. God has a new way. God is doing a new thing. Nothing will ever be the same again.” From this point on, the Pharisees could oppose Jesus, they could arrest Jesus, they could beat Jesus and spit on him, they could hand Jesus over to the Romans to be executed - but from this point on, they couldn’t beat Jesus. And they knew it. Jesus would triumph over anything and everything, and He still will. Not even death could stop Him.
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