“Resurrection” (John 11:17-27)

 

Lazarus and Van Gogh
Many artists have tried to paint the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead. For me, my favorite is a painting by Vincent van Gogh. As many of us know, Van Gogh lived a very difficult life. Early on, he hoped to serve God. He worked as a lay preacher and missionary, but he was eventually dismissed. He struggled to find his calling. For most of his life, he was unknown, misunderstood, and poor.

The Raising of Lazarus was painted while Van Gogh was in a mental hospital, during the final year of his life. He based the painting on a print by Rembrandt, but he left out Jesus out of the picture. Instead, he focused on Lazarus, weak and struggling to rise. Many believe Van Gogh saw himself in Lazarus. Perhaps that is why Lazarus has a red beard, like Van Gogh himself. How about the two women standing beside Lazarus? They are not biblical figures. They are believed to represent real people Van Gogh knew: Madame Roulin and Madame Ginoux. They were friends who showed him kindness and care during his darkest seasons. Van Gogh reminds us that as we walk through the valley, we may not see or hear Jesus clearly. But even then, Jesus is still at work. His presence, his grace, and his power may be gentle in those seasons, but they are still there, and they are always more than enough to raise us up.

Two More Days
In today’s passage, we meet three people who are going through the dark night of the soul: Martha, Mary and Lazarus. They were siblings and close friends of Jesus. They were like a family to him. So when Lazarus became sick, the sisters immediately sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick” (v. 3). The Apostle John confirms this truth in verse 5: “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” So there’s no question about his love for them. Martha and Mary believed that as soon as Jesus heard the news, he would drop everything and come running to them. But for some reason, he didn’t. When Jesus heard the news, he stayed where he was for two more days. Why? We find the answer in Jesus’ own words in verse 4: “This illness does not lead to death; rather, it’s for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Somehow, Jesus allowed this sorrow and suffering so that they might see who he is, believe in him, and have life in him.

When Martha saw Jesus, she said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.” (v. 21) Have you ever felt that way? “Where were you, Lord? You came too late. Where were you when my loved one died? Where were you when my marriage fell apart? Where were you when my child went astray?” Martha was focused on the God of yesterday – the One who was “not there.” Jesus gently said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha replied, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.” This time she believed in the God of tomorrow, the One who would bring life after death.

I AM
Then Jesus declares the truth: “I AM the resurrection and the life.” Here, Jesus is saying, “Martha, I am the God of today, not just yesterday or tomorrow.” “Whoever believes in me will live, even though they die. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Marth replies, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God!”

In John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian and his travel companion, Hopeful, entered the wilderness. Their souls became more and more discouraged. Then they saw the parallel path called By-path Meadow. So they crossed over and began walking along the parallel path. At first, they found it much easier on their feet. But then it began to grow dark and rain with thunder and lightning. They got lost. They found a cave shelter and fell asleep there. Then, they were captured by Giant Despair and thrown into the dungeon of Doubting Castle. The giant said to them, “You will never get out alive!” For three days and three nights, the giant beat them without mercy. He gave them no food or drink. There seemed no hope of release. They even saw the skulls in the dungeon. After a while, they fell into despair. But one night, Christian and Hopeful began to pray. And all of sudden, Christian exclaimed, “I just remembered I have a key called Promise! I believe it will open any lock in Doubting Castle!” And they used the key and were able to safely escape from the castle.[1]

So now, Jesus stands at the tomb of Lazarus and cries out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man comes out! Jesus says, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Lazarus had life again that day, but one day he would die again. This is the sign that points to a deeper truth: Jesus, who called Lazarus out of the tomb, would walk toward his own tomb within days. He laid down his life, for Lazarus and for us, so that we might believe in him and have new life today. Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

Trust, Trust, Trust
Let me tell you one of my favorite stories from Henri Nouwen about trusting God. Henri Nouwen loved flying trapeze. He always believed that the flyer is the star of the show. One day, he had a chance to talk with a flyer. The flyer said, “As a flyer, I must have complete trust in my catcher. The public might think that I am the great star of the trapeze, but the real star is Joe, my catcher. He has to be there for me with split-second precision and grab me out of the air as I come to him in the long jump.” “How does it work?” Henri asked. The man said, “The secret is that the flyer does nothing and the catcher does everything. When I fly to Joe, I have simply to stretch out my arms and hands and wait for him to catch me and pull me safely over the apron behind the catch bar.” He continued, “A flyer must fly, and a catcher must catch, and the flyer must trust, with outstretched arms, that his catcher will be there for him.”[2]

On the cross, Jesus stretched out his arms and hands and said, “Father, into your hands I commend my Spirit.” And he made a long jump, and God was there for him. By his suffering and death, Jesus became the resurrection and the life for us. Jesus is the Catcher, and we are the flyers. He is so wise, so good, so loving, so compassionate. Our suffering hurts. Our loss is great. But Jesus is greater. And he is able. When we make a long jump, he will be right there for us. Let us stretch out our arms and hands and trust, trust, trust. Amen.


[1] John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress (Illustrated): Updated, Modern English. More than 100 Illustrations. (Bunyan Updated Classics) (p. 134). Aneko Press. Kindle Edition.

[2] “Henri Nouwen’s Story about the Flyer and the Catcher,” https://healthyspirituality.org/henri-nouwens-story-about-the-flyer-and-the-catcher/

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