AVBC - Sunday 03/22/26 - “Jesus Raised the Dead!” - “The Path to the Empty Tomb” Sermon Series (Part 5 of 7) - John 11:1-45

Sunday 03/22/26 – Adams Village Baptist Church

Sermon Title: “Jesus Raised the Dead!” - “The Path to the Empty Tomb” Sermon Series (Part 5 of 7) - John 11:1-45                                                  

 

(Welcome Picture)

          So, I have a question for us all to consider this morning. The question is this, do we believe that dead things can be brought to new life? This could be new spiritual life, this could be literal life from death, or a whole new way of seeing things, and even a whole new way of seeing the world itself. It could be taking a piece of furniture and making it look brand new. Bringing something dead to “New Life.” “New life” is central to the Christian faith, as Easter Sunday is two weeks from today. On Easter Sunday Jesus rises to new life. Jesus will walk out of the tomb taking His body and His divinity with Him! The vast majority of Christians worship on Sunday, as this is the day of Jesus’ resurrection. Every Sunday, therefore, is a “mini-Easter.”

          I ask this question this morning, because in our reading from John 11:1-45 that we just heard, the gospel of John says that Lazarus was dead and in the tomb. Further, that Jesus physically then raised Lazarus from the dead. Last Sunday, we discussed how Jesus healed a man that was blind from birth in John 9:1-41. These are considered “miracles,” as we often have a hard explaining them rationally or scientifically. So, did a man blind from birth begin to see in our story from John 9:1-41 from last Sunday? I believe that he did. Do I believe that Jesus raised a man from the dead in our reading this morning from John 11:1-45? I do. I cannot fully explain it to you, and I cannot prove outside of scripture or the witness of scripture. What I can say though, is that a man blind from birth was able to see, and this morning, Lazarus being raised from the dead are much bigger than just the miracles themselves.

          You see, if you believe that you have witnessed a “miracle”, how does that reality change you? How would believing that a man blind from birth who could now see change you? Would it grow your faith in God? Maybe if you did not believe in God, it would then help you to believe in God. The point here is that the blind man getting healed last Sunday, and Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in our reading for this morning, are once again, much bigger than the actual miracles themselves.

          For two-thousands years people have read these stories of the “miracles” performed by Jesus. Some believed that these miracles happened, like I do, and some were uncertain. Some followed Jesus and lived out what He taught but did not believe in His miracles literally. The real question though is this, how does this scripture from this morning change you, and how does it change us all? This morning my message is called “Jesus Raised the Dead!,” as we continue our Lent sermon series called “The Path to the Empty Tomb.” For nearly two-thousand years Christians have been remembered the sequence of events on Jesus’ life. His birth, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, and yes the empty tomb on that first Easter Sunday. Next Sunday, on Palm Sunday, we will celebrate Jesus coming into Jerusalem will palms waving, to the shouts of “Hosanna,” or “save us”.

          Once again though, in my experience of being a Christian and following Jesus, I believe that we have a savior that brings dead things back to life. I have seen people’s lives change. I have seen people become vastly different people than were before coming to Jesus. This morning’s gospel lesson is a big one though. Why? Well medical technology has come a long way. There are various treatments and procedures for people that have difficulty seeing, hearing, etc. Yet taking a person who has been day four or more days and bringing them to back to state of life and health. Well, this is quite a claim indeed!

          So, let us unpack together John 11:1-45 this morning. Starting in John 11:1 the gospel says, once again:

The Death of Lazarus

 

11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ² Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. ³ So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ ⁴ But when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’ ⁵ Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, ⁶ after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was (Jn. 11:1-5, NRSV).

 

So, Jesus and his disciples at this point, are on the other side of the Jordan River about 15-25 miles from where Lazarus, and his sisters Mary and Martha are in Bethany. This was and is considered my many Biblical experts to be about a two-day journey back and forth. So, the messenger that took the message from Mary and Martha about their brother Lazarus being sick, probably took two days to get to Jesus and the disciples. Some Bible scholars in fact, believe that Lazarus likely died shortly after the messenger was sent by Mary and Martha to Jesus and His disciples. As the message from Mary and Martha stated, Jesus loved Lazarus, as He loved Mary and Martha. Now remember, this message probably took two days to get to Jesus and His disciples, and even so, Jesus said that Lazarus being sick or ill would not lead to his death. Instead, Jesus said that Lazarus’ illness or sickness is for God’s glory, that He would be glorified through Lazarus’ illness. Further, after getting this message and saying what He just said, Jesus then stayed an additional two days longer with His disciples where He was staying in Perea or the modern-day country of Jordan. This means that after two additional days of the messenger traveling to Jesus and His disciples, Jesus then stayed where He was with His disciples in Perea two more full days. Why would Jesus do this if Lazarus was so ill or sick?

(Map of Perea to Bethany - Picture)

          To put this into context, once again, it took two days for the messenger to bring Jesus the message from Mary and Martha that their brother was sick or ill. Jesus then waits another two days with His disciples before heading to see Mary, Martha, and Lazarus who is sick or ill. So, two days for the messenger to get to Jesus and His disciples in Perea, two days that Jesus and his disciples wait, and then two days to travel to Bethany, where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived. So, this means that Jesus and His disciples get to Bethany is, where Lazarus is sick about six-days after the original message was sent to Jesus and His disciples. So, we are talking for almost a full week! In addition to this, Jesus said that Lazarus’ illness does not lead to death. So, Lazarus must be still alive then when Jesus and His disciples arrive in Bethany six days later right?

          Well, let us look again together. Jesus and His disciples have waited the two days, after waiting another two days to make the two days trip back to Bethany, the scripture says picking up in John 11:7, once again:

⁷ Then after this he said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.’ ⁸ The disciples said to him, ‘Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?’ ⁹ Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. ¹⁰ But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.’ ¹¹ After saying this, he told them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.’ ¹² The disciples said to him, ‘Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.’ ¹³ Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. ¹⁴ Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead (Jn. 11:7-14, NRSV).

 

          Jesus going to back to Bethany, near the Mount of Olives was risky, according to His disciples. His disciples said, that last time He was there the Jews were trying to stone Him to death. Jesus then responded and said there is twelve hours of sunlight. Jesus said, those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. Jesus of course is saying that He is the light of this world. Jesus then says those who walk at night stumble because the light is not in them. So, we need literal light to see, but Jesus is saying that we also need His spiritual light in us, as well. Jesus then tells the disciples on the journey to Bethany, once again, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.’ The disciples though, as they often did, did not fully understand was Jesus meant. As they said to Jesus, once again, ‘Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right’. Jesus meant by sleeping that Lazarus was dead. So, he then told His disciples, once again, directly, ‘Lazarus is dead’.

          Jesus already knew then that Lazarus was dead, as, once again, many Bible scholars thinking that Lazarus died shortly after the messenger was sent by Mary and Martha to Jesus and disciples that Lazarus was sick. Since Jesus already knew, what is a couple extra days staying where He and the disciples were in Perea? I mean, after all, if Jesus intended to raise Lazarus from the dead, and he likely died about 4-6 days before Jesus and his disciples got to Bethany, then Lazarus stays dead a little longer.

          To explain this further, the gospel lesson continues on saying, picking up in John 11:15, saying, once again:

¹⁵ For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’ ¹⁶ Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow-disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him’ (Jn. 11:15-16, NRSV).

 

Jesus the Resurrection and the Life

 

¹⁷ When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days (Jn. 11:17, NRSV).

 

          Jesus tells His disciples that He is glad that His disciples were not there when Lazarus died. This is because when Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, the disciples will believe in Him more. Thomas then says to the other disciples, that they all (the disciples) should go and die with Lazarus. This was certainly brave and self-sacrificing from Thomas, who was called the Twin. When Jesus arrived, once again, Lazarus had been in his tomb for four days. Remember, that it was six days from the messenger getting to Jesus and His disciples, to Jesus and His disciples getting back to Bethany. Given this, it seems completely likely that Lazarus died before the messenger ever even got to Jesus. Right after the messenger left, according to many scholars. I would time to prepare Lazarus for burial, and once again, when Jesus and His disciples get there, Lazarus was not only dead but was in the tomb itself for four days. This does not necessarily consider the time to prepare Lazarus for burial, or a funeral for Lazarus.

          Picking up in the gospel reading starting at John 11:18, we hear, once again:

¹⁸ Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, ¹⁹ and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. ²⁰ When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. ²¹ Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ ²³ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ ²⁴ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ ²⁵ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ ²⁷ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’

 

          In John 11:18-27, we hear once again, that Jesus and His disciples were approaching Bethany where Lazarus had died. They were near Jerusalem, about two miles away from Bethany. Many of the Jews had come to Bethany to console Mary and Martha as they heard about Lazarus’ death. Martha however, heard that Jesus was coming, so she went out to meet Jesus before He arrived in Bethany. While Mary stayed home in Bethany, Martha found Jesus and said to Him, once again, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ Jesus then tells Martha that Lazarus would rise from the dead. Martha thought this was the resurrection of the dead on the day of judgement though.

          Jesus then gives us one of His famous I am statements. In John 11:25

(I Am the Resurrection – John 11:25: Picture)

²⁵ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, (Jn. 11:25, NRSV).

 

Jesus then tells Martha that everyone who lives and believes in Him will never die. Jesus then asks Martha in John 11:26, once again, Do you believe this?’ Martha then responds in the scripture 11:27, saying once again:

²⁷ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world’ (Jn. 11:27, NRSV).

 

          At this, Martha goes back to Bethany, and tells her sister Mary who stayed home, that the teacher, or “Rabbi” who is Jesus, is calling for her. Mary then quickly gets up and goes to Jesus. Jesus was not yet in the village of Bethany and waited for Mary right where he was. The Jews who were consoling Mary in her house saw Mary get up quickly and go to Jesus. They followed Mary because they thought that Mary was going to Lazarus’ tomb to weep and mourn there. They were following her then to be supportive. Then starting in John 11:32, we hear once again:

³² When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.’ ³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. ³⁴ He said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ ³⁵ Jesus began to weep. ³⁶ So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’ ³⁷ But some of them said, ‘Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?’ (Jn. 11:32-37, NRSV).

 

          Mary comes to Jesus, kneels at His feet, and tells Jesus that Lazarus would not have died if He were there. Mary was weeping or crying, the Jews who came with her to support her were also crying. Jesus sees this, and the scripture says in John 11:33: he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. Jesus then asks where Lazarus was laid or entombed, knowing that Lazarus had been entombed for four days. Mary and the Jews said to Jesus, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Now what happens next is particularly amazing, for in John 11:35 it says, once again:

³⁵ Jesus began to weep (Jn. 11:35, NRSV).

 

(Jesus Wept – John 11:35: Picture)

Did Jesus cry or weep anywhere else in the Bible? According to the research I have done, this is where Jesus cried of wept in the Bible:

The Bible records Jesus weeping or crying in three primary instances, demonstrating his humanity, empathy, and deep sorrow over sin and death: before raising Lazarus (John 11:35), over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41), and during his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Hebrews 5:7, Luke 22:44) (https://www.google.com/search?q=how+many+times+does+jesus+cry+in+the+bible).

 

          So, we have three recorded times in the Bible where Jesus cries, with John 11:35 being over the death and response to the death of Lazarus. Further, the gospel of John is the only place that Jesus cries or weeps over Lazarus, and the resurrection of Lazarus story is only in the gospel of John. In some translations of John 11:35, the verse is just “Jesus wept”. Two words, making it the shortest verse of scripture in the Bible. “Jesus wept.” To me, when I think of Jesus I rarely if ever see Him emotionally moved and in tears, but yet this is exactly what Jesus did in John 11:35. “Jesus wept”.

          I realize, once again, that this is a long gospel reading this morning, as was last weeks, but we are now to the point in the is this gospel reading where Jesus will raise Lazarus from the dead. Picking up in John 11:38, we hear, once again:

Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life

 

³⁸ Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. ³⁹ Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, ‘Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days.’ ⁴⁰ Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upwards and said, ‘Father, I thank you for having heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.’ ⁴³ When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ (Jn. 11:38-43, NRSV).

 

Jesus gets to the tomb of Lazarus, which is a cave, and asks the stone to be rolled away. Martha then says there is a stench, as Lazarus has been dead for four days. Jesus then basically says to trust Him. The stone is rolled away, and Jesus talks to God the Father, and asks for help raising Lazarus from the dead. The reason for this, is so that all the people present, and for everyone including us, would believe in Jesus and what he is capable of doing. After this Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ 

(Lazarus Come Out Picture – John 11:43)

Then the scripture says, once again:

⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, and let him go.’

The Plot to Kill Jesus (Jn. 11:44, NRSV).

 

(Lazarus Wrapped Up Picture – John 11:43)

Finally, the gospel lesson ends with Jonh 11:45, that says:

⁴⁵ Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him (Jn. 11:45, NRSV).

 

          Quite a big and miraculous story today, of raising Lazarus from the dead. As we walk “The Path to the Empty Tomb” on Easter Sunday, how can we take this story, this “miracle” of Lazarus being resurrected on this day out into Adams and the world? How can live, love, and change the world, through what we have learned today?

          Here are some application points that for us to consider this morning:

John 11:1-45 tells the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, functioning as a "sign" that reveals Jesus as the source of resurrection and life. It demonstrates Jesus's empathy ("Jesus wept"), his authority over death, and serves as a turning point that directly leads to his own crucifixion. The narrative emphasizes faith over despair. 

 

Key Themes and Meanings

 

·       "I Am the Resurrection and the Life": Jesus declares himself the source of eternal life, showing that for believers, death is not final.

 

·       Glory of God: The illness and resurrection are not simply to end pain, but to glorify God and strengthen faith.

·       Jesus’s Humanity and Divinity: Jesus shows deep emotional distress and empathy (weeping) yet holds divine power to call the dead back to life.

 

·       "Unbind Him": Just as Lazarus was freed, this is a call for the community to participate in resurrection work by releasing others from spiritual or emotional bondage. 

 

Usage Examples and Context

 

·       Funerals/Sorrow: Often used to provide comfort, emphasizing that Jesus shares in human grief and offers hope beyond death.

 

·       Lenten Studies: Frequently used during Lent (5th Sunday) as a final sign pointing toward the events of Holy Week.

 

·       Sermons on Faith: Used to encourage faith during difficult "wait times" when God seems absent or delayed. 

 

Synonyms/Related Concepts

·       The Resurrection of Lazarus

·       "Jesus Wept" (John 11:35)

·       The Seventh Sign of Jesus

·       "I Am" Statement

·       "Lazarus, come out!" 

(https://www.google.com/search?q=John+11%3A1-45+meaning)

          So may be take the story of this miracle into Adams and the world, so that we may be “miracles” to each other. Amen.

(Rise Up Video – With Lyrics)

AVBC - Sunday 03/15/26 - Sermon Title: “Jesus Performed Miracles” - “The Path to the Empty Tomb” Sermon Series (Part 4 of 7) - John 9:1-41

 Sunday 03/15/26 – Adams Village Baptist Church

Sermon Title: “Jesus Performed Miracles” - “The Path to the Empty Tomb” Sermon Series (Part 4 of 7) - John 9:1-41 

 

(Welcome Picture)

          As we continue to walk “The Path to the Empty Tomb” on Easter morning, with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have been talking about how we all can better understand, connect to, and live more like Jesus. Jesus was tried and tested. The wealthy and the affluent sought and still seek Jesus. Jesus sought the outcasts of society, and today we hear of one of the many miracles performed by Jesus Christ. For Jesus Christ our Lord, “Performed Miracles.”

          According to www.merriam-webster.com this is the definition of the word “miracle”:

1 : an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs

(Example: the healing miracles described in the Gospels)

 

2 : an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/miracle).

 

Melissa and I recently saw a documentary about the 1980 US Men’s Olympic Hockey Team. If you remember, the 1980 Winter Olympics were held in Lake Placid, NY, and many did not expect the US Men’s Olympic Hockey Team to win. In fact, the final two teams were the US and the USSR, or the Soviet Union. This was during the Cold War, the Berlin Wall was still up, and the game between the US Men and the Soviet Union men became seen as the Western World versus the Communist World. When the US Men’s Olympic Team won, it was called, and still is called, “The Miracle on Ice.” From the documentary that Melissa and I watched, this is also where the chant of “USA! USA! USA!” first formally began.

          For those of you that remember “The Miracle on Ice,” or read about it, like me, many saw and still see what happened in the Olympics in Lake Placid in 1980 as a miracle. Further, it was very heartening to Melissa and I to see one or more of the original members of the US Men’s 1980 Ice Hockey team at this recent Winter Olympics, where our US Men’s Team won the gold again for the first time since “The Miracle on Ice” in 1980!

          Did people in 1980 and do people today see “The Miracle on Ice” in 1980 as divine intervention? Do most people think that God caused our US Men’s Olympic Ice Hockey to defeat the team from the Soviet Union in 1980? Or do they mean it was this a human miracle, that was unlikely, unexpected, and shocking?

          Miracles, however, can also be divine in nature, or they can be both. This morning in the gospel of John 9:1-41 we have a blind beggar, who was blind from birth. Jesus this morning heals him, and the man can suddenly see. Some people that I have talked to over the years hard a hard believing some of or all of the miracles in the gospels and beyond, but I believe that through God, all things are possible. For if Jesus was God in the flesh on earth, then what can He not do? If Jesus can die for the sins of the world on Good Friday, then His resurrection seems more than possible to me? The challenge with miracles though is that sometimes they happen the way we hope and pray, and sometimes they do not. This does not mean that miracles do not happen, but it does mean that God decides when the miracles happens, not us. This can be confusing and hard for us sometimes, that the healing we prayed for came, and sometimes it did not come the way that we expected it to come.

          This morning, as I said though, in the gospel of John 9:1-41,we have a man blind form birth. He had never seen a sunrise, a sunset, or any of the things we often take for granted that we see without eyes every day.

          I remember when Melissa and I were going to college at SUNY Potsdam over 20 years ago, that for three of those years of college I was an “RA,” or resident assistant. I managed a dorm floor of male students, or at least I tried to! As part of this, I got my dorm room at no cost, and among my various job duties, I had to organize dorm floor programs. We had dinners, took trips, had guest speakers, and so on and so for. One program though, I asked a blind student if she would come to our dorm floor lounge and tell us what it was like to be visually blind. Further, what was it like to be a full-time college student and be visually blind? This young woman got straight A’s at Potsdam College, and she had all sorts of devices and assistance to pursue her studies. She got her books in braille, had a braille typing machine for her papers, etc.

          This student also would ask other students to help her get to class outside of the dormitory building. In fact, one day this girl walked up to me as I was excited about the dorm for class. In case you are wondering, I was single at the time, as I had not yet been smitten by my Melissa. This student then introduced herself and asked me if I could walk her to class. We were going in the same direction, after all. Well, I thought I was so cool, at least in my head. This student then said, “Can I put my hand around your arm, and have you lead me,” as she said she was blind. Well at that point I realized that she did not want me to walk to class because she thought I was handsome, it was because she needed help. This ended up being the same student that I asked to talk to my dorm floor guys, and to this day this person that I do not even remember the name of is someone I have tremendous respect for. She had straight A’s could not see visually, had random students walked her to and from class, as a couple of my dorm floors guys were on the verge of flunking out of college.

          You see my friends, you can see with your physical eyes, but you can also see with the eyes of your heart and your soul. There are people on this earth that are visually blind but can see anyway. This morning, Jesus heals a man blind from birth, and here is a depiction of this man:

(Mud on the Blind Man’s Eyes Picture)

In the scripture from John 9:1-41 for this morning, Jesus spits on the ground, the dirt, and smushes it around into mud. He then puts this dirt of the blind man’s face. He then tells the blind man to go and wash his eyes off. When the man does this, he then can see. Here is a depiction of the whole healing, miracle, and transformation of this man who was blind from birth:

(Full Transformation of the Blind Man Picture)

In looking more closely at the scripture reading for this morning from John 9:1-41, the first subtitle I have in this gospel reading says, “A Man Born Blind Receives Sight”. The gospel reading says once again, starting in 9:1, this:

A Man Born Blind Receives Sight

9 As he walked 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 Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. ⁴ We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ ⁶ When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, ⁷ saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see      (Jn. 9:1-8, NRSV). 

 

          So, Jesus’s own twelve disciples believe that this man is blind from birth, because either he or his parents sinned. Or to put it another way, he was blind and it was his fault, his parents’ fault, or maybe both. It was common in Jewish religious belief at this time to believe that if a person got sick, had a problem, an ailment, etc., that it was because they offended and or sinned against God. Yet Jesus pushes back against this and said that this man was born blind not because of sin or as a punishment, but instead the “God’s works might be revealed in him.” Jesus also then says we must do God’s work here and now, as we have limited time. Jesus compares this reality to the day and the night here on earth. Jesus then says that as long as He is physically on the earth “I am the light of the world.” This of course is of Jesus’ seven “I Am” statements in the gospel of John.

          Jesus then of course still goes to the man that was blind from birth, spits on the ground, makes mud, rubs it on the blind man’s eyes, then tells the blind man to ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). One would think that this would be cause for celebration, right? Like “The Miracle on Ice” when the US Olympic Hockey Team won the gold medal. It would be like seeing the miracle of the blind student at Potsdam College that still went to school fulltime and got straight A’s.

          Instead, though, picking up in John 9:8, it says, once again of the former blind man:

⁸ The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, ‘Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?’ ⁹ Some were saying, ‘It is he.’ Others were saying, ‘No, but it is someone like him.’ He kept saying, ‘I am the man.’ ¹⁰ But they kept asking him, ‘Then how were your eyes opened?’ ¹¹ He answered, ‘The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” Then I went and washed and received my sight.’ ¹² They said to him, ‘Where is he?’ He said, ‘I do not know’                 (Jn. 9:8-12, NRSV)

So, the neighbors and the others that saw this man before, we not condemning what happened, but they do not seem to be celebrating it either. I guess it is understandable that they would be confused, but the scripture seems to show more doubt and suspicion than celebration.

          This is where it gets interesting though, picking up in John 9:13. The man that was blind from birth and is now healed is now going to get interrogated by the Pharisees that he can now see. This is what the scripture says picking up in John 9:13:

(The Healed Blind Man before the Pharisees Picture)

The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. ¹⁴ Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. ¹⁵ Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, ‘He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.’ ¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.’ But others said, ‘How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?’ And they were divided. ¹⁷ So they said again to the blind man, ‘What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.’ He said, ‘He is a prophet’ (Jn. 9:13-17, NRSV).

 

Instead of celebrating that this man blind from birth can now see, they were suspicious, and in addition to that they were questioning Jesus. Apparently, Jesus’ healing someone on the Sabbath someone breaks the Sabbath Day of rest. I do not personally think healing a blind man on the Sabbath or on any day is work, as other Pharisees called Jesus a sinner. Then the Pharisees asked the man who was blind from birth, who he though this Jesus was. He said that Jesus was a “prophet.”

(The Healed Blind Man and his parents before the Pharisees Picture)

This, however, was not a satisfactory answer to the Pharisees. As a result, the Pharisees called the man’s parents in to interrogate them. So now the former blind man and his parents are in front of the Pharisees. The Pharisees, and the parents affirmed that their son was indeed born blind. Yet the Pharisees want to know how their son was born blind, was blind his whole life, and now can see. The parents having not been there when Jesus healed this man, had no idea how this miracle happened. The parents then said to the Pharisees that their son was the age of an adult, and they can ask their son themselves, as he is old enough to be asked.

¹⁸ The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight ¹⁹ and asked them, ‘Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?’ ²⁰ His parents answered, ‘We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; ²¹ but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.’ ²² His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. ²³ Therefore his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask him’ (Jn. 9:18-23, NRSV).

 

(The Healed Blind Man before the Pharisees Picture)

So, the Pharisees bring the healed blind man back in for a second time, and picking up in john 9:24, it says, once again:

 

²⁴ So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, ‘Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.’ ²⁵ He answered, ‘I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.’ ²⁶ They said to him, ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’ ²⁷ He answered them, ‘I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?’ ²⁸ Then they reviled him, saying, ‘You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. ²⁹ We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.’ ³⁰ The man answered, ‘Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. ³¹ We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. ³² Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.’ ³⁴ They answered him, ‘You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?’ And they drove him out (Jn. 9:18-34, NRSV).

 

The Pharisees are trying to argue with the healed blind man that Jesus is a sinner. The healed man then says in 9:25, once again:

²⁵ He answered, ‘I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see’ (Jn. 9:25, NRSV).

 

Then the Pharisees wanted to hear again how exactly the man was healed. He told the Pharisees I have already told you. The healed man then says that this Jesus is from God. The Pharisees then attack the healed blind man, telling him we was born in sins. How dare he try to teach them?

(I was blind but now I see Picture)

Spiritual Blindness

 

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ ³⁶ He answered, ‘And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.’ ³⁷ Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.’ ³⁸ He said, ‘Lord, I believe.’ And he worshipped him. ³⁹ Jesus said, ‘I came into this world for judgement so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.’ ⁴⁰ Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, ‘Surely we are not blind, are we?’ ⁴¹ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, “We see”, your sin remains                     (Jn. 9:35-42, NRSV).

 

          This lengthy gospel of John 9:1-41 reading then ends with Jesus seeing the man that he healed from blindness. Then the healed man finally realizes that it is Jesus, when Jesus says to healed man, that He is the one who healed him. Jesus then tells the healed man, that He came into this world for:

“judgement so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind’” (Jn. 9:39b, NRSV).

 

The Pharisees then ask Jesus if they are blind. Jesus concludes our reading with John 9:41 saying:

‘If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, “We see”, your sin remains (Jn. 9:41b, NRSV).

 

          So, here is the question brothers and sisters, can you be blind in your eyes? Yes, of course. Can you see with your eyes, and be blind in your heart and your soul though? Or to say it another way, can you be blind physically, but see spiritually with your heart and your soul? Yes, you can.

          To prove this point, I want to show you a video called “The Bench”. Here it is:

(The Bench Video)

You see brothers and sisters, there is more than one way to see!

          To have this sermon walk out of the door with you into Adams and world, here are some sermon application points:

John 9:1-41 narrates Jesus healing a man born blind, using the miracle to illustrate that spiritual blindness—prideful rejection of truth by the Pharisees—is worse than physical blindness. It shows Jesus as the "Light of the World", highlighting that suffering allows God's works to be revealed. 

Key Themes and Interpretations:

·       Physical vs. Spiritual Sight: The man born blind gains physical sight and, subsequently, spiritual insight, acknowledging Jesus as the Son of Man. Conversely, the religious leaders, who claim to see, are shown to be spiritually blind and guilty of sin because they refuse to recognize the truth.

·       Purpose of Suffering: Contrary to the belief that blindness resulted from sin (either the man's or his parents'), Jesus explains it as an opportunity for "the works of God to be displayed".

·       The "Light of the World": Jesus declares himself the light of the world, emphasizing his role in bringing spiritual enlightenment to a darkened world.

·       Sabbath Controversy: The miracle occurred on the Sabbath, which furthered the conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders.

·       The Journey of Faith: The healed man’s understanding of Jesus progresses from calling him "the man called Jesus," to "a prophet," and finally to worshipping him as Lord.

·       Rejection and Acceptance: The Pharisees reject the man and the miracle, while Jesus accepts and protects the man after he is cast out.

So, brothers and sisters, on this day that we celebrate the miracle of man being blind from birth, and being healed and able to see by Jesus, remember that we can see with eyes, and also with our hearts and our souls! Amen.

AVBC - Sunday 03/08/26 - Sermon Title: “Jesus Sought the Outcasts” - “The Path to the Empty Tomb” Sermon Series (Part 3 of 7) - John 4:5-42

Sunday 03/08/26 – Adams Village Baptist Church

Sermon Title: “Jesus Sought the Outcasts” - “The Path to the Empty Tomb” Sermon Series (Part 3 of 7) - John 4:5-42

 

(Welcome Picture)

          For the past two weeks, we have been walking through our season of Lent to Easter Sunday sermon series, called “The Path to the Empty Tomb.” During this season of Lent, which turns into Easter or Resurrection Sunday, this year on Sunday April 5^th, we are symbolically walking with Jesus to His Last Supper, to His cross, and then on Easter to His empty tomb.

          The hope of this sermon series is for us all to look at various aspects of who Jesus was and is, and how we can better relate to who Jesus was and is. Further, how we can better connect with the life, death, and the resurrection of Jesus.

          So far in this “The Path to the Empty Tomb” sermon series, Jesus was tried and tested in the wilderness, as many of us have been and continue to be tried and tested in numerous ways in our lives. Last week we talked about how some of Jesus’ followers were very high up in society, and very affluent. Or as the sermon was called, once again, “The Wealthy and Prominent Seek Him.” We talked about how the Jewish leaders Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus followed and believed in Jesus and even buried him in the tomb on Good Friday.

          This morning though, I do not to just talk about regular folks like us that Jesus came for, which He did. What I want to talk about this morning instead, is the people that society has largely tossed aside and or shunned. This morning, title of my message, as part 3 of 7 of this “The Path to the Empty Tomb” Sermon Series is “Jesus Sought the Outcasts”. In every society, there generally is always a faction of people that are on the margins, and that feel cast aside. People that are not accepted by most people are often not included in the mainstream of societal life and are often looked down upon. These are people that are often judged and seen as lower class of people. Therefore, such people are seen as not being the same as us.   

          I am sure that whether we realize it or not, at some point we have all judged someone and or felt superior to someone, and someone maybe has made the same judgement of us. What is amazing about Jesus Christ our Lord though, is that He came to earth, and comes to us still. By “us,” I mean all people. Jesus came for everyone, and this includes the people that society rejected, for “Jesus Sought the Outcasts.”

          We had a long gospel of John reading this morning, and we will likewise have long scripture readings the next two Sundays, as we have some good passages to cover. One of the best passages in the gospels of Jesus seeking and loving “Outcasts,” is the story that is often called, “The Woman at the well,” that we have for this morning. The story of “The Woman at the well,” is only found in the gospel of John, and it is an amazing story of how Jesus went to an outcast woman. Not only this, but it is also a story of complete transformation of this outcast woman. Where we pick up in the gospel of the John this morning, we find ourselves at water well.

(Water Well Picture)

In fact, picking up again John 4:5-8, it says, once again of Jesus:                   

John 4:5-42

⁵ So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.

⁷ A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink’. ⁸ (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) (Jn. 4:5-8, NRSV).

 

          Jesus walks into Samaria, which was not Jewish, but the Samaritans did believe, generally speaking, in one God. Jesus goes to this woman at the well at about 12:00 PM, which is when it really gets hot. As a result, most people would draw water early in the morning, or maybe when the sun was setting, as it would cooler out. The Samaritan woman draws water and 12:00 PM, because she is an outcast in Samaria. It was also not good for a man and woman to be conversing by themselves, if the woman was not married to or related to the man. Jesus, therefore, was breaking social protocol, and was going to a woman who was an outcast. No doubt if the Pharisees showed up, they would have scolded to Jesus for privately talking with a woman who was not His wife and was not a family member. Yet Jesus did this anyway. Why? Well because as my sermon title for this morning is called, “Jesus Sought the Outcasts.” Jesus being fully God and fully already knew that the woman at the well was an outcast, and yet we wanted to offer her new life and transformation through Him. Jesus’ disciples had gone into the marketplaces in the city to buy food, while all of this was happening.

          Jesus just stands or sits on the edge of the well, and simply says to the Samaritan Woman, “Give me a drink.” This was no doubt shocking and startling to the Samaritan Woman. I mean after all, Jesus was not related her, and Jesus of course was never married. Further, Jesus is a Jew, not a Samaritan, and they have religious and cultural differences.

          In fact, as the gospel picks up starting in John 4:9 we hear once again:

 

⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?’ (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) ¹⁰ Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ ¹¹ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? ¹² Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?’ ¹³ Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life’

 

(John 4:14 Water/Scripture Picture)

          You see Jesus was not concerned about the literal water, Jesus saw a Samaritan woman, who was outcast, rejected, and He wanted to offer her eternal life. Forgiveness, heaven, restoration, but also transformation right now. Being changed from an outcast, rejected, mocked, and looked down upon, to being transformed spiritually from the inside out. Jesus offers the Samaritan Woman “living water,” or spiritual water.

          The gospel picks up in John 4:15, with the Samaritan Woman saying to Jesus, once again:

¹⁵ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.’ ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come back.’ ¹⁷ The woman answered him, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You are right in saying, “I have no husband”; ¹⁸ for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!’ (Jn. 4:15-18, NRSV).

 

          So, the Samaritan woman thinks that Jesus is somehow offering her water that will physically quench her thirst on earth forever. Since the woman does not understand Jesus, and because Jesus wants her to change, repent, and be spiritually transformed, Jesus tells the woman to go and get her husband, and then the two of them should return to Him. The Samaritan woman, once again, tells Jesus that she has “no husband.” Jesus, knowing all things, said He knew this, and then said that the woman had five husbands. Further, the man she is living with now is not her husband either. The Samaritan woman does not seem angry however at Jesus saying this, but more excited and intrigued. The Samaritan woman tells Jesus, “What you have said is true!” Further, at this point, the Samaritan woman, realizes that this man, this Jesus, is not a Jew, and not just an ordinary man. In fact, she realizes that Jesus is much more than all of this.

          We know this, because picking up in John 4:19, this is what it says of the Samaritan woman:

¹⁹ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, I see that you are a prophet. ²⁰ Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.’ ²¹ Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²² You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³ But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. ²⁴ God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’ ²⁵ The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.’ ²⁶ Jesus said to her, ‘I am he, the one who is speaking to you’ (Jn. 4:19-26, NRSV).

 

          Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that He is not just a prophet, but the promised one of God, the Messiah, the savior. Jesus said, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.” Right then, the disciples show up, and sure enough are astonished to see their Jewish Messiah talking privately with a Samarian woman. In fact, one disciple interrupts the conversation and wants to know why this conversation is taking place at all. At this point though, the Samaritan woman had already been changed, spiritual born anew, and went from outcast to the in crowd. Went from rejected too highly favored. Went from nothing to a child of the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, redeemed by Jesus Christ.

          So, despite what the disciples said or there grumbling, the scripture says of the Samaritan woman picking up in John 4:28, this:

²⁸ Then the woman left her water-jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, ²⁹ ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?’ (Jn. 4:28-29, NRSV).

 

(Come and See Picture)

The redeemed and changed Samaritan woman said, once again:

 

²⁹ ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?’ (Jn. 4:29, NRSV).

 

This is one depiction of the transformed Samaritan woman:

 

(Samaritan Woman Picture)

Now if I were one of the disciples, I probably would have jokingly yelled, “Ma’am you forgot your water!”

          After this, picking up in John 4:30, it says once again:

³⁰ They left the city and were on their way to him. ³¹ Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’ ³² But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’ ³³ So the disciples said to one another, ‘Surely no one has brought him something to eat?’ ³⁴ Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. ³⁵ Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. ³⁶ The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. ³⁷ For here the saying holds true, “One sows and another reaps.” ³⁸ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor’                           (Jn. 4:30-38, NRSV)

 

          What Jesus is telling His disciples that His need to eat physical food in that moment, is much less important than Him bringing people to salvation in Him. Winning souls is His main mission on earth. Should we care for people physically? Of course, but Jesus is talking about His primary mission of redeeming and saving humanity.

          As the now newly spiritually reborn Samaritan woman at the well goes through the city, many then believe in Jesus. The gospel of John 4:5-42 reading for this morning, concluded with 4:39-42, saying once again of the Samaritan woman:

³⁹ Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’ ⁴⁰ So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there for two days. ⁴¹ And many more believed because of his word. ⁴² They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world’                            (Jn. 4:39-42, NRSV).

The rejected woman, who was looked down upon, who was despised, who was rejected, is now reborn and an evangelist. God uses her to draw countless people to Christ. For in the morning, she felt lowly, outcast, and rejected, but by the afternoon she was a completely new and changed person. She was, wait for it, the first woman evangelist in the New Testament.

          Dear brothers and sisters, “Jesus Sought the Outcasts.” Do we seek them too because they wants everyone to know Him! As we walk to “The Path to the Empty Tomb” on Easter morning, may we see the outcasts, the rejected, the despised, those whom society seems to have thrown away, and let us offer them living water in Jesus Christ.

          In making this sermon, “Jesus Sought the Outcasts,” be a sermon that can walk of out of the door with you today, and be a sermon that you can share with the world, here are some sermon application points to consider:

The story of the woman at the well (John 4) is significant because it highlights Jesus breaking social, gender, and religious taboos to offer "living water" (salvation) to a marginalized Samaritan sinner. As the first female evangelist in the Bible, she represents the universal reach of the Gospel and the power of personal testimony to convert others.

 

Key Aspects of Significance:

·       Breaking Barriers: Jesus defies Jewish-Samaritan animosity, gender norms, and social status by speaking with an outcast woman, showing that the Gospel is for all people, regardless of their past or status.

·       The First Evangelist: After her encounter, she immediately tells her townspeople about Jesus, leading many to believe, making her a model for missionary work and testimony.

·       Personalized Grace: Jesus reveals his knowledge of her complex, broken life (five previous husbands, currently living with a man) without condemning her, offering her a fresh start and spiritual fulfillment.

·       Theology of "Living Water": Jesus uses the physical, daily need for water to teach about spiritual, life-giving water that offers eternal life, focusing on the heart rather than just religious law.

·       Theological Debate: The passage features one of the longest, most profound theological conversations in the Bible, where Jesus reveals himself as the Messiah to her. 

In some traditions, she is venerated as Saint Photini (the "Luminous One").

          So, my friends, brothers, and sisters in Christ, as we are walking “The Path to the Empty Tomb” that is Easter morning, who are the outcasts around us? Are we willing to offer these outcasts and all people living water? If we do, what our God through Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirt can do! Amen