AVBC - Sunday 03/29/26 - “A Humble King and Savior” - “The Path to the Empty Tomb” Sermon Series (Part 6 of 7) - Matthew 21:1–11

Sunday 03/29/26 – Adams Village Baptist Church

Sermon Title: “A Humble King and Savior” - “The Path to the Empty Tomb” Sermon Series (Part 6 of 7) - Matthew 21:1–11                                      

 

(Welcome Picture)

"Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" Welcome once again this morning, on our Palm Sunday. This day, which marks the beginning of what many Christians have come to call “Holy Week.” You might have seen a picture in the pre-service slides on the television this morning, of the days of “Holy Week.” Just in case you did not see it though, here are the days of this week or Holy Week:

(Holy Week - Days Picture)

today, is Palm or Passion Sunday, the day that Jesus came into Jerusalem on a donkey, or foal or colt (young male donkey), to the shouts of “Hosanna” or save us. Tomorrow is Holy Monday, when Jesus will free the animals, flip the tables of the money changers, and cleanse the temple. On Holy Tuesday this week, Jesus will teach at the temple. On Holy Wednesday Judas Iscariot will betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. This Thursday is Maundy or Holy Thursday, as Jesus has the Last Supper with the disciples, washes the disciples’ feet, and gives us the “Maundy” or the mandate to love one another as He has loved us. This Friday is Good Friday, as we will remember the trial, torture, crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus Christ. We will have the Ecumenical Good Friday service from 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, and the Good Friday Service here at 6:00 on Good Friday. This Saturday is Holy Saturday, as Jesus’ body will be in the tomb. Some churches have vigil and prayer service on Holy Saturday. Next Sunday is Easter or Resurrection Sunday. We have our sunrise service at 7:00 am at Adam’s Community Park on Wardwell Street behind the former Adams School building, to commemorate when the tomb was found empty. We then will have our Easter breakfast here at the church from 8:30 am – 10:00 am, followed by our Easter or Resurrection service at 10:30 AM. So, this is Holy Week.

          Given all of this, I have a question for us all to consider this morning. If you were the richest person in the whole world, or the most powerful king or queen in the whole world, how would you enter a large city for a celebration? Would you come in on a private jet? Would you come in a limousine? Would you come in with a fleet of fancy SUVs? Would this include music, fanfare, celebration, pomp, and splendor? Would you have fancy clothes and other things to mark your prominence, wealth, and importance? Sometimes when I think about this, I think of award shoes like the Oscars, or the Emmy’s, with the red carpet. Celebrities and famous people adorning the red carpet, dressed is expensive clothes and all making a big entrance.

For some people that I have asked these above questions though, for some reason they think of Junior or Senior Prom in high school. For example, how do most people want to show up to prom? When I was in high school many students wanted to make a statement on prom night. They wanted to show up in a limousine, with fancy clothes, and look top notch. It was almost competitive, as some wanted, it would seem, to outdo each other. Then there were some students, however, that could care less about how they looked arriving at prom.

This morning, on this Palm Sunday people from all over the known world, largely from the Roman Empire, are descending upon the city of Jerusalem.

(Roman Empire/Jerusalem Map)

These people are coming to celebrate the Jewish Passover holiday, which from the research I have read, generally runs 7-8 days, depending on where it is celebrated. This year, the Passover holiday runs from Sundown Wednesday April 1st until the night of April 9^th. The Seder dinner that many Jews celebrate is often held this Wednesday in Israel, while many will celebrate it on Thursday of this week. This Thursday, Jesus and His disciples will celebrate the Passover Seder dinner, and we have come to call this dinner, “The Last Supper.” We will talk about this more at our Maundy or Holy Thursday service this Thursday here at 6:00 PM.

Once again, this morning Jesus comes to the Jerusalem, where many Jews and perhaps others from throughout the known world and Roman Empire are descending for the Passover holiday. Likely prominent people and leaders entered Jerusalem for this holiday in fancy and powerful ways. Jesus being fully God and fully human, the savior of the world, the only sinless person who has ever crossed the horizon of the world, comes in on a foal, the colt of the donkey. Not only this a borrow donkey, and a colt. Now the gospel reading says In Matthew 21:6 this of the donkey and the colt, once again:

⁶ The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; ⁷ they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them   (Mt. 21:6-7, NRSV).

 

(Donkey and Colt – Picture)

          So, did Jesus ride into the Jerusalem this day on the donkey, the donkey’s young male colt, or son, or did he ride in on both? Well, I do not think Jesus sat on the donkey and the colt, I do think though that He sat on both cloaks though. In fact, from the research that I have done, Jesus rode in on the colt, the young male donkey that had never been ridden before, which is also in scripture. In the version of the entrance of Jesus on Palm Sunday in Mark 11:1-11 for example, there is no donkey, just the colt, the young male donkey that had never been ridden. In the version of the entrance of Jesus on Palm Sunday in Luke 19:28-44 there is no donkey, just the colt, or the unridden young male offspring of a donkey. In the version of the entrance of Jesus on Palm Sunday in John 12:12-19 Jesus enters Jerusalem on a young male donkey, a colt.

          While all four gospels speak of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the Passover, only in the gospel of John and our reading from Matthew 21:1-11 for this morning, does the scripture discuss Jesus doing this in order to fulfill the prophecy of the Messiah from Zechariah 9:9. The actual prophecy that I am talking about comes from the Book or Prophet of Zechariah 9:9 in the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible. This is what full verse says:

The Coming Ruler of God’s People

⁹ Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey (Zech. 9:9, NRSV).

          So, once again did Jesus ride the donkey and the colt simultaneously to fulfill this scripture? Our reading this morning from the gospel of Matthew said that donkey and her young male colt where both there, but most scholars think that Jesus rode on the colt and the mother of the colt came along.

(Jesus on a Colt – Entering Jerusalem Picture)

           I have never seen a depiction of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday riding both the donkey and the colt. Have you? In addition to this, the four gospels also discuss the prophecy of the Messiah, which comes from Psalm 118:25-26, which says:

²⁵ Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! ²⁶ Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord (Ps. 118:25-26, NRSV).

 

(Hosanna – Picture)

          You see, Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord or Lords is “A Humble King and Savior.” As such, He comes into the holy city of Jerusalem on this day for the Passover holiday, of death passing over the first born while the Israelites were still in slavery in Egypt, until the Egyptian Pharoah finally let them go. Then the Israelites led by Moses, went through the parted Red Sea and wandered in the wilderness for forty-years, before getting to the land of “Milk and Honey” or Israel. Death passed over the first born of the Israelites on that first Passover while they were slaves in Egypt, as they were instructed to take a pure and spotless lamb and spread the blood of the lamb over their doorposts and lintels. As a result, the death that passed over the Israelites in Egypt on that first Passover saved there first born. There first born were saved by the blood of the lamb. They also ate the first Passover dinner together on that night in Egypt. This Thursday, when we celebrate Maundy or Holy Thursday, Jesus will institute the Lord’s Supper or Communion. He will give us a new covenant, which is His blood that will save all who believe in Him. As a result, Jesus is the new Passover Lamb, as His blood will not just save the first born for a night, but His blood covers our hearts and our souls. His blood covers us for eternity, and Jesus is the new Passover Lamb.

          Since this all is true, as we walk “The Path to the Empty Tomb” to next Sunday on Easter, this morning, Jesus Christ our Lord, enters Jerusalem, the Holy City on the Passover, as “A Humble King and Savior.”

(Behold Your King – Picture)

To bring this home a little more, let us look once again at our gospel of Matthew 21:1-11 reading for this morning. Picking up in 21:1 it says:

Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

 

21 When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, just say this, “The Lord needs them.” And he will send them immediately.’ ⁴ This took place to fulfil what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, ⁵ ‘Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ⁶ The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; ⁷ they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them (Mt. 21:1-6, NRSV). 

          Jesus Christ, our Lord, comes into Jerusalem this day for the Passover holiday, not only a colt, or the foal of a donkey, but He comes with a borrowed donkey and colt. They are not even His! This is humility. This is a “Humble King and Savior” indeed!

          As Jesus rides into the city, this what Matthew 21:8-11 says happens:

⁸ A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ ¹⁰ When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, ‘Who is this?’ ¹¹ The crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee’ (Mt. 21:8-11, NRSV).

          This once again fulfills the prophecy of the Messiah from Psalm 118:25-26, which says once again:

²⁵ Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! ²⁶ Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord (Ps. 118:25-26, NRSV).

 

          Unfortunately, though my friends, this celebration will be short lived. By this Thursday, Jesus will be celebrating the Passover Seder or “The Last Supper” with His disciples. The Palms have been trampled, and the crowds dispersed. Those palms in some church traditions get burned, and the ashes are then imposed on people’s foreheads on “Ash Wednesday,” the first day of the season of Lent. Further, some were disappointed that Jesus was not a military conquering king. That he was not King David 2.0. Yet, Jesus Christ will change the world with His love. The largest Christian denomination in the world today is the Roman Catholic Church, who have about 1.4 billion adherents, and Christianity in total has about 2.6 billion adherents. This is about one-third of the world’s population.

The Roman Empire persecuted Christians for almost three hundred years. They tortured them, mocked them, and killed them. Today, the seat of power of the largest Christian denomination in the world is in the city that was capital of the Empire that tried to destroy Christianity, and who ordered through Pontius Pilate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This “Humble King and Savior” enters Jerusalem this day in the humblest of ways, and His gospel and His love reigns today. The empire that enslaved countless people, and tried to destroy Christianity has fallen, and in its place the largest Christian denomination in the world sits. Pretty impressive for a borrow donkey and colt!

Here are some application points, so that on this Palm Sunday 2026, this sermon can walk out of this church with you into Adams and the world.

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, marking the beginning of Holy Week and the final week of his earthly ministry. It signifies Jesus as the humble King and Prince of Peace, fulfilling prophecy by riding on a donkey rather than a war horse, and initiates the final journey to his crucifixion and resurrection.

Key Aspects and Significance:

·       Triumphal Entry: Celebrates Jesus being welcomed into Jerusalem by a cheering crowd that laid down cloaks and palm branches—symbols of victory—before him.

·       Fulfilled Prophecy: Fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, where the Messiah enters riding a donkey, symbolizing peace, and love. 

Bible Study Tools:

·       Passion Week Start: Marks the start of Holy Week, transitioning from this celebration to the recollection of his suffering, Passion, and death on Good Friday.

·       "Hosanna" (Save Us): The crowd’s shouts of "Hosanna" indicate they were calling upon Jesus to save them, recognizing him as the promised King and Savior.

·       Symbolism of Palms: Palms represent triumph and are used in church services to symbolize Christ's victory over sin, death, and the devil.

·       Sacrificial Lamb: It serves as a reminder that Jesus came to die, acting as the sacrificial Passover lamb. 

    Today friends, on “The Path to the Empty Tomb” on Easter Sunday, Jesus enters Jerusalem as “A Humble King and Savior,” reminding us that He is for us, and that we can relate to Him and His gospel. For He came to earth for us all! Amen. 

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.