When tragedy strikes: The God of all comfort Mike Taylor Forest Community Church Sunday 24 June, 2018

Sometimes life gives us terrible things

Sometimes life gives us terrible things Eric Biggs being killed on his bicycle

Sometimes life gives us terrible things Eric Biggs being killed on his bicycle Fiona's cancer

Sometimes life gives us terrible things Eric Biggs being killed on his bicycle Fiona's cancer Louella dying

Three responses to tragedy

Three responses to tragedy Asking God to explain

Three responses to tragedy Asking God to explain Weeping

Three responses to tragedy Asking God to explain Weeping Doing nothing at all (depression)

Three responses to tragedy Asking God to explain Weeping Doing nothing at all (depression) Which way is the right way to respond? How does God deal with us when we respond in these ways?

The story of Lazarus (John 11:1–45)

The story of Lazarus (John 11:1–45) A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. Finally, he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea. […] Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.” 1/6

The story of Lazarus (John 11:1–45) The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.” [...] When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” 2/6

The story of Lazarus (John 11:1–45) Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” “Yes”, Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” “Yes, Lord”, she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “The Teacher is here and wants to see you.” So Mary immediately went to him. 3/6

The story of Lazarus (John 11:1–45) Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’s grave to weep. So they followed her there. When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him, “Lord, come and see.” Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?” 4/6

The story of Lazarus (John 11:1–45) Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. “Roll the stone aside”, Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” 5/6

The story of Lazarus (John 11:1–45) Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. 6/6

Martha needed to understand “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask […] he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” — John 11:21–22, 24.

Jesus gave Martha new insight “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” — John 11:25.

Jesus gave Martha new insight Because he was right there, at that time, that resurrection could be today for Lazarus.

Jesus gave Martha new insight Not “I have the power to bring resurrection”, but “I am the resurrection”.

Jesus gave Martha new insight Jesus emphasised to Martha that he was God.

Mary needed sympathy “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” — John 11–32.

Mary needed sympathy “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.” — John 11–32. She begins exactly as Martha did, but then has no more to say.

Jesus wept with Mary

Jesus wept with Mary “When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him, “Lord, come and see.” Then Jesus wept.” — John 11:33–35.

Jesus wept with Mary In the NIV and most translations, Jesus was “deeply moved”. In the NLT, he is angry. Tim Keller says this is a more accurate rendering.

Jesus wept with Mary v33: When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him. v35: Then Jesus wept.

Jesus wept with Mary v33: When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him. v35: Then Jesus wept. Anger and weeping together: emotions are complicated!

Jesus wept with Mary Jesus emphasised to Mary that he was Man.

We need explanation and sympathy “Explanations never comfort. What you need in tragedy is not an explanation, you need the presence of God.” — Rick Warren.

We need explanation and sympathy “Explanations never comfort. What you need in tragedy is not an explanation, you need the presence of God.” — Rick Warren. No: we need both, at different times.

We need explanation and sympathy

Lazarus could do nothing at all “When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days.” — John 11:17.

Jesus gave Lazarus life “Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”.” — John 43–44.

Jesus gives us life “God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.” — Ephesians 2:4–5.

The problem of pain If God is completely good and all- powerful, why do we suffer?

Why did Jesus allow Lazarus to die at all?

Why did Jesus allow Lazarus to die at all? “Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe.” — John 11:14.

Why did Jesus allow Lazarus to die at all? “Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe.” […] Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. — John 11:14, 45.

Why did Jesus allow Lazarus to die at all? “It happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” — John 11:4.

A similar story two chapters earlier “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”

A similar story two chapters earlier “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him”. — John 9:1–3.

A bad thing is allowed to happen … … so that a better thing can happen, to the glory of God.

Well, that’s all very neat

Well, that’s all very neat I hope you’re feeling a bit uncomfortable about this.

When a better thing doesn’t happen When we pray for healing, and it never comes, what then?

When a better thing doesn’t happen When we pray for healing, and it never comes, what then? When someone we’re praying for dies, what then?

When a better thing doesn’t happen “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask […] he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” — John 11:21–22, 24.

When a better thing doesn’t happen Jesus did not contradict or correct Martha He added to her understanding.

The better thing that will happen “If our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.” — 1 Corinthians 15:19–20.

The better thing that will happen “When this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.” — 2 Corinthians 5:1.

The better thing that will happen “Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength.” — 1 Corinthians 15:42b–43.

We may know this, but not feel it “Roll the stone aside”, Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” — John 11:39.

——— this comes just after ——— We may know this, but not feel it “Roll the stone aside”, Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” — John 11:39. ——— this comes just after ——— Jesus told her “[…] Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” — John 11:25–27.

We may know this, but not feel it “Faith is holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.” — C. S. Lewis.

This doesn’t mean we don’t feel pain

This doesn’t mean we don’t feel pain “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” — John 11:41b–32. Jesus knew that Lazarus would be raised, but wept anyway.

Conclusion God knows what we need: Martha needed understanding: Jesus gave it to her

Conclusion God knows what we need: Martha needed understanding: Jesus gave it to her. Mary needed sympathy: Jesus gave it to her.

Conclusion God knows what we need: Martha needed understanding: Jesus gave it to her. Mary needed sympathy: Jesus gave it to her. Lazarus needed more than either of them: Jesus gave him life.

Conclusion Raising Lazarus was a sign pointing forward to the resurrection of Jesus himself. “He arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. “Roll the stone aside”, Jesus told them.” — John 11:38–39.

Conclusion Raising Lazarus was a sign pointing forward to the resurrection of all who trust in Jesus.

Conclusion “But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.” — 1 Corinthians 51–53.

When tragedy strikes: The God of all comfort Mike Taylor Forest Community Church Sunday 24 June, 2018