THE GREATEST VACCINE!

The story of Lazarus (John 11:1-45) The Death of Lazarus

1. There was a man named Lazarus who was sick. He lived in the town of
Why virus is existing?
Bethany, where Mary and her sister Martha lived.
What is the origin of sin?
What is the result of sin? 2. (Mary is the same woman who put perfume on the Lord and wiped his
Is there vaccine in sins? feet with her hair.) Mary’s brother was Lazarus, the man who was now sick.

Back to creation..... 3. So Mary and Martha sent someone to tell Jesus, “Lord, your dear friend
Lazarus is sick.”
The Holy Bible says, in Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth." And in verse 25b, "And God saw that it was good." 4. When Jesus heard this he said, “The end of this sickness will not be death.
It was perfect in every way, for God does not make any mistakes. No, this sickness is for the glory of God. This has happened to bring glory to
the Son of God.”
Gen. 1:27- Created in His Image
5. Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
Gen. 2:17; 3:22- They eat the tree of Knowledge of good and evil.
Disobedience would lead to death(sin) 6. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two
more days
Who author of Sin?
Lucifer(satan), became proud (Eze. 28:17) 7. and then said to his followers, “We should go back to Judea.”
-dissatisfied with his position
8. They answered, “But Teacher, those Jews there tried to stone you to
-won the 1/3 of the angels
death. That was only a short time ago. Now you want to go back there?”
* Disobedience to God's governance (God's Law) the result is sin. 9. Jesus answered, “There are twelve hours of light in the day. Whoever
walks in the day will not stumble and fall because they can see with the light
1 John 3:4 - Sin is the transgression of the law
from the sun.
Rom. 3:23- All have sinned...
10. But whoever walks at night will stumble because there is no light.”
Rom. 6:23 - Wages of Sin is death...
11. Then Jesus said, “Our friend Lazarus is now sleeping, but I am going
there to wake him.”
Is there hope beyond death?
What is the vaccine in sin?
• Jesus described death as sleeping!
Let's find the story in the bible:
• if sleeping, there is a chance to wake up!
Death Is a Sleep
Death is not complete annihilation; it is only a state of temporary
unconsciousness while the person awaits the resurrection. The Bible
repeatedly calls this intermediate state a sleep.
Referring to their deaths, the Old Testament describes David,
Solomon, and the other kings of Israel and Judah as sleeping with their
forefathers (1 Kings 2:10; 11:43; 14:20, 31; 15:8; 2 Chron. 21:1; 26:23; etc.).
Job called death a sleep (Job 14:10-12), as did David (Ps. 13:3), Jeremiah
(Jer. 51:39, 57), and Daniel (Dan. 12:2).
The Biblical representation of death as a sleep clearly fits its nature, as the
following comparisons demonstrate:
1. Those who sleep are unconscious. "The dead know nothing" (Eccl. 9:5).
2. In sleep conscious thinking ceases. "His breath goeth forth, . . . in that
very day his thoughts perish" (Ps. 146:4, KJV).
3. Sleep brings an end to all the days activities. "There is no work or device
or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going" (Eccl. 9:10).
4. Sleep disassociates us from those who are awake, and from their
activities. "Nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the
sun" (verse 6).
5. Normal sleep renders the emotions inactive. "Their love, their hatred,
and their envy have now perished" (verse 6).
6. In sleep men do not praise God. "The dead do not praise the Lord" (Ps.
115:17).
7. Sleep presupposes an awakening. "'The hour is coming in which all who
are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth'" (John 5:28, 29).
The Spirit Returns of God
Though the body returns to dust, the spirit returns to God. Solomon
said that at death "the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit
will return to God who gave it" (Eccl. 12:7). This is true of all, both the
righteous and the wicked.
Many have thought that this text gives evidence that the essence of
the person continues to live after death. But in the Bible neither the Hebrew
nor the Greek term for spirit (ruach and pneuma, respectively) refers to an
intelligent entity capable of a conscious existence apart from the body.
Rather, these terms refer to the "breath"—the spark of life essential to
individual existence, the life principle that animates animals and human
beings (see chapter 7 of this book).
Discuss the composition of Man & Spiritualism...
1. The basis of spiritualism
Spiritualism originated with Satan's first lie to Eve—"'You will not
surely die'" (Gen. 3:4). His words were the first sermon on the immortality
of the soul. Today, throughout the world, religions of all sorts unwittingly
repeat this error. For many, the divine sentence that "the soul who sins shall
die" (Eze. 18:20) has been reversed to say "the soul, even though it sins,
shall live eternally."
Story continues…
12. The followers answered, “But, Lord, if he can sleep, he will get well.”
13. They thought Jesus meant that Lazarus was literally sleeping, but he
really meant that Lazarus was dead.
14. So then Jesus said plainly, “Lazarus is dead.
15. And I am glad I was not there. I am happy for you because now you will
believe in me. We will go to him now.”
16. Then Thomas, the one called “Twin,” said to the other followers, “We
will go too. We will die there with Jesus.”
Jesus in Bethany
17. Jesus arrived in Bethany and found that Lazarus had already been dead
and in the tomb for four days.
18. Bethany was about two miles from Jerusalem.
(3.22 kilometers)
1 oval - 400 meters
More than 8 round in oval
19. Many Jews had come to see Martha and Mary. They came to comfort
them about their brother Lazarus.
20. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to greet him.
But Mary stayed home.
21. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not
have died.
22. But I know that even now God will give you anything you ask.”
23. Jesus said, “Your brother will rise and be alive again.”
24. Martha answered, “I know that he will rise to live again at the time of
the resurrection on the last day.”
25. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection. I am life. Everyone who
believes in me will have life, even if they die.
26. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never really die. Martha,
do you believe this?”
27. Martha answered, “Yes, Lord. I believe that you are the Messiah, the
Son of God. You are the one who was coming to the world.”
Jesus Cries
28. After Martha said these things, she went back to her sister Mary. She
talked to Mary alone and said, “The Teacher is here. He is asking for you.”
29. When Mary heard this, she stood up and went quickly to Jesus.
30. He had not yet come into the village. He was still at the place where
Martha met him.
31. The Jews who were in the house comforting Mary saw her get up and
leave quickly. They thought she was going to the tomb to cry there. So they
followed her.
32. Mary went to the place where Jesus was. When she saw him, she bowed
at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have
died.”
33. When Jesus saw Mary crying and the people with her crying too, he was
very upset and deeply troubled.
34. He asked, “Where did you put him?” They said, “Lord, come and see.”
35. Jesus cried.
36. And the Jews said, “Look! He loved Lazarus very much!”
37. But some of them said, “Jesus healed the eyes of the blind man. Why
didn’t he help Lazarus and stop him from dying?”
Why Jesus wept?
1. Jesus wept for the pain of his friends.
He saw the suffering of the people and the pain death causes. Jesus
deeply cared about Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Although He already knows
this happened to glorify God and that in a few minutes Lazarus would return
to them, He felt their pain. He was empathetic to their loss.
2. Jesus wept for their lack of faith.
The second reason Jesus wept was because of the lack of faith He
saw around Him. When Jesus first told His disciples they would head back to
Judea, they reminded Him that the last time He was in Judea He was almost
stoned. They were operating in fear and not faith. As they attempted to
discourage Jesus from returning to Judea, Jesus responded:
“Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus has died, and for your sake, I am
glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’ So Thomas,
called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with
him.’” (John 11:14-16)
“Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to him, ‘I know
that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’" (John 11:23-24)
Martha believed Lazarus would one day rise again, but not that day. Jesus
reminded her:
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in
me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall
never die. Do you believe this?’” (John 11:25-26)
3. Jesus wept for his coming suffering.
Jesus wept because Lazarus’s death and resurrection reflected His.
Jesus knew within a short time He too would die and be placed in a tomb.
He knew He would ultimately overcome death and rise from the dead just
like Lazarus, but He also knew it would be an extremely difficult road to
walk. Closer to His death Jesus prayed:
“And he said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup
from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:36)
He didn’t want to die on the cross, but He did want to glorify His Father.
We may sometimes weep in this fallen world, but in Jesus, we have a
greater hope. Psalm 126:5-6 tells us:
“Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy. He who goes out
weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing
his sheaves with him.”
Jesus had to suffer; He had to endure the pain. He had to weep so that one
day we don’t have to. Revelation 21:4 encourages us in this hope:
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more,
neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things
have passed away.”
The story continues…
Jesus Raises Lazarus From Death
38. Again feeling very upset, Jesus came to the tomb. It was a cave with a
large stone covering the entrance.
39. He said, “Move the stone away.” Martha said, “But, Lord, it has been
four days since Lazarus died. There will be a bad smell.” Martha was the
sister of the dead man.
40. Then Jesus said to her, “Remember what I told you? I said that if you
believed, you would see God’s divine greatness.”
41. So they moved the stone away from the entrance. Then Jesus looked up
and said, “Father, I thank you that you heard me.
42. I know that you always hear me. But I said these things because of the
people here around me. I want them to believe that you sent me.”
43. After Jesus said this he called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
44. The dead man came out. His hands and feet were wrapped with pieces
of cloth. He had a handkerchief covering his face. Jesus said to the people,
“Take off the cloth and let him go.”
Christ's Resurrection 2. The resurrection of condemnation

The resurrection of the righteous dead to immortality is closely
associated with Christ's resurrection because it is the resurrected Christ who
eventually will raise up the dead (John 5:28, 29).
What would have happened if Christ had not been resurrected?
Paul summarizes the consequences:
The unrighteous are raised in the second general resurrection,
which takes place at the end of the 1000 years (see chapter 26 of this book).
This resurrection proceeds to the final judgment and condemnation (John
5:29). Those whose names are not found in the book of life will be raised at
this time and "cast into the lake of fire" and experience the second death
(Rev. 20:15, 14).

a. There would be no use in preaching the gospel: "If Christ is not risen, then Christ promises that "'he who overcomes shall not be hurt at all by
our preaching is vain" (1 Cor. 15:14). the second death'" (Rev. 2:11). Those who accept Jesus and the
salvation He brings will experience an indescribable joy at His
b. There would be no forgiveness of sins: "And if Christ is not risen,. . . you
climactic return. In never-fading happiness, they will spend eternity
are still in your sins!" (verse 17).
fellowshipping with their Lord and Saviour.
c. There would be no purpose in believing in Jesus: "And if Christ is not
risen, your faith is futile" (verse 17).
Invitation:
d. There would be no general resurrection from the dead: "Now if Christ is
preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you John 11:25-26 (ESV)
say that there is no resurrection of the dead?" (verse 12).
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever
e. There would be no hope beyond the grave: "If Christ is not risen,. . . Then
believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who
also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished" (verses 17, 18).
lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
Two classes of resurrection:

1. The resurrection of life

Those who are raised in the first resurrection are called "blessed
and holy" (Rev. 20:6). They will not experience the second death in the lake
of fire at the close of the 1000 years (verse 14). This resurrection to life and
immortality (John 5:29; 1 Cor. 15:52, 53) takes place at the Second Advent
(1 Cor. 15:22, 23; 1 Thess. 4:15-18). Those who experience it cannot die
anymore (Luke 20:36). They are united with Christ forever.