Come Forth: Jesus, the Resurrection & the Life | John 11:1–44 | Pastor Harley Doneburg | September 25th, 2022

In John 11:1–44, Pastor Harley walks us through one of the most personal and powerful moments in Jesus’ ministry—because this isn’t a distant crowd scene, it’s a home Jesus loved. Lazarus is sick, and Mary and Martha send word with a simple appeal: “Lord, the one You love is sick.” The weight of the story is that Jesus truly does love them—yet He still allows the valley to unfold. The delay feels confusing, even painful: Jesus stays where He is, Lazarus dies, and grief fills the house. But the sermon keeps bringing us back to the same anchor: sometimes the Lord’s love and our suffering are hard to reconcile in the moment, yet God is working a greater purpose than what we can see. What looks like absence is often preparation—because the goal isn’t merely preventing hardship, but revealing the glory of God and strengthening real faith.

When Jesus finally arrives, Martha meets Him with a mixture of disappointment and theology: “If You had been here…”—yet Jesus doesn’t crush her; He draws her deeper. He moves her from belief in a future resurrection to faith in a present Person: “I am the resurrection and the life.” Mary comes differently—she collapses at His feet, and Jesus meets her with compassion so profound it becomes the centerpiece of the chapter: Jesus weeps. He doesn’t only instruct us to comfort one another—He enters grief Himself, showing that He is acquainted with sorrow and close to the brokenhearted. Then, at the tomb, Jesus commands the stone removed and calls Lazarus by name: “Come forth.” Pastor Harley ties it directly to the gospel: dead men can’t rescue themselves—Jesus is the Life-Giver who calls us out. And once Christ gives life, He involves His people in the next step: “Loose him, and let him go.” The call is twofold—if you hear Christ calling you from death to life, respond; and if you already belong to Him, step into discipleship, helping others shed the “grave clothes” so they can walk in freedom.

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Audio edited & mastered by:

Michael Gross