An invitation to deepen one’s love for Jesus and recommit to following him by exploring the events leading up to Easter, specifically focusing on the raising of Lazarus as a pivotal event that triggered the plot to kill Jesus.

Key Ideas and Facts:

1. Excitement for the Series and Desired Outcome: The pastor expresses personal excitement for preaching on the life of Jesus and states the central hope for the five-week series: for the audience to “fall more in love with Jesus and double down on your commitment to following him through life.”
2. Focus on the Final Hours (Weeks): The series will examine the end of Jesus’ life in detail, focusing on “little hour long chunks of Jesus life,” looking at specific stories and events.
3. Using Storytelling to Engage: The pastor uses a personal anecdote about a family trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons to illustrate the idea of starting at the end of a story to appreciate a crucial, often overlooked, detail. This foreshadows the approach to the biblical narrative.

• “I’m telling you that story because I want to do something a little odd in the sermon. I want to go start at the end to show you something that I think most people miss because the beginning of the story is so compelling.”

1. Introducing the Trigger Event: The Raising of Lazarus (John 11:45-53): The sermon immediately jumps to the aftermath of a significant, unnamed event, revealed later to be the raising of Lazarus. The impact of this event is emphasized:

• “I need you to know this event is monumental. If it happened in today’s world, the thing that I’m ignoring for a moment, if it happened in today’s world, it would have made worldwide news. It would have been everything people talked about on social media. It would have been all over. Every single news platform would have just blown up.”

1. The Sanhedrin’s Reaction and Fear: The religious leaders (chief priests and Pharisees) convene the Sanhedrin (described as the “Congress of the day”) due to the widespread news of Jesus’ actions. They express fear of Roman intervention:

• “What are we accomplishing? They asked. Here’s this man performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him. And then listen to this. The Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”

1. Historical Context of Roman Occupation and Potential Repression: The pastor provides historical context about the Roman occupation and the very real fear of a violent crackdown, referencing the siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and its horrific consequences.
2. Caiaphas’ Prophecy: Caiaphas, the high priest, proposes that “it’s better for you that one man die for the people and as the whole nation perishes, perish.” The speaker notes that John’s Gospel interprets this as a prophecy about Jesus’ redemptive death.
3. The Plot to Kill Jesus is Triggered: The key takeaway from this initial passage in John 11 is that the events surrounding Jesus, specifically the monumental miracle, directly lead to the religious leaders plotting his death:

• “So from that day on, these religious people, from that day on, they plotted to take his life.”
• “What Jesus is about to do, the story that I’m about to tell you, that story is the thing that triggered the religious people to go, we have to kill this guy. We have to.”

1. Rewinding to the Event: The Sickness and Death of Lazarus (John 11:1-44): The sermon then “rewinds” to the beginning of the story, several days before the plot is formed, when Lazarus, a close friend of Jesus, falls sick.

• “It is four, maybe five days before these guys plotting to kill Jesus. And Jesus is actually not in Jerusalem. He’s several days away.”

1. Jesus’ Delay and the Disciples’ Confusion: Despite receiving the news that “the one you love is sick,” Jesus delays his arrival for a couple of days, an action that seems paradoxical given his love for Lazarus and his ability to heal. The disciples are likely confused by this delay.
2. Martha’s Initial Grief and Statement of Faith: Upon Jesus’ arrival, Martha expresses her belief that if Jesus had been there, Lazarus would not have died, but also acknowledges her faith in God’s power.

• “Lord, Martha said to Jesus, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. … but I know. I know that even now, God will give you whatever you ask.”

1. Jesus’ Powerful Declaration: “I am the resurrection and the life”: This is highlighted as “perhaps the most important words in all of human history,” emphasizing Jesus’ ultimate authority over death.

• “Jesus says, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even though they die. And whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

1. The Universality of Death and Christian Hope: The pastor connects this statement to the universal experience of loss and presents it as the core of Christian hope and confidence, rooted in Jesus’ own resurrection.
2. Mary’s Deeper Grief and Jesus’ Emotional Response: Mary’s arrival and weeping evoke a strong emotional reaction from Jesus, described as anger at death and grief with those who grieve.

• “Jesus, I love the scripture, says that he gets angry. It’s such a weird moment to get angry unless you’ve lost somebody who you loved. If you’ve lost somebody, you know what it is like to have anger over grief, anger over death. Jesus says, take me to where he is.”
• “Jesus wept.” This is identified as the shortest verse in the Bible and explained not as a sign of doubt, but as an expression of empathy and shared grief.

1. The Raising of Lazarus: A Public Demonstration of Power: The pastor describes the scene at Lazarus’ tomb, the order to remove the stone despite the stench of a four-day-old corpse, and the powerful command: “Lazarus, come out!” The miraculous resurrection is emphasized, with the detail that after four days, Jewish tradition believed the spirit had departed, making the miracle even more significant.
2. The Strategic Purpose of the Miracle: The central point of the sermon introduction is revealed: Jesus intentionally waited for Lazarus to die so that his resurrection would be a monumental sign, directly leading to the Sanhedrin’s decision to have him killed.

• “Because all the while, all the while you thought Jesus was telling us just that he has overcome death. He is actually secretly triggering his own death.”
• “He waits four days. He wants to get there because he needs Lazarus to have died so he can resurrect Lazarus. Because he needs an event like this. … But he is also triggering his own death. Why? Because he needs to do what Caiaphas said. One man needs to die for all the people.”

1. Connecting to the Crucifixion and Redemption: The raising of Lazarus is presented as a catalyst for Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on the cross, which is framed as an act of redemption for all humanity. The pastor briefly describes the brutal nature of crucifixion to highlight the enormity of Jesus’ suffering and love.
2. Call to Action: Celebrating and Sharing the Gospel: The sermon concludes with a passionate call to action, urging the congregation to move beyond complacency and celebrate the message of resurrection with the same fervor they might show for a significant worldly event. They are encouraged to share the story of Jesus with others and to personally embrace faith in him.

• “What if we stopped sitting on the message? What if we chose to invite people who need to hear the story of Jesus… What if we started to celebrate like we would celebrate if UK won?”
• “He came for you. So why not today just take a step into him. Why not just say, I believe?”

Quotes Highlighting Key Themes:

• (Love for Jesus and Commitment): “My hope for the next five weeks is for you to fall more in love with Jesus and double down on your commitment to following him through life.”
• (Significance of Lazarus’ Resurrection): “Whatever Jesus just did, whatever we’re going to talk about in a moment, I need you to know all of the religious elite people are scared, shaking in their boots…”
• (Jesus as Resurrection and Life): “Jesus says, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even though they die. And whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
• (Jesus’ Empathy): “He weeps because he grieves with those who grieve. … God weeps with you.”
• (The Raising of Lazarus as a Trigger): “That story is the thing that triggered the religious people to go, we have to kill this guy. We have to.”
• (Redemptive Purpose of Jesus’ Death): “He came not just to rescue Lazarus, not just to rescue Mary or Martha, but to rescue you. To rescue me…”
• (Call to Share the Gospel): “What if we stopped sitting on the message?”