“Faith Without a Clue”

based on John 11:23-27

Pastor Richard Mau

Easter Sunrise – April 20, 2003

Immanuel Lutheran – Des Plaines, IL

 

SCRIPTURE READINGS

Psalm 118        Isaiah 53:1-12  Romans 6:3-14 Mark 16:1-8

 

John 11:23-27 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."  Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;  and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"  "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

 

            If one were to see some tiny eggs without any explanation, they would not have a clue that those eggs would become caterpillars.  Likewise, one would not have any idea that a caterpillar would spin itself into a cocoon.  And to see a cocoon hanging on the stem or leaf of a plant, one would not expect it to become a butterfly either.  Now someone with authority could hold up those tiny eggs and tell you that they would eventually become a butterfly.  You may not have any idea how the whole process would work, but you could believe that scientist because he has established his credentials and authority with you.  Still, you would not have a clue how the entire process would work.  You would have to go just on faith of what the scientist said.

 

            In today’s text, Martha had gone out to greet Jesus as he approached her home.  Her brother Lazarus had just died.  Martha and her sister Mary had sent for Jesus before Lazarus died.  Jesus delayed going until now, the fourth day after his death and burial. 

 

In this passage we have some great confessions of faith by Martha.  She knew that Lazarus would rise again from the dead, “on the last day.”  She knew that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God who was sent to come into the world.  She no doubt listened to Jesus as he stated that Gospel truth, “I am the resurrection and the life.”  But Martha really did not have a clue what was about to take place in her presence.  In a few moments Jesus would ask to have the stone rolled away from the tomb.  Martha spoke up, “But Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”   Martha did not have a clue as to what was going to happen to her brother that very moment.  She did not have a clue all that was going to happen with Jesus in the next few days either.

 

            But Martha had faith that Jesus is the Son of God.  Martha had faith that her brother Lazarus and all who believed in God to save them would raise all believers up at the last day.  However, Martha did not have a clue how any and all of this was going to take place.  That is what faith is, trusting and believing in something that you do not have a clue about it.  The writer to the Hebrews states, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  [Hebrews 11:1]

 

            All of us gathered here this morning have the benefit of some hindsight.  We know that Jesus raised Lazarus back to life that day.  We know when Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life,” he knew he was going to suffer, die, and rise from the dead in the very near future.  We know that Jesus died on that cross and rose again, just as he said he would.  We know that he is going to come and take us to be where he is, in his father’s house where he is preparing a place for us.  We know that the trumpet will sound and all the dead will be raised.  But none of us has a clue about when all of this is going to happen and just exactly what will everything be like that day.

 

            Christians are people who have faith but are without a clue.  That puzzles the rest of the world.  It puzzles us a lot too.  We do not call ourselves “The Missouri Synod” for nothing.  We are a “show me” people.  We have to see something to believe it.  Instead we should be people of the Lutheran Church – Martha Synod.  Although we do not have a clue what the resurrection at the last day will be like or when it will happen, we trust and believe in it all the same.  And that is because God has given his word.  That is because God has faithfully delivered his promises over and over in many and various ways.  That is because on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, he raised his one and only son from the dead. 

 

If you and I had been with the disciples on that first Easter morning, we would have been like the women who went out to the tomb.  In the Old Testament through Elijah God brought the widow’s son back from the dead.  Jesus had raised a young boy and a young girl from the dead before they were buried.  Then he brought Lazarus back to life after three days in the tomb.  But no one had by himself come back to life.  God had always sent a person to do this through.  This morning we witness Jesus bursting forth from the grave by his own power, the power of almighty God.  Today God gives us a great big clue.  He does have ultimate power and authority over all sin, death and the devil.

 

He did this to show that Jesus’ suffering and death for your sins was an acceptable sacrifice.  He did this to show that Jesus Christ is true God, the son of the Father, the one he is well pleased.  He did this to show that his word is truth, and that his life, suffering, death and resurrection occurred just as they were all foretold just as they were prophesied throughout time and by Jesus.  He did this because he loves you so much he wants you to spend all eternity with him.  He gives you this truth to share with others so they too come to simple faith in the miracle of the resurrection. 

 

            “Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”  These three ladies did not have a clue that morning either, until they witnessed the empty tomb and the angel sent by God proclaimed the victory to them.  “He is going ahead of you to Galilee, just as he said.  There you will see him.”  [Mark 16]

 

            Today we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection.  As we celebrate that, we celebrate our own resurrection because Jesus will come again just as he said.  No, we do not have a clue when that will be or what we will look like then.  We only know that he will come as he said he will.  God delivered his people from the flood.  He delivered his people from starvation in the famine.  He delivered his people from slavery in Egypt and a whole host of other forces of man and nature to be in the land he promised them.  God delivered his people from death not just at the Passover but through many other miracles besides.  God promised a Savior and sent his one and only son to be that Savior.  God revealed himself to us through his son, perfect in all ways and perfect in love.  We now celebrate the perfection of new life in the resurrection. 

 

We may not have a clue about the process and the fine details.  But one thing is certain, Because He lives, will live also.              Amen.

 

            Christ is Risen.

He is risen indeed.  Alleluia.     

 

Amen!

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