Memorial service for Lynne Steyn
John 11:17-27
Now when Jesus came, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met Him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.”
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.”
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?”
She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” (ESV)
Theme: In the face of death, Christ reveals Himself as the Resurrection and the Life, calling us to faith in Him for eternal life.
Introduction.
1. The Reality of Death (vv. 17–19)
– The Apostle Paul calls it “the last enemy” (1 Cor. 15:26).
– Death entered the world through sin (Rom. 5:12).
– It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27).
2. The Grief of the Living (vv. 20–22)
– Psalm 34:18: “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
– 1 Thessalonians 4:13: “We do not grieve as others do who have no hope.”
– Jesus Himself weeps at Lazarus’ grave (John 11:35). But He does expect us to trust- even while our hearts are breaking.
3. The Promise of Resurrection (vv. 23–24)
Daniel 12:2 “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life…”
4. The Person of Resurrection (vv. 25–26a).
Jesus does not merely bring resurrection- He is the resurrection. Eternal life is not merely a future state; it is bound up in union with Christ.
The 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, Chapter 3:
“The bodies of the unjust shall, by the power of Christ, be raised to dishonour; the bodies of the just, by His Spirit, unto honor, and be made conformable to His own glorious body.”
5. The Call to Faith (v. 26b–27).
John 20:31 “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His Name.”
Conclusion:
Comfort for the Bereaved, Hope for the Believer.
In the face of death, Christ gives us
– A Person to trust – Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
– A Promise to believe – Resurrection and life for all who trust in Him.
– A Question to answer – “ Do you believe this?”