No one is beyond recovery! (Pt.2)

(Part 2)

 

“When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. “-John 11:17

 

Jesus arrived to find Lazarus in the worst possible condition. Not only had he died, but he laid buried in a tomb decaying for four days. When Jesus asked for the stone to be rolled away Martha protested and said:

 

“Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” 40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”-John 11:39-40

 

What was Martha declaring? She was in essence saying: “Lazarus is beyond recovery. There is no hope for him. Death has had the final word.”  However, Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” Even when we feel as though we are beyond recovery, like there is no coming back from the depths we have reached, Jesus has the final word. With just one word, God can call us out of the grave:

 

“Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!””-John 11:43-44 

 

Jesus found Lazarus in the worst possible condition. Why does that bear repeating? Some of you have been telling yourself, that Jesus would never want me. I’m too far gone, too messed up, too unlovable, too strung out, too jaded, too angry, and too unforgiving. I’m a mess and there is no way He wants me. Can I remind you that Jesus came to Lazarus when everyone else had given up hope believing he was beyond recovery. That’s because they never stopped to think that it was his time in the tomb that set up his resurrection story? Interestingly, tombs aren’t just for the physically dead:

 

"So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil spirit came out from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.”-Mark 5:1-5

 

I am certain that this man’s family and the people within that community felt as though this man was beyond recovery. He was harassed by a legion of demons and every man-made effort to detain and restrain him had failed. It got so bad that he could no longer function among the living so he made his home among the dead. This man logged some serious tomb-time, but little did he know that the time he spent in the tomb was about to set up his resurrection story: 

 

“When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. With a shriek, he screamed, “Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had already said to the spirit, “Come out of the man, you evil spirit.”-Mark 5:6-8

 

In what seemed like just a moment, Jesus set this man free from years of bondage.

 

“The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid.”-Mark 5:6-15 

 

You don’t have to be possessed by a legion of demons for Jesus to show up in your life, but this man’s encounter with Jesus demonstrates that if Jesus can deliver him, He can surely deliver you. These stories don’t demonstrate how bad things must get before Jesus will show up, they show how bad things can get and Jesus still show up. 

 

When Jesus came out of that grave He made it possible for each of us to have our own resurrection story. Your resurrection story begins today. This is your last day in the tomb. He calling you out today. You can choose to keep living in the tomb, but if you are ready to find freedom, it’s time to run to Jesus. 

 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

 

 

No one is beyond recovery!

(Part 1)

“Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, ]and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were [b]greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”-Luke 24:1-7

That morning, on the first day of the week, when Jesus stepped out of the grave, is unequivocally the greatest resurrection story of all time. On Friday, all of hell rejoiced, as Jesus breathed His last, but it trembled on Sunday when God rolled away the stone and Jesus came out of the tomb with the keys to death, hell and the grave. Jesus had triumphed over the grave, yet some of those who loved Jesus most showed up at the tomb, not to welcome a resurrected Savior, but to give Him a proper burial. 

Why do you seek the living among the dead? The angel of the Lord asked this question as he rehearsed with them Jesus’ own words: “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”

Yet, the women who arrived did not come expecting a risen Savior. Instead, they came carrying burial spices. Jesus had been buried in haste just three days earlier as the Feast of Unleavened Bread was about to begin. He was wrapped in linen and placed in a borrowed tomb. After the feast and Sabbath day, the ladies returned with spices to complete Jesus’ burial. But why? Had they not heard Jesus’ words? Did they not believe Him? The problem that these ladies faced is not uncommon. In fact, most of us are conditioned to see death as being “beyond recovery”. 

Several times during Jesus’ ministry he endured the scoffs and laughs of those around Him, when He would dismiss the idea that a person who had died was beyond recovery: 

“While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.” But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn’t let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of James). When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl’s father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. Holding her hand, he said to her, “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.”-Mark 5:35-42

It is inconceivable that the author of creation could look at something and declare it was beyond recovery? So, instead Jesus would refer to them as sleeping. Consider the story of His good friend Lazarus:

“Then he said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died.” So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.  And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.”-John 11:11-15

The disciples believed that if Lazarus was only sleeping he would recover. Death, however, carried a stigma of defeat. When Jesus finally arrived in Bethany, Even Mary and Martha both declared, “Jesus if you had been here, Lazarus would not have died.” In their minds sickness was recoverable, but death was final. 

Jesus, however, was about to prove that no situation and no individual is beyond recovery. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church