The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 102: The Death of Lazarus (2022)

Episode Date: April 12, 2022

Fr. Mike recalls the death of Lazarus, and how Jesus not only allowed himself to be broken by the sorrow that breaks us but also how he took that hopelessness and brought forth life. He also explains how the covenants we've seen in the Old Testament are all leading to the eternal covenant that will be instituted through Christ on the Cross. Today's readings are John 10-12 and Proverbs 6:1-5. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of Scripture. The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using the Great Adventure Bible timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today. It is day 102, day 102. We're reading today from John chapter 10, chapter 11, and chapter 12. We're also jumping into Proverbs chapter 6, the first five verses, Proverbs 6, 1 through 5. As always, I am reading from the Revised

Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition of the Bible, and I'm actually using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a Year. And if you have not yet subscribed to this podcast, please consider subscribing. If you have not yet reviewed it, well, actually, maybe you want to wait to the end of the year. Then you review and say, yeah, 365 days. Here's how it went. Maybe it's too premature to say on day 101, do you have an opinion?

I don't know. I think that's, that's fair. That's definitely fair. Anyways, as I said today, we're reading from John chapter 10, 11 and 12 Proverbs chapter six verses one through five. The gospel of John chapter 10, Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Jesus continued, Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter at the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.

But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens, the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. This figure Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not heed them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me,

as the Father knows me, and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason, the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, There was again a division among the Jews because of these words, and many of them said, He has a demon, and he is mad. Why listen to him? Others said, These are not the sayings of one who has a demon.

Can a demon open the eyes of the blind? Jesus is rejected by the Jews. It was the feast of the dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness to me. But you do not believe because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish,

and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one. The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me? The Jews answered him, we stone you for no good work, but for blasphemy, because you being a man make yourself God. Jesus answered them, is it not written in your law? I said, you are gods. If he called them gods to whom the word of God came and scripture cannot be nullified, do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world,

you are blaspheming because I said I am the Son of God? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father. Again they tried to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John at first baptized, and there he remained. And many came to him, and they said, John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true, and many believed in him there. Chapter 11. The Death of Lazarus. Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany,

the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, Lord, he whom you love is ill. But when Jesus heard it, he said, This illness is not unto death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this, he said to his disciples, Let us go into Judea again. The disciples said to him, Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone you,

and you are going there again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. Thus he spoke, and then he said to them, Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awake him out of sleep. The disciples said to him, Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover. Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

And for your sake, I am glad that I was not there so that you may believe, but let us go to him. Thomas called the twin, said to his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him. Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life 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. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him while Mary sat in the house. Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not

have died. And 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 at the last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. And whoever 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, he who is coming into the world. Jesus weeps. When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying quietly, The teacher is here and is calling

for you. And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Then Mary, when she came where Jesus was and saw him, fell at his feet, saying to him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

And he said, Where have you laid him? They said to him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. So the Jews said, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. So the Jews said, see how he loved him. But some of them said, could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying? Jesus raises Lazarus to life. Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said,

Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days. Jesus said to her, Did I not tell you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God? So they took away the stone, and Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you will always hear me, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, that they may believe that you sent me. When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out. The dead man came out his hands and feet bound with bandages and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them unbind him and let him go. The plot to put Jesus to death. Many of the Jews therefore who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the

Pharisees gathered the council and said, What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation. But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, You know nothing at all. You do not understand that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish. He did not say this of his own accord. But being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on, they took counsel

about how to put him to death. Jesus therefore no longer went about openly among the Jews, but went from there to the country near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and he stayed there with his disciples. Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, What do you think, that he will not come to the feast? Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him. Chapter 12. Mary of Bethany Anoints Jesus Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had

raised from the dead. There they made him a supper. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at table with him. Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. And the pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair, and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, he who was to betray him, said, Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to take what was put into it. Jesus said, Let her alone.

Let her keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you will always have with you, but you do not always have me. The plot to put Lazarus to death. When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came, not only on account of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus also to death, because on account of him, many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The next day, a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

so they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel. And Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion. Behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt. His disciples did not understand this at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that

they heard he had done this sign. The Pharisees then said to one another, You see that you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him. Some Greeks wish to see Jesus. Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, Sir, we wish to see Jesus. Philip went and told Andrew. Andrew went with Philip, and they told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

If anyone serves me, he must follow me. And where I am, there shall my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. Jesus speaks about his death. Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour.

Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven. I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again. The crowd standing by heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said, an angel has spoken to him. Jesus answered, this voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world. Now shall the ruler of this world be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself. He said this to show by what death he was to die. The crowd answered him, We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man? Jesus said to them, The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you. He who walks in the darkness does

not know where he goes. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light. The Unbelief of the People When Jesus had said this, he departed and hid himself from them, though he had done so many signs before them, yet they did not believe in him. It was that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled, Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, for Isaiah again said, He has blinded their eyes Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue, for they loved

the praise of men more than the praise of God. Summary of Jesus' Teaching And Jesus cried out and said, He who believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me. And he who sees me, in him who sent me. And he who sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as light into the world that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has a judge.

The word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority. The Father who has sent me has himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has bidden me. The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 6, Verses 1-5. Practical Admonitions and Warnings. My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger, if you are ensnared in the utterance of your lips, caught in the words of your mouth, then do this, my son, and save yourself.

For you have come into your neighbor's power. Go, hasten, and importune your neighbor. Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber. Save yourself like a gazelle from the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler. Father in heaven, we give you praise. We give you glory. Gosh, Father, we get to hear how the Son of God, Jesus Christ, speaks to you. How he calls you Father. How he calls you Abba.

How he calls you Dad. And because he has given us your spirit, you also are made into our dad. And so we, as your sons and daughters, we come before you now, dad, and we say, thank you. We praise you, dad. Dad, our God, our God and father, you're good. Help us. Help us to live as your sons and daughters every moment of every day of our lives. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Okay, so gosh, here we go. I know that we go through a lot here. In only three chapters of John's Gospel, we cover a ton of stuff. And so just a little recap. In chapter 10, we have Jesus, the Good Shepherd. And what is one of the things he says? He says that, know my sheep and my sheep know me. There's an enemy. And that's the reality, right? In our lives, we recognize there's the enemy. And Jesus describes him as one who only seeks to kill, steal, and destroy. But he says in John chapter 10, verse 10,

but I came that they may have a life and have a life abundantly, have life to the full. This is the good news, that there's an enemy who desires our destruction. And here's Jesus, our God, who loves us and wants to give us life and life to the full. Not only that, but he says, I've come to save the Jews. I've come to, he's the fulfillment of every Jewish prophecy in Jesus Christ. But he says, also, there's also people that do not know me yet. There's other nations, other civilizations, other races, ethnicities, other people around the world, and they do not know me yet, yet they will know me and I will be their shepherd. He says, and there'll be one flock, one shepherd. This is such a gift, recognizing that God desires to fight

for us. He desires to fight the evil one on our behalf and to unite us as one. And this is one of the great gifts of the church, right? We said this before, is that the promise through the promise to Abraham, that covenant with that family that extended throughout, you know, through Moses and David and what we're going to, all the story we're going to hear after we get done with John's gospel to Jesus is the expansion of the covenant to the entire world through the church. That every nation, every nationality, every ethnicity, every race, every language, every continent can be brought into one family, into one kingdom, one flock with Jesus as the one shepherd.

Moving on, we have the story, gosh, the death of Lazarus and the raising of Lazarus, which shows at least two things. So it shows so many things. The first thing it shows is it shows that Jesus is, he allows himself to be woundable. Jesus allows himself to be vulnerable. Jesus wept is the shortest verse in the entire Bible, right? Two words in John chapter 11. When Jesus sees the people weeping, standing in the face of what kills us, he weeps. Now he knows what he's going to do. He knows he's about to bring Lazarus back from the dead. And yet the people in front of him are hurting and he lets himself be hurt by their hurt. And this is so important for us. These are not just words. These are not just stories. These

are not just tales about something far away. These are stories about someone. And Jesus is the God of the broken heart. He allows his heart to be broken by what breaks our hearts. And he also reveals the next thing that by the power of his word, he can raise the dead. By the power of his word, he can call those who are dead, dead. I mean, this is Lazarus has been dead four days and make this very clear, at least twice that Lazarus has been dead four days. Why? Because in kind of Jewish idea, as far as the soul and the body and whatnot is that the soul would be kind of somewhat connected to the body for three days. The fact that Lazarus has been dead for four days reveals something reveals like he's dead, dead, like he is fully dead. There's no coming back from this kind of, this is not a near death experience.

This is a fully death experience. This is all the way their death experience. And Jesus has not only the heart, the broken heart, he has that power to be able to call the dead back to life. When things are absolutely hopeless, Jesus has the power to call them back to life. And this is true for every element in every area of our lives, that Jesus has the ability to step into hopelessness and death and where things are over and say, not yet, not yet.

There is always hope with Jesus. And the last thing is Jesus reveals himself here to be the crux. This is that it says that as a result of this, many of the Jews who had come with Mary and seen what he had done, believed in him. But then it goes on to say, but others went to the Pharisees and the Herodians and plotted how to kill him. And that's the reality is that Jesus is who he says he is. And so we can't actually hear the story of Jesus and go, meh, okay, yeah, I guess either way, I can take it or leave it. We either have to say I'm his or kill him.

That's the only two options when it comes to Jesus. He can't be a good prophet who wasn't God. He can't be a holy person who wasn't God. He is either God or a bad man. He is either God himself who deserves our heart or he is one who deserves to be put to death. Because that's the choice. The only choice we have when it comes to Jesus is he is either God or he's a bad man. And in these stories today, we've just heard today and yesterday,

he reveals that he is who he says he is. And so in response, we say what? Jesus, if you are who you say you are, then I am who you say I am. And you say that I am yours. So let me be yours. We are continuing on this journey through John's gospel. We only have, shoot, only have three more days with John's gospel. And after this, we'll go back to the first book of Samuel, which is going to be exciting as well. But just, I invite you for the next three days, just walk with Jesus, especially as he enters into his passion and his death and conquers death by the resurrection. He fights for you. His heart breaks for you. He calls you back to life. And I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.