Sunday School: Harmony of the Gospels

I'm Hudson long Hudson long. So David that's so. That's how you're talking about. That's very nice. Yes very nice. It's it's. It's not let us all down that you know flip-flops. And man it's pretty rough.

You need you need somebody to whip you into shape. That's what I thought. Yeah. Uh-huh there's a there's a shot across the bow early certain that we are in section 256 which is Matthew chapter 20 for those of you who do not have the synopsis in front of you it is in fact I certainly mark that we did.

It may have been briefer than normal but we got to get this done someday. There's other parts of the Bible to study someday so we gotta we gotta start X and some of these off we have. The section 256 is a Matthew alone elements the parable the laborers in the vineyard which is not found in Mark Luke or John the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

After agreeing with laborers for a denarius a day he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace. I guess he was going by Home Depot and to them he said you go in the vineyard to whatever is right.

I will give you. So they went going out about the sixth hour and the ninth hour he did the same. So they did not quite have as short a working day as many of us do today. And about the 11th hour he went out and found other staying instead of them.

Why do you stand here idle all day. They said it because no one has hired us he said. Then you go into the vineyard. To an evening came the owner of the vineyard said to his steward called the laborers and pay them their wages beginning with the last up to the first.

And when those who hired and when those who hired about the 11th hour came each them received a denarius. Now the first came they thought they would receive more. But each them also received a denarius.

And on receiving it they grumbled the householder saying these last worked only one hour and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day in the scorching heat. But he replied to one of them friend I am doing you no wrong.

Did you not agree with me for a denarius. Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last. I give to you. Am I not allowed to do with what I choose. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me.

Or do you begrudge my generosity. It's the last will be first and the first last. So briefly here is a parable. And once again we we must emphasize the necessity of focusing upon the main point of a parable.

It is very common for people to you know drag especially this one out into various and sundry other economic models and everything else. And the sign meaning to this means to that the point is that the first will be last and last will be first.

That's the conclusion of the parable. And the point is not so much to attempt to say well you know there's an economic model here whatever else it might be the point is that the man was was generous in the giving of his his payment.

And one might say that if this is just a matter of strict justice or something like that that it would not be fair to pay someone who worked only one hour the same amount that you paid someone who had worked all day.

And of course I am certain that an equal opportunity of a lawsuit would have been fired or filed very quickly. Had this been something other than a parable at least in our day there would have been lawyers standing around all day looking for someone to hire them to sue somebody over just such situation as this.

But the point is not any of those particular things. The point is that rewards that are given to people are not based upon strict justice in this in this fashion in fact the householder describes his giving of rewards to those who are last as my generosity.

Or do you begrudge my generosity. The householders not arguing that this is a strict merit issue he is recognizing that he is being generous. Possibly we have in the background of this a little bit of a preparation for the coming in of the Gentiles into the blessings of God.

It would seem that here and what we have in Luke 16 in the story of the prodigal son both strike at the same thing. And that is there there was on the part of many of the Jewish people a sort of a feeling of hey we've been God's people for a long long time.

And who are you Gentiles coming in. And we see in the early church in starting the early chapters of Acts there's there's tension. There would have been a lot of reasons for tension you know the Gentiles come in and they have a different way of doing things and their way of speaking a different way of worshipping.

And I imagine there is more tension than we even have recorded for us in the New Testament just along those lines. But there also would have been a feeling shall we say of privilege on the part of the Jewish people and that's what's being reflected here as well.

And so I would take this particular parable as having primary application in that context a recognition that God's generosity is not something to be assumed and that his generosity all of his grace is something that is free.

It is not something that is based on merit. It's not something that is based upon some type of contractual obligation. The those who had worked all day were not defrauded. It's not like the householder took their pay and said well you know I'm gonna I'm gonna cut it back so I've got enough to pay these other guys or something like that.

That's that's not the case. And so I think that's probably the best way to make application of this particular parable in the context of the the early church and the Jews and the Christians. And Jews and Gentiles.

Sorry Jews and Christians. Yeah right. The Jews and Gentiles in the early church and their experience of the the blessings of God. Okay all. Right. Unless there's any questions. 257 is also 257 you know we we went through John 10.

Didn't we not too long ago. I think we did. Okay so we'll skip to seven because we already did that. So 258 now we are just moving your probably are you cramping up yet. Okay I'll just just fix. We don't want to go so fast that we see George up there you know massaging the hand and doing stuff like that.

That's that's not what we want to do. This takes us. Actually we did not do John chapter 11 and so I think it would since we did through 10. I think it would be worthwhile to go ahead and and do that because as I'm looking ahead I'm starting to see a number of these compare to compare to and in other words we've already covered those.

So let's go ahead and and turn to John chapter 11. You don't really need the the blue book for that because there's no there's no parallel there but I'm going to get the Greek out so we can look at it there.

The Raising of Lazarus in John 11

John chapter 11 the story of the raising of Lazarus. It is a text I have used numerous times in other contexts. I remember I remember one particular woman called the radio program many many years ago and I had raised the issue of John chapter 11 to her and she was very very insistent upon the freedom of man to reject the work of God in salvation.

I remember asking her I said so tell me would it have been possible for the Son of God to have said Lazarus come forth and Lazarus could have said no thank you. That's what I asked. I said you know could Lazarus.

And if I really want to make it sort of funny what I what I do is I say well could could Lazarus have said thank you very much. But you don't know what life's like with those two women. I'm staying here.

You know that was that was another way of putting it and I'll never forget that. At least she was consistent at least she was consistent. She said yes that's Lazarus in fact could have exercised his free will to have stayed in the tomb.

And like I said at least she was consistent. It's it's an amazing thing to see that. But she was in fact consistent. Oh no he was totally dead. He was no no from her perspective he was totally dead. But once Jesus did that it's it's this.

You know it's this prevenient grace thing. You know where God's prevenient grace brings everybody to this moral neutral point. And then they get to have free will. No we are not going to be using any princess bride theology in class today.

Jamie. So George take care of my light work. Okay. All right. Anyhow. What's that now. Age. Okay stop that. I think every single person has ever done a wedding in the past 15 years has had this almost sensational desire at some point to go now and just we are losing control quickly.

Pilots copilot going down fast pull back on that stick. All right. John chapter 11. No more no more. Be good out there. Hmm now a it's a little scary. How many people you have most that memorize that's that's not a that's not a good thing now.

Now a certain man was sick. Now see we're talking about sickness. Now how can we be talking about anything else. Now a certain man was sick Lazarus and 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 sick. I should just in passing. I didn't take much time to look at this but I I was on the Janet Mefford show sometime this week and this guy called in and I had never heard this argument before in my life which is sort of unusual but his his argument that the Quran could not possibly be the Word of God was because it did not tell the story of Mary anointing Jesus.

And I was like okay and he says for a gospel to be a gospel it must tell that story and all four Gospels saw it story and I looked it up and you really have to stretch it to say all four Gospels. Mark doesn't tell the story.

He tells a story of an anointing but it's not the same one but evidently this guy is figuring that it that it is but it has to be in the gospel for that to be the gospel. And of course I'm sitting there thinking going.

Well first of all like Paul wrote his epistles before like and it doesn't tell the story so doesn't mean it doesn't mean it's not the Word of God and it was it was interesting but since this is mentioned right here I was like okay because I think it's in Luke Luke or Matthew.

One of the two is one that says this shall be told of her for a memorial etc etc wherever the Gospels preached. And I thought oh it's never heard that one before anyway. So the sisters said word to him saying Lord behold he whom you love is sick.

So obviously there had been. John has not introduced this piece or giving us background information here but obviously Lazarus Mary Martha once you once Jesus does come we can tell that this is not the first time he's visited the home or things like that.

These were may have been some of the women who helped support the the apostolic cause the ministry that was theirs. We don't know but obviously there is something more than just oh I've heard this guy named Lazarus when she has heard this he said this sickness is not to end in death but for the glory of God so the Son of God may be glorified in.

It also says not to end in death not that it will not involve death because it does. Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was sick he then stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

And after this he said to his disciples let's go to Judea again. The disciples said to him rabbi the Jews were just now seeking to stone you on chapter 10. Are you going there again. Jesus answered are there not 12 hours in the day.

If anyone walks in a 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. This he said. And after that he said to them our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep but I go so that I may awaken him out of sleep.

Disciples and said to him Lord if he has fallen asleep you'll recover. Jesus has spoken of his death and they thought he was speaking of literal sleep. So Jesus had said it in play plainly Lazarus is dead and I am glad for your sake that I was not there so that you may believe but let us go to him.

Therefore Thomas who is called Didymus said to his fellow disciples let us also go so that we may die with him. And so clearly the incident in John chapter 10 which we we saw and we we noted at the at the end once again the Jews picked up stones to stone him.

Clearly this had rattled the disciples in a way that some of the previous encounters had not. And so we have a clear indication here the disciples are resistant to going back to Judea. You know it's like hasn't been that long don't you think the Jews are still a little bit angry and so on and so forth.

We also see a purposeful Jesus here. That's why so many modern liberals reject the gospel of John as having anything to do with a historical Jesus. Because clearly Jesus is in control of the situation.

He is aware of what's going on with Lazarus. He is aware of what he's going to be doing. He is aware that what he is going to accomplish is going to be important in causing the disciples to grow in their faith.

All of that is outside of the pale in much of modern liberal theology for anything that possibly could be true because that would require knowledge of future and require the fact that Jesus would actually have to be divine.

And since we know that that can't be the case then this is all just parables and it's written later and it's blah blah blah blah. And so this is how it is presented in the vast majority of Bible colleges and seminaries today unfortunately so when now of course we also need to keep in mind he stays two more days which means there's there's going to be some period of there's there's lag here.

We are so accustomed in our day to instant communication. I mean it's really become that way so much so that it's it's made driving much more hazardous because we just have this this insatiable desire to immediately respond to any text message or or phone call that comes through to our device and as a result we're driving down sidewalks and in the wrong lane of traffic and everything else.

And we just we just expect to hear about things. You know just like that you know I've got an I've got apps on my droid that's uh you know the one of them is fun is the earthquake app. You know and you can you can fire this thing up and you know you know where all the earthquakes in the world have been by magnitude or how far away from you they were.

And and when they happen there's all sorts of ways you can organize them and stuff like that and put them on a map and see where all the earthquakes today were. And you know stuff like that used to be for the vast majority of human history you wouldn't find out about some major earthquake for days weeks or even months after it happened depending on where it took place if you ever heard about it at all let alone all the minor ones I mean this this earth is trembling all the time that you can you can find out about today.

So the the concept of instant communication you know I remember calling my parents when I was down Sydney over a year ago and it was just amazing. They sounded like they were right next door. And yet I'm on the other side of the planet and I'm holding a device in my hand it's not attached to anything else at least on a visible fashion.

It's we are so accustomed to that that sometimes we look at this it says so when Jesus came he'd found he'd already been the tomb four days. Well it stayed there two days. So you gotta remember there's distances involved you know to cover 20 miles in those days you know unless you were really really rich and had a horse most people are hoofing it and when you're hoofing it 20 miles is a day's travel and it takes a lot of time and so word does not travel all that quickly in those days.

And so there's there's lags here that time he comes he's been the tomb for four days and you know you wonder you know once you send a message off because certainly Mary and Martha and Lazarus himself would have seen some of the miracles of Jesus and I would imagine that if they were involved in the support of Jesus's ministry and things like that you get a thought that well hey you know I've seen him heal all sorts of folks so I just might not renew my insurance policy you know I think we're okay here you know that's all right.

You know is there is there a thought of a little bit of a privilege you know maybe you know that'd be natural to think if Jesus had a special relationship with his family had obviously eaten in the home and and and things like that you can sort of figure that you know once you sent word Jesus could just drop everything he's doing and I imagine Mary and Martha would if if they said word they had as some general idea where he was and so as Lazarus is getting worse and worse and worse you know what's the thought process going on Jesus.

He certainly wouldn't delay. He certainly should be able to get here in time but he doesn't come and so you would expect there would be a fair amount of disappointment on the part of the sisters and certainly on Lazarus's part as he lays dying as well there would be confusion there would be darkness.

So as Jesus came he found that he had already been in the tomb four days now. Bethany was near Jerusalem about two miles off. In fact you have to wonder were they thinking the same thing the disciples were thinking Jesus won't come because he's afraid of the Jews.

These are thoughts that as we think about the background come into come into our thinking. Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. If you have seen Middle Easterners and their methodology of grieving even to this day they don't just call up FTD and send some flowers.

There is just as weddings take or so leaving takes a long period of time as well which is you know opened up the possibility of my saying a whole lot about the grieving process. But I'm not going to do that.

It's certainly better I think than what we have in Western Western world where you're you're given two days off of work and then you should be better by them. Yeah right. Martha therefore when she heard that Jesus was coming went to meet him.

But Mary stayed at the house and I've heard lots of sermons and stuff about why does Mary stay at the house. Is there is this indicative of some disappointment on her part. Did word come back to the people they send come back and say he didn't come back with us.

We just don't know. But it is interesting that that Martha goes out and Mary does not. I don't want to try to do too much mind-searching or something. But it is intriguing to note that Martha then said Jesus Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died even now.

I know that whatever you ask of God God will give you now. That's that's interesting. What's she asking for. What what is in in in her mind. Clearly there is an immediate statement of I know you could have saved him had you been here.

And you know there are there are some ladies there. This is gonna shock many of you. But there are some Jewish ladies who really do speak their mind. I've met a few and I think Martha was speaking her mind.

But there is still even now. I know that whatever you ask of God God will give you. What's what's she hoping for. There is is the question she has said to her your brother will rise again. And Martha's answer is the answer of a good Orthodox Jewish person of the day.

I know that he will rise again. The resurrection on the last day. So it had become certainly not among Sadducees but amongst the Pharisees and those influenced by them. The Orthodox belief in the resurrection on the last day.

One of the problems in Jesus's teaching to his disciples that he was going to be crucified buried and rise again the third day. One of the disconnects with them which we see over and over again in the Gospels is that this went against this idea.

There was no idea of a resurrection before that last day. You can't really have a resurrection before the last day. And so Martha hears this statement your brother will rise again. And she just interprets it within the natural context that she would have.

I know that he will rise again the resurrection on the last day. Jesus said to her I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even if he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.

Do you believe this. She said to him. Yes Lord I believe that you are the Christ the Son of God even he who comes into the world now. I don't know that Martha could fully plumb the depths of what Jesus says in verse 25.

John 11 25 and 26 has clearly been one of the most repeated texts of inspired scripture in the funeral home at the graveside. It is one of the great treasures of the Christian faith. But in context Jesus is is correcting her misapprehension that resurrection is only something that's going to happen the last day it does.

But God is not limited to that time frame. And again to hear someone say I am the resurrection the life separates the one. Thusly speaking from any prophetic voice of history. Once again you can't. You just cannot look something like this at these words and put them into the mouths of a a mere prophet Moses.

Moses is made like unto a God Pharaoh in exodus 7. But Moses never says I am the resurrection the life. It's one thing to say that someone is given an exalted position and God does miracles that person as he did through many prophets.

But you'll never find Elijah or Elisha or Isaiah or Moses saying I am this I am the resurrection involves the giving of life who is the only source of life Yahweh. So I am the resurrection the life. Now if we think of everything we've heard Jesus say in the Gospel of John at this point it makes sense.

It's it's contextual it's consistent. But I emphasize this over and over again because outside of these walls and outside of our communication with and fellowship with and communion with like-minded believers in liberal what's called liberal Christianity you'll hear these words all the time but they are always interpreted parabolically symbolically and not within the context of what John himself is is relating to us so that Jesus just becomes somewhat relevant to the concept of resurrection and life whatever those nebulous concepts might be.

But Jesus statement simply cannot be limited to the the nice safe liberal Jesus that people can believe in today. I have the resurrection life. He who believes in me will live even if he dies. Obviously referring to some type of spiritual eternal life that transcends physical death.

And everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. That is will never die spiritually. Obviously the idea of physical death not being what is being addressed here. Do you believe this now once again very strong words which likewise limits this promise in a way that is frequently not limited in the use that is made of it so often the funeral home today where of course when someone dies everybody wants to immediately ship them off to glory even if they live their life in abject rejection of Christ and his Lordship.

Well problem is after I am the resurrection life thing about he who believes in me. Everyone who lives and believes in me this faith thing keeps coming up and it's clearly not the kind of faith that large majority of the American populace would have in regards to mere existence of Jesus.

So he asks of Martha this confession of faith and her response is yes Lord I have believed that you are the Messiah the Messiah the Son of God even he who comes into the world now how full is her understanding of what all that means.

When we get to the grave is she just sitting there going. I know it's gonna happen. I know it's gonna you know it's gonna happen. Watch this. Or is she just as amazed as anybody else when when that stone is is rolled away and and outcomes outcomes her brother.

And she is the one who actually states in verse 39 Lord by this time there will be a stench for he has been dead four days. So I don't get the feeling that in her statement here there is some understanding that ah I know exactly what's going to be happening here.

I know that he's gonna raise him to life etc etc. When she had said this she went away and called Mary her sister saying secretly because their house would have been filled with the Jews. The teacher is here and is calling for you.

And when she heard it she got up quickly and was coming to him. And she has had not yet come into the village but and this is the way into Bethany would be a fairly popular road and so word would travel quickly.

People would run ahead and Jesus isn't running at this point. He's traveling as you would normally travel at that time but people would obviously run ahead. That's how Martha had known he was coming now.

Jesus had not yet come into the village but was still in the place where Martha met him. Then the Jews were with her in the house and consoling her. When they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out.

They followed her supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Therefore when Mary came where Jesus was she saw him and fell at his feet saying of him Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died so clearly for both Mary and Martha there is a disappointment issue.

There is a questioning of Jesus's commitments and love issue. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping he was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled and said where have you laid him.

They said to him Lord come and see then of course the shortest verse in the Bible the one that you know whenever anybody has to come up with ten verses to memorize they always memorize John 1135 Jesus wept.

And so why does Jesus weep. Well many many answers have been offered. I think there is much truth to be seen in the description verse 33 when Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping he was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled and he weeps.

Now Jesus knows what he's going to do. Jesus knows what the outcome is going to be. There isn't a question about that. He's already told his disciples what's gonna happen and that it's good that he wasn't there so they might believe.

I think we have here in miniature part of the answer that we need to give to those who question our belief in the divine sovereignty of God and in the eternal decree of God. If you have ever spoken with people and I do on a regular basis concerning these matters and their objections there to one of the primary objections that is raised is if there is a sovereign decree of God the resultant God that we must believe in seems distant mechanical cold and not the God that I see passionately speaking to his people in the minor prophets the God about which the disciples are passionate in their love and their their commitment.

I see a God in the Bible who interacts with his people and I just can't believe in these two different gods. I choose to believe in this God that is intimately involved as people rather than this this eternal decreeing sovereign God out there.

But here you have a situation that I think shed light on many other situations. The situation with Joseph and his brothers. In hindsight Joseph clearly sees the hand of God and what took place in his life even though it took a long time for these events to come about.

And yet Joseph faithful man recognizes God intended these actions to save many people alive today. Now I see it. I did it dawn on him slowly over time was it something he couldn't see when he was in the prison.

I don't know. But you have a decree. The decree brings Joseph through difficult nights of feeling of abandonment. And yet in the final analysis Joseph sees his short-lived Ness in comparison to the unchanging character and purpose of God.

Now you have Mary and Martha. They haven't gone through years of a feeling of abandonment but they certainly have gone through a few days of it. Both have expressed it clearly to Jesus. You had been or you would have died.

Where have you been. There is disappointment there is darkness there is confusion. Yet without a question Jesus has already set this up with the promise the disciples. He knows what's happening. He knows what's going to happen.

And he knows what the outcome is. The problem people have is if God knows all that then he can't really be involved in a passionate way in speaking out against sin. How can God speak out against selling your brother into slavery and lying to your father.

If he decreed it would happen in that situation. And yet that's exactly what scripture says is the case. And here you have the same situation. And it is in that situation that we know that Jesus is in charge and yet he enters into the suffering of those that he loves he.

He doesn't stop to say oh Harry just just hold on a little while. And when this is all done with you're just gonna be so I mean you're just gonna go golly. He doesn't do that. And God doesn't always just stop and and say well my purposes are this this this and this.

And sometimes we quickly discover what those purposes are. Sometimes it takes a long time and to be honest with you. Sometimes we just don't know and may not know in this life. But that didn't keep Jesus from weeping.

And certainly he would have recognized that there was different different reasons why Mary is weeping versus the Jews that have come to console her. Some of them had good motivations. Some of them didn't.

You had even professional mourners. Sometimes it would come and mourn someone's death. And and we know that of the people who will witness what's going to happen. Some go away and and take counsel as to how they might destroy him.

Not all. I'm certain that there were Jews there that glorified God when they saw the resurrection of Lazarus. Mixed multitude. But there is this despair in the presence of death and Jesus is deeply moved in spirit and his trouble.

And he asked where have you laid him. They said to him Lord come and see. And he weeps. And so there is no contradiction between the Lord knowing exactly what has happened exactly what he's going to be doing.

He has every confidence in his divine calling and the divine power to raise Lazarus from the dead. And yet he weeps. He's not cold. He's not distant. He's not untouched. He's not just you know walking through it telling jokes or anything else.

He is truly man and he truly enters into the situation of his people. Those that he loves are weeping and he weeps with them. Yet even in that context we'll see in right of time there is even the crowd the same thought.

But so Jews were saying see how he loved him. But some of them said could not this man who opened the eyes the blind man have kept this man also from dying. So even in the crowd you have this this concept that is there in the questioning of Jesus's motivations very often happens on the part of man in the presence of death the questioning of God's goodness.

Now in this situation it's not going to be long till they see the purposes. Sometimes it's much longer. But God's goodness is not up for grabs in any of those situations. That's I think something we need to take from that.

So we will pick up with verse 38. Oh great keeper of the notes in John chapter 11. Let's close our time. The word our grace. Heavenly Father once again we thank you for your word and its reminder to us of your truth.

We do pray as we have considered this very important story from the Gospel of John that you would help us to live and to believe in the presence of tribulation and difficulty in such a way that brings honor and glory to you.

That we would not place you in the dark. That we would not question your goodness in our in our finiteness. But that we would recognize all of the truth of your word and live in light of it. We pray in Christ's name.