The Meeting of Jesus and Lazarus

Through the event in which Jesus raised Lazarus from the tomb, this passage reveals that he is the Lord of life. By coming only after Lazarus had completely died, Jesus shows that human beings cannot escape death on their own. This proclaims that he is not one who merely solves our hardships or needs, but the one who holds absolute sovereignty over life and death.

The sermon points out the attitude of believers who regard God only as a tool that fits their own wishes or plans. Just as Martha and the Jews, even in the face of Jesus' words and power, were trapped in their own limits and common sense and complained and doubted, it is hard to grasp the truth unless human righteousness and pride die. God is not an idol shut away in heaven but a Father who knows all things and helps, yet only when human beings, who are dead, first receive Jesus and come to life can they see his glory.

Believers must live not by the works of the Law or by human devotion, but as living people who have died on the cross and been born again. When we know this truth that we must die in order to live, we can be set free from the bondage of death. The sermon asks believers to reflect deeply on what it means to cast away their own righteousness, rely wholly on God's grace, and believe in and follow the Lord of life.