经文：约翰福音11章38-57节
38耶稣又心里悲叹，来到坟墓前；那坟墓是个洞，有一块石头挡着。
39耶稣说：你们把石头挪开。那死人的姊姊马大对他说：主啊，他现在必是臭了，因为他死了已经四天了。
40耶稣说：我不是对你说过，你若信，就必看见神的荣耀吗？
41他们就把石头挪开。耶稣举目望天，说：父啊，我感谢你，因为你已经听我。
42我也知道你常听我，但我说这话是为周围站着的众人，叫他们信是你差了我来。
43说了这话，就大声呼叫说：拉撒路出来！
44那死人就出来了，手脚裹着布，脸上包着手巾。耶稣对他们说，解开，叫他走！
45那些来看马利亚的犹太人见了耶稣所做的事，就多有信他的；
46但其中也有去见法利赛人的，将耶稣所做的事告诉他们。
47祭司长和法利赛人聚集公会，说：这人行好些神迹，我们怎么办呢？
48若这样由著他，人人都要信他，罗马人也要来夺我们的地土和我们的百姓。
49内中有一个人，名叫该亚法，本年作大祭司，对他们说：你们不知道什么。
50独不想一个人替百姓死，免得通国灭亡，就是你们的益处。
51他这话不是出于自己，是因他本年作大祭司，所以预言耶稣将要替这一国死；
52也不但替这一国死，并要将神四散的子民都聚集归一。
53从那日起，他们就商议要杀耶稣。
54所以，耶稣不再显然行在犹太人中间，就离开那里往靠近旷野的地方去，到了一座城，名叫以法莲，就在那里和门徒同住。
55犹太人的逾越节近了，有许多人从乡下上耶路撒冷去，要在节前洁净自己。
56他们就寻找耶稣，站在殿里彼此说：你们的意思如何，他不来过节吗？
57那时，祭司长和法利赛人早已吩咐说，若有人知道耶稣在哪里，就要报明，好去拿他。
1、赐生命的主：解开，叫他走！ （44节）
- 使死人复活的神迹与其他神迹的不同；
- 使死人复活的神迹对人心的归信会产生巨大无比的能力；
- 耶稣的宣告+耶稣的行动=双重印证耶稣基督的权柄；
- 面对掌管生死的主，我们是否无动于衷？
- 拉撒路故事背后的权柄之争，耶稣已经得胜！
- 你是否听见耶稣对你的呼喊：某某某，出来！解开，叫他走！
2、杀生命的宗教领袖：他们就商议要杀耶稣（53节）；好去拿他（57节）
- 约翰为什么在这里突然转移焦点？约翰希望我们认识耶稣，而不是拉撒路。
- 犹太公会的身份、角色与处境。
- 祭司长和法利赛人在怕什么？宗教上？政治上？
- 耶稣在百姓中已经产生了什么样的影响？这种影响会如何「祭司长和法利赛人」这个群体？又会如何影响当时的地方政府？
- 面对这一情况，「祭司长和法利赛人」的选择是什么？他们在宗教上的考量是什么，在政治上的考量又是什么？
- 对比：赐生命vs杀生命；解开，叫他走vs好去拿他。
3. 你的熱愛決定你的身份。You are what you love
- 「祭司长和法利赛人」为什么做出这样的决定？
- 你的热爱决定你的身份。 You are what you love.
- 你的身份决定你的选择。
- 世俗礼仪与日常习惯的塑造性力量。
- 主日敬拜的重要性。
Scripture: John 11:38-57
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.
39 “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.
42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs.
48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”
49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all!
50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”
51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation,
52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.
53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.
54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.
55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover.
56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?”
57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.
Key Points:
1. Life-giving Lord: “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” (v44)
· The miracle of raising the dead is different from other miracles;
· The miracle of resurrecting the dead will have tremendous power for the conversion of the human heart;
· The declaration of Jesus + the actions of Jesus = double proof of the authority of Jesus Christ;
· Facing the Lord in charge of life and death, are we indifferent?
· The power struggle behind the story of Lazarus, Jesus has already won!
Did you hear Jesus shouting to you: ___, come out! Untie, tell him to go!
2. Religious leaders who killed life: They negotiated to kill Jesus (v53); to get him (v57)
· Why is John suddenly shifting focus here? John wants us to know Jesus, not Lazarus.
· The identity, role and situation of the Jewish Sanhedrin.
· What are the chief priests and Pharisees afraid of? Religiously? Politically?
· What kind of influence did Jesus have among the people? How will this influence the group of "priests and Pharisees"? How would it affect the local government at that time?
· Faced with this situation, what is the choice of "the chief priests and the Pharisees"? What are their religious considerations, and what are their political considerations?’
Contrast: Give life vs. kill life; untie, tell him to go vs. get him.
3. Your love determines your identity. You are what you love.
· Why did "the chief priests and Pharisees" make such a decision?
· Your passion determines your identity. You are what you love.
· Your identity determines your choice.
· The shaping power of secular etiquette and daily habits.
· The importance of Sunday worship.