I preached this sermon back in July of 1998 at the Towers Jail in Phoenix. And I still remember it distinctly. At that time, we did the Church Service in the visitation/common room near the front of the Jail… but that day it might as well have been an old-style Baptist Church.

(For Christmas this year, I am going back to a sermon I preached in Durango jail back in 2011. All Scripture quotes here are from the NIV.)

People say that the two days most likely for people to go to Church, even if they do not go the rest of the year, are Christmas and Easter – Resurrection Sunday. Of these, I think Christmas has the more powerful draw because it is connected with memories of childhood. Now, I don’t know how that childhood was for you, maybe it was not perfect. But seeing it as we saw it, as children, I bet it was always filled with optimism.  I mean children always have a way of finding the best in everything. Children are always willing to believe the best, to hope the best, to expect the best without hesitation. Right?

We are in the 12^th chapter of John’s gospel. When the chapter is over, Jesus’ direct ministry to His people will be over. The next chapters after this will show us an intense last-minute ministry to His disciples and then will come the end: the fulfillment of His mission. Last time I quoted that passage from Isaiah where God the Father, talking to the Son, tells Him that His mission is not only to restore the preserved of Israel but also to be a light to the Gentiles; to be the Salvation of the whole Earth. Which means that when Gentiles start to see the light, we know the end is near. Which is why this next passage in John 12 is so significant.

Several times in this study through the gospel of John, I have pointed out when his narrative omits events that you find in the synoptic gospels. He skips months of the ministry of Jesus only to, suddenly, stop and focus on a given moment. This is about to happen. Chapters 13 through 17 are focused on the few hours of the last night of Jesus’ ministry… a time devoted entirely to His disciples. Chapter 12, where we are now, is then John’s summary of the conclusion of Jesus’ ministry to His people.

That whole scene at the tomb of Lazarus is to me the perfect example of the inevitable struggle between Sorrow and Joy that is the hallmark of this human life. Jesus has just called out “Lazarus come forth!” And the one who was dead comes back to life, hopping out of that cave… Yes, hopping; because we know – as the passage states – that the burial custom was to wrap the dead in linen strips, like a mummy. I wonder who was the first one in that crowd to repress a chuckle at the sight.

The story of Lazarus – Mary and Martha’s brother – has to be one of the best known and best loved stories in the Bible. It is one of my favorites… but not for the obvious reasons. Yes, the climax of the story is the resurrection of Lazarus: a miracle that is the signature miracle of the Messiah: It proves that He had the power to undo death and, therefore, the power to undo the ultimate cause of death: sin. But… you know… Lazarus eventually died again.