Only Two Choices

This morning, we come to the end of chapter 11, and I want to share with you a sermon entitled, “Only Two Choices.”  Today’s text will be John 11:45-57.

 

If you will remember from last Sunday, we look at John 11:1-44.  A close friend of Jesus’, Lazarus, was sick.  Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, seemed to want Jesus to come.

 

However, Jesus didn’t get to Lazarus until he had already died, but God had a plan.  Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.  Obviously, Mary and Martha witnessed this miracle as did others were present comforting the two sisters.

 

How did they respond to this miracle?  How will you respond to this miracle?  There are only two choices.

 

 

1. The Choice to Believe, John 11:45

45 Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.

 

Notice verse 45.  I’m not sure why Mary is mentioned and not Martha.  However, many of the Jews who had come to Mary, presumably to comfort her, saw the things that Jesus did and believed in him.  In other words, they were saved.

 

Remember, John’s Gospel is built on these seven miraculous signs.  They began in John 2.  Look at 2:11 after Jesus turned the water to wine.

 

11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

 

When Jesus turned the water to wine at this wedding demonstrating that He could bring something from nothing, that was the first miraculous sin.  Raising Lazarus from the dead was the seventh miraculous sin demonstrating He was Lord over life and death.

 

Let’s remember all of the signs.  First, He turned water to wine demonstrating He could bring something to nothing.  Second, He healed the nobleman’s son who was some 15-20 miles away.  Jesus was master over distance.

 

Third, Jesus healed the paralytic who had been that way for 38 years demonstrating He was master over time. Fourth, Jesus fed over 5,000 people with two sardines and five biscuits demonstrating He was the bread of life that could satisfy for eternity.

 

Fifth, Jesus walked on water and calmed the storm demonstrating He was master over nature.  Sixth, Jesus healed the man who was born blind demonstrating He was the light of the world that can enable the spiritually blind to see.

 

Seventh and finally, Jesus raised Lazarus demonstrating He was the master over life and death.  When He did these signs, many believed in Him along the way.

 

By the way, remember again that was the purpose of this book and these signs.  See John 20:30-31.

30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

 

 

2. The Choice NOT to Believe, John 11:46

46 But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.

 

However, the choice to believe is yours, and no one can force you to believe.  Therefore, there is the choice of not believing.  That is what we see in verse 46.

 

There are many who saw Lazarus raised, and they believe in Jesus, but some choose not to believe and went to the Pharisees to rally the troops. 

 

There are some of you in this room this morning who have never believed in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.  I wish I could make that decision for you, but I can’t.  Only you can.

 

However, I invite you to do that again today.  Consider all of the miraculous signs Jesus did.  Those miracles affirm all that Jesus said, and last Sunday, we read these words and this invitation from Him.  See John 11:25-26.

 

25 “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

 

 

Conclusion

From the rest of this text, I want to draw your attention to one final observation and a very ironic one at that. 

 

In verses 47-50, those that chose not to believe in Jesus and the Pharisees were worried.  They were worried about His popularity and a potential uprising.

 

However, Caiaphas, the high priest at the time, talked them off the ledge with some ironic logic.  He convinced them to seize Jesus and ultimately murder Him rather than their entire nation be overthrown.

 

John then added his own editorial comments in verses 51-53.

 

51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  53 Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.

 

Under the sovereignty of God, Caiaphas prophesied about the substitutionary death of Christ.  What does that mean?  It means that Jesus died on the cross and in the place of sinners.  He died so that we wouldn’t have to die.

 

That’s the message for this morning.  You don’t have to die spiritually.  You can decide for yourself and make the choice to believe in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.  If you do, you will be at peace with God, receive forgiveness of sins, and a home in heaven with God for eternity.

 

However, if you make the choice not to believe in Jesus, you will die physically, and you will die spiritually and spend eternity in a Christless hell separated from God. 

 

You have only two choices!