"To See the Glory of God"

 

Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"

 

            On All Saints Day, the church remembers with thanks those who have gone ahead of us in faith. We remember with confident hope, as we look forward to eternal life through the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord. This hope was expressed in our Scripture readings this morning. In Revelation chapter 21, John saw the heaven and the earth made new. In the passage from John chapter 11, Mary and Martha saw their brother brought back to life from death by the word of Jesus. They not only saw their brother return to life. They saw the glory of God.

            We are drawn to the story of the raising of Lazarus because it shows us both Jesus weeping and deeply troubled over the death of his friend, and also Jesus victorious over death – certainly in raising Lazarus, but also anticipating his own death on the cross and his resurrection.

            The point of this story in John is not to take us to a happy ending. There is no description of rejoicing when Lazarus comes from the tomb. There is no party for Lazarus recorded here, nor is there a parade for Jesus through Bethany. The narrative instead focuses on the glory of God, and then quickly moves us on to the cross and resurrection of Jesus.

            What does John mean by "the glory of God"? When Jesus first hears that Lazarus is ill, he says "this sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." What he means is that the sickness will not bring Lazarus to an end point in life, so that the final word, the victory, belongs to death. Rather, in dying and then being brought back to life, Lazarus will show the glory of God to those who believe.

            I found Donald Carson's insights into the glory of God to be helpful. He writes, "In the Gospel of John, God's glory is his revelation, his self-disclosure."

John wrote in the first chapter, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling (or tabernacle) among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

The word "dwelling" or "tabernacle" comes from when the Israelites were in the wilderness, and they made a great tent, or tabernacle, and God met with his people in that tent. He resided with them, and the outward manifestation of his presence was a bright cloud or a radiant light. So glory is often seen as brightness, something that shines, a heavenly light. In Exodus 33 Moses asks the Lord to show him his glory. And so God passes by Moses, but Moses is not to look on his face. God covers Moses, and as he passes by the Lord proclaims,

"The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin." – Exodus 34:5-7

When Moses came down from the mountain, his face was radiant. So while we often think of the glory of the Lord being this radiant light, it is more accurately his self-disclosure, his identity as the compassionate and gracious God. Jesus lived among us in a personal way. He did not shine with radiant light, but rather it was his words and deeds and miracles that disclosed his identity. Those who believed saw the glory of God in him, saw truly the compassion of God, the goodness of God. Jesus came as one filled with grace and truth.

            We are led in the story of Lazarus to see the goodness of God, to see grace and truth, to see that God conquers death. Carson summarizes, "In this miracle of restoration to life, both Father and Son are glorified (that is, revealed for who they are), but the supreme moment of glorification comes in Jesus' death."

            Lazarus, the friend of Jesus, dies; and Jesus arrives in Bethany too late. Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Both Martha and Mary greet Jesus by saying, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." It is too late. The one who is able to heal sickness surely can do nothing about death. There is loud weeping and mourning. Professional mourners have been hired to lead the grieving chorus. This will go on for seven days. If the people carry any hope at all, it is for a very distant resurrection.

            Jesus becomes deeply moved in spirit and troubled, and then at the tomb, he wept. The word "deeply moved" actually carries the meaning of "anger" or "outrage." The word came from the snorting sound of a warhorse about to charge into battle. Jesus is angry, troubled at death itself and the devastation it brings. Perhaps what he feels is like what we feel when we read the newspaper and nearly every week yet another student in Chicago has been shot on the way home from school, on the way home for a friend's house, or even just standing by the window in their home. Is there no one who can help? Is there no way to stop such senseless violence? We feel angry and troubled and sad.

            So Jesus feels deeply the effects of sin, the power of death, the anguish it brings to every family. He calls Lazarus from the tomb. And in that great miracle, those who trust in him see his glory, see who he truly is. He is the resurrection and the life. Gary Burge writes, "Jesus does not just say he is the resurrection and the life; he brings a man from the tomb." Jesus brings a present reality to our victory over the power of death.

            In raising Lazarus, Jesus causes the plot against him to come to life. He will now soon be put to death on the cross. There his glory will be seen as he is lifted up. "The Lord, the Lord, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love, and faithfulness, forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin." Jesus said, "If you believe, you will see the glory of God."

            What shall we do, as we follow Jesus in faith?

            Surely we are able to be honest in our grieving, to weep because Jesus wept. To be angry because Jesus was angry. We can ask for help in those times. We can pray. He is one who truly understands our sorrow.

            We can also be on God's side and work even today to dry tears and mitigate pain, and live lives of love and justice. For we serve the God who one day will wipe every tear, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.

            We can live in hope. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, there is a life to come. Now it is unseen, but it is real, and it is eternal. So we ought to be careful in our living to find salvation in Christ. He invites us to his table, where his grace is new and freely given.

            Amen.