Mark Batterson - Easter: Resurrection City
Yeah. 2000 years ago, Rome was the most powerful empire on earth. 60 million people, a quarter of the planet’s population, all roads led to Rome. I’m gonna kick that off anyway, so. Where was I? At the peak of its power, Caesar Augustus declared himself Pontifex Maximus, or chief priest of Rome. He renovated Roman temple, started sacrificing to Roman gods when he died in AD 14 do you know he was declared the son of God? Roman coin said, «Caesar is Lord». Okay 2000 years later, Caesar is a salad. And billions of people today will celebrate something called Easter. How is it that history is divided into BC and AD by the birth of Jesus? There’s one simple answer. The tomb is empty. Christ is risen.
And so what a joy to welcome you on Easter Sunday. You’re looking good. And I have to say, I mean, our campus pastors who were just up here, they were looking like secret service today. Like, wow, they clean up pretty good. Then there’s this guy in the sweatshirt, right? I’ll explain it in a minute, okay? Sometimes I like wearing, the title of the message. We’ll get there in a second. Can I share one more testimony? Because you’re gonna pick on on this pretty quick if you’re new to NCC, like we just don’t go through the motions. Life is too short. We’re not playing church. There is a real God with real solutions to our real problems. Do you know on Good Friday, Friday night, couple came up to me, precious family from New Jersey, part of our extended family, we have extended family all around the world. Thousands of people that join us online every weekend.
Well, they happen to be from New Jersey, but last Easter, they’re like, we’re just driving for Easter service at NCC. And wouldn’t you know she had had breast cancer and she had rediscovered another cyst. Listen as the husband of a wife who, we’ve walked through two bouts with cancer like that, I mean we just started tearing up. She was in the Easter service last year and she felt in her body that God was healing her, could like physically feel something, went to the doctor next week and the cyst was gone. And we just had one of those holy moments right here just celebrating a God who saves, heals and delivers. And so what a joy to be with our spiritual family as we celebrate what I think is the most significant day of the year that is a risen Christ and an empty tomb.
And so we’re gonna jump right into it. And I think I have enough voice for one more message. And let me just check here real quick. Unbelievable. Usually on Sundays I have 5,124 steps already. We got up early and got going at the Easter sunrise this morning. Wonderful nine o’clock. And so welcome to our, snooze button. I’m mean 11 o’clock. I can’t believe you said that. Wow. Wow. Alright, here we go. In the spring of 1968, thousands of people made a pilgrimage to the nation’s capital to mourn the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. They gathered at the Lincoln Memorial where Dr. King had delivered his I Have a Dream speech. It seemed like the dream was dead, but for 42 days they pitched their tent in the Land of Hope. I think we have a couple of photographs.
Now it was called The Poor People’s Campaign, but those who know their history know that it had another name. When Reverend Ralph Abernathy dedicated this 16 acre encampment, he called it, are you Ready for this? Resurrection City. And it just got in my spirit so much that I was like, I’m just gonna make a sweatshirt and declare it that this is not just the nation’s capital. This is not just Washington D.C., Can we believe that this is Resurrection City? I know, I know it’s an election year. Do you know the election this year is on my birthday? Well, happy birthday to me, right?
Come on, can we just shoot straight? We live in a very polarized moment and sometimes it feels like city is coming apart, nation coming apart at the seams. And I believe we honor everybody who works in the political process, grateful for the democracy that we have. But I just wanna say, what if people came to this city to be saved, healed, and delivered? What if what’s happening here spiritually is more important than what’s happening politically. That’s what we’re believing for. And so how amazing on Resurrection Sunday, we gather in Resurrection City because we are a resurrection people. Why did you get up and go to church today? I know why. 'cause on the third day, he got up, right? And the tomb is empty. And so we declare life where there is death hope, where there is hopelessness in Jesus' name.
Now, I want you to, and the title of the message, Resurrection City, I want you to meet me in a little village in ancient Israel. You’ll find it in John chapter 11. And I’ll just put a map up to show you. The story happens in Bethany. Now Bethany, you can see it on the other side of the Mount of Olives, less than two miles from Jerusalem. And the significance of that is this, whatever happened in either place, quickly the word traveled. Okay? And so it is only days, days before the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. In fact, just to put this in context, we’re gonna look at, at the last miracle before the crucifixion, there are 34 miracles recorded in the Gospels, not including the virgin womb and empty tomb. And this is the last one, I wanna suggest that the story we’re looking at today is a dress rehearsal for what Jesus is about to do.
Now, a man named Lazarus is sick and he’s a friend of Jesus. And so the sisters Mary and Martha send word to Jesus, Hey, he’s sick. Come on, do a friend a favor, right? And you would kind of think that Jesus would giddy up and go, might even hop on the HOV and pay the easy pass, right? Like, let’s get there, let’s get there and help our friend. But, but one day, two days, three days, four days, where’s Jesus? And then Jesus says something so strange that it could come across as uncaring. And that’s where we’re gonna pick up the story. John, chapter 11, verse 14. Jesus says, «Lazarus is dead. And for your sake, I’m glad I was not there».
Now what’s that about? Hold that thought. Can I let you into my world today? I have had a recurring dream since I was a little kid. My life revolved around sports, basketball, baseball, football. And in my recurring dream, don’t laugh at me. I can’t get to the game. Like it’s this nightmare where I’m like, and it feels like I wake up in a cold sweat. Like no matter how hard I try, I can’t get to the kickoff or tip off. And like, this is my nightmare. Anybody else? Is that anybody else’s dream? 'cause we could start a support group. So that the nightmare became reality many years ago. I was late to a wedding that I was officiating. I mean, that’s hard to admit. It’s kinda hard to imagine. How late? Three hours late. Tone it down in here. I feel bad enough already.
Well, pastor Mark, how could you forget someone’s most important day? Well, I mean, it’s kind of strange. So there wasn’t a rehearsal the night before. And then that Saturday I remember it was snowing. And so I drove our son out to a friend’s house in Virginia, and I was right by Tyson’s Corner. So I’m like, well, I’m gonna go shopping. That’s even worse, right? So I’m in a dressing room when my phone rings and I knew immediately you, oh, Mark, you are, I have never wanted the rapture to happen more than that moment. I fly out of the dressing room like Clark Ken. I drive from Tyson’s back onto Capitol Hill to our home, put on a suit and tie. If I’m gonna be late, I wanna be fashionably late. And then I speed out to Maryland and I show up and there are hundreds of people waiting for me. Here’s what I didn’t say when I showed up, for your sake, I am glad I was not there.
Man oh man. By the way, I just have to say for the record that couple kept attending the church. Did I feel guilty every time I saw them? Yes. But don’t tell me miracles don’t happen. So Jesus finally arrives in Bethany, but it seems like it’s too little, too late because Lazarus is four days dead. Jesus is a day late and a dollar short. The nail is in the coffin. But I’ve got some good news today. God can show up and show off anywhere, any when, anyhow. And he’s about to do it. Like, why didn’t he just teleport to Bethany and pull off one of those last minute healing miracles? Well, maybe he had already been there and done that. Maybe it was time to reveal more of his glory, more of his power.
Do you know Oswald Chambers said «Sometimes it seems like God is missing the mark because we’re too shortsighted to see what it’s aiming for». Yeah. Hold on to that. Now, there are a lot of subplots in this story, but this one is significant. And I’ll tell you why. Because I think this is, this is honestly where many of us, when and where and why many of us deconstruct our faith because I don’t know how else to say it. God doesn’t meet our expectations. Like where is God when we need him and we experience this disappointment, and if we aren’t careful, the disappointment can turn into doubt. And the next thing we know, we just kind of deconstruct the whole thing.
And I just wanna say today I have tremendous empathy for that. You have to know that there are a lot of unanswered questions in my life. I mean, when we got the second cancer diagnosis for Laura, I’m like, Lord, really? Like when I tore my ACL two weeks before the National Tournament, God, why, why? Our first attempt at church planning failed. Lord, I thought you were calling us to do this when my father-in-law at the age of 55 and the prime of life, prime of ministry passed from a massive heart attack. Listen, it’s like the trap door fell out beneath us. Can I tell you today that I have a Deuteronomy 29:29 file. That verse says «that the revealed things belong to us, but the secret things belong to God». I just had to come to a place in my life where, you know what? There are some questions that just won’t be answered on this side of eternity. And I wish family, I wish I had a little bit easier answer. But the truth is, this is life. This is life.
And so I think Mary and Martha had some disappointment. There are some doubts that come with, and they probably only grew over four days. Is that fair? So Jesus arrives in Bethany and John 14, verse 17 says this, «On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been dead in the tomb for four days. Now, when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him. 'Lord' Martha said, 'if you had been here, my brother would not have died.'» That’s a true statement. And I’m not sure how else to frame it, but it’s also a little passive aggressive. Is it not? Like if you had been here, you could have, you could have kept this from happening. It’s not your fault, but it is, but it isn’t, but it is. And and I think some of us, you know, we find ourselves in a place where we experience this, but the story doesn’t end there.
I want you to see one of the most amazing declarations of faith. It’s almost unbelievable because you have to remember, this is on the other side of the empty tomb. There’s no precedent. There’s no category for what Jesus is about to do. And yet Martha says, «but I know that even now,» would you turn to your neighbor and say, even now? «Even now, God will give you whatever you ask». I mean, this is some crazy faith y’all. Like their brother four days dead. But you know what? It sure seems like Martha’s holding out some hope. Here’s what I think. I think some of us, listen, Oswald Chambers said, «let God be as original with others as he was with you». Like every one of us is on a unique spiritual journey. I haven’t lived your history, you haven’t lived mine.
So it gives me great empathy for other people. Like your experience is gonna be a little bit different. So when I say this, it’s not some guy standing in judgment. It’s someone who’s been there and done that. But I think some of us have preventative faith. We think God can keep things from happening, right? And so we pray for traveling mercies, keep praying for those, pray for 'em, for me, when I’m commuting between campuses, we pray for a hedge of protection. There’s nothing wrong with that. But some of us need to understand there’s another level of faith. There’s another dimension of faith. There is an empty tomb faith that even in the most dire of circumstances, even now, God, even now, Lord, you can still do it. I just, I believe that God wants to put this word in our hearts even now. But, but Pastor Marcus, too little, too late. Okay? I get that.
But imagine the little boy with this brown bag lunch. Do you remember this? Five loaves and two fish. I mean, I don’t know. I’m wondering if I just hang on to it. 'cause all the rest of them forgot their lunch, right? Or what’s the point? There are 5,000 people. Last time I checked five plus two equals seven. Yeah? In our hands. But if we put what we have in our hands into the hands of God, five plus two, it doesn’t equal seven anymore. It equals 5,000 remainder 12. Do you see what happens here? If you do little things like their big things, God will do big things like their little things. If you give God that brown bag lunch, it might turn into a miracle for 5,000 people. Don’t tell me it’s too little. I mean, come on. God created the universe with four words. Let there be light. Those four words are God’s way of saying, the universe is God’s way of saying, look at what I can do with four words. Come on.
And then some of us think it’s too late. I might need one of those waters. I think I’m gonna make it to the finish line. But I might need one of those, one of those waters. You know what? I bet Abraham and Sarah thought it was too late. A hundred year old men don’t get 90-year-old women pregnant. But God, Joseph probably thought it was over when his brothers betrayed him. But God. Moses thought it was over when he killed an Egyptian task master. But God. The man who hadn’t walked in 38 years thought it was over. But God. The woman caught in the act of adultery thought it was over. But God. Peter thought it was over when he denied Jesus. But God. And I promise you that criminal on the cross thought it was over. But God. Today you will be with me in paradise. It is not too little, my friend. And it’s not too late. Come on, God takes mustard seeds of faith and he moves mountains with him. Can I get an amen right there? Is it all right if I testify on Easter Sunday?
All right. One more swig. My earliest memory is an asthma attack. Three, four years old. Woke up in the middle of the night, couldn’t breathe. Went into my parents' room. My dad took me to the hospital. The ER shot a epinephrine, opened my lungs back up. You have no idea how many times my dad took me to the ER until finally diagnosed with asthma and an inhaler, a rescue inhaler became my best friend. I slept with it under my pillow. I played basketball with it under my sock. There are not 40 days and 40 years that I didn’t take multiple puffs of that inhaler.
When I was 13 years old, I was code blue. I thought I was taking my last breath. My parents were so desperate that they called the pastor of the church we had just started attending. And you have to understand it was a church with thousands of people. But he picked up the home phone and came to the hospital four days later. I’m kidding. I’m kidding. He was there in like 10 minutes. Little did he know that the 13-year-old kid that he was praying for would marry his daughter nine years later. You can’t make this up. Woo. And so I went home from the hospital and a prayer team from the church came over and said, Hey, let’s pray together. Let’s believe for a miracle. And you know what? God did one but not the one I expected.
So we prayed that the Lord would heal my asthma. I woke up the next morning, I still had asthma, but all the warts on my feet were gone. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean it was very confusing. It was like, is this like the game of telephone? Like there is someone somewhere who is breathing great but still has warts on their feet. And that’s when as a 13-year-old kid, I heard the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. Have you heard that voice? And the spirit said, Mark, I just wanted you to know that I’m able, and not just able, but able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine according to his power that’s at work within us. I held onto that promise for decades in July 2nd, 2016. We’re in a series called Mountains Move. And something just rose up within me even now.
Even now, Lord and I knelt next to the altar when we met over at the Miracle Theater. I said, Lord, I’m praying a bold prayer. I’ve asked you a lot of times. I know you’re able, but would you do it? Do you know that I have not touched an inhaler from that day to this day? God healed my lungs. I have experienced too many miracles not to believe God for the next one, not to believe God for a miracle in your life as well. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. Jesus finally gets to Bethany four days late, arrives at the tomb and I don’t have time to teach the whole text, but I do notice that two times it says He was deeply moved. And I’m deeply moved by that. He cares about our infirmities. He knows our pain points, knows the number of hairs on your head, your name inscribed on the palm of his hand.
There is a God who weeps, a God who bleeds a God we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. He was deeply moved. And he sees Mary weeping shortest verse in the Bible. Every kid’s favorite Bible verse, right, to memorize, «Jesus wept» John 11:35. It’s only two words, but it speaks volumes. I’m just grateful today for a God by virtue of the incarnation who took on flesh, imagine a God in diapers who had to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic who had lived experience like us. Oh, but Mark, he can’t identify with me. Are you kidding? A God who is crucified by his creation. Oh, he loves you. He knows you. No one knows you better and no one loves you more. And so I’m grateful for God who cries when we cry. But you know what? I also need a God who can do something about it. Yes. Sometimes I need compassion. Sometimes I need power. Someone who can change my life.
And so the second time he’s deeply moved, it says He comes to the tomb of Lazarus. And this time he doesn’t cry. This time he has something to say. In fact, here it is, John 11:43 through 44. It says, «Jesus called out in a loud voice. 'Lazarus come forth.'» How much faith did it take to say that? Because if no one comes out, someone’s looking foolish. Yes. But he says, «Lazarus come forth». «The dead man came out hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a cloth. And Jesus said, 'loose him and let him go.'»
Do you know that he would’ve been wrapped by, in Jewish custom with a pounds of burial clothes? So many scholars believe that there are two miracles here. And I’m not kidding about this. One is a dead man coming to life. That’s the big one. The second one is, how does someone who’s wrapped in a hundred pounds of burial clothes get out of the tomb? Here’s my translation. He did, the Lazarus, it’s kinda, I mean, I don’t know. We churn the butter, right? We start the mower. This is the last thing I should be doing on Easter Sunday, we do the running man, right? But today we do the Lazarus because a dead man came to life. I can see in Jewish parties ever after like, Hey, let’s do the Lazarus. Come on, let’s go, let’s go.
Now I’m having a little bit of fun, but man, what a moment this was. Lazarus come forth. Do you hear it? Can you hear his voice? Can you hear his voice calling your name? Come on, I heard that voice. Mark come forth. Come on, Joel, come forth. Marian come forth. Suzanne come forth. Randy come forth. Kirsten come forth. He is calling your name today. You are not here by accident. You’re here by divine appointment. There’s a God. This is your moment to come out of death and into life to allow God to love you the way he wants to. Would you answer that call? Jesus said, I came to set captives free. And he whom the son is set free is free indeed. Let me get where this is going.
Quick, wide angle. In John’s gospel, there are seven signs and seven I am statements. This will only take two minutes. The first miracle, Jesus exercises his authority over the periodic table of elements by changing the molecular structure of water and turning it into wine. Okay, you tracking with me? And then a man who hasn’t walked in 38 years. Let’s just exercise authority over the human body and heal him. Then he does a long-distance miracle exercising authority over latitude and longitude. Then he walks on water. Let’s just kind of laws of physics. Those belong to me. Oh, let’s exercise our authority over matter and molecules. And we’ll feed 5,000 with five fish and two lows, right? And then he exercises authority over our neuroanatomy. And he heals a man born blind.
If you’re born blind, there’s no synaptic connections between the optic nerve and visual cortex in the brain. This is synaptogenesis. And just when you think he’s exercised authority over everything, no, no, no. I left the best for last. There’s one more. I’m gonna exercise my authority over life and death over time and eternity. How? Lazarus come forth. And it’s dress rehearsal for his own death, burial and resurrection. Listen, if the tomb is empty, all bets are off. If the tomb is empty, all things are possible. We are in Easter, people, living in a Good Friday world. But we have hope and faith and love and joy and peace in the person of Jesus.
So seven signs. And then real quick, seven I am statements. Jesus says, I’m the bread of life. I’m the light of the world. I’m the good shepherd. I’m the door. I’m the vine. I’m the way, the truth and the life. But this last one, whoa, what are you saying? He says to Martha, «I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though they die». And then here’s the question. I’m just gonna ask you the question. Do you believe this? You know, I have flashbacks on Easter Sunday to our first Easter at a DC public school with 42, 42 people showed up and like I was over the moon. 'cause we normally had like 19. And when you preached this message and live this message over many, many years, it becomes more and more real.
So I’m just gonna shoot straight today. If the tomb is not empty, we’re wasting our time. Go to brunch already. If the tomb is not empty, then the apostle Paul said, «your faith is futile and you’re still in your sin». Like we’re pretty foolish and pretty silly today to gather in this place. Oh, but if the tomb is empty, then that changes everything. Romans 10:9 and 10 says, «If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved».
So I wonder today if maybe you wanna do what Martha did, this might be the shortest declaration of faith in the Bible. Let’s put it up. «Yes». How beautiful is this? Sometimes we think like we gotta pray in King James English or we need a couple of fancy sentences in there. You know what? Right now, in-person, online, some of you, for the very first time in your heart are saying, yes, yes Lord. Yes Lord. He’s calling you out of that tomb and into new life in Christ. Some of you’re saying, yes, you are surrendering your life to the lordship of Christ. Can I tell you, the angels in heaven are celebrating and so are we. And I wanna say, welcome to the family. If that’s you today, praise God.
Last thought, and I think I have enough voice for 60 seconds. Can you tell? You are one yes away from a totally different life. You’re one decision away from a totally different life. So my wife, Laura and I, we were high school sweethearts. And that means we dated through college and then when we got to senior year, I’m like, okay, I’m gonna pop the question. And so like, go big or go home. I was a ditch digger that summer making 7.25 an hour. So I could barely afford the ring. But I’m like, I wanna make sure she says yes.
So let’s pull out all the stops. And so we go to the 95th. It was in the John Hancock 95th story. These views of Chicago, like pretty, pretty romantic. I’m working it y’all. And then after dinner we go on a boat ride a sunset cruise, a skyline. Can you see it? The skyline of Chicago. And that’s where I pull out a diamond ring, said, would you marry me? Do you know what she said? Yes. 31 years married, three kids, Parker, Summer, Josiah, a son-in-law, Austin. Days away from being grandparents. 28 years of serving this city and serving this church. Listen, you aren’t married 31 years that you don’t ride the rollercoaster. So many moments and memories and and miracles. But how did it, where did it start? How did it start? with one little yes. Would you say yes to Jesus today? In Jesus' name, amen.