John 11:1-16
Lazarus lay dying. Lazarus is all of us. No one is perfect, we are all broken, sick in some way. We are all near to dying. We all desperately need the Lord to come to us and restore life to us.
We might expect Jesus to come as a friend (phileo). We might expect Jesus to meet our perceived need in the manner and at the time we want. What we don’t expect is Jesus to love (agape) us with perfect love that transcends even death in his perfect knowledge and timing.
Jesus heard Lazarus was sick so he waited until he was good and dead. The darkness had to be blackest midnight that the bright glory of Christ might shine blinding bright in contrast. Does God need to glorify himself for himself as a man feeds his ego? No, but we need to see his glory that we might believe and receive him who is our light, our life, our living water, our holy bread. So, he waits until the time is right.
When the time is right nothing can stop or even delay him. The threats against his life were powerless, the quaking of the disciples didn’t slow him one minute. As Jesus explained to them, he had a mission to fulfill and in that timeline there could be no doubt or hesitation. Walking into the lion’s den of Judea was as safe as strolling down a wide lane at midday because his time had not yet come.
We can be certain that God’s purpose in our life is our highest good and his greatest glory and it will be fulfilled in his timing. Romans 8:11, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
Even though we know that ultimately God will complete his work in us the darkness can be very dark. It is hard to wait when it seems like God is not answering our prayers. In our midnight we can remember that not only is Jesus coming but he has already gone through the night himself. Psalm 22:1, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?”
Hebrews 4:15,16, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
John 11
1 Now a certain man was sick (enfeebled), Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.
2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love(phileo) is sick.”
4 When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death(darkness), but for the glory(brightness) of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5 Now Jesus loved(agape) Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.
7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
8 The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.
10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”
12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.”
13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.
14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”
16 Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”
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