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The Gospel of John, The Period of Conflict - The Clash of Belief and Unbelief, The Raising of Lazarus, Part XC, John 11:3-6 - Lesson 87
Read Verses John 11:1-2, for review:
Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)
John 11:3, Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
The word sick implies deathly sick.
It implies that Lazarus is sinking.
They send a messenger the 25 miles to tell Jesus Christ of their concern.
What a friend they had in Jesus, what a comfort to them to know the Jesus Christ cared about their brother.
As a poet once said, Oh, tell thy woes to those beloved, for sorrows shared, are half removed.
They remind him of his love for their brother.
They do not seek his help because of Lazarus' love but because of Jesus love for Lazarus.
I'm glad that God doesn't help according to our love for him.
He helps because of his love to us.
Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick!
They were appealing to the heart of Jesus Christ, the one in whom they had complete confidence.
They simply tell him of their concern.
They do not tell him how to solve their problem.
They make no request but simply remind him of his love for their dying brother.
They leave the rest to his wisdom.
They knew Jesus would never forsake him.
This passage teaches us that we ought not to prescribe the answer to prayer to God.
We ought not limit the Lord to answer prayer in only our way.
We should simply make the need known and wait on the Lord with respect to his good time and his good method whatever it may be.
Had they asked for healing and healing was granted the glory of God in resurrection power would not have been revealed in the raising of their brother.
God sometimes denies us a small favor that he may show us a greater one.
John 11:4, When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
Jesus already knows about Lazarus.
He needs no messenger.
He knows what will take place while the sisters of Lazarus pray for their brother.
He says that the sickness is not unto death and yet to the sisters, who receive by return messenger this hope, what did they think when Lazarus died?
Remember what Jesus said to Peter in John 13:7: Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
We are not equipped to judge the love of Christ to us by outward happenings, by the things that we may go through.
Simply trust him, only trust him.
God knows the end from the beginning.
As Isa 46:9,10 says: Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
There is a definite reason for the sickness that Lazarus is suffering, Jesus says.
It is for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby..
It is to further the honor of God.
It is to further the glory of Christ.
Sick or well, alive or dead, the believer glorifies God.
Someone has said, We should not too bitterly mourn the death of those whom Jesus loves.
For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.
And blessed in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
Do we believe this?
Is our faith alive when death comes our way?
Rom 14:8, For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
That's the bottom line.
Whatever we go through whether it be life or it be death we continue in the same relationship with the Lord, we are the Lord's.
John 11:5,6 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
Jesus loved Martha!
Jesus loved Mary!
Jesus loved Lazarus!
Martha was not put into the tomb.
Mary was not put into the tomb.
But Lazarus was.
Did Jesus love Lazarus less?
No, we are told that this whole experience was allowed to happen for the glory of God, that thereby the Son of God might be glorified.
In order for this glorification to take place Jesus abides two days in the same place where he received the messenger from Martha and Mary.
He stayed for two days and allows Lazarus to die.
He stayed in Bethany on the east of Jordan while Mary and Martha mourned, while they wrapped their brother in grave cloths and placed his body in the tomb.
To Mary and Martha, Lazarus was dead, but to Christ, Lazarus was awaiting resurrection and life.
What a different perspective we have from God's perspective!
We say, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
But John assures us that through all of these seemingly tragic events Jesus loved Martha, Jesus loved Mary and Jesus loved Lazarus!
What is the principle here?
How does this apply to us?
Peter, what does Jesus tell you in John 13:7?
What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.
We may not know why God does what he does but we do know that he loves his children.
Whatever is going to happen to you, to me, to your loved ones you can be assured that Jesus loves you. |