John 11:1

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

When Jesus delays, He is not absent—He is revealing His glory and calling us to believe He is the resurrection and the life.

Seven Signs and Seven Sayings

This summer we have been studying the "I Am" statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John. The Gospel is constructed around seven statements Jesus made beginning with the words "I Am," and also around seven signs—seven miracles recorded in this book. John says in chapter 20 that Jesus did many other miracles not written here, but these were written for a purpose: "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."

A fascinating thing emerges as you study these seven sayings: many correspond directly with the signs. In John 6 Jesus says, "I am the bread of life," and in that same chapter He feeds the multitudes with miraculous bread. In John 8 He says, "I am the light of the world," and in John 9 He heals a man born blind, giving sight to one who lived his whole life in darkness. The sign corresponds with the saying. Last week Pastor Mark taught from John 10, where Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep"—a word fulfilled at the cross.

As we come to John 11, the "I Am" statement here corresponds with the miracle Jesus will perform, the seventh sign. Why does it matter that the signs correspond with the sayings? Because the signs of Jesus authenticate the sayings of Jesus. The message—"I am the bread of life," "I am the light of the world"—is validated by the miracles He performs.

The Tipping Point

This seventh miracle becomes a tipping point for the religious leaders. Throughout the Gospel, their anger toward Jesus has been growing—beginning back in John 2 when He overturned the tables in the temple, intensifying in John 5 when He healed the lame man at Bethesda on the Sabbath. By John 11:47 we read, "Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, 'What shall we do? For this man works many signs.'"

They cannot disagree that He is doing miracles. Their fear is, "If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and the nation." Caiaphas, the high priest that year, said it was "expedient for us that one man should die for the people." And verse 53 says, "Then from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death." These were the men appointed to lead Israel in righteousness, and now they were deliberating how to kill Him.

It Is Good to Pray for Those in Need

What pushes them to this? Back up to verse 1: "Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany." John adds that this was the same Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair—context for readers who likely already knew Luke's Gospel. Therefore the sisters sent to Jesus, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."

Do you know what that is? That is prayer—supplication, petition, intercession. They send up word to Jesus. This brings us to our first point: it is good to pray for those in need. There is nothing profound about that, yet it is revealed throughout Scripture and played out in churches across the world. This church prays for many people in need. Every week we receive a stack of prayer cards, divide them among our staff on Tuesday mornings, and pray for every need. A group also gathers on Wednesdays.

When we pray for those in need, we pray with expectancy, with hope, in faith that God hears and answers. Poll after poll shows the majority of Americans pray, hoping God will hear and respond.

God's Glory Above My Comfort

But there is a problem in this passage. Look at verses 5 and 6. The sisters send their message, and then we read, "Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was." That does not seem to fit. We expect verse 6 to say, "So He left what He was doing and went up to Bethany." The word for love here is the highest form of love in the New Testament. If He loved them, surely He would drop everything and meet the immediate need.

Have you ever felt that Jesus is too busy to deal with your issue? That He is delaying or not listening? We assume that if God truly loves us, He will intervene the moment we call out. I have had many conversations over the years with people who concluded otherwise. I remember a man, now an atheist, who once went to church. He told me, "My dad had cancer. I prayed for him. He died. So God didn't show up. Either He's not there, or He's a jerk."

But notice verse 4, which I skipped: "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Point number two—and you may not like it: God has more concern for His glory than my immediate well-being. We struggle with this because my biggest concern is my immediate well-being. Our problems consume our attention. You might share your problem with me; I might even pray for you, and within twenty minutes I've forgotten because I'm hungry or tired. We put ourselves at the center and assume everyone else should too.

Does this mean God doesn't concern Himself with us? No. Scripture reveals God personally engaged in our lives, concerned even for the things that concern us. But in the hierarchy of God's values, His glory is chief. Then comes His concern for my eternal position, and then my well-being in the moment. That ranks lower on the list, and we have a hard time with it.

Used to Reveal His Nature

So this situation Mary, Martha, and Lazarus faced—the most important thing in their lives—is going to be used first to bring greater revelation of Jesus' true nature, and second to glorify His great power. The Gospel of John was written this way to show the true nature of Jesus, that you might believe He is the Christ.

If you are going through a pressing situation right now—work, family, marriage, your kids, your health or the health of someone you love—and you are wondering where God is, at the very least you must ask: Is God trying to reveal something of His nature to me or through me in this? How can He glorify Himself in the midst of this?

These are hard questions, and I don't want to diminish your turmoil. But I was reminded this week of another preacher's saying: "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." I wrestled with that, because generally I am most satisfied in my comfort, my happiness, my momentary well-being. When I land in Newark, get off the plane, and hear my flight is delayed, I'm not happy—my countenance changes. I'm trying to learn to be most satisfied in Him, and not just in the benefits and blessings of knowing Him. That's a hard lesson.

"Not Unto Death"

Many of you know the outcome. Spoiler alert: Lazarus dies—which is a bit of an issue, since Jesus said this sickness is not unto death. Either Jesus was wrong, which I have a hard time accepting, or—and this is speculation, not interpretation—perhaps the treatment killed him, or perhaps they didn't treat him because they expected Jesus to show up. More likely, Jesus has a longer view. He knows what He is going to do in response.

Look at verse 7: "Then after this He said to His disciples, 'Let us go to Judea again.'" A little geography helps: Bethany is two miles east of Jerusalem, which sits in the county of Judea. Jesus is out near the Jordan River, where John the Baptist had ministered. After a couple of days of His work, He says, "Let's go to Judea." His disciples drag their feet: "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?" They needed to remind Jesus they wanted to kill Him—but they may have been saying it for themselves.

Day and Night, Sleep and Death

Jesus answers, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of the world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." There is much discussion about these verses. Honestly, I think His disciples were going, "What is He talking about?" Then He says, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go to wake him up." They take Him literally: "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get well"—meaning, we don't need to risk our lives; let's stay here by the Jordan.

But Jesus was speaking of death. So He says plainly, "Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless, let us go to him." Jesus delayed because He had purpose in His delay. Point number three: Jesus allows difficult circumstances to stretch and strengthen our faith.

Let me be candid: I do not always like Jesus' methods. I like the outcomes, but I'm not particularly fond of His plans and His ways. So I regularly find myself complaining—very spiritual complaining, but complaining. I read of Israel murmuring in Exodus and Numbers and think, "That's me." Jesus' disciples were similar. They were not super-spiritual; often they were cynical and skeptical.

Guard Against Cynicism

That cynicism comes out in Thomas, later called doubting Thomas. In verse 16 he says, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him." There are two interpretations. The super-spiritual Thomas means, "Let us go and die with Jesus." The not-so-spiritual, cynical Thomas—church tradition says he was nicknamed "the twin" because he looked like Jesus—means, "I look just like Him; let's go and die with Him." I lean toward the cynical reading, because that sounds like something I might say.

There is a real danger here. When things don't go the way we expect, we can easily slide into cynicism, skepticism, doubt, and a pessimistic, negative mindset. Let me say plainly: doubt, pessimism, cynicism, and skepticism are not spiritual gifts. They are not Christian hallmarks. They are indicative of my fallen, sinful nature. We must be on guard, because it is easy to slide into that—especially in ministry.

Jesus Arrives Late, On Purpose

When Jesus came, He found Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was about two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had joined Martha and Mary to comfort them. Jesus shows up awfully late—past the expiration date, beyond hope. But He delays on purpose: "I am glad I was not there."

I've experienced this as time has gone by. There's a saying: God is never late, but He's rarely early. Last week in Scandinavia, talking with other pastors about how things are going at our church, I kept hearing myself say, "Nothing ever seems to happen at the speed I'd like it to." By the third time it came out of my mouth, it was as if the Lord caught that word and said, "Really?" My timetable is not how God measures time. So I'm challenged to leave it with Him: "Lord, Your timing is best." That's a hard one.

Martha's Faith and Doubt

As soon as Martha heard Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him, while Mary sat in the house. Martha has a bone to pick: "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." Have you ever prayed that waving-finger prayer—"Lord, if only You had"? Her statement expresses faith—You could have healed him—but also doubt, because she seems to add, but now he's been dead four days; I don't know that You still have that power. Faith mixed with unbelief—that's all of us.

Then she gives a fresh statement of faith: "But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." Jesus says, "Your brother will rise again." Martha replies, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Like the majority of first-century Jews, she believed in some form of afterlife, though it was unclear to her. The Sadducees denied the resurrection—that's why they were sad, you see. The larger group, the Pharisees, believed in a coming resurrection, though it was dark and unclear. Even today, over 80% of Americans believe in an afterlife without knowing what it is. Martha stands where most of your neighbors, friends, and coworkers stand.

"I Am the Resurrection and the Life"

Remember, this passage reveals the true nature of Jesus. So He clarifies what is unclear to her and to many: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

Point number four: Jesus tests our faith to reveal His greatness. The only way to bring Martha to hope in a resurrection that wasn't entirely clear was to bring her to the place where the one she loved is gone and it seems hopeless. Point number five: the greatness of Christ's power is accessible by faith. That's why Jesus asks the important question—"Do you believe this?"

Notice her response in verse 27: "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." That is the very theme of John: "These things are written that you may believe that He is the Christ, the Son of God."

"Lazarus, Come Forth"

Martha secretly calls Mary, who rises quickly and comes to Jesus, falling at His feet: "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews weeping, He groaned in His spirit and was troubled. "Where have you laid him?" "Lord, come and see." And Jesus wept—the smallest verse in the Bible. Some said, "Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept this man from dying?" Maybe He could have, but now it seems hopeless.

Jesus came to the tomb, a cave with a stone against it, and said, "Take away the stone." Martha objected: "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." Jesus answered, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" They took away the stone, and Jesus lifted up His eyes: "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me... but because of the people standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." Then He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" And the dead man came out, bound hand and foot in grave clothes. "Loose him, and let him go."

A Beggar Named Lazarus

The works of Jesus authenticate the word of Jesus: "I am the resurrection and the life." Here's an interesting sideline. In Luke 16, Jesus tells of a rich man clothed in fine linen and purple—the garments of priests and royalty, the royal priesthood, the high priest—who fared sumptuously every day. He died, and so did a beggar at his door named Lazarus. In the afterlife the rich man was in torment, the beggar comforted by Abraham. The rich man begged that Lazarus be sent back from the dead to warn his brothers. Abraham's answer implied they would not listen.

And the beggar's name was Lazarus—interesting. So how did the chief priests respond to a man actually raised from the dead? They determined to kill Jesus, and to kill Lazarus again, so there would be no evidence. Exactly the wrong response.

Do You Believe This?

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Most Americans believe in an afterlife. Jesus says He is the way, the door, the path, the shepherd that leads to it. Do you believe this? That is the heavy question our culture wrestles with.

Closing Prayer

Father God, we come and stand before You now having received from Your word, and we pray that You would cause Your word to have its work in us. We thank You that the prophets foretold Your word would not return void but would accomplish what You set it forth to do. May You use the word we've looked at today to encourage and strengthen those who are wrestling with some difficulty—a health problem, a family issue, a financial issue, whatever it may be. Help them cast their care and burden upon You, because You care for us. You have a purpose and a plan in the midst of whatever we are going through.

Lord, I trust that some gathered here today realize they have not yet trusted in You as the resurrection and the life. As You are lifted up, Jesus, You are drawing people to Yourself. Draw them now. If you've never put your faith in Jesus, or you've strayed because you felt He didn't show up, know that God has a bigger plan in view than you realize. He is calling you to come to Him. If that's you, pray with me now:

Dear Jesus, I know I need You. I realize that I'm far from You. I pray that You'd come and restore my life. Come fill my heart, forgive me of my sin, and help me to follow You by faith, trusting in You. In Jesus' name, amen.