Jesus Must Not Love Me.

There is probably no harder a season in our lives than when we witness the sickness and death of someone we love. These seasons often cause us to feel helpless, hopeless, and heavy-hearted. This was what the family and friends of Lazarus faced in John 11.

Confronted with the realization that Lazarus wasn’t going to get better, they were forced to stand by and watch him die. They had called for Jesus and told Him what was happening, yet He was no where in sight. When He finally arrived, I’m sure they felt it was too little, too late. But as we talked about yesterday, there was more to the story!

When we find ourselves in similar situations, whether it is the sickness and death of someone or something we love, there are things we must remember — things God wants to teach us. Truth that will help us make it through. There are several things, and I’m going to take them one by one. I hope you’ll stay with me through the next few posts!

So, looking at the story, what is the first thing that we need to remember when we face these situations and seasons?

Jesus still loves you and He’s not forgotten you!

I’m sure that Martha and Mary felt like Jesus had forgotten them. It had been at several days since they first told him and He had nothing to say? Why was there no rush to save their brother?  I thought that Jesus loved Lazarus? Maybe that was all words just words to get their allegiance? Questions like those probably filled their minds. Doubt, anger, fear, and a myriad of other emotions probably engulfed them as they walked through this experience.  

Have you ever found yourself asking the same kind of questions? “Where is God? Why isn’t He here yet? I thought He loved me? I thought that He said He’d always be there when I needed Him?” You are not alone. We all goes through times like that.

However, even in waiting, we must remember are not forgotten and He still loves us. This story reminds us:

3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”

But, look at what it says just 2 verse later:

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

He loved them SO He stayed where He was. Say what? That doesn’t make sense to us unless you read the rest of the story! Jesus knew what was going to happen and that this situation wouldn’t end in death’s advantage.

He knew that what was best for them was not for Him to rush in and save the day. He knew that there was a greater glory to be revealed.  He knew they had to wait, but He never stopped loving them.

He hasn’t stopped loving you either. Don’t stop trusting. Don’t stop believing.  You are not forgotten.

Next — what we learn in the waiting.

It Will Not End In Death

John 11

1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. 7 Then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

…11 …he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” 12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.”13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

The rest of the story goes something like this: Jesus goes to where Lazarus is. There He encounters His friends, Mary and Martha, as well as many that are grieving Lazarus’ death.  He witnesses a tremendous amount of grief, questions of why He didn’t come sooner, and even the doubt of some present as to whether He really could really have done anything about it.  Jesus, after grieving at the sight of the suffering they were enduring, then commands that the stone be removed and calls for Lazarus to come out from the tomb.  Lazarus walks out resurrected, and because of that many believe!

There are so many incredible things about this story — the display of power of God over death, the comparison to Jesus’ own death and resurrection, and so much more. I, however, would like to focus on the beginning of the story. As I was reading this, Jesus spoke a phrase that really stuck out to me. In verse 4 he says, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory…”  

Jesus knew full well, as we saw in verse 14, that Lazarus was going to die. Yet he tells His disciples, and as normal I don’t even think they really got it, that Lazarus’ sickness was not going to end in death, but rather that this seemingly terrible situation would result in a tremendous display of God’s glory! Literally, the word that is used in the passage means “to the advantage of; at, near, by; to, towards, with regard to.” Jesus was saying that though no hope was apparent, this situation would not end in death’s advantage. There would be more to the story!

I simply wanted to share a word of encouragement today from my heart on this passage.  There are season of life where things seem to be getting sick and dying — our marriages, our ministry, our relationships, our dreams, the seed of truth we’ve planted in the hearts of our children.  Some things may have already died. Life has left them, and they have been bound up and placed in a tomb for some time (Lazarus was in the tomb for four days before Jesus got there).

These are things that we love, things that Jesus loves, things that we believe He asked us to do. Yet, it seems death has begun waving it’s victory flag and the powers of hell are doing a touchdown dance. The word I feel in my heart is simply this:

Take courage. Even if death has arrived, things will not end there, nor will it end to death’s advantage. No, it is for God’s glory, that we may believe and so that Jesus may be glorified. There is more to the story!

Jesus has power over death — spiritual, emotional, physical, or otherwise — and He has and IS the final word. He IS the resurrection and the life.  If we are centered in His perfect will for our lives, and we believe (just as Jesus tells Martha in verse 39), we WILL see the glory of God displayed! In Jesus Name!

Tomorrow I will talk about a few things that these seasons of life teach us and what we can learn from them!