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5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” 8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.” 11 After he had said this, 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.”16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” ~ John 11:5-16
The Lord Jesus deliberately waited going to Bethany. And, Mary and Martha's hearts were breaking. Had the Lord Jesus been there with them, presumably, He would have prevented Lazarus from dying. Yet, it was God's will for Lazarus to die. And, according to v.5, "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus." What an odd way to express love!
Now, since the Lord Jesus loved this family, according to v.6, He stayed up north two days longer. When we come to God for help which we feel we need, our hearts are broken when God doesn't work according to way we think He should. The question at this point is: who is God in this context?
Sometimes God says, "yes", and sometimes, "no." Sometimes He doesn't immediately answer, He delays. And, most often we conclude God's delays are His denials. Sometimes, if we wait, He has been known to do the unbelievable. In this context, very often we conclude prayer doesn't work.
To my shame, I have to admit that I have reached the wrong conclusion about God from time to time. In fact, I did it this past February when my middle son flatlined and was in a coma for two days. I have learned that there is a good part of this. It is this: this is how we grow, sometimes by failing. And, the beauty is there is a loving God who doesn't give up on us. No, He trains us to grow in our trust in Him.
This is one of the many expressions of God's love. The delay helps us. It will not hurt us. It will make us stronger. So the Lord Jesus deliberately delayed because He loved them and knew this would strengthen their faith as they learned the ultimate outcome when God would raise Lazarus from the dead.
This is a hard lesson to learn. I have struggled over this many times myself, but it is true. Painful experiences are God's gifts to drive us to His heart, to increase our capacity for Him. Once seized, the disciplines are useful to us, helping others find their way in their pursuit of the Lord Jesus.
When the messenger returned, he delivered the message from the Lord Jesus. He said, "This sickness will not end in death." Yet, Lazarus had already been dead for two days. On that day, doubt probably was at an all time high in Bethany. Obviously the Lord Jesus was mistaken. We have all been there. The disappointment is crippling to our faith. And yet, we must arrive in this place from time to time.
In v.7, the Lord Jesus then said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." According to v.8, the disciples balked at His words. To this in v.9-10, the Lord Jesus emphasizes the key to success. The key is the light. And, this type of light is made more prominent to us in the darkest of times.
In v.10-16, we learn the disciples are baffled by the Lord Jesus' actions. They had just left Judea, a week or so before, because of the fear that the Jews were about to put the Lord Jesus to death. Leaving must have relieved them. But now the Lord Jesus wants to go back.
In v.11-16, according to the Lord Jesus, death is a form of sleep. Death is not final. It is a doorway to a greater experience. Death leaves us heart-broken and lonely, but it is a must to get us to view life from the viewpoint of eternity.
In v.15, the Lord Jesus says He was glad He was not there when Lazarus died. Notice why; "for the sake of the disciples." The Lord Jesus delayed going to Bethany so that His followers' faith might be strengthened by the delay. Their doubts and questions would serve their faith, but they had to go through the pain before God showed up.
Notice Thomas' words in v.16, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” We are just like Thomas. When God does not work according to the way we think He should, we get sarcastic. The arrogance of the human mind that thinks it knows better than the Almighty, never fails to amaze me. The antidote to this: believe His word. Trust His word. It will not fail.
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