The Ultimate Evidence
In John chapter 11, we encounter the seventh and final sign that proves beyond any doubt that Jesus is the Christ. This miraculous event demonstrates that when Jesus shows up, death itself must back down. The story of Lazarus reveals profound truths about God's timing, our faith, and the ultimate power of Christ over death.
What Does It Mean When God Seems Too Late?
The story begins in Bethany, a house that knew Jesus well. Lazarus was sick, and his sisters Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus: "Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick" (John 11:3). Yet when Jesus heard this news, He did something unexpected - He stayed two more days where He was. Have you ever felt like Jesus was too late? Have you prayed and prayed, but heaven seemed silent? Mary and Martha experienced exactly this. When they needed Jesus most, He wasn't there. But here's the truth: Jesus is never late. He's always on time according to His schedule, not ours.
Why Did Jesus Delay His Coming?
Jesus explained His delay: "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it" (John 11:4). What was about to unfold was for God's glory and would make it absolutely clear that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. If Jesus had gone immediately and healed Lazarus, it would have been just another healing. The Pharisees had already dismissed His healings, claiming He was demon-possessed. But what Jesus was about to do would leave no room for doubt about who He was.
Understanding God's Delays vs. God's Denials
God's delays are not God's denials. Sometimes the Lord allows situations to move from difficult to desperate, and from desperate to downright impossible, so that when He steps in, there's no question who did it. No human gets credit - only God receives the glory.
Biblical Examples of God's Perfect Timing
Consider the Apostle Paul's thorn in the flesh. Paul pleaded three times for its removal, but God said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). God allowed Paul to keep that thorn so He could be glorified through Paul's weakness.
Every human being has been given a God-appointed race - a course laid out by the God of heaven. If we run it faithfully and endure it obediently, we'll bring glory to God. The key is staying on the course God has established rather than trying to choose our own path.
How Does Faith Grow During Waiting Periods?
Faith is tested in the waiting. When we're waiting on God, that's often when our faith grows strongest. We live in a world that wants everything fast - fast food, fast answers, fast results. But you cannot speed God up. Patience isn't something you manufacture; it's something God produces. Galatians 5 teaches that patience is a fruit of the Spirit, meaning it grows in us as we walk with Him. When we get impatient and run ahead of God, we're not just struggling - we're being disobedient, which is sin.
What Does It Mean to Be "Graveyard Dead"?
By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been in the tomb four days. In Jewish understanding, by the fourth day, death was beyond question. The body had begun to decay. There was no doubt, no debate, no possibility - Lazarus was graveyard dead. This timing was crucial. Lazarus wasn't mostly dead or barely dead - he was undeniably, completely dead. When Jesus called him out of that tomb, there would be no confusion about who did it. The situation was beyond human help, exactly where Jesus chose to step in.
Why God Allows Impossible Situations
Sometimes God allows things to reach the point of impossibility on purpose. As long as you think you can fix it, you'll keep trying. As long as you believe it's within your power, you'll lean on yourself instead of leaning on Him. When we finally realize we can't, that's when God steps in and says, "I can."
How Did Jesus Respond to Human Grief?
When Jesus saw Mary weeping, "He groaned in the spirit and was troubled" (John 11:33). Then comes the shortest verse in the Bible: "Jesus wept" (John 11:35). Jesus knew He was about to raise Lazarus, yet He still wept. Jesus felt the pain of Mary and Martha. He saw every tear and entered fully into their grief. He knows your sorrow and is not distant from your suffering. God's power never cancels His compassion - He is fully sovereign and compassionate at the same time.
Why Jesus Wept Despite Knowing the Outcome
Jesus knew exactly where Lazarus had been for four days - in the presence of God, safe, whole, and at peace. To fulfill the Father's will and display God's glory, Jesus was about to call him back from paradise into a broken, sin-stained world to die again. This reality likely weighed on the Lord's heart as well.
What Does "I Am the Resurrection and the Life" Mean?
When Martha expressed her faith that Lazarus would rise in the future resurrection, Jesus made a stunning declaration: "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" (John 11:25-26). Jesus didn't say He gives resurrection - He said He IS the resurrection. Resurrection isn't just an event; it's a person. If you're saved, you're never going to die. Your body may expire, but your soul will keep going.
Why Is Obedience Required to See Miracles?
When Jesus commanded, "Take away the stone," Martha protested: "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days" (John 11:39). She was saying this didn't make sense, it was uncomfortable, and it was too far gone.
We often hesitate, resist, and question like Martha. But it is obedience that positions us to see miracles. Jesus responded, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God?" (John 11:40).
The Power of Christ's Command
Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" And a dead man walked out of the grave, wrapped in burial clothes. Jesus then said, "Loose him and let him go" (John 11:43-44).
When Jesus Christ calls someone out of spiritual death, the same power is at work. When He said your name and called you out of your sins, a spiritually dead person walked out of a tomb of sin. Only Jesus Christ can do that because He is both God and man.
Life Application
This week, examine areas where you might be running ahead of God's timing or doubting His power in impossible situations. Trust that God's delays are not denials, and His timing is perfect even when it doesn't align with your expectations.
Consider these questions:
Are you being obedient to God's commands even when they don't make sense?
Are you sharing the gospel with those around you as Christ commanded?
How can you better trust God's timing in the difficult circumstances you're facing? Remember, if you would only believe and obey, you could see the glory of God in ways you never imagined.