The Word today was John 11: 1 to 47.
Verse 3 tells us Lazarus was a friend. John tells us that these are people who love Jesus. Yet Jesus waited 3 days. Telling Jesus seems a natural thing for them to do. But Jesus doesn’t leave straight away. He needs to leave time for God’s glory. He knew Lazarus would die and he would raise him to life again..
Jesus knew that this would get the attention of the religious leaders and that this would lead to his own death.
People who walk with Jesus though do not need to fear the dark, to fear death..
Raising someone who has been dead for four days shows that Jesus has power over death.
The disciples were probably very confused. They’d been told Lazarus would not die and then he did.
How many of us ask God why our prayers haven’t been answered.
Lazarus had been dead 4 days and both sisters were unhappy that Jesus was not there.
Yvette shared that she was angry with God when her mum died. He could have saved her. But she shared that God knows the beginning, the middle and the end.
As an example she asked those who knew her to imagine what her mum would have been like in lockdown.
Romans 8:28 shows that God understands that pain. He always has a reason for not answering a prayer. It works out for our good in the end.
Martha shows despite her disappointment she is saying I still trust you I still believe in you.
She doesn’t yet know. That Jesus will raise her brother. Not in the future but there and then.
Here is one of the seven I am statements in John’s gospel “I am the resurrection”
We know in Revelation 21 that there will be a new heaven and earth,
Mary repeats the same doubts and questions of Jesus. Martha and her both questioned and doubted.
Yvette shared that the words for weeping in this passage meant different things. The weeping of Mary and Martha were load full on wailing. The shortest bible verse Jesus wept was a quieter more controlled weeping.
The four days is key. The blief at the time was that the first three days meant the spirit was still lurking, still looking for revival. Day 4 was seen to be the end.
Jesus here is testing Mary and Marth’s faith. We need to stop trusting how we feel and instead trust in God’s word.
Imagine if you were Lazarus? Why raise him from the dead? Verse 4 tells us it’s for God’s glory. Verse 40 tells us why. More people believed than would have done if Lazarus had simply been healed.
More people than Lazarus entered into new life that day.
Soon Jesus would go on to prove once and for all that he is the resurrection and the life.
Mary, Martha and Lazarus is a story of hope where Jesus understands our grief and lets us know he is here.
Ultimately Jesus says that we need to trust him, whether it is for losses or for family to find Christ’s words.