Here's the next test in the series of growing our faith!
This story occurs in John 11:1-44. Here we see one of the
greatest miracle stories of Jesus ministry, the resurrection of His beloved
friend, Lazarus.
As the story goes, Lazarus became very sick, and Mary and
Martha, his sisters, sent word to Jesus saying, “Lord, he whom thou love is
sick.” Knowing how much Jesus loved Lazarus, they expected Him to hurry to
their aid.
“Anxiously they waited for a word from
Jesus. As long as the spark of life was yet alive in their brother, they prayed
and watched for Jesus to come.”[i]
But instead of coming immediately to their side, Jesus sent
a simple message. “Don’t worry. This sickness is not unto death, but it’s for
the glory of God.” Then he continued to go about His work for another few days.
Although Jesus said the sickness wasn’t unto death, Lazarus died. He didn’t get better, he actually
DIED, and they had to bury him!!! You can just imagine the grief and pain in
Mary and Martha’s heart. "Did Jesus forget His promise? Why didn't He come
when we called?"
When Jesus finally arrived, Lazarus had already been dead
four long days. Meeting Christ with weeping they cried, "Jesus, our
brother wouldn't have died if you'd been here!”
And this is true! “Had Christ been in the sickroom, Lazarus
would not have died; for Satan would have had no power over Him. Death could
not have aimed his dart at Lazarus in the presence of the Life-giver. Therefore
Christ remained away. He suffered the enemy to exercise his power, that He
might drive him back, a conquered foe. He permitted Lazarus to pass under the
dominion of death; and the suffering sisters saw their brother laid in the
grave. Christ knew that as they looked on the dead face of their brother their
faith in their Redeemer would be severely
tried. But He knew that because of the struggle through which they were now
passing their faith would shine forth with far greater power.”[ii]
Although it may have looked like Jesus forgot His promise,
He hadn’t forgotten. He simply needed to prove their faith, and so He also
proves ours as well today. Sometimes He allows our plans, our dreams, and our
hopes to die, so that He may prove us and build us and also so that He can give
us something better. It’s not fun, it’s not easy, but will we still trust Him?
As Mary and Martha led Jesus to the tomb where Lazarus cold
dead body lay, we are told that Jesus wept. But He didn’t just weep in pain for
their grief, He wept in pain for those that did not believe in the power of
God. But what had started out, as another day of weeping soon became a day of
rejoicing as Christ awakened Lazarus from death’s quiet slumber.
Although the sisters did not understand why Christ had
delayed, they still believed that God would do whatever Jesus asked, and God
rewarded their faith with the miracle of all miracles. God wants to do the same
for us today. But will we have faith or will we rely on our feelings?
“Feeling is not faith; the two are
distinct…True faith lays hold of and claims the promised blessing before it is
realized and felt…Here is faith, naked faith, to believe that we receive the
blessing, even before we realize it. When the promised blessing is realized and
enjoyed, faith is swallowed up.”[iii]
Our hopes and dreams for our life, our loved ones, for our
ministry, and for God’s work to go forward, may for a time appear to be in the
grave, but God can bring a glorious resurrection if we hold on in faith.
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