Today we are going to look closely at one particular event in Jesus’ ministry. This event helps us understand the heart of Jesus for us.
It had happened suddenly. In the town of Bethany, Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha and friend of Jesus, fell sick. The sisters tried their best to help him but soon his condition grew worse. They decided to send a friend to look for Jesus and inform him of this news.
Jesus was in the region of Perea, a few days journey north-east of Bethany. They delivered an urgent message: "Lord, the one you love is sick." (v.3)
Then the sisters waited... And worried. Within a few days, their brother Lazarus died. Immediately the friends gathered to comfort the two sisters, including those from nearby Jerusalem. They mourned the loss, and helped the family to prepared their brother for burial. Finally his body was carried into the tomb and a stone rolled over for cover. There was still no sign of Jesus.
The mourners stayed with Mary and Martha to give comfort. And then the news came. Four days after Lazarus’ burial. Someone shouted, "Jesus is coming." Martha dashed from the house and met Jesus on the outskirts of the village.
"Lord," she said, practically falling into his arms, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Then, realising her words might have sounded rather disrespectful, she added. "But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
And the first words that come out of Jesus’ mouth was this -"Your brother will rise again."
They were words of hope in the midst of hopelessness. Words of comfort in the midst of sorrow.
The remarkable part of this event is this -
(1) Everything is under His control to achieve His purpose.
We see a contrast - Mary and Martha desperately looking for Jesus, seeking help for their brother. Both sisters came to Jesus with the same words... "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." (v.21; 32). There was a sense of urgency, of desperation... of hopelessness.
But we read the passage this morning, Jesus was totally unperturbed by the news. He was not in a hurry to reach Lazarus. He delayed his journey for two more days (11:6) and He knew that Lazarus will not remain dead - He told his disciples, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up." (11:11). He even suggested to His disciples to go back to Judea (v.7), which is even further away.
Man live under the constraints of time and circumstances. To us, time is critical. If we are sick, we must get treatment fast. The earlier we get it, the higher the chance of recovery and healing. To us, if Jesus had been around 4 days earlier, Lazarus may not have died. Man hopes in such a way because we living under the constraints of time and circumstances.
Jesus showed us He is in control of time and circumstances. We have a God who rules time and space. No delay is a delay to Him. Nothing can stop God from fulfilling His purpose. In fact, everything happens to fulfil God’s purpose. Jesus said this event happened "...for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it." (v.4). He told the disciples plainly, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe..." (v.15).
Jesus was so in control of time and circumstances, that He was making the delay to achieve His purpose. The delay and His absence was made to serve God’s purposes.
Bro/Sis, I do not know what you are going through today... but we can be confident. We have a God who knows... Time is in His hands. "He has made everything beautiful in its time." (Eccl 3:11); "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Rom 8:28).
Nothing happens by chance to God. He is in control. And He is fulfilling His purpose in His own time and own way. We can trust Him.
=============
There is a 2nd remarkable thing we see in this event.
As the story unfolds, we saw Mary running out to meet Jesus. When she reached the place where Jesus waited for her, she threw herself at his feet. "Lord," she said through tears, unknowingly echoing her sister’s words, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
John 11:33-37
33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the friends who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34"Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. 35Jesus wept. 36Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
(2) Jesus wept with those who weep - He understands you fully
Think for a moment - Why did Jesus weep? What prompted his tears? After all, he knew what he was about to do? He knew that God will manifest His power to raise Lazarus from the dead. He knew that he would soon turn the grief of the people into joy. He knew there would be a happy ending.
Why, then, did he cry? The answer is found in verse 33:
When Jesus saw her [Mary] weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled (John 11:33).
Jesus was moved by the sorrow of the people. It was Mary’s tears—and the tears of her friends and relatives—which prompted his tears. He cried because He saw their hurt. He cried because He saw Mary’s pain. The sadness of the people moved Him. Jesus empathised with the mourners and the people were able to see and say, (See how He loved him!" (v.36).
Dear friends, Jesus understands you. The things that are hurting you even now, at this very moment, can bring tears to His eyes. He may be a God who is Almighty and great, yet He is a God who understands the sorrow of your heart. The bible says, "mourn with those who mourn."
(Rom 12:15b), because we have a God just like that.
John 11:35 may be just two words long (4 characters in Chinese), but I believe it’s one of the biggest verses in the Bible. It showed the heart of God - One who fully understand our problem, who is "deeply moved in spirit and troubled" (v.33) when He sees our tears.
Just as Jesus gazed upon Jerusalem and cried because of their ignorance and situation (Matt 23:37), today He is gazing into your heart and crying over your hurt, your burden, your sorrow.
· a loss or disappointment (like Mary & Martha); loss of good health, job, peace, relationship...
· or you are hurting - as Jesus himself did - as the result of someone else’s sin,
· or even if (like the people of Jerusalem) you are suffering because of your own sin,
the same Jesus who cried for Mary, who mourned over Jerusalem, is equally moved by your hurts today.
So share your hurts with Jesus today... Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matt 11:28). Psalm 55:22 "Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall."
Open your heart to Jesus, and you’ll experience the healing power of His love. Let God comfort you and give you true peace.
=============
And then Jesus asked the people to removed the stone covering the entrance to the tomb, despite the fact that Lazarus had been in it for 4 days. He said to Martha, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" (v.40)
Jesus lifted his eyes toward the sky. "Father," he said, "I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." (vv.41-42)
Remember what Jesus said to His disciples earlier - 11:15 "...and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe." He tells Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life... Do you believe this?" (v.26)
All that has happened served to help man understand God and believe in Jesus. God is always thinking of our GOOD - to help man know Him and trust Him. We are blessed if we do. So that we will see the glory of God and come to put our trust in Him. He is still doing it today.
Dear friends, Jesus said this to Martha and He will say it to you today: John 11:25-26
25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
Jesus is your Saviour. He came to save you. To die on your behalf so that we need not have to die. Accept Him into your life as Saviour and Lord today.
