By Dr. Michael Weis
“Martha then said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You’” (John 11:21-22).
The Same Today
The context of the above exchange is the death of Lazarus. His two sisters, Martha and Mary, were grieving over his death. Jesus knew Lazarus was sick, but deliberately waited 2 additional days before leaving to see him (11:6).
When Jesus arrived, Lazarus had been dead 4 days, though Jesus knew it (11:11). The sisters’ response was sadness, and the question they and others asked in 11:37 was: “Could this man [Jesus], who opened the eyes of the man who was blind, not have also kept this man from dying?”
We ask similar questions today. In our sorrow, it is natural to say to Jesus: “Lord, if only You were here, my baby would be alive …”; “my spouse would not have left …”; “I wouldn’t have suffered this illness …”; “my child would not have turned from You and the family …”; “I would not have lost my job …”
So, why did Jesus allow Lazarus to die? Why does He allow His children to suffer? Let’s examine the Lord’s response to these 2 grieving woman.
What Happened Next
Jesus was gentle with both women as He understood their suffering.
To Martha – who struggled with resting in the presence of the Lord (Luke 10:40) yet had great faith (John 11:22) – Jesus gave assurance that Lazarus would rise again (John 11:23). Martha affirmed her belief in the resurrection, but Jesus pointed not just to an event, but to Himself, that He is the resurrection and the life (11:25-26).
To Mary, who fell down at His feet in sadness, Jesus took action and asked her where Lazarus was buried (11:34). He loved these 3 siblings and wept for them.
Jesus went to where Lazarus was buried (11:38) and again spoke of how the world needs to believe in Him. Those who did (and would) believe in Him – His messiahship and deity – would see the glory of God (11:40).
In verses 41-44, the stone was taken away; Jesus prayed and commanded Lazarus to come out; and Lazarus obeyed the One who is the Resurrection and the Life, emerging from the tomb resuscitated, though not resurrected (11:44). He was alive once again!
Applications
So, what lessons do we learn from this incident?
1) Jesus is more powerful than any and every problem we face.
2) Jesus is the solution. We must believe who He says He is and that He is trustworthy.
3) One purpose for trials is to test our faith. Trials expose what is in our hearts, that being unbelief. Remember, Jesus permitted Lazarus to die because of the purpose He had for it.
4) Jesus cares. The Lord is not a false god who is distant from our trials, but has all knowledge and power over all situations. He raised Lazarus to show us that we need to believe in Him.
Such faith cautions us against saying, “Lord, if only …”
May we be ever looking to the Lord Jesus – the “author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2)– when the trials of life are overwhelming us.
Dr. Michael Weis is a pastor, video operator, editor, and social media manager at Zion’s Hope.
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