So when Jesus said, “This sickness is not unto death,” Lazarus was already dead! Although on the surface it looked like He was either mistaken or lying, the reality is that He had a different perspective. This means the messenger must have taken a day to travel to Jesus, Jesus took a day to travel back to Bethany, and Lazarus must have died soon after the messenger left. When He arrived, Lazarus had been dead four days. Greater faith would have brought them greater comfort, but the important point is that they had obedient faith.įocus on the text : If you note the time carefully, you will find that after receiving the message, Jesus remained where He was for two days and then traveled to Bethany. Jesus’ response can be summed up as “Trust Me-I know what I’m doing.” Once His disciples realize they can’t dissuade Him from His purpose, Thomas responds with remarkably pessimistic courage: “OK, let’s go and die with Him.”Īlthough he didn’t sound very happy about it, Thomas and the other disciples trusted Jesus enough to follow Him. His disciples protest, pointing out that the Jews had tried to stone Him the last time He was there. When you pray and God does not seem to answer, He has something greater in mind than you do.Īfter two more days, Jesus declares His intention to return to Judea. He’s willing to remain silent and aloof for a time in order to bring you a greater victory later. Think about it : How often have you prayed, and it seems like He does not answer? He has something greater in mind than you do. He was willing to put them through the pain and anguish for their own good! He cared deeply enough that He did not immediately rush to their aid! He knew that what was about to happen would hurt it would shake them to their core it would test their faith in ways they could not understand but it would be best for them. Notice that it says that Jesus stayed where He was because He loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. But instead of either rebuking the illness or coming with the messenger to heal Lazarus, Jesus simply informed the messenger that the end of the illness would not be death, but, rather, God’s glory. They were confident that this simple message would be enough to move Him to take care of the situation. So when Lazarus became gravely ill, his two sisters sent a messenger to Jesus, with instructions to simply inform Him that Lazarus was ill. Mary was quieter and more sensitive, given to impulsive acts of devotion. Practical, hands-on, and direct, Martha was the older of the two. When He had been in Judea, Jesus often stayed with Lazarus and his two sisters, Martha and Mary. But let us go to him.”ġ6 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”ĥ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.Ħ So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.ħ Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”Ĩ The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?”ġ4 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,ġ5 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. A Delayed Responseġ Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.Ģ It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.ģ The sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”Ĥ But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. So Jesus left Judea and was preaching on the other side of the Jordan River, where many people were coming to Him and accepting His teaching. Jesus’ teaching had so angered the Jews in Judea that they had tried to stone Him on more than one occasion, and the synagogue leaders there were trying to have Him arrested and executed.
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