Day 9: Lazarus (John 11: 1-46)
Lazarus was dead. Now nothing could be done. “Why had the Master not come?” Mary and Martha questioned in the depths of their grief. They knew for sure that He could have healed their dear brother. Why, oh why, had He not come?
Four days after the burial of Lazarus, his sisters heard that Jesus was just a short distance away. Martha ran to meet Him immediately, and later Mary did as well. Feeling great compassion for their overwhelming sorrow, Jesus Himself began to weep with them.
Wanting to see where they had buried Lazarus, Jesus asked to be taken there. Seeing that a stone covered the opening, Jesus asked the men there to remove it. Such a strange request! Surely there would be a great odor by now. Yet the men complied, and with a great shout, Jesus yelled, “Lazarus! Come forth!” For a moment nothing happened, but then what looked like a mummy stood at the opening. Lazarus, wrapped in burial linens from head to toe, was standing before the crowd—ALIVE!
Why had these precious friends of Jesus been put through such an agonizing set of circumstances? If Jesus knew that He would raise Lazarus from the dead, why didn’t He just heal him to begin with?
Often Jesus allows us to experience painful events in order to bring glory to Himself through us. Sometimes He allows our faith to be tested, and at the same time, brings others to a new level of faith because they are watching God work in us. God was glorified when He brought Lazarus back to life. He and his sisters also would return all the glory back to God because they were believers in Him. Glory came to God when Martha and Mary’s faith was tested and strengthened by this trial, for they had never seen someone be raised from the dead; healed, yes, but not raised to life. Now they knew Jesus as the Resurrection and the Life! Their faith was tested, but some of the witnesses of Lazarus’ resurrection believed in Jesus, and came to faith, for the first time.
Have you considered your trials a way for God to be glorified? Are you growing in the tests? Can others clearly see Jesus through your faith?
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