04192026 Unusual Love

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our loving God. There is no person who loves us with the same incredible love that God has for us. Even so, whether it is from God or from people, we sometimes struggle to understand and appreciate all the demonstrations of that love.

The author of the gospel of John (John the apostle, as he was led by the Holy Spirit) tells us, “Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus” (John 11:5). This commentary is for the benefit of the readers. Everyone who was present in the story already knew that Jesus loved these three individuals. When the sisters sent their message to Jesus, they worded it in those very terms: “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick” (v. 3). The Jews who had gathered to mourn watched Jesus at the tomb and observed, “Behold, how he loved him!” (v. 36).

So Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters. How then did He respond to their appeal? Oddly, the declaration of love in verse 5 is followed by the response prompted by that motive. “When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was” (v. 6). If we simplify the thoughts of the two verses, we arrive at something like this: Jesus loved them, so when He heard Lazarus was sick, He waited two days. That does not seem to make sense to us. We would want to say “Jesus loved them, so when He heard Lazarus was sick, He rushed to their side” or “He healed him from afar.”

Why did Jesus wait? Actually, given the time factor in the story, it is quite likely that Lazarus was already dead before the messengers reached Jesus. Certainly, there was insufficient time for Jesus to walk there by normal means and reach Lazarus in time. (He waited only two days, but Lazarus had been buried for four days.)

Ironically, Jesus did not need the sister’s messenger. He already knew Lazarus’ condition. In verse 14, He informs the disciples that Lazarus was dead, which Jesus knew only in His divine knowledge. No one had told Him that. So if He had wanted to, Jesus could have arrived without an invitation, showing up just in time to prevent Lazarus from dying in the first place!

So if Jesus loved them, why did He allow Lazarus to die? Why did He wait? As in any situation in our lives, it would be impossible for us to know in this particular situation all of the reasons for God’s actions (or inactions). But this passage does give some insight.

In verse 4, Jesus declares that “this sickness is … for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” In verse 15, He tells the disciples, “I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe.” Jesus used Lazarus’ death to teach about resurrection in verses 23-26. Jesus used the situation to reiterate His divine mission in verses 41-42.

Reading between the lines, we can add to these insights. We know that Mary and Martha ended up with a far greater demonstration of Jesus’ glory and power by the resurrection of Lazarus than they would have by his healing. Imagine living the rest of their lives with the memory of this experience! The same was true for the disciples; their faith was strengthened. Many of the Jews believed on Jesus because of this event (verse 35).

In fact, the resurrection of Lazarus, so powerful and so dramatic, was probably the last big “revival” before Jesus’ death. As close as He was to His death, Jesus still wanted to reach as many people as possible with His truth. Sadly, we see the chief priests and Pharisees respond to this by gathering a council and intensifying their pursuit of Jesus’ death (vs. 47-53).

It was only a matter of days before this plan surged forward in Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. Unlike all the other times when Jesus declared, “My time has not yet come,” in this case, His time had come. The resurrection of Lazarus was the catalyst. But Jesus had to wait two days, so that the greater-than-impossible situation was reached – of someone in the grave for four days.

When difficulty or even tragedy comes into our lives, we cannot think it is because God does not love us. That is never true. On the contrary, it is precisely because of His love that He takes the steps He does. He will work His plan and be glorified. He will sustain us and show His glory to us, often giving us deep anchors that will carry us through the rest of our lives. Very often He will use our experience to strengthen the faith or to challenge believers around us. It is reasonable that He wants to draw unbelievers to Himself through our experience. And ultimately, God is working His great plan for the ages, and sometimes that involves smaller plans within our lives. We don’t see the big picture, but God does.

When God delays to answer our prayers or to intervene, does He still love us? Absolutely! When He gives an answer that is different than what we desired, does He still love us? Unquestionably! When we are disappointed by God’s responses, is He still working on our behalf and for His glory? Guaranteed! While we may not understand, we can and must rest in the loving plan of God, which in the end will be best for us, best for those around, and best for God Himself.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA