(John 11:12-15 NIV) His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
This morning we continue our new series entitled, “Faith and Patience VOL III – Never Give Up!” by continuing with the story of Mary and Martha. We know that after Jesus received Word of Lazarus’ condition, He decided to remain where He was for two more days. It is clear from Jesus’ verbiage to that point that He was determined to do something about Lazarus’ situation, but His clock and the two sister’s clock where not on the same time. When Jesus sensed that the time was right, He said to His disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” He was ready to ‘show up’ in their situation. But then the disciples were not ready. They reminded Jesus that the last time He was in Judea the Jewish leadership attempted to kill Him. The disciples were afraid that Jesus was walking into a death trap. They were speaking out of fear; Jesus was speaking out of faith. Jesus addressed their concerns and assured them that they were going back. He then said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” This was now the second statement that Jesus had made about Lazarus’ situation and both statements were positive. In the first Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” These two statements are important to remember, because the story is about to take a turn for the worse. Things for Mary, Martha, and Lazarus got a lot worse before they got better. But remember, delay does not mean denial.
The disciples really had no clue of what Jesus was planning to do. They said, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” They were thinking that Lazarus needed the rest so that he could feel better, but Lazarus had already died. Jesus clarified the situation by saying, “Lazarus is dead.” Just like that. Jesus did not cut any corners. He told them plainly that Lazarus was no longer alive. Now, by this point they should have been thinking, “No, there has to be something wrong. Jesus already said that this situation would not end in death and that He was going to wake up Lazarus.” If they knew anything about Jesus, they knew that He was no liar. Jesus always said what He meant and He meant what He said. I am sure lots of thoughts were flooding through their minds when Jesus said, “And for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” What? Jesus was glad that He was not there. Why? How? What was going on? Jesus loved these people, He chose to remain where He was, and while He was waiting around seemingly doing nothing, Lazarus had died. This makes no sense today and it made no sense back then. I am sure the disciples had lots of questions and to add fuel to the fire, Jesus said that He was glad about it, because the situation was going to help them believe. Another translation says that it would help them “grow their faith.” We will stop here for today.
So what does this mean to you today? Two things:
1. Your situation is not over until God says it’s over. Humanly speaking, this situation seemed like it was as over as it could be. Lazarus had stopped breathing, the sisters were in mourning, the preparations for the funeral were in motion, and all hope seemed lost, but hold on… Jesus was on the way. Sure, it got worse before it got better, but there is nothing too hard for God.
2. It’s never too late for God. Jesus might not have shown up when they expected Him to, but when He did the supernatural happened. This is how God often moves in our lives. So don’t give up unless God tells you to let it go. Why? Because one Word from God can turn any hopeless situation around!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for Your Word. Your Word this morning helps me build up my faith for my own situation. I better understand that it is never too late for You. So I declare that I will not give up, I will not lose heart, I will not throw in the towel of my faith, and I will not relax the grip I have on my expectation unless You tell me to. My situation is not over until You say it’s over. So unless You tell me something different, I believe You will show up and show out in my situation. I trust in You. I have faith in You and Your Word. I am a believer and not a doubter and I maintain joy and peace while I wait! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
