This morning, we continue our series, “The Miracles of Jesus.” Before we get into the miracle, let’s look at the foundational scripture I will share with you all year.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us. I pray you get refreshed and restored as we study each miracle.
Read John 11
This story is so amazing that I will take my time walking through it. Here’s a recap of where we are thus far:
After receiving word of Lazarus’ condition, Jesus remained where He was for two more days, seemingly doing nothing but stalling. Jesus intentionally delayed His involvement. When Jesus sensed the time was right, He said to His disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.” He was ready to do what He was called to do and bring Lazarus back from the dead. The disciples did not know what Jesus was thinking, and they were not ready. They reminded Jesus that the last time He was in Judea, the Jewish leaders attempted to kill Him. The disciples were afraid that Jesus was walking into a death trap. They were speaking out of fear. This is why Jesus was often frustrated with them. Jesus addressed their concerns and assured them that they were going back.
Jesus 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.
The disciples had no clue of what Jesus was planning to do. They said, “Lord, that’s good that he is sleeping. If he sleeps, he will get better.” They thought Lazarus needed the rest to 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 He was no liar. Jesus always said what He meant and meant what He said.
While all sorts of thoughts were flooding through the minds of the disciples, 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. But remember, God does not have to make sense. His ways are above natural ways. His plans are above human reasoning.
While the disciples were racking their brains over this, I am sure they were trying to figure out how they had something to do with it. Jesus said He was glad this happened, FOR THEIR SAKES! Someway somehow, they were going to benefit from it. Another translation says that it would help them “grow their faith.” We will stop here for today.
So what does this mean for you today? A few things:
1. God’s timing is always perfect.
— Jesus intentionally delayed His visit to Bethany, fully aware that Lazarus would die before He got there. Why? Because God the Father had a plan, and Jesus could not show up until the Father gave Him the green light to.
— God’s timing may not always match our expectations, but His plans are always perfect.
— I can tell you many stories of situations where I wanted God to show up, but He did not do so on my schedule. However, when He did, looking back, I had to acknowledge that His timing was better than mine.
— We must learn to trust God’s timing!
2. Your situation is not over until God says it’s over.
— Humanly speaking, Lazarus’ 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!
— As long as God is still moving in your situation, it does not matter how humanly dead it seems!
— Mary and Martha stopped believing when Lazarus stopped breathing, but Jesus still believed! God still had a plan. The situation was “over” for Mary, Martha, and obviously Lazarus. But the situation was not “over” for God, and until God says it’s over, it’s not over!
— If you are facing something this morning that is “seemingly dead,” then I hope this encourages you. It’s not over until God says, “it’s over.” If God has not closed the door, the possibility is still there! Keep believing!
3. Because God’s timing is always perfect, it’s never too late for God.
— Jesus did not show up when Mary and Martha wanted Him to. When He did show up, they thought He was too late. But it’s never too late for God.
— The humanly impossible is possible for God. There is nothing He can’t do, no limit He can’t surpass, no boundary He can’t cross, no obstacle He can’t overcome, and no seemingly dead issue He can’t resurrect!
— Remember, God is God! He can do anything, anytime, anywhere, and by any means. This should give you both peace and excitement. The reality of God’s power should build up your expectation for manifestation. There is NOTHING God can’t do!
4. We serve a God who can give LIFE to dead situations!
In Romans 4, the Apostle Paul talks about how Abraham and Sarah had to believe in a God who could give LIFE to DEAD stuff. God promised to make Abraham and Sarah the parents of people who would change the world. But by the time Abraham was 99 years old and Sarah was 89 years old, they still did not have the promised child. Like the situation with Lazarus, it seems like God waited until all human hope was gone. This required Abraham to “hope against hope.” He had to have spiritual hope when all human hope was gone.
The text says that Abraham had to believe in “the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.” The text goes on to say, “He faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”
Abraham believed in a God who could give life to dead stuff. His “stuff” was not working, and Sarah’s womb had never worked, but they believed God anyway, and when he was about 100 years old and Sarah was 90 years old, they finally had that baby. They were delayed, but they were not denied. God did what He promised in the fullness of His timing!
In Lazarus’ situation, God waited until Lazarus had been dead for four days before Jesus showed up. Mary and Martha were in mourning. Lazarus’ body was already stinking. All the people present had obviously given up hope. But once God is on the scene, you have to remember that He can do anything. We serve a God who can GIVE LIFE to DEAD SITUATIONS!
— It does not matter how DEAD your situation seems in the natural; if you sense the Lord bringing the situation back up this morning, it is because He wants to resurrect it and show you His power through it! Open your heart to the supernatural. Believe God for the impossible today!
5. Your experiences with God cause your faith to GROW in a way that “just” reading your Bible never will.
Jesus said to His disciples, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe.”
— Although Jesus’ team had been with Him for over three years, and they had seen Him perform countless miracles, Jesus knew that this miracle, raising Lazarus from the dead after four days, was going to take their faith to another level!
— Jesus recognized the disciples’ need to witness His divine power in action in order to strengthen their faith.
— While faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), your experiences with God will cause your faith to grow in ways that going to church or studying your Bible never will.
— You must know God through real-life experiences. The disciples had faith to a certain extent. But Jesus knew that their faith was going to GROW as a result of witnessing this miracle. He was actually GLAD the Father had allowed the situation to get SO BAD that only He could do something about it.
— Sometimes, God will allow your situation to get so bad that all human hope is gone (like He did with Abraham and Lazarus). He does this so that when He manifests His power, He gets maximum glory because no one can confuse what happened. God will allow your situation to get so bad that when He does it, everyone will have to acknowledge that it was God!
— These situations are both painful and powerful. Without them, you won’t know God the way He wants you to. Your real-life experiences help you to GROW YOUR FAITH!
That’s enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me!
As I study the miracles of Jesus and I meditate on Your power, my faith is growing. I also realize that I must open my heart to real-life experiences because my experiences will help grow my faith in ways that Bible study never will.
The miracles of Jesus remind me that it is never too late for You, Father. So I declare that I will never 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, show out, and show yourself strong in my situation.
I believe in a God who can give life to DEAD SITUATIONS, and I expect You to manifest Your glory in every area and aspect of my life!
I am a believer and not a doubter. I walk by faith and not by fear. I live The Grace Life and boldly declare: GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
