Why did Jesus do that?

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.  This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.  So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."  When he heard this, 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."  Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. John 11:1-6  

 This week I’m studying the story of Jesus’ friend Lazarus.  Two things come initially to mind.  First, Lazarus would make an awesome heavy metal band name. Right?! Second, why did Jesus delay?

I mean Jesus finds out that his friend is sick and he waits two days before he goes to visit him.  As a pastor my first response would be to get to the hospital asap.  But Jesus finds out his friend is sick and he’s like, ‘Meh.  He’ll be fine.’  :/

Then two days later he goes to see Lazarus.  Lazarus is dead – like four day old stinky dead.  And of course nobody is happy, and there is lots of blame to go around.

‘If only you had come right away Jesus.’

“Jesus Wept.”  John 11:35

Then Jesus says to them, ‘Roll away that stone.’  Of course they suggest otherwise (remember 4 day old stinky.)  But he says, ‘Do it.’  And they obey.  He prays a prayer, tells Lazarus to wake up and come on out, and I will leave you to guess what happened next.

Now what I’m going to say next in no way mitigates the pain and grief that Lazarus’ family felt at the time, but Jesus knew what he was doing when he waited those two days.  He waited because he wanted to show everybody that death was not the last word when Jesus was around.

Yeah, he could have rushed there and prevented his friend from death.  But they all figured that once dead meant always dead.  Nuh uh says Jesus.  ‘Not when I’m here.  When I’m here, I’m the last word.’

Isn’t that awesome?! 

So God knew what he was doing after all.  I’ll have to try and remember that the next time I’m feeling down and out.  

-A

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