A Word in Season: Why Jesus Waits (John 11:4, 15, 40-42)

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The story of Lazarus, the man who died and rose again, seems to contain many delays.

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Those delays were especially painful for Mary and for Martha, Lazarus's two sisters.

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The delays begin when our Lord Jesus finds out that Lazarus is sick. He waits, he holds back.

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There are conversations with the disciples. When he finally comes to Bethany, there's another conversation with Mary, and then at last they come to the tomb.

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And only then does the Lord Jesus, grieved because of sin and its consequences, tell the people to roll the stone away.

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And again and again, you might wonder, why is everything taking so long?

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Why doesn't Jesus do something? Indeed, the sisters themselves have that question.

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People are saying all the way through the story, why didn't he come earlier? Surely he could have done something.

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Why wasn't he here when we needed him? And there may be times when you feel the same way about the

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Lord Jesus Christ and his actions. When you're asking, why wasn't Christ doing something sooner?

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Why didn't he step in when I needed him? Why didn't he act immediately?

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Why so many delays? Now the situation is beyond remedy. Now nothing more can be done.

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But if you read John's Gospel chapter 11 carefully, where this history is recorded, you will see that on several occasions, the

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Lord Jesus has ensured that we know that there is something more that is taking place.

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So in verse four, when Jesus heard that Lazarus, his beloved friend, was sick, he said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the son of God may be glorified through it.

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Then in verse 15, when he's talking to the disciples, he says, Lazarus is dead.

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And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless, let us go to him.

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And then right at the end of this episode in verse 40, Jesus says to Martha, did

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I not say to you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God? Only then did they take away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.

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And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me.

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And I know that you always hear me. But because of the people who are standing by,

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I said this, that they may believe that you sent me. You see, the problem isn't that Jesus doesn't know what's taking place.

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The Lord knew that Lazarus was not only sick, but he knew when he had died.

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Ignorance is not the issue in the delays of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not that he is not willing to help.

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When the time comes, he is more than willing to do what needs to be done.

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His soul being grieved at what sin has accomplished in the life of his friend. It's not that he's unable to do so.

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In fact, by the time they finally reach the remedy of Christ's powerful and resurrecting word, they don't believe that he can do anything.

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And it's certainly not that he doesn't care. All the way through, there is a repeated emphasis on the love that he has for Lazarus and for Mary and for Martha.

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So why does Christ delay? Why does he wait so long?

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Why does he leave it until the situation looks hopeless? It is for the glory of God.

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It is for the revelation of himself and it is for the strengthening of our faith.

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Again, our Lord tells us that he acts the way he does for the sake of the glory of God, that the majesty of God, that the merciful might of the

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Almighty might be seen and known, that God would be seen in his grace and in his goodness as he never would have been were it not for the situation in which we find ourselves.

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It is for the revelation of himself. It is so that we might know his power and his pity, that we might know that his father has sent him to accomplish his gracious purposes.

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And it is also then that our faith might be strengthened, that we might not be unbelieving, but believing, that our confidence in God might increase as he demonstrates himself willing and able to act in love and power in order to bless us.

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So let us not complain or doubt at the delays of Jesus Christ, which are sent to show us the glory of God in Christ and to strengthen our faith in him.