Sickness, Trials, and the Glory of God

Sickness, Trials, and the Glory of God John 11:1-16

Introduction: We’ll spend at least a couple of weeks in Bethany with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. Jesus’ public teaching ministry concluded with the Good Shepherd discourse in chapter 10. The episode today will set the stage for the seventh miracle story in John’s Gospel. Remember that John prefers to describe the miracles Jesus did as “signs” since they point us to Jesus, and reveal something about his identity. John 20:30-31 refers back to the miracles stories we’ve been looking at for the last several months and reminds us why John included them in his Gospel: “Many other signs Jesus did in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book. These have been written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ [the Messiah], the Son of God, and that believing you might have life in His Name.” He wants us to learn from the miracles of Jesus more about who He is, he invites us to put our trust in Him alone and to so receive the life He is offering us. This is the seventh, and perhaps the most amazing of the miracles that John records. After this it’s the cross and resurrection. Here we see people that Jesus loved passing through sickness, pain, death, grief. And Jesus turns it into something amazing. Weeping may last for a night—but joy comes in the morning! Jesus says in John 16:2.

“…you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned to joy…”!

People go through hard things in life. I spend more time counseling people than I had anticipated. Here’s a newsflash for you: Life can be hard. Sometimes it can be really hard. The believer in Jesus recognizes God’s presence even in the hard times in life. The famous pioneer missionary to China, Hudson Taylor, said “Trials afford God a platform for his working in our lives. Without them I would never know how kind, how powerful, how gracious he is.”

The Big Idea: God can work through the crises of our lives to point people to Jesus and to bring glory to Himself.

I. People that God loves get sick too (11:1-3). That statement might be so self evident as to be ridiculous, but there are branches of the professing church that would seem to say that if our faith is strong enough, we can claim good health (and prosperity). Turn on the TV and you won’t have to look hard to find a preacher telling you that God wants you healthy and wealthy (that is, if you’ll show your faith by sending him some money!). As John 11 opens, three people are mentioned, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. These three were known to Jesus, and v.5 says it plainly, Jesus loved them. And yet they passed through this heartbreaking situation of seeing one of their family fall gravely sick, worsen, and die. We’ve asked the question already in our study of John’s Gospel, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Why is it that there is so much pain in the world? Paul gave the answer in Romans 5:12,

“…by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all have sinned.”

Human rebellion brought sin, the curse, suffering and death into the world. God, in Christ, brought the solution. 11:2 is interesting here since John seems to be assuming that his readers already knew about Mary anointing the feet of Jesus, and wiping them with her hair (its mentioned in Matt 26:7, and will be mentioned in John 12:3). It’s another example (like Jesus’ baptism and his birth in Bethlehem) in which John seems to presuppose that his readers have knowledge of the synoptic tradition. Mary’s action here shows love that is extravagant (the perfume was expensive, precious), and also humble (wiping his feet with her hair!). Lazarus fell ill and the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick…” Jesus would know who they were referring to, their brother, His friend. The point here is that this family knew Jesus, and they were known by him, but they weren’t exempt from the suffering that comes to us in this sin cursed world. They looked in the right direction, to Jesus, the Master, Emmanuel. He could help. Yet still, Lazarus died. Later in this Gospel Jesus will warn, “In the world you will have tribulation…” One writer called this life a “veil of tears,” and if you’ve lived for very long you know that is true. If you pass through a trial don’t listen to the lies of the enemy. No matter what, God is good, He loves you, He is present, and He has a plan. Trust Him, lean on Him. *** God can work through the crises of our lives to point people to Jesus and to bring glory to Himself.

II. Even in the hard times God is still good, and He will work for our good and for His glory (11:4-5).

Jesus says, “This sickness is not unto death…” He is obviously not saying that Lazarus wasn’t going to die (though that appears to be what his disciples initially understood). He was saying that death wouldn’t have the last word, that wouldn’t be the end of the story, there was a bigger picture here and it would ultimately bring glory to God. I’ve heard it said a hundred times when someone experienced healing, “God is good!” And He is! But even when the answer isn’t what we hoped for, God is still good. The question has been debated in the church, “Is there healing in the atonement?” He heals in many different ways, ultimately we will receive a new body – this corruptible must put on incorruption, this mortal, immortality. That is a promise for those who know Christ. The situation here is reminiscent of what Jesus said of the man born blind in response to the question of his disciples: John 9:2-3

"Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.”

***Joni Erickson Tada once said, “I don’t care if I am confined to this wheelchair, provided that from it I can bring glory to God.” Are we willing to acknowledge God’s presence, to seek His plan, and to give Him our pain to use as He would? Even in the painful situations of life God will work for our good and for His glory. We saw this theology reflected in the story of Joseph Wednesday night as we looked at Genesis 50. Jacob had died, and the brothers of Joseph who acted so wickedly against him feared that now Joseph would take revenge. Amazingly, he said:

"Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 "Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones." And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them” (Gen 50:19-21).

We have a High Priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses, He was tested in all points like as we are, according to Isaiah he was a “Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief…” Because that is true we can be assured that: God can work through the crises of our lives to point people to Jesus & to bring glory to Himself.

III. God’s timing is always right (11:6-10).

Its always right in terms of what’s best for us. 11:6 says, “Therefore when he heard…” The NIV obscures the point here by saying “Yet, when he heard…” There is a causal relationship between these two verses. Do you see what this is saying? It’s referring back to the previous verse. (Maxim of Bible study, “When you see a “therefore” you ask what it’s there for.”) Because He loved them, Jesus delayed. What? How could that be? How could that have been the loving thing to do? Jesus had a plan, he would allow this pain in the lives of his friends, so that in it and through it he could reveal His glory. His timing is always right in terms of the “big picture.” The idea seems to be similar to what Jesus said right before he healed the blind man, in John 9:4-5… 4 "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Here he says “there are 12 hours in the day…” The light is shining – Jesus, the Light of the World, is still with them, from His perspective, there was still work to do. And after all, they could do nothing to Him until the hour appointed by the Father, when Jesus would “deliver himself up.” From their perspective, they should understand that a dark hour was coming, but even in that moment, God would be working to accomplish His good purpose. *** God can work through the crises of our lives to point people to Jesus and to bring glory to Himself.

IV. Because He was willing to die for us, Death is not the end of the story for those who know Jesus (11:11-16).

First Jesus speaks figuratively, “Lazarus sleeps.” Once again the disciples misunderstand, so he says it plainly, “he’s dead.” Death, for the believer, is described as “sleep.” That says a lot. Sleep is a good and necessary thing for humans (though some babies have not yet learned that truth) – sleep is restful, peaceful, rejuvenating. And Jesus uses it as a picture of the death of a believer. It emphasizes the truth that death is a transition, but its not the end of the story. Verse 8 tells us that the disciples warned that the Jews in Judea were ready to stone Jesus a short time ago. But it was not yet “his hour.” While it was day, there was work to do. So they resolve, “Let us go with him that we may die with Him…” Jesus did tell his disciples early on to be ready for that possible eventuality. He said in Mk 8:34,

“If anyone would be my disciple, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me…”

*Some of the great pioneer missionaries of the past took that attitude to heart. When James Calvert was traveling to the indigenous people in the Fiji islands the captain of the ship he traveled on warned him, “You and those with you will lose your lives if you go among such savages!” He replied, “We died before we came here.” Life can be hard. Trials will come. Paul said, “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” God has left us here, for a little while, and given us a mission.

What is God saying to me in this passage?

And so we see that God can work through the crises of our lives to point people to Jesus and to bring glory to Himself.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage?

Are you passing through a period of darkness and trial? Do you believe that God is with you, and that He is working? Are you willing to listen for the still, small, voice of the Father? Jesus said, Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest…” That doesn’t mean we won’t face trials, even suffering. But be sure of this: “The suffering of this present age is not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us.” Think about that. Amen.