When Jesus Disappoints
Notes
Transcript
This is another passage that we all know, the resurrection of Lazarus. He’s already in the tomb for almost four days before Jesus gets there. We’ve looked at this passage before, but this time, I want to look at it from a little different perspective. Because, while after Lazarus was brought back to life, all was well, but when Jesus got there, there was some disappointment. And we’ve all felt that disappointment.
What I want you to get out of this message is that God is good, God loves you, and God has a plan. And if God is good, then God‘s plan for you is good. And we don’t have to understand that plan, to know that it’s good. We may not understand his timing, but we can trust his plan.
We’ve all had experiences when we’ve been disappointed, and we’ve questioned God. I used to think that we were somehow very unholy, that it was just plain wrong, to question God. He is sovereign and in control, who are we to question him? Do you think that way? I said I used to. I don’t anymore. I’ve studied the Psalms and I’ve seen how common it was for David, a man after God’s own heart, to question God. Why, O Lord? When, O God? How long, O Lord? A number of the Psalms question God this way, why is he doing what he is doing, and why is he allowing all this evil. Why? This is a natural response to the evil around us, or the sickness within us, and it’s okay if we question it.
In this passage, we see the disciples that know that Jesus is the Christ, they know it, yet they question him. In verse 7, it says, “Then he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go back to Judea.’” The disciples were trying to remind Jesus last time he was in Judea they tried to stone him. They wanted him dead! They were actually afraid to go back there, and I think they tried their best to get him to change his mind. We can’t go back there. You can’t be serious.
They questioned Jesus. I suspect that ‘argued bitterly’ might be a better way to describe it. And when they finally give in, Thomas sums up their attitude in verse 16, “Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’”
It’s natural for us to question God when tragedy strikes. And it’s okay. The disciples did. They didn’t understand why Jesus wanted to do this, so they questioned him. But in the end, they never lost sight of who Jesus was. And they did what He asked them to do. When we question, let’s let Him continue to be Lord in our lives, and never loose sight of who he is, and in the end, go where he calls. But don’t think it’s a sin to question. It’s honest – and God wants honesty.
So Jesus and his disciples go to Bethany. While they were still a ways off, Martha comes out to greet Jesus, but Mary stayed at the house. Martha greets him, “Lord… if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.” She was disappointed, wasn’t she. Disappointed in Jesus. She felt Jesus had let her down. She knew Jesus had the power to heal. But he didn’t get there on time. Have you ever felt that way? That was a rhetorical question. The answer is yes, we’ve all felt that way, right?
He tries to tell her, to give her a glimpse of what was going to happen. It’s going to end well; it will be okay. He tells her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even if he dies. Do you believe this?” Martha replies, “yes, Lord, I believe.”
She then goes and gets Mary, and Mary is just as disappointed. She comes out to see Jesus, and her first words are exactly the same as Martha’s. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” And those words are filled with disappointment: Jesus. If only you were here. How many times have we reached out to a God who we didn’t think was there? We know their disappointment, don’t we?
Martha, then Mary, come to him, “if only you had been here.” I can almost sense Jesus, knowing what’s going to happen, getting a little excited about what is going to happen. But the people. They were mourning so. And Mary crying. It’s a little much for him. And he wept. Not because he was saddened by the death of his friend, he knows that he won’t stay dead. He knew that before they left to go to Bethany. He told the disciples, “This sickness will not end in death, it is for God’s glory...” (v. 4). And I have to believe that he was a little excited about knowing this glory, and the effect that this resurrection was going to have on the people there.
But they grieved so. They were facing perhaps the ultimate disappointment: The death of a loved one. They were crying. Jesus knew what God was about to do, but they didn’t. So they were filled with pain and grief, and Jesus felt that. He feels our pain today. We are never alone. And when we weep, he weeps with us.
He asks to see the tomb, so they lead Him there. Then he asks them to roll away the stone. Again, he knows what God is doing. The people around him are crying, they need to see this. They need to see first-hand the glory of God. Roll the stone away. Martha gently reminds him of a few of the facts of life. “Uh, Lord. It’s been four days. Do you know what happens to bodies after four days in a tomb? It’s not going to be pretty! It’s going to stink!”
This was Martha. Martha was the one that said she believed! Now the time has come, where is her faith? You know, it’s easy to say you believe. But many of us will experience a similar lack of faith, or at least a time of questioning, when tragedy strikes. Where is our faith? We have to take the time to strengthen our faith on the good days, so that when the bad days come, that faith will see us through. Don’t think we don’t need God because everything is going along okay. Because sooner or later, something will happen. And if our faith is strong enough, it will see us through. If we don’t take the time to strengthen our faith, to build up our faith, on the good days, then when the bad days come, we’re not gonna find it.
We know the rest of the story. They roll the stone away. Jesus yells into the tomb, he didn’t go in, after all, Martha knew what she was talking about. He stood at the entrance and yelled in, “Lazarus, come out!” He came out. Many believed and put their faith in him. God received the glory. The mourning turned to joy. Mary and Martha’s disappointment turned to joy. And that was Jesus’ plan all along.
Lazarus received a second chance at life. Mary and Martha learned a valuable lesson about their faith. What would be different in your life if you received a second chance like this? Talk about the opportunity to start over! What would you change if this happened to you? I want to suggest to you, that when you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, that’s exactly what happens. You get a second chance. II Corinthians 5:17 says, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” We have all been given that second chance.
Let me share with you a story I came across from Walter Trobisch’s book, “I Married You.” Trobisch was in Africa giving a series of lectures on marriage. During his stay in Africa, a fellow named Maurice was his driver. Maurice wanted to get married, but he insisted that when he did, it would be to a virgin – and he was having a pretty difficult time meeting someone who met this condition. Early one morning, close to the end of this trip in Africa, Trobisch woke suddenly and felt a strong impulse to go to a bridge in that city. Maurice saw to it that he got there in a hurry. When they arrived, they saw a woman standing in the middle of the bridge, looking down into the flooded stream below. She was deeply distressed, and preparing to commit suicide.
Trobisch knew the woman and her background. He had already been trying to help her. Her life had been one of moral and spiritual chaos. She was tormented by memories of her many illicit affairs and a number of other sins, and she felt she just couldn’t bear the burden any more. On the bridge, Trobisch was able to persuade her not to kill herself, and eventually God used him, and others, to lead her to faith in Jesus as her Savior.
While Trobisch was talking to the woman on the bridge (her name was Fatma), Maurice remained in the car and prayed. While he prayed, something remarkable happened, though Trobisch didn’t hear of it till much later.
Eventually the day came when Trobisch and his wife left Africa to fly back to Europe. A number of friends came to say farewell to them. Among them was Maurice – with Fatma at his side. As the Trobisch’s left the terminal to board the plane, Maurice handed him a letter and asked him to wait until after take-off to read it, and then send him a reply as soon as possible. After the plane reached cruising altitude, Trobisch pulled out the letter:
Walter, when I prayed in the car on the bridge while you were talking to Fatma, a voice came to me as clear as a bell. It said, “This girl that Walter is talking to will be your wife.” It was crazy. I had never seen her before and had no idea who she was, or what she even looked like. Could this have been God’s voice? Please send me a telegram “Yes” or “No.”
Trobisch shared the letter with his wife and commented, “Poor Maurice. He wanted so much to marry a virgin, and now it looks like he’ll wind up with Fatma.” She thought for a while, and eventually responded, “But Water, Fatma is a virgin now. She is washed in the blood of Jesus. She is without spot, without wrinkle, without blemish - as the bride of Christ. Maurice will marry a virgin!” And at the next stop, they sent Maurice a reply, “Yes”
You see, when she put her faith in Jesus, she was given a second chance. You and I, when we put our faith in Jesus, just like Lazarus, just like Fatma, we get a second chance. We are washed in the blood of Jesus. Without spot, without wrinkle, without blemish. C.S. Lewis wrote, “The central Christian belief is that Christ's death has somehow put us right with God and given us a fresh start.” It doesn’t matter what is in our past, we have a new beginning.
Remember that it’s okay to question God, to cry out to him in your pain, to be disappointed when you don’t think he’s there. Just don’t forget who it is that your questioning, and in the end go where he is calling. Remember that he feels your pain, and that he weeps with you. And most of all, remember that you’ve been given a fresh start, a second chance. Make it count. Live a life that gives glory to God.
Do you remember what I wanted you to get out of this message? God is good, God loves you, and God has a plan. And if God is good, then God‘s plan for you is good. And we don’t have to understand that plan, to know that it’s good. We can just trust that it’s good. We may not understand his timing, but we can trust that it’s good.
i’ve got a memory verse for you.
Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”