“Jesus by the Tomb: The Unknown Prayer”

John 11:41-42 (NKJV) Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.”

John 11:3 (ESV) So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”

John 11:4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

John 11:5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

GOD HONORS THE PATIENT PRAYER.

John 11:17-20 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.

GOD DOES NOT ANSWER PRAYERS ACCORDING TO HOW MUCH WE KNOW.

John 11:21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

MARTHA KNEW THEOLOGY!

John 11:22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

MARTHA KNEW GOD’S PROMISES!

John 11:23-24 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

MARTHA KNEW PROPHECIES!

John 11:25-27 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

GOD HONORS THE PRAYER OF FAITH.

Doubtful prayer is no prayer at all.

John Calvin (French Reformer)

John 11:38-39 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.”

GOD’S RESPONSES DON’T SEEM TO MAKE SENSE ALL THE TIME.

John 11:41B … And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.

John 11:42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”

John 11:43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”

John 11:44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”