Trusting Christ on the Road of Testing

John 11:1–16

The Road of Testing

The signs in John are meant to give a stronghold for our faith: Water into wine, healing the official’s son and the invalid, feeding the multitude, walking on water, healing the blind man

All are meant to give us reason to believe, to secure our faith, to show that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

John is written so that we may believe and have life in Christ.

Still, we must understand that a faith that is never tested is faith that has never been proved; and faith that is never proved is faith that has never been strengthened.

1 Peter 1:7 “So that the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Jesus knows of Lazarus’s sickness, and the dangers that await him, and still He responds the way He does because he is not merely interested in solving the immediate problem. He is strengthening and proving the faith of Mary, Martha, and the disciples.

This morning’s passage finds us on the road of testing.

John wants us to see that the testing of faith does not mean Christ has abandoned us; it is evidence that Christ is at work in us. He brings faith into testing so that its genuineness may be proved, its weakness exposed, and its strength increased.

Trusting Christ in Prayer and Delay

The sisters brought their need to Christ, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” This is a great example of prayer. Mary and Martha don't prescribe the solution. They simply bring their need to Jesus.

Lord: a recognition of their relationship, He is Lord, they are his servants

He whom you love: They appeal to Christ's love, not Lazarus's worthiness. Prayer is not persuading Christ to care; we pray because he already cares.

He is ill: a simple statement of their situation. There is no demand, no prescribed course of action “Christ you must do this…” They don’t tell Jesus what to do, they trust him with what to do.

But notice how Jesus responds: “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard Lazarus was ill he stayed two days longer.”

Jesus’ delay was deliberate and rooted in love. Delay does not mean indifference. He loved them, so he waited. His delay was not a failure of love. His delay was an expression of love.

He was pursuing something greater than immediate healing: the glory of God, the glorification of the Son, the strengthening of their faith.

He knew, “this does not lead to death, but is for the glory of God, so that the Son may be glorified through it.”

Death would not have the final say. Instead, a great sign of glory would be revealed in this, showing that Jesus is the resurrection and the life.

But only through delay would this glory be revealed. Mary and Martha believed, now Christ would have them exercise that faith, develop patience, and continue in prayer.

Don’t measure God’s love by your circumstances.

Our circumstances are not the measure of God’s love. We often ask, “Why is God making me wait?” Faith asks, “Can I trust the Christ who is making me wait?”

God’s delay is not necessarily God’s denial. He may be preparing to display his glory and to strengthen our faith in ways we could not have anticipated.

But the testing of faith doesn’t just come through waiting. Sometimes Christ calls us to move, to follow him into circumstances that frighten us.

Trusting Christ in Peril and Communion

Jesus calls his disciples into danger, “Let us go to Judea again.”

The disciples immediately remember the danger. The previous chapter ended with the Jews wanting to arrest Jesus and put him to death.

They had fled across the Jordan to the wilderness where John had been baptizing, and going back to Bethany, just a couple of miles from Jerusalem, was a death sentence.

Jesus knew exactly what awaited him. He knew that the time had come for God’s glory to be revealed. He knew that this journey would lead to the cross. And still, for the sake of glory and love, he went to Lazarus.

Jesus knows the Father’s appointed time, “Are there not twelve hours in the day?”

Jesus is not controlled by fear. His life is governed by the Father’s will and appointed purpose.

The disciples see danger; Jesus sees the Father’s work. Jesus’ determination to go to Lazarus rebuked the disciples fears, and called them to faithful obedience.

Following Christ does not mean following the smoothest or safest path. Sometimes the path of obedience is the path of testing. God calls us to follow where we are outside of our comfort-zone, where we must trust in Him to provide, where we must look to him for our salvation and security.

Jesus is not recklessly walking into danger, he is faithfully walking according to God’s plan. His going to Bethany was so that God would be glorified, and his disciples’ faith bolstered.

“Let us go.” Christ calls us into communion with him

Jesus does not say “You go.” He says, “Let us go.”

The answer to fear is not necessarily an explanation of what God is doing. Sometimes the answer is simply: Walk with Christ. Their confidence is not that Judea is safe. Their confidence is that Jesus is with them.

Christ may lead us into places we would naturally shrink from, but he never calls us to walk a road on which he is unwilling to walk with us.

And that brings us back to the question of God’s purposes. The disciples don’t understand what Jesus is doing. Thomas certainly doesn’t. But Jesus knows exactly where this road is going.

Trusting Christ in Providence and Love

Jesus sees what the disciples cannot see “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep… and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.”

Jesus’ delay had a purpose. The danger had a purpose. The death of Lazarus had a purpose. God’s providence is never confused, accidental, or out of control.

Jesus was strengthening the faith of his disciples. The goal wasn’t merely that Lazarus would live. The greater goal was that they would see the glory of God and believe more deeply in Christ.

Christ’s love governs his providential care.

Verse 5 must remain in our minds: “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.”

His providence may be mysterious, but his love is not. We may not understand what Christ is doing, how he is governing his people, how he could work his good through the trials we face, but we know without doubt of His love for us. His love does not change when our circumstances change.

When we do not understand Christ’s providence, we must remember Christ’s love.

Thomas is willing to follow, even though he doesn't understand, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Thomas doesn't understand Jesus’ plan. He doesn't know what is coming. But he is willing to go with Jesus.

Faith doesn’t require that we understand the road before we walk it. Faith trusts the One who knows where the road leads.

Keep Walking With Christ

The disciples don’t understand. Mary and Martha don’t understand. Thomas doesn’t understand. But Jesus understands.

He knows why he waits. He knows why he goes. He knows what Lazarus’ death will accomplish. He knows where the road ultimately leads. And we know where that road ultimately leads: to Jerusalem, to Gethsemane, to Golgotha, and to an empty tomb. Jesus knows where the road leads because he is the one who has walked it before us.

The same Christ calls us to trust him.

Trust Christ in prayer and delay. Bring your needs to him. Wait for him without demanding that he work according to your timetable.

Trust Christ in peril and communion. When he leads you into difficult places, don’t run ahead of him or turn back in fear. Walk with him.

Trust Christ in providence and love. When you cannot understand what he is doing, remember that his love has not changed.

And John is preparing us for the great declaration that comes later in this chapter: “I am the resurrection and the life.”

Jesus is not merely going to solve Lazarus’ problem. He is going to reveal who he is. And that is ultimately what God is doing in all of his providence. He is bringing us to know Christ more deeply. He is strengthening our faith. He is displaying his glory. And he is doing it all in love. We may not understand the road we’re on, but we know the One who walks it with us.

So keep trusting Christ. Keep praying. Keep walking. Keep believing. Because the road of testing is the road on which Christ is strengthening our faith, and the Savior who leads us down that road is the Savior who loves us.