When God's Timing Stinks

John 11 is one of the most powerful stories of Jesus’ ministry. It’s claim to fame for many is that it holds the shortest verse in all of the Bible- Jesus wept. But this story contains so much raw emotion, so much good news, and some really good insight in prayer and God’s timing.

This story revolves around 4 main people- Jesus, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus; and the who of this story is just as important as the why or how because these were some of Jesus’ closest friends. Intimately involved in Jesus’ life and ministry- the Gospels easily convey the kind of friendship that Jesus and these 3 siblings had.

Now, according to John 10:40 Jesus and the disciples were ministering in the place where John had been baptizing- most likely the area of Perea across the way from Bethany where Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived. Jesus had often stayed with the three siblings, and had somewhat of a home there.

Now, Jesus receives a message from Mary and Martha that his good friend Lazarus is very ill. It seems as though they were expecting and even requesting intervention from Jesus. Did they want him to come? Did they recall the story of the young boy that was healed by Jesus’ words while Jesus was far away? We do not know, but obviously they are expecting a response from Jesus. But Jesus does not offer to go and he does not offer an instant healing- instead he offers a word of prophecy, a foreshadowing of sorts “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”

I remember hearing Don Carson teach on this story and he said “Jesus said that Lazarus’ illness would not lead to death- not that the illness might not pass through it”

Verse 5 is a crazy verse, isn’t it? Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus- so he stayed 2 days longer. Wait, what? He loved them, so he stayed? I mean this is crazy, what is Jesus doing here? I love you guys as a church, and some of you have seen me pop up at the hospital or at your home within hours of hearing of your sickness. If someone calls and say one of you is in the hospital my love for you compels me to get there ASAP. Imagine if you called me and said “John, my spouse is really sick, can you go pray for them?” and I said “I really love you and your spouse- give me a couple days and I’ll make it eventually”

The Bible tells us that it was out of Jesus’ love for the three that he stayed 2 more days before going- more on that in a bit.

Now, after 2 days Jesus decides it is time to return to Bethany- he tells his followers, let’s go on back, boys. Now, the Disciples offer some reservations because the last time they were in that neck of the woods Jesus was about to get stoned, so they are generally concerned. Jesus, seemingly by divine knowledge, tells them that Lazarus has died, and he needs to go and “awaken him”

So, it seems as though Jesus has lost his opportunity to save his friend Lazarus. At first we could think “If Jesus would have left when they called for him, he could have saved him!” But that is not necessarily true. You see it took about 2 days to walk from Perea to Bethany- meaning that even if Jesus left when he got the message from Mary and Martha, likely Jesus would not have made it in time anyway.

So Jesus and his friends head off to Bethany- not to visit on console the family, not to pay their respects for Lazarus, they are not intending to do the family night, graveside, or memorial service- no Jesus tells them straight up- I am glad he is dead so that you can believe once I raise him from the dead. And that is exactly what he intends to do.

So, 2 days waiting, and then 2 days travel- verse 17 tells us that it had been 4 days since they put Lazarus in the tomb by the time Jesus arrives.

Martha, true to her personality, goes running out to meet Jesus and laments that if Jesus would have shown up her brother would not have died, and in response, Jesus offers to her one of the most beautiful phrases in all the Bible “I am the Resurrection an the Life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” A phrase that deserves more intention that I will give it in this sermon.

From this moment some of the Jews start to doubt Jesus- either his power or his compassion. They begin to wonder, could Jesus have done something? If he could have, why wouldn’t he?

Sounds like some prayers that I have prayed, and I bet if we were honest, prayers most of us have prayed a time or 2. Jesus, why did you let this happen? If you are so powerful and so good, why is there cancer in my lung? Why is my friend dying? Why did I get laid off? Why must I sell this home?

But Jesus comes to the tomb. But it has been 4 days- 4 long, miserable days, and hope seems to be gone. Not the hope that Lazarus is in heaven, but the hope that Jesus was going to do anything at all.

Remember how I told you we would revisit how Jesus stayed 2 days because of his love for Mary, Martha, and Lazarus? Well, let’s pick that back up.

People waking up from the dead was not common in Judea at the time- but it wasn’t unheard of either. Many historical documents tell of people that have been presumed dead waking up on their way to be placed in a tomb. After all, these folks did not quite have the medical tools that we have, right? There were no heart monitors or stethoscopes, no blood pressure cuffs or anything like that to verify death in all circumstances. So, there were enough cases when the heart beat was so slow and weak or the breathing was so shallow that people were presumed dead- or times when a coma or other medical emergency had set in and people were called dead before that was actually the case.

So, to explain this Rabbis and other teachers had the theory that a soul could wait around a person’s body for up to three days looking for a chance to reenter and thus raise the person back from the dead. Many good and devout Jews and other people held out hope for the 3 days after a person’s death that perhaps they may rise again! But truly it was too late for Lazarus, it was the fourth day- much too late for this.

In fact, it had been so long that when Jesus asks for the stone to be rolled away Martha says “HE STINKS!” After all, decomposition had started and there would be the nastiest odor from the body by this point.

Have you been there? Praying something, asking Jesus to show up, for mercy and grace to win- and you, like Martha just want to look at Jesus and say “THIS STINKS”?

To everyone there that day it seemed like Jesus showed up too late- and not a little later either- four days late!

Sure, if the entire point of this story was to save Lazarus from death, or raise Lazarus from the dead in a timely fashion- then maybe he was a little too late, but that was not the point, Jesus told them that the entire point of this whole miracle was “for the glory of God so that the Son of God may be glorified through it”

The end result in this miracle is not about Lazarus- it’s about Jesus. the primary goal was that Jesus be glorified and that the people in that moment would know him and know him more.

Here’s the thing, friends, this is a hard truth, but it is a truth we all need to remember, sometimes our expections, our ideas, and even our desires need to die in order for Jesus to do what he wants. Jesus needed for Lazarus to die in order to accomplish what he needed to acomplish for all those around him that day.

Do you have expectations, desires, or ideas that need to die so that Jesus can do soemthing amazing in your life? I know that there are times in my life that God has had to allow things to die in order to for me to truly receive or see what he wanted for me.