The Sovereignty of God

Have you ever wondered why God allows bad things to happen to good people. Or how could a loving God do this to me. Why would God make me go through this. As we consider the story of Lazarus I think we get a good glimpse at the Sovereignty of God that is God’s rulership, the fact that God is in control and his hand is upon every moment of our lives and that nothing that happens is outside of his care. Yet I think he also demonstrates in this story his deep love for us and even provides answers to some those hard questions we ask in our darkest moments. Look with me at John 11:1-16 as we consider God’s rulership in our lives and what that means for us.

Lazarus is dying

John 11:1–4 ESV

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 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.”

The problem is simple Lazarus is dying

His sisters call their friend Jesus the Healer and ask him for help

expectation Jesus will fix it

Jesus stayed two days

John 11:5–10 ESV

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

Why did Jesus stay two days

why not leave immediately

Notice it says in vs 5 Jesus loved Mary Martha and Lazarus

It is not a lack of love that Jesus stayed

In fact vs 6 says so as in so then or because jesus loved them he stayed two days. The staying was in response to his love

How could staying two days and allowing Lazarus to suffer and die be a loving act of God.

This is one of those stories where I want to cry out that is not how the hero is supposed to act. That aint right. Yet this is God this is the one who does not simply love but rather he is love. This is the same one who out of love came to die for our sin that we might not be eternally separated from him and his love.

Then to further complicate the issue Jesus demonstrates his love in that by leaving and going back to Judea he was risking his life as the disciples remind him the Jews were seeking to stone him and was he really going to go back so soon.

Thus we know Jesus loves Lazarus and yet in his love he waits two days how do we reconcile these two statements.

The answer is found in two verses. First in vs 4 Jesus says John 11:4

John 11:4 ESV

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.”

This sickness would not lead to death but to the glory of God.

Second in vs 11 Jesus says John 11:11

John 11:11 ESV

After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”

Jesus knows he is going to raise Lazarus from the dead that this sickness will not end in death

Imagine how the faith of Lazarus and his sisters grew when he walked out of the grave. No one could convince them Jesus was not the son of God. He had the power to raise the dead. So Jesus not only displayed the power of God but by that display he bolstered the faith of those present.

So we see that one reason God allows such things to happen is it draws us closer to him and strengthens our faith. I can tell you I know I serve a mighty God because I know what he has brought me through.

Another reason today's text gives is that God can be glorified because in our weakness God’s strength is shown. In the lowest and darkest times of my life God has always shown the brightest and carried me through the trials.

This does not mean that I always feel him or recognize him in those moments but neither does the lack of that feeling mean he is not there. Remember it says Jesus waited two days. that would be excruciating to those walking in the trial yet Jesus knew their pain and knew the end result and that the pain was necessary to achieve the end result, a deeper relationship with him. Today they doubted the love of God and his ability to care for them. But Tomorrow no force in heaven hell or earth could convince them he did not love them or that he was unable to protect them.

Jesus foretells the resurrection

John 11:11–16 ESV

After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Lazarus is dead but I will raise him up.

notice the lack of faith on the disciples

Let us go that we may die with him

Their faith in Jesus is not strong enough yet to face the Jews and the sentence of death.

Yet this is one of the moments that will change them.

This Jesus holds power over the grave

Why is this moment so impactful?

Remember what I said last week about how to tell who was a true prophet?

Two things one he does miracles

two and the most important he speaks of the future and it comes to pass

Jesus here says I will raise Lazarus from the dead. That which was dead will live again. We will see next week the fulfillment of that prophecy. We will see Lazarus has been dead for 4 days and Martha even says He will have begun to rot and stink. Yet Jesus speaks and Lazarus is given new life. The dead is alive.

Invitation

This is the exact situation everyone without christ finds themselves. Without christ the Bible says we are all dead, the sentence is just waiting to be carried out. The wages of our sin is death. That because we violated the holiness the perfection of God we deserve death. Yet through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross we can be forgiven our sins and be granted life. Then we like Lazarus who once were dead now live again. If you want to have true life simply admit to God your sin and your need for his cleansing. Accept the sacrifice of Jesus on your behalf and ask him to be Lord master ruler of your life.

For those that are already Christians I ask you to consider your own faith in Christ are you trusting him at all times whether good or bad or do you find yourself questioning his goodness his love or his power during struggles and trials or maybe you think yourself self-sufficient when things are going well. Either way my brothers and sisters let us remember that God is the ruler of all and Grant Him the throne of our hearts that we might be useful tools in his hand and we might have a joyous relationship with him forever in Heaven.