John 11:1-8

We now learn that Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, was sick. These people are close to Jesus, and so the sisters send to tell Jesus that someone he loved was sick, knowing that Jesus would care.

 

Jesus’ response is interesting. He says, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Even though I know the story, it is worth pausing here to realize that Jesus thought of this sickness as an opportunity for glory – both for the Father and the Son. He specifically says that the sickness will not end in death. So Jesus is speaking words of hope. These people believed in Jesus and had seen His healing in other people’s lives. I don’t know whether the messengers returned to Mary and Martha with this message or not – the text doesn’t say. But John records Jesus’ words of hope and His prediction of God’s glory – and of His own.

 

The next verse continues this theme of hope. “Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.” Good! He’s going to take care of them! He loves them!

 

But then it gets a little confusing. “Therefore, when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, then He stayed where He was two days more.” What? How does this demonstrate love? Most translations make it sound this way, though. Jesus loved them, therefore He didn’t go to help.

 

There’s a little word (men) that gets left out of most translations, though, because it’s hard to know exactly how to phrase things. But here’s the idea. Instead of what we’ve just seen, the translation should continue into verse 7 saying something like this: “Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. Therefore, when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, although he stayed where He was two days more, then after this He said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.’” His love was not demonstrated by the fact that He stayed two days longer where He was, but by the fact that He went to them!

 

But so what? Shouldn’t a friend go to his friends when they need Him? Why is Jesus shown to be especially loving by going to His friends after a two-day delay, knowing that they needed Him?

 

The disciples’ response makes the answer clear: “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You! You’re going there again?”

 

Yes, Jesus delayed two days. But He chose to go to Martha, Mary and Lazarus in the face of danger! Because He loved them, Jesus went to them.

 

This is the kind of love Jesus has demonstrated repeatedly. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who puts His life on the line for His sheep. God sent His Son into the world to save the world through Him! Jesus put His line on the line for us, too! And when He did it, just as we’ll see happens with Lazarus, Jesus’ loving self-sacrifice resulted in glory to the Father and to Jesus. This is our God!