Say What?
John 11 recounts the story of Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha who was sick to the point of death. Being good friends of Jesus and well acquainted with His ability to perform miracles, the two sisters sent for Jesus to come to their aid. But He didn't. Instead, He stayed where He was for a couple more days and then told His disciples that He was going to go visit the family. The disciples spoke amongst themselves, determining that Lazarus must have been all better, but Jesus quickly dispelled their belief with a single statement: Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was notthere, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
Does that verse strike anyone else as odd? The first two phrasesjust don't seem to go together. "Lazarus is dead, and I'm gladI was not there." Talk about sounding heartless. Good grief!
Mygrandmother is the most blunt and plain-spoken person I know. Shesays what she means and means what she says. She doesn't pull anypunches. If she thinks you need to pull your pants up, she'll tellyou. If she thinks your hair resembles that of an unemployed clown,she'll tell you that too. It's not that she's mean. She's justpainstakingly honest. . . sometimes to the point of embarrassingthose who are around her.
But Imust admit, in this case, Jesus makes my grandmother look reserved."Lazarus is dead, and I'm glad I was not there." If thedisciples weren't confused before, they were now. That is, if theydo like the rest of us and only hear part of what the Lord says.Could it be that the bluntness of the statement caught them off guardto where they missed the part of why Jesus was glad?For theirsakes.So that they might believe.Jesus was glad for anotheropportunity to prove Himself to the disciples.
It waslove that compelled Him to go. Love for His disciples. Love forMary, Martha and Lazarus. Love for the unnamed mourners He wouldfind at the tomb. Yes, His love compelled Him to go, just as itcompelled Him to come to earth for the sake of raising us from ourdeath in trespasses and sins. He didn't have to come. He could havelet us remain in our sins just as He could have let Lazarus remain inthe grave. He didn't have to leave the splendor of Heaven. But Heloved us too much to stay away. And so He came, destined to be thesacrifice for our sins so that we could be raised in newness of life.Oh, what love!