Jesus takes his time to get to Lazarus who has now been dead for four days. Jesus then asks them to show him where the body has been laid. Jesus weeps with Mary and Martha because he knows what pain and sense of loss  death brings. He then asks them to move the stone and the grave-clothes. God doesn’t do everything even though he could. He wants to use people. What can we learn about the healing of Lazarus?

1. Only Believe

They come with an urgent message to Jesus that his good friend Lazarus is sick. Did Jesus jump up and immediately run to Bethany?  No. Did he speak the Word and dispatch healing angels through the air?  No. Did he speak to the disciples to work on His behalf?  No. He hung around where He was for two more days!  Why?  Because He already knew what the end of the issue would be and that there was purpose wrapped up in this sickness.

Human nature often thinks that we deserve things. We look for rewards for our good works. Jesus and Lazarus were good friends but the answer was always to believe. There are always winners and losers if you go by favours.

2. Stop Stinking Thinking.

Martha pleads with Jesus not to open the grave. Why? The odour will be bad because her brother Lazarus has been in the grave for four days. This is what we call stinking thinking. This is when we think in the flesh when we should be think in the spiritual. Stinking thinking is the way we thought before we met Jesus but we often revert to our stinking thinking as a default reaction. We focus on what’s happening in the flesh rather than seeing things with our spiritual eyes.

If Jesus asks us to do something then we are told to only believe. If Jesus asks us to do something then let us not make excuses. A four-day old dead person will come to life. Whatever has died and been buried is not beyond being brought back to life. It only requires belief. We can be set free. We are to believe in our circumstances. If you are breathing, God can still use you for a greater purpose.

What hinders us? There are lots of excuses that become snares.

• Low self-esteem.
• Don’t feel gifted enough.
• Too young/old/stupid. Not holy enough.
• Pride – we think we can do better.
• Fear – They didn’t step out and become legalistic.

It can be difficult to release people in the Church. There is the fear of making a mistake. For some it has to be perfectionism. Some leaders can be controlling and unwilling to trust to others. It is important that we find our worth or value in something for the Lord. To believe in God is to see unbelievable things!

Categories: John