Life Comes Through the Power and the Glory of God
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26
On the way to the tomb, the Scriptures say that Jesus wept. What does this mean to say that Jesus was crying? Based on my study, I believe there a several layers to this. The first one, of course, is Jesus’ compassion. He loved Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. He feels the loss and the grief because he is human and because he cares.
Theologians suggest that he may also have felt anger. It’s an anger toward the hideousness and finality of death. The Greek word used here also carries the meaning of great agitation. It’s the kind of tumult on a person’s insides when they give stern warnings or harsh rebukes. Jesus was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. He sees the level of destruction and separation death brings. It is opposed to everything he and his Father stand for.
At the tomb of Lazarus, we have Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, the source of life and the hope of resurrection standing face to face, in direct confrontation with death, the thief and the enemy of life, repulsive and disgusting.
He tells the people standing near to move the stone covering the entrance of the tomb, he prays, and then he calls Lazarus’ name. To everyone’s absolute astonishments and joy, Lazarus walks out of the grave. Hallelujah.
The book of John is written to encourage readers to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Seven signs, or miracles are recorded for this reason.
- Water to wine 2:1-10
- Healing the nobleman’s son 4:46-54
- Healing the paralytic 5:1-9
- Feeding the five thousand 6:1-14
- Walking on water 6:15-21
- Restoring sight to the blind man 9:1-10:21
- Raising of Lazarus
The Messiah is the anointed figure of salvation. He was God’s choice, appointed to accomplish a redemptive purpose. Jesus saw his role as Messiah to be one of obedience, suffering, and death. In verse 25, Jesus makes an “I am” statement. It echoes God’s revelation to Moses at the burning bush when God reveals his character as a worker of mighty acts of redemption.
“I am who I am,” God said to Moses. John picks up on the theme coming through Jesus’ teachings and records more “I am” statements Jesus makes as he works doing what he sees his father doing:
- I am the Bread of Life. 6:35
- I am the Light of the World 8:12
- I am the Door of the Sheep 10:7
- I am the Good Shepherd 10:11
- I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life 14:6
- I am the Vine 15:1
- I am the Resurrection and the Life 11:25
Jesus will raise believers from death on the last day. People who believe in him will never die. Not even death can break their relationship with God.
The Invitation
This story in John 11 is such a mix of the victorious, stunning power of God that produces joy and high hopes with grief, sorrow, and helplessness. Relying on Ole Hallesby again, I will offer his definition of prayer. To pray is to let Jesus into our needs. To pray is to give him permission to employ His powers in the alleviation of our distress. To pray is to let Jesus glorify his name in the midst of our needs.
Hallesby says that helplessness is actually the best place to start. God recognizes requests born from helplessness as prayer. Helplessness and prayer are inseparable. Only those who are helpless can truly pray.
This story is bittersweet since it has a strong thread of sorrow running through it. Our lives work like this too. Joy and grief are sometimes so closely intertwined that we can hardly tell one from the other.
In his book Sacred Sorrow, Michael Card suggests that lament is a way of talking with God. It creates the right mood for asking the questions that rattle our faith. “God, where are you? God, if you love me, then why?” We can hear those heart-rending complaints in the statement Mary and Martha both said to Jesus when he finally arrived. “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Their response captures the bittersweet of the moment. The words carry a reproach for his absence while also recognizing that Jesus’ presence would have changed the outcome.
Every lament in the Bible is made because God’s loving-kindness to that person has somehow been violated. The one who laments is giving voice, sometimes even accusing God of not acting according to his character.
Are there places in your life where you are asking, “God, where are you? If you love me, then why?” Are there places where God doesn’t seem to be acting true to his nature?
This was the perplexity Mary and Martha faced during Jesus’ delay. “If you had been here,” they lament, and they say it right to his face.
Michael Card explores the experiences of Job to learn about lament. He notes that without the pain, Job might have never realized neither the depth nor the dimension of loving God for himself and not simply as the source for all his blessings. Job was the sort of man who would not let go of God.
Through his wife telling him to curse God and die. Through his friends giving unhelpful advice and telling him he was deserving of punishment. Through the agonizing silence of God. Job refused to let go. He held on to the memory, the truth, of the hesed, the loving-kindness of God.
Lament expresses one of the most intimate moments of faith. It’s the moment where we embrace our helplessness, and it’s the moment where we most honestly worship God. After he received wave after wave of terrible news, the Bible says Job tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell to the ground in worship.
And after Lazarus’ sister Mary had watched him suffer with illness, die, and then get placed in the tomb, she got up and went out to where Jesus was. Then she fell at his feet and worshiped him with the most sincere expression of lament and helplessness. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
As you consider your own life and those places where you are asking God “Where are you? If you love me, then why?” allow Job and Mary to be encouragements to you in the bittersweet of lament. Hang onto God and don’t forget his loving-kindness. Bring your helplessness to him in expressions of worship. Make that personal decision to believe. His presence will change the outcome. His power will fundamentally change the trajectory of your life. His glory will draw you into a relationship where there is no end to his loving-kindness.
