Articles
For God's Glory
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Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. . . . When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." (Jn. 11:1, 4)
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By the time Jesus got to Bethany, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days (v. 17); meaning, he was probably already dead by the time Jesus learned of his illness. Why then did Jesus announce that his sickness "is not unto death"? Did His gift of prophecy fail Him?
No, Jesus knew Lazarus had died. In fact, He even waited two more days before starting out for Bethany (v. 6). It's as though Jesus wanted everyone to know that Lazarus was good and gone. His body had already begun to decay by the time Jesus arrived (v. 39).
So when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the impact on those who witnessed it was enormous. In fact, the resuscitation of Lazarus' rotting corpse was likely the final straw that sealed Jesus' fate. "From that day on, they plotted to put Him to death" (v. 53).
Yes, Lazarus died; but Jesus knew that his death was only temporary. The raising of Lazarus would glorify both God and Jesus. Furthermore, through the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus Himself would be crucified, then resurrected, and God would be glorified even more.
So the sickness of this ordinary Jew from Bethany set in motion a cascading series of events that culminated in God's crushing defeat of Satan and sin.
Lazarus and his sisters could see nothing good coming from his illness--but the Lord did, and made it all work out. God's method of achieving His purposes has often taken this kind of improbable path. Joseph could not envision any purpose to his slavery in Egypt--until the day he saw his long-lost family standing before him pleading for help. As Moses tended sheep in the wilderness of Midian, he had no idea how God was preparing him for the greatest rescue mission in history. The apostles had their faith shattered when they saw their Lord crucified like a common criminal, not knowing the astonishing triumph that lay just beyond the cross.
Remember this story the next time you feel like God has abandoned you and the end is near. God can use your affliction to accomplish a greater purpose hidden from your view. Your suffering very well may be "for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."
Your job in the moment is to be patient and trust God to do what is best.
--David
