Luke 10:38-42; John
11:1-44; John 12:2
By Patsy Norwood ©
2024 All Rights Reserved!
Lesson 5
In lesson 4 we left
ourselves with the question of ‘did Jesus show up when Martha and Mary sent
word to Him that their brother Lazarus was sick?’ Did Jesus leave immediately and come to
Lazarus’ side?
Let’s find out …
Verse 4 … But when Jesus
heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory
of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”
“But when Jesus heard
this” … Jesus has received the
message via a messenger sent by Martha and Mary, but instead of leaving with
the messenger to return with him to Bethany He said instead …
“This sickness is not to
end in death” … did this mean ‘don’t
worry, Lazarus is not going to die,” we
know that’s not so! So, what did it
mean? It meant that death would not be
the end of the matter, that it would not be permanent.
That can be a bit confusing,
so let’s continue and see if we can get some clarification. The Bible is its own best commentary.
“but for the glory of God,
so that the Son of God may be glorified by it” … so, Lazarus’ sickness is going to bring glory to
Jesus! That’s a profound thought, isn’t
it? Let’s continue on …
Verse 5 … Now Jesus loved
Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
It’s almost as if Jesus is
saying, ‘even though it might not look like love, it is … just trust Me.’
That trusting can be hard
when we’re scared and fear the worst, can’t it?
Did Martha and Mary wrestle with similar fears and anxiousness? The Bible doesn’t tell us, but it’s likely
that they did.
Verse 6 … So when He heard
that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.
Jesus, the One Who had the
power to heal Lazarus …
Jesus, the One Who was
good friends with Martha, Mary and Lazarus …
Jesus, the One Who had
enjoyed Martha, Mary and Lazarus’ hospitality numerous times …
Jesus, the One Who loved
Martha, Mary and Lazarus …
… stayed where He was two
more days!
Why didn’t He leave
immediately and go to Lazarus?
Because Jesus had a higher
purpose in mind!
When we’re hurting and we
don’t understand the why, could it be because God has a higher purpose in mind?
When we’re pleading with
God for an answer and none comes, could it be because God has a higher purpose
in mind?
When the answer comes and
it’s not the one we wanted, could it be because God has a higher purpose in
mind?
God sees the bigger
picture, He knows the higher purpose and just as He did in the case of Lazarus’
sickness, He wants us to trust Him and His timing.
Next week, it’s time! You’ll have to meet me back here then to find
out what that means!
I hope you enjoyed today's
lesson. Don't forget to leave a comment and if you're enjoying this
study, please share the link with other ladies who you think might enjoy it as
well.
Until the next class …
patsy @ From This Heart of Mine
Sources used for this study:
Various translations of the Holy Bible
Various commentaries
Dictionary of New Testament Background, Editors: Craig A
Evans & Stanley E. Porter
Archaeological Study Bible
All the Women of the Bible by Edith Deen
Daughters of Eve by Lottie Beth Hobbs
Halley’s Bible Handbook by H. H. Halley
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