"Lord, If You Had Been Here": Lessons from the Story of Lazarus

Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

- John 11:32 ESV

[If you're unfamiliar, please read the story here before continuing, thanks :)]

Why does God allow evil? Why do bad things happen to good people? Those are age-old questions, and there are several sound reasons people have come up with. We see one demonstrated in this story, “it is for the glory of God so that the son of God may be glorified through it.” (v. 46)

v. 2 tells us that Mary was very devout and loved Jesus, v. 3 and 5, that Jesus loved the siblings, yet, here Lazarus was, sick and on the verge of death. Spoiler: he was fine in the end, but they didn't know that! Lazarus and his sisters were Jesus' friends, so why would he let this happen??! As Jesus said, it was for His glory, and we see at the end of the story in v. 45 that many Jews who witnessed this event turned and believed in Jesus. In a way, it's a lot like the story of the man born blind - it wasn't because anyone sinned, as the disciples first thought, “but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:1-3) Sometimes, God lets us go through difficulties so that He may be glorified in our lives, that we - and others - may believe and be strengthened in our faith. Jesus told His disciples in v. 14, “Lazarus has died and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.”

TLDR: it's all for the [testimony's] plot!

Anyways, back to the story. I wonder what was going through the sisters' minds in the days they spent waiting for Jesus. The first day after when they would've been expecting him - "maybe He got held up by the crowds, I'm sure He'll be here by tomorrow." The second - "I always knew Peter was going to make trouble, maybe Jesus needs to go bail him out." And on and on, until each excuse would've been less convincing, and eventually, until Lazarus died. Meanwhile, what was Jesus actually doing??

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” (v. 5-6)

This makes no sense... You would think they'd say - "Jesus loved them, so He went immediately," or "Jesus loved them, but unfortunately, His caravan was delayed for two days." But no, they said He loved them, so He stayed where He was... until Lazarus died. By the time he arrived, Lazarus had been in the tomb four days!

Martha, understandably frustrated in v. 21, says, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” I imagine she could have said that in many different tones of voice: she may have yelled at him angrily, pushed his chest even; or maybe she was just full of sorrow, the words coming out between sobs; or she may have whispered it under her breath. Mary says the same words in v. 32.

We've all had or will go through similar moments. In January, I had said, “Lord, if your plan for me was so 'good,' then this wouldn't be happening right now."

But what was Jesus' response to her? “Your brother will rise again,” (v. 23) which translates to - it's not over!! “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”

There is a special type of hope that comes from being connected to the very author of life Himself. Jesus proved that he was not only able to heal or perform a quick CPR to resuscitate someone who just flatlined, but that he could bring back that which was long dead and already decaying (v. 39). Whatever seemingly hopeless situation you're in, however high the odds seem stacked against you, is it too much for the God who raised to life a man who had been dead four days and already stinky?

In v. 40, Jesus said to Martha when He got to the tomb, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

Martha had believed at first that Jesus could heal her sick brother, but Jesus had something much more amazing in store for her: raising him from the dead. It looked like He was late, but it was just for the plot!

I'm saying Jesus' words right back to you, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” If you believe, you'll see him do amazing things in your life. If you believe, you'll come to experience his comfort and strength in your time of weakness. I know because I have seen the glory of God.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

- Ephesians 3:20-21

May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you!

Bonus track: Rise Up (Lazarus) by CAIN