John 11:1–6

Read the passage.

Chapter 11 introduces us to the family of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus of Bethany. Even though we haven’t heard of them in John’s account before, it is clear that they had a close relationship with Jesus before this time. By the time John is writing, the three siblings were certainly famous in the early church, enough that John brings up the time Mary anointed Jesus’s feet, which happens in chapter 12. It almost seems from the way John introduces them that Mary and Martha were famous independently from Lazarus, and maybe moreso.

Lazarus is sick, so his sisters send word to Jesus because they know that He loves them all and they expect Jesus will come and heal what is ailing him. They know Jesus well enough to be sure He can do this and have a close enough relationship to believe that He will, even though Bethany is only a couple of miles from Jerusalem where the religious leaders want to kill Him. But Jesus seems unconcerned. If anyone else had acted this way, we would consider it a mistake in judgement over the illness’s severity, at best. At worst, it would be a callous disregard for the pain of good friends. But it’s Jesus we’re talking about, and He knows exactly what’s going to happen.

Verse 5 tells us that Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Verse 6 starts with “so”. Tiny little English words are packed with so much meaning. This “so” is synonymous with “therefore”. Because Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, when He heard Lazarus was ill, He stayed put. He waited two more days. Lazarus died and his sisters grieved for him while Jesus stayed away and let it happen. Because He loved them.

This can be a hard truth to accept. We don’t enjoy hard times. We don’t like to feel pain or loss. But in the face of God’s perfectly sovereign will, what feels better to us is not always what is better. He is perfectly righteous, perfectly knowledgeable, and perfectly capabable of carrying out His will. Do you trust Him, even when it hurts, to do what is right? He will, even if you don’t.

Help us to follow You wherever You lead us.