Moments to Ponder

Episode 135: Embracing the Power of Waiting: Faith, Belief, and a Miracle (John 11:1-42)

• Betsy Marvin • Season 15 • Episode 135

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What if waiting wasn't a hindrance but a gateway to deeper faith and divine revelation? Join Betsy Marvin as she embarks on a profound exploration of waiting within scripture and its crucial role in our modern lives. Betsy offers unique insights into how Jesus deliberately chose moments of waiting before performing miracles, with a special focus on the significance of the fourth day after Lazarus' death in Jewish tradition. This episode promises to transform your understanding of waiting as an opportunity to witness God's perfect timing and experience His glory.

Witness the awe-inspiring power of belief as Betsy delves into the moment Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, an act that shook the faith of all who witnessed it. By reflecting on Jesus' prayerful acknowledgment of the audience's faith, listeners are invited to examine their own seasons of waiting and the challenges of maintaining belief in an era of instant gratification. Betsy reassures those who feel lost in uncertainty that while God's timing may perplex us, it is always impeccably orchestrated. Tune in for encouraging words that affirm the eventual revelation of God's presence and glory in your life, even in the quiet and uncertain moments of waiting.

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Speaker 1:

Hey friends, welcome to Moments to Ponder. This is a podcast designed to help you spend a few moments in God's Word, gain fresh perspectives and find meaningful takeaways to ponder throughout the week. I'm Betsy Marvin and this is episode 135. One of the themes in scripture is the underlying plot line of waiting. Have you ever really thought about how many people in God's story had to wait? Abraham waited a really long time for Isaac. Joseph waited for years in slavery and prison. The Israelites waited over 400 years to return to the promised land. Esther waited to go before the king and David waited to become king. And God? God waited centuries to send Jesus. So much waiting.

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It seems like these stories are telling us something and we should pay attention. I know that God is outside of time. I know that God is outside of time. He's eternal and sees the whole of things. While we as humans are bound by time, our lives have become more and more automated, more instantaneous. It makes waiting even for a stoplight feel like a huge inconvenience. When I feel the impatience building as I wait in the Burger King line or the person in front of me at the grocery store has yet another price check, I try to remember the world does not revolve around me. And then there's the weight that comes with prayer. It would be ideal if God swept in and made his answer or intervention loud and quick, and sometimes he does, but more often than not, in his wisdom, there's a weight involved in the answer to our prayers. Have you ever felt like God wasn't listening when you prayed? Have you been waiting on an answer right now? How do you deal with it?

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In John 11, we read the story of three siblings who are close friends of Jesus Lazarus, martha and Mary. We don't know very much about the relationship, other than Jesus loved them. It's a reminder that Jesus lived 30 years of life before he entered ministry. He had friends, traveled to Jerusalem for festivals, enjoyed his nieces and nephews, and in John 11, he makes them wait. Here's verse 1.

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A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him Lord, your dear friend is very sick. But when Jesus heard about it, he said Lazarus's sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God, so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.

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So, although Jesus loved Martha, mary and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. Finally, he said to his disciples it seems like Jesus should have acted immediately, doesn't it? He loves his friends, but Jesus delays his return. Why? Jesus says it's so that God will be glorified. Now there have been two other times when those close to Jesus asked him to do something and he waited. In John, chapter 2, mary had to wait on Jesus at the wedding, and later his brothers had to wait on him before he attended a feast. Yet both times Jesus did amazing miracles. After the wait, and with this life on the line, it seems like well that he would have acted faster and not waited. After two days he finally says let's go back to Judea, verse 8.

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But his disciples objected Rabbi, they said only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. Are you going there again? Jesus replied there are 12 hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely, they can see because they have the light of this world. But at night there is the danger of stumbling because they have no light. Jesus was telling them I need to shine my light. While I'm here, I need to continue to do God's work because night is going to come, so continue. Then he said. The disciples said Lord, if he's sleeping he will soon get better. They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. So he told them plainly Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes I'm glad I wasn't there For now you will really believe Come, let's go see him. Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, said to his fellow disciples let's go and die with Jesus.

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When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. From this timeline we know that Lazarus was already dead when Jesus received the request to come. Yet Jesus had said his sickness will not end in death, and yet Lazarus has died. By this point, jesus has raised others from the dead Jairus' daughter and the widow's son, but not someone that had been dead for four days.

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In my study, I learned that the four days were actually significant. In ancient texts it says that there was an important belief held by the Jews at that time. The Jews believed that for three days after someone died, their soul would keep returning to the grave to see if it could go back into the body. But after three days it would truly leave. After seeing the body decompose and not look like itself anymore, by the fourth day all hope would have been gone. Lazarus was truly dead. So Jesus had waited. He waited until there could be no other explanation, waited until all hope was lost and only then did he come Verse 20.

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When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, but Mary stayed in the house. Now it's noted that Bethany wasn't far from Jerusalem and Martha most likely met Jesus outside the city because well she knew his life was in danger. She may have wanted to keep him from all of those who had come from Jerusalem to mourn with her and Mary. Verse 21. Martha said to Jesus Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask. Jesus told her your brother will rise again. Yes, martha said he will rise when everyone else rises.

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On the last day, jesus told her I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? Martha will never die. Do you believe this, martha? Yes, lord, she told him. I have always believed. You are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God. There are so many things we could unpack here, things about the last days and theology, about the resurrection of the dead when Jesus comes again, but we're going to focus on the I am statement. Martha gives such a statement of hope and faith when she says I know God will give you whatever you ask. She knows of Jesus' power. She knows he is the Messiah, the Son of God. And when Jesus then says the words that we repeat now, thousands of years later, I am the resurrection and the life, she hears something that will happen way down the line in the future. But Jesus, jesus is speaking of that day. These are such incredible words. They're the foundation of our salvation in Christ. It's the words that Jesus was speaking in chapter three when he said, for God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes would have eternal life. Anyone who believes in Jesus will live even after dying. Everyone who lives in Jesus and believes in Jesus will never die. If you know this story, you know that Jesus is telling Martha I am life, I am resurrection today, right now. And then he asks her plainly Do you believe this? To which she answers yes, verse 28. Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her the teacher is here and wants to see you. So Mary immediately went to him. Again, we see the care in protecting Jesus' presence Verse 30.

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Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met him. When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus's grave to weep. So they followed her there. When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him and he was deeply troubled. Where have you put him? He asked them. They told him Lord, come and see. Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said see how much he loved him.

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But some said this man healed a blind man. Couldn't he have kept Lazarus from dying? I hadn't really noticed the words. A deep anger welled up within him before. For some reason. I skipped that and focused on he was deeply troubled. But take note, jesus was angry, and this changes how I read these verses so often. This, the shortest verse in the Bible, jesus wept, is used to show how empathetic Jesus was as he saw their grief and he was. His tears are a sign of sadness, knowing that they have been suffering, but I think it's more. Why does John make a point to tell us that Jesus was angry and deeply troubled? I mean, I gotta say, if I heard well, if he loved him so much, why didn't he do something to keep him from dying? After all, he opened the eyes of a blind man. I mean, I'd be frustrated too.

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In the series the Chosen, this scene is so powerful. Their interpretation of Jesus and his tears hit me in such a profound way. They're asking how could he let this happen? Didn't he love Lazarus? The sisters, the disciples, those that followed Mary, they're all looking at Jesus with sadness and with questions, and it's in this that we see Jesus become frustrated. He looks around and he sees unbelief.

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As I watched this scene play out, I had tears in my eyes. I watched the emotions on Jesus' face and it helped me to see something I hadn't before how much our lack of faith must hurt his heart Not just those in Bethany, but my own. He desired their trust and in that moment they faltered. And I have to ask how often do I do the same? When Jesus doesn't do what I think it should do? Does that affect how much I trust him? With all that he had done, fed thousands, raised people from the dead, brought sight to the blind, and for almost three years he had shown them what a truly sinless life looked like. And they still didn't get it. It broke his heart, it made him angry. What did he have to do to help them believe? He actually knew the answer to that question. He knew that the events of this chapter would set the religious leaders on a very determined path to kill him. When Jesus says, take me to him, he is setting the ultimate plan for his life in motion toward the cross, verse 38.

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Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. Roll the stone aside, he told them. But Martha, the dead man's sister, protested. She said, lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible. She said, lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible. Jesus responded didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe? So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here so that they may believe you sent me. Then Jesus shouted Lazarus, come out. And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them unwrap him and let him go.

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Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. Okay, don't just hear this. Imagine it A funeral procession, people crying, wondering, sisters full of grief and disciples wondering what Jesus is going to do. It's spring, it's warm out and they have to walk quite a ways outside of town to get to the tomb. Lazarus had likely been buried immediately due to the heat. And when they come to the tomb and Jesus says open it, the ever practical Martha says um, it's going to smell something awful. I love how human she is and how obvious, and I think this speaks to how close she felt to Jesus. But did it smell?

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When they rolled the stone back, I imagine the crowd was very quiet. I imagine the crowd was very quiet, everyone watching, holding their breath, and Jesus prays physically, lifting his eyes, speaking out loud, and he prays for them, not Lazarus, but them. Jesus' prayer leads us to believe that he had been talking to God about this for a while. For the faith of those present, for this final sign to be a catalyst for their belief, for God to receive all the glory, for what was to happen. Then Jesus shouts I have the feeling he didn't do that very often. It would have surprised those that were there, maybe even scared them a little, as he yells for Lazarus to come forth and the dead man came out. What. We see this in movies, and so I think when we see all these kinds of things in our current CGI world, we miss the power of what this must have been like. After four days, he just walks out. I mean, this is crazy and amazing and proof and what no wonder many believed.

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After all the grief and the waiting, jesus reveals his power at a level they can never deny. There are so many different things we can learn from this. Obviously, the power of Jesus over death. But what struck me as I studied it this time was the waiting. There was purpose in the waiting.

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Yet so often for us, waiting leads to doubt and questions and, just like the sisters, we can ask because we know that God can do anything. But sometimes the answer feels like forever and coming, and sometimes we feel like the answer has passed. But God knows his timing. It may not be what you or I were expecting, but the answer will come. So I wonder are you in the midst of a waiting season? Are you seeking an answer in prayer that just doesn't seem to come? Oh, dear one, I encourage you to know it will come and somehow and in some way God will remind you that he is still at work.

Speaker 1:

Dear one, the challenge in the wait is belief. Okay, I'm making some stuff up here. Take heart, dear one, the challenge in the wait is belief. Both Mary and Martha had faith, but they were limited in what they believed could be. We have the blessing of knowing the whole of the story. Jesus is able to do more than we could ever ask or imagine, but he may ask us to wait. Yet even in the waiting, god is with us. He is with you. We struggle in this physical, instant world. We want answers now, but in the words that Jesus used to those present that day at Lazarus' tomb, didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believe he's saying the same to us? The wonder of the wait is knowing that God is with us in the process, that he sees all things and in his time he will answer. Amen.