As I was reading the story of Lazarus in John 11:1-43, several things are revealed about Jesus and answers.
1. Realize that Jesus has a plan just as Jesus had a plan in reference to Lazarus. We may not see the plan that Jesus has but He has one. At the beginning of the story, Jesus receives word that Lazarus is sick. Jesus tells disciples that the sickness will not end in death. Jesus already had a plan. His plan involved revealing God’s glory as stated “No, it is for God’s glory, so that God’s Son may be glorified through it”. No matter your circumstance, Jesus has a plan and God will be glorified.
2. When answers do not come quickly, remember to wait on Jesus. In this story, Jesus did not reveal his plan instantaneously, but he waited (4 days) for the “right moment” to reveal His plan. As in this story, Jesus waited 4 days before he went to Mary and Martha. Mary and Martha had sent word for Jesus and then waited for Jesus to come to them. Many times in life, we must call to Jesus and we must “wait” for Jesus and for his answers to come.
3. Jesus cares and understands our sorrows. In John 11:35, Jesus wept. Jesus had compassion and felt the sorrow of Mary and Martha. He comes to us in our times of need and walks with us in our times of despair.
4. We must trust God no matter what. Martha showed that she trusted Jesus because when she met him, she told him that if He had been there, her brother would not have died. But that she knew that even now God will give you whatever you ask” She trusted Jesus and knew that He would fulfill His plan. We must know that God’s purpose and plan will be fulfilled completely. He wants our unwavering faith. We must trust God will be victorius and God will be glorified through all we endure. Even when we don’t know God’s answer and He has not revealed His answer to us, we must trust him.
5. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Jesus went to Mary and Martha. He had a plan and part of His plan was not only to bring Lazarus back to life, but to reveal that He will be with us even in the darkest times. When we lose a loved one, our heart is broken, we are hurting and are lonely from our loss. Jesus came to Mary and Martha to comfort their hearts and to reveal that God had more in store for them than they ever could have imagined.
It is also interesting that God had already purposed to answer the prayers of Mary and Martha before He even arrived at their home. In verse 11, he tells his disciples, “Our friend, Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up”. Jesus already knew that Lazarus was dead but He already had a plan in place to raise him from the dead. He revealed His plan to his disciples. Jesus had already answered the prayer before even Mary and Martha knew the answer. Would we be in despair if we knew that God had already answered our prayer and that He was on his way to bring deliverance? Let us believe that Jesus has a plan and a purpose and His answers are always with our best interest at heart. May we trust God to answer our prayers and that our answer is on its way so that God may be glorified.