This Sickness Doesn’t Have to End in Death

I don’t have a story. Not this time. There is nothing in my past that can help you to comprehend what is going on in the world right now. I could tell you how we lost our business, or share the tough stuff in our marriage, or how chronic illness has interrupted every part of my life. But none of that can compare. So I am ditching the storytelling for the saving truth.

This sickness doesn’t have to end in death.

I’m not sure where your heart is right now, but when it comes right down to it you are in one of two places. Either you believe this, or you don’t.

“Jesus said to her (Martha), “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die, and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25

Maybe you’ve heard the Lazarus story before. Jesus raised him from the dead (John 11:43-44). It’s not the first time Jesus stepped in and brought the dead to life. In a town called Nain, he raised the son of a widow (Luke 7:14-15). And while fearing the loss of his child, Jairus witnessed the resurrection of his  daughter as Jesus took her hand and said, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” (Mark 5:41-42).

Raising the dead to life is no run-of-the-mill miracle, but Jesus isn’t the only one who performed miracles of this magnitude. He sent out his twelve disciples with instructions to raise the dead as well (Matthew 10:5-8). Peter raised Tabitha (Acts 9:36-41) and Paul raised a man who fell from a window as he fell asleep while Paul was preaching (Acts 20:7-12).

The Gospel makes it clear; these miracles, were performed out of love. But there is a bigger story to be told. If the love of Christ rest only in the outcome of miracles performed, we wouldn’t be feeling very sure of God’s love right now.

Lord, if you had been here…

Perhaps you are not very sure of God’s love right now. Even Martha, a faithful believer, questioned God. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “If you had been here…” (John 11:21) And the crowd that surrounded her as she mourned for the loss of her brother wondered why Jesus, who could “open the eyes of the blind man” didn’t stop the death of the one he also loved (John 11:37).

I’ve experienced the if-God-had-been-there moments. Deep down, I know he is there, I know he loves me; but my heart and my head have a hard time reconciling God’s goodness in the face suffering. Jesus wasn’t asking Martha if she believed he could raise Lazarus from the dead? She knew he could. He isn’t asking me and you if we believe he can still perform miracles or intercede to save us from suffering. We know he can. Jesus is asking if we believe that He is the resurrection and the life. He wants to know if we have hope in Him over our circumstances.

It is for God’s glory.

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead that day. But this miracle is not the message he wanted to make known. If we go back to the beginning of the story, when Jesus first heard of Lazarus’ death, he proclaims his message before he travels to comfort his loved ones.  “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” John 11:4.

Let’s look at the end of that verse again. “it is for God’s glory, so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead to declare victory over death so that we would believe. A lot of unbelief was overcome that day: the disciples, Martha, Mary and the many people standing there, including unbelieving Jews. They were watching, and they believed.

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe you sent me.” John 11:41.

Take off the grave clothes.

The last words of Jesus recorded in this passage are found in John 11:43. “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” As he walked out of the tomb, Lazarus would have been tightly bound in strips of cloth, hindering his ability to walk freely. As people were standing and watching, I wonder if they saw the significance of life in Christ as Lazarus removed his grave clothes. Jesus set him free.

One last, death-defying miracle.

There were those who didn’t believe that day, and they began plotting to kill Jesus. But there was one last death-defying miracle to be made known. Jesus was beaten, hung on a cross and died a gruesome death. He was wrapped in cloths and laid in a tomb. Three days later, Jesus, rose from the dead. He walked this earth for a little while longer until he was taken up into heaven where he is seated at the right hand of God (Mark 16:20).

My friend, this sickness doesn’t have to end in death. The sickness Jesus is talking about is our sin. God loves you so much that he took the life of his own son in order to give us life. He died to set us free from the bondage of sin – in this life, and in eternity. We live differently (1 Peter 2:21-25), and we live eternally (Romans 6:23) when we accept this gift of love. Do you believe this?