Jesus is the Light

Jesus Delays

“Are there not twelve hours in a day? If anyone walks in the day he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night he stumbles because the light is not in him.” John 11:9-10

In a small village near Jerusalem called Bethany lived a man and his two sisters. This man fell gravely ill and his two sisters sent for their dear friend whom they knew could heal their brother, with a touch. This friend loved their brother greatly, so Mary and Martha knew He would surely come.

Somewhere beyond the Jordon, soon after nearly being stoned in Jerusalem, Jesus was preaching to many of John the Baptist’s followers. A runner rushed up to him one day and gave him the message that his dear friend Lazarus was sick and possibly dying.

Did Jesus rush to begin the journey to Bethany? Did he say a prayer for his friend? Did he even say the words that would heal Lazarus from afar? No. He tarried on purpose. Did He not love His friends?

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” After all Mary was the woman who had poured expensive oil on the head of Jesus and sat at his feet to listen instead of helping her sister. How could he not love that?

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So–” big word SO. So what?

“So, when He heard Lazarus was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.” Jn. 11:5-6

He stayed two more days SO Lazarus could stay sick. SO his friend whom He loved could die. SO the two beloved sisters would be thrown into great grief.

Two days He delays. Then it took four more days to travel to Bethany, that’s six days the sisters grieved. Six days they were in despair and pain. Six days when Jesus knew His friends, who He loved, would be hurting, yet He tarried. Why?

Jesus says, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Jesus knew it was for the best, for their best so they could grow stronger. Of course He knew what would happen and He knew it was for God’s glory and Jesus would be lifted up as the Son of God. He knew it was God’s plan, and although there would be pain, in the end there would be victory.

Sometimes, for us, my friends, He tarries.

When Jesus knew Lazarus had died He told the disciples that they would go to Judea, near Jerusalem.

“But Teacher, you were nearly stoned there and you want to go back?” the disciples cried urgently.

Now they hadn’t questioned His delay even when His friend was deathly ill, but they strongly disagreed with His decision to go back to where they had trouble. How much they doubted, how strong their fear, how great was their unbelief.

Jesus said to them, “Are there not twelve hours in a day? Anyone who walks in the day will not stumble for he sees the light of the world.”

The Light of the world is Jesus. (John 9:5) “Twelve hours of daylight, twelve of you My friends. If you will only stay with Me, each one of you, and walk in the Light, you will be okay.”  Isn’t that what He’s saying?

If we stay with Jesus, if we walk in the Light of day, if we stay near Him, we will not stumble. But if we walk in the darkness, where the Light is not, away from Jesus, then we trip and falter.

No matter what happens, even if we see hard times, have much grief, experience tough trials, if we are walking in the Light and following Jesus we will not fall. He is always there. He is the Light of the world. We will not stumble. He will hold us up. It is all in God’s plan.

Jesus then said to the disciples, “I am glad for your sakes that Lazarus is dead, that I was not there.”

Seems a terrible thing to say. I’m so glad my friend died, that I wasn’t there to save him. Why did Jesus say this?

The disciples were weak, their faith needed bolstering. They needed strengthened. Big time. In a hurry. They did not have time to train or months to exercise, and years to build their muscles of faith. Time was running out. They needed to know who they followed. They needed to understand this Jesus was not just a charming fellow or an enigmatic leader or a dynamic speaker.

They needed to experience His glory and see His power. They needed to understand that He was, indeed, the Son of the Living God, to feel His love and to know His path was in the light.

Oh how great their unbelief! Thomas even mumbles, “Okay, okay we might as well go with Him so we can just die with Him.”

In retrospect, this seems silly. After all they followed the Light of the world, the Bright Morning Star, the Good Shepherd, the Great I Am. They walked for nearly three years in the footsteps of the Messiah, God Himself in human form.

They were with Him when he fed five thousand plus folks with five loaves and five fishes. They were there when the winds obeyed His voice. With their own eyes, they saw this God-man walk on water, heal the sick, cure many diseases, raise the dead, escape a stoning or two, open the eyes of the blind, make the cripple leap for joy. And they doubted He could walk into Jerusalem and stay alive?!

Yet, how much do I doubt Him? How great is my unbelief? How many times have I experienced His mighty touch in my life, yet when faced with a difficult time, I cry, “I can’t go there! I’ll die!”

How many times do I rail against a harsh circumstance? How many times do I stomp and storm because things get a bit tough? Like frigid temps for days on end?

How many times does Jesus lovingly drag me out of the mud and the mire, gently wipe the grim from my face and softly say,

“Child of mine, if you would only walk in the Light, you would not fall.”?

How many times do I plead and pull and even try to manipulate Almighty God when He tarries for a spell before working out my problems?

How many times do I shake my fist at God when it seems I was abandoned, when I see not His hand working a resolution, when He does not heal, when He allows death, when He stands by and watches suffering, when there is pain and grief, how many times when I am in despair?

And Jesus in His infinite wisdom says, “I am glad, for your sake, I was not there. ”

So you will believe.

So you will grow strong.

So you will know Me more.

So you will walk always in the Light.”

From John 11:1-16