Waiting on Jesus: Lessons from the Story of Lazarus

John 11 brings readers into Bethany, where Lazarus is sick and Mary and Martha send word to Jesus: “He whom You love is sick.” The sisters do not need to tell Jesus what He can do. They know He is able. They know He cares. Yet Jesus does not rush to Bethany.

Jesus declares that Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death, but will end in the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it. That promise does not mean Lazarus will avoid death altogether. Lazarus will die, and his sisters will grieve. But death will not get the final word. The story will not end at the grave.

Jesus’ delay makes no sense at ground level. The One who loves this family hears the news and stays two more days. John makes the love of Christ unmistakable, using a word for God’s self-sacrificing, unstoppable love. Jesus’ delay is not disinterest. His silence is not abandonment. His timing is entirely self-determined according to a divine purpose.

Jesus leads the disciples back toward Judea, even though Jerusalem is dangerous and the religious leaders want to kill Him. The image of walking in the day points to walking in the will of God. Jesus does not stumble into danger or get caught off guard by opposition. The Father’s will sets the time, the path, and the protection.

Jesus calls Lazarus’s death sleep because He is going to awaken him. The disciples must learn that their Lord has power over death as the shadow of the cross draws near. Lazarus walking out of the tomb will show them that Christ is the Son of God who conquers the grave. Thomas, often remembered for doubt, speaks with real devotion when he says, “Let us also go so that we may die with Him.” The call to follow Christ has always been a call to take up the cross.

God’s purposes do not always provide the why behind every painful answer to prayer. God does give the for what: His glory and the conformity of His children into the image of His Son. Grief, suffering, pain, and unanswered prayer are not wasted in the hands of the sovereign King. Jesus meets His people in the valley of the shadow of death, and death itself does not hold those whom He loves.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Jesus’ delay is not disinterest. Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and still He waited. Divine love does not always look like immediate rescue because Christ sees the end from the beginning. Silence can feel like distance, but His delay remains governed by love, wisdom, and a purpose greater than present understanding. [53:38]
• 2. Death does not get the final word. Lazarus’s sickness led to death, but it did not end there. Jesus frames death as sleep because He possesses authority to awaken the dead. The grave is real, grief is real, but neither has ultimate authority over the One who is life. [59:26]
• 3. God works for glory and good. God does not waste suffering, grief, pain, or hurt. Hardship becomes part of His work of conforming His children into the image of Christ. The greater purpose may remain hidden, but God’s character does not become uncertain when the answer hurts. [66:21]
• 4. Faith grows in unanswered prayer. Unanswered prayer can become a seedbed for maturity rather than bitterness. Waiting exposes shallow expectations and calls the heart to settle again on God’s goodness. Faith learns to trust not because every circumstance changes, but because God remains kind and good.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [29:44] - Joy, Sorrow, and Ministry
• [32:37] - Praying for Healing Through Cancer
• [34:12] - Psalm 116 and God’s Compassion
• [36:18] - Lazarus, Mary, and Martha
• [39:06] - When Jesus Seems Silent
• [41:13] - Bethany and the Sick Brother
• [46:06] - The Sisters Send for Jesus
• [48:14] - This Sickness and God’s Glory
• [52:15] - Jesus Loves and Yet Delays
• [55:54] - Returning to Judea
• [57:00] - Walking in the Daylight
• [58:56] - Lazarus Is Dead
• [60:53] - Thomas Chooses Courage
• [62:26] - The Purpose of Unanswered Prayer
• [64:13] - Hope Beyond Death
• [65:36] - God Will Not Waste Suffering

1. Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. [37:04]
2. It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. [37:11]
3. So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” [37:19]
4. But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” [37:27]
5. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [37:40]
6. So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. [37:45]
7. Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” [37:52]
8. The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?” [38:00]
9. Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.” [38:07]
10. “But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” [38:17]
11. This He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep.” [38:22]
12. The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” [38:32]
13. Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. [38:37]
14. So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.” [38:44]
15. “And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.” [38:49]
16. Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.” [39:01]

1. The cords of death encompassed me and the terrors of Sheol came upon me; I found distress and sorrow. [34:27]
2. Then I called upon the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I beseech You, save my life!” [34:36]
3. Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yes, our God is compassionate. [34:42]
4. The LORD preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me. [34:49]

1. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
2. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.

1. What do Mary and Martha’s words in John 11:3 show about what they believed concerning both Jesus’ ability and His relationship with Lazarus? [46:36]
2. What two truths are placed side by side in John 11:5-6, and why might that combination surprise a reader?
3. What fears do the disciples express about returning to Judea, and how does Jesus answer their concern in verses 9-10? [56:22]
4. How do the disciples understand Jesus’ statement that Lazarus has “fallen asleep,” and what does Jesus finally tell them plainly? [58:51]

1. Jesus says Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death but will be for God’s glory, even though Lazarus does die. How does this help explain the difference between death being real and death having the final word? [48:53]
2. Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, yet He stayed where He was for two more days. What does this passage show about why a delayed answer should not automatically be understood as a lack of Christ’s love? [53:59]
3. Romans 8:28-29 says that God works for the good of His people and defines that good as being conformed to the image of His Son. How might this definition of “good” reshape a believer’s expectations when a prayer is not answered in the way hoped for? [01:05:56]
4. Thomas is aware that returning to Judea may lead to danger, but he chooses to go with Jesus. What does his response show about following Christ when obedience is costly? [01:01:43]

1. Is there a prayer or painful situation in which Jesus seems delayed or silent right now? What words have you been tempted to use to explain that silence—distant, uncaring, forgotten, or something else? [39:24]
2. When life hurts and no clear explanation is available, what helps you hold on to the truth that God is gracious, righteous, and compassionate? Is there a Scripture, person, or past evidence of God’s faithfulness that you need to remember? [01:04:22]
3. Jesus’ delay was not disinterest; He was still moving according to a greater purpose. What would it look like this week to keep bringing a burden to Him rather than withdrawing from Him in disappointment? [55:36]
4. Unanswered prayer can become a place where faith grows, but it can also become a place of bitterness. Which direction does your heart tend to move when God’s answer hurts, and how can the group encourage you toward trust? [01:02:49]
5. God does not promise to give every believer the exact outcome they ask for, but He does promise to use hardship to make His children more like Christ. In one current difficulty, what Christlike quality—such as trust, patience, compassion, courage, or hope—might God be growing? [01:06:31]
6. Jesus has authority over death, and the grave is not the final resting place for those who belong to Him. How does that hope speak into a present grief, fear about death, or concern for someone you love? [01:08:47]
7. Following Jesus includes taking up the cross. Is there an area where obedience feels costly or risky right now? What would a faithful next step look like, even if the outcome is uncertain? [01:02:26]