Trusting God's Timing: The Miracle of Lazarus
Summary
Today’s focus was on the story of Lazarus in John 11, exploring both the surface and the deeper spiritual truths behind Jesus’ most dramatic miracle. The narrative begins with Jesus’ close friends, Mary and Martha, sending word that their brother Lazarus is gravely ill. Despite his love for them, Jesus intentionally delays his arrival, allowing Lazarus to die. This delay is not neglect, but a purposeful act of love, designed to reveal a greater glory and a deeper understanding of who Jesus truly is. In a culture that despises waiting, this story challenges us to trust God’s timing, even when it feels painfully late.
The waiting season for Mary and Martha was filled with confusion and disappointment. They knew Jesus’ power and his love for their family, so his absence was bewildering. Yet, Jesus’ delay was a divine setup for a revelation far beyond their expectations. They hoped for a healing, but Jesus intended a resurrection—a miracle that would unmistakably declare his authority over death itself. This moment was not just about restoring Lazarus, but about revealing Jesus as the resurrection and the life, the one who holds the keys to eternal life.
The story also exposes our tendency to want God to simply fix our problems, while God is more interested in transforming our character and deepening our faith. Like a wise parent, God sometimes withholds immediate relief to cultivate perseverance, dependence, and spiritual maturity in us. Every divine delay is an opportunity for God to work in us, not just for us.
Ultimately, the raising of Lazarus is a signpost pointing to the greater miracle of spiritual resurrection. The miracle is not just about physical life, but about Jesus’ power to bring the spiritually dead to life. No amount of example, encouragement, environment, or education can resurrect a dead soul—only Jesus can. The story calls us to move beyond casual religion and place our full trust in Christ, who alone can save, restore, and give eternal life. Baptism beautifully illustrates this truth: we are buried with Christ in death and raised to new life by his power. No matter how hopeless a situation may seem, nothing is beyond the reach of Jesus’ resurrection power.
Key Takeaways
- Divine Delays Are Acts of Love
God’s timing often confounds our expectations, but his delays are never arbitrary. In the story of Lazarus, Jesus’ decision to wait was rooted in love, not neglect. Sometimes, God loves us enough to be “late” by our standards, because he is orchestrating a greater purpose that we cannot yet see. Trusting his timing means believing that a waiting season is never a wasted season. [12:53]
- God Is More Interested in Our Transformation Than Our Comfort
We often want God to simply fix our problems, but he is more invested in shaping our character and deepening our faith. Like a good parent, God sometimes withholds immediate relief to teach us perseverance, dependence, and spiritual grit. The lessons learned in seasons of waiting are often the very things that prepare us for the blessings ahead. [19:17]
- God’s Plans Exceed Our Expectations
Mary and Martha hoped for a healing, but Jesus intended a resurrection. If God always met our expectations, he would never have the opportunity to exceed them. Sometimes, our greatest disappointments become the settings for God’s greatest miracles, revealing his power in ways we never imagined. [28:40]
- The Miracle Points to Spiritual Resurrection
The raising of Lazarus was not just about physical life, but about Jesus’ authority to give eternal life. The miracles in John’s gospel are recorded not to impress us with Jesus’ power, but to convince us of his identity as the Son of God and Savior. Our deepest need is not for a better life, but for new life—a spiritual resurrection that only Jesus can provide. [33:17]
- Only Jesus Can Bring the Dead to Life
No amount of moral example, encouragement, environment, or education can resurrect a dead soul. Like Lazarus, we are spiritually dead apart from Christ, and only his voice can call us out of the grave. Salvation is not about self-improvement, but about receiving the life that Jesus alone can give, through his death and resurrection. [39:10]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[01:10] - Introduction and Upcoming Series
[03:00] - Songs We Sing: The Theology Behind “Back to Life”
[05:20] - Setting the Scene: The Story of Lazarus
[08:45] - Jesus’ Love and the Divine Delay
[12:53] - When God Seems Late
[14:55] - Wrestling with Unanswered Prayers
[17:30] - Waiting Seasons and God’s Purposes
[19:17] - God’s Work in Us Through Delays
[23:47] - Jesus Arrives: Martha’s Honest Faith
[27:26] - The Revelation: “I Am the Resurrection and the Life”
[28:40] - Exceeding Expectations: Resurrection Over Healing
[31:14] - The Deeper Meaning of the Miracle
[33:17] - Spiritual Death and New Life in Christ
[35:50] - The Futility of Self-Help Without Christ
[39:10] - Only Jesus Has Power Over Death
[41:11] - Baptism: The Sign of New Life
[42:47] - Invitation to Trust Christ
Study Guide
Small Group Bible Study Guide: The Story of Lazarus and the Power of Divine Delays
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### Bible Reading
John 11:1–44 (ESV)
*(You may want to read the whole passage, but focus especially on verses 1–7, 17–27, and 38–44.)*
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### Observation Questions
1. When Jesus hears that Lazarus is sick, what does he do, and why is his response surprising? (see John 11:5–6)
[[12:53]]
2. How do Mary and Martha react to Jesus’ delay and to the death of their brother? What do their words and actions reveal about their relationship with Jesus? (see John 11:21–22)
[[23:47]]
3. What does Jesus declare about himself to Martha, and how does she respond? (see John 11:25–27)
[[27:26]]
4. What is the outcome when Jesus arrives at the tomb, and what does he command? (see John 11:43–44)
[[28:40]]
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### Interpretation Questions
1. The sermon says, “Divine delays are acts of love.” Why might Jesus’ delay be considered loving, even though it caused pain and confusion for Mary and Martha?
[[12:53]]
2. The pastor said, “God is more interested in doing something in us than just doing something for us.” What does this mean in the context of the Lazarus story?
[[19:17]]
3. Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life.” What is the significance of this statement for those who are facing hopeless or “dead” situations?
[[27:26]]
4. The sermon points out that the miracle is not just about physical life, but about spiritual resurrection. How does the story of Lazarus point to our need for new life in Christ?
[[33:17]]
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### Application Questions
1. Think about a time when you felt God was “late” in answering your prayers. How did you respond? Looking back, can you see any ways God was working in you during that waiting season?
[[12:53]]
2. The sermon says, “A waiting season is never a wasted season.” Is there an area of your life right now where you are waiting on God? What would it look like to trust his timing, even if you don’t understand it?
[[14:55]]
3. The pastor shared that God sometimes withholds immediate relief to build perseverance and spiritual maturity. Can you identify a specific character trait or lesson God has developed in you through a difficult or delayed season?
[[19:17]]
4. Mary and Martha hoped for a healing, but Jesus intended a resurrection. Have you ever experienced a situation where God’s answer was different—and better—than what you expected? How did it change your view of God?
[[28:40]]
5. The story teaches that no amount of example, encouragement, environment, or education can bring spiritual life—only Jesus can. Are there areas where you’ve been trying to “fix” yourself or others apart from Christ? What would it look like to surrender those to Jesus?
[[35:50]]
6. Baptism is described as a picture of being buried with Christ and raised to new life. If you have been baptized, how does this truth encourage you today? If you haven’t, what questions or hesitations do you have about taking that step?
[[41:11]]
7. The pastor said, “There is nothing in your life so dead or gone that Jesus can’t resurrect it.” Is there a situation, relationship, or part of your life that feels hopeless? How can you invite Jesus’ resurrection power into that area this week?
[[40:22]]
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Close in prayer, asking God to help you trust his timing, to work in your waiting, and to bring new life wherever it’s needed.
Devotional
Day 1: God’s Delays Are Not Denials—A Waiting Season Is Never Wasted
Sometimes, God’s love for us means He allows delays that we don’t understand, but with Him, a waiting season is never a wasted season. Even when it feels like God is late or silent, He is always working on, in, or through our circumstances for a greater purpose than we can see. Just as Jesus delayed coming to Lazarus out of love, God’s timing is perfect, and what feels like a setback may actually be a setup for His glory to be revealed in your life. Trust that He is orchestrating something beautiful, even when you can’t see it yet. [12:53]
John 11:1-6 (ESV)
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
Reflection: Where in your life are you frustrated by God’s timing, and how can you choose to trust that He is working for your good even in the waiting?
Day 2: God Is More Interested in Transforming Us Than Simply Blessing Us
God’s greatest desire is not just to do things for us, but to do something deep within us—shaping our character, teaching us perseverance, and building our faith through seasons of waiting and struggle. Like a loving parent, He sometimes withholds immediate comfort so that we can develop the grit, patience, and dependence on Him that we need for the future. The traits forged in these seasons are often the very things that prepare us for the blessings and breakthroughs ahead. [19:17]
James 1:2-4 (ESV)
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Reflection: What is one area where God might be using a delay or difficulty to grow your character, and how can you cooperate with His work in you today?
Day 3: Jesus Exceeds Our Expectations—He Is the Resurrection and the Life
When we bring our needs to Jesus, we often ask for what seems possible, but He desires to do far more than we can imagine—He wants to give us resurrection life. Martha and Mary hoped for a healing, but Jesus revealed Himself as the Resurrection and the Life, offering not just a solution to their immediate problem but a revelation of His true identity and power. He is able to do the impossible, and He invites us to believe in Him for more than we dare to ask. [27:26]
John 11:20-27 (ESV)
So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you have settled for asking God for less than what He might want to do—how can you trust Him for more today?
Day 4: Only Jesus Can Bring True Spiritual Life
No amount of good example, encouragement, environment, or education can bring the dead to life—only Jesus, the Son of God, has the power to call us out of spiritual death and into true, eternal life. Like Lazarus, we are powerless to save ourselves, but when we put our trust in Christ, He brings us from death to life, freeing us from the penalty and power of sin. Salvation is not about self-improvement or religious effort; it is about receiving the life that only Jesus can give. [39:10]
Ephesians 2:1-5 (ESV)
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.
Reflection: Have you truly put your trust in Jesus for new life, or are you still trying to find fulfillment through your own efforts or the world’s solutions?
Day 5: The Miracle of New Life—Responding to Jesus’ Call
The story of Lazarus is not just about a physical resurrection, but a picture of the spiritual resurrection Jesus offers to all who believe—He calls us out of our graves, no matter how hopeless our situation seems. There is nothing so dead in your life—no relationship, no dream, no part of your heart—that Jesus cannot resurrect and make new. Through faith in His death and resurrection, and as beautifully symbolized in baptism, we are raised to walk in newness of life. Today, Jesus invites you to bring your sin, shame, and pain to Him, and to trust Him to bring you back to life. [42:47]
Romans 6:3-5 (ESV)
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
Reflection: What is one area of your life that feels hopeless or “dead” right now, and how can you invite Jesus to speak new life into it today?
Quotes
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