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We are reading and studying in John Chapter 11, where Lazarus, the friend of Jesus has died. Martha and Mary have sent a message to Jesus informing that their brother was sick, but there was no call to come immediately. There was no demand or plea to intervene, and Jesus Christ does something that is very hard to do – nothing!

Jesus delays for two days before setting off with his disciples on the 60 mile journey to the home of Mary and Martha. Jesus meets the mourning sisters, only to be greeted by, “If you had come sooner, my brother would not have died.” Verse 32.

And yet, the same Martha believes that whatever Jesus prays for, God the Father will hear and answer that prayer.

v.25 – Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live” and Martha comes out with that mighty confession of faith.

Jesus, at this point, asks her to go and get her sister, and, obediently, like a little lamb obeying the shepherd, she goes and calls for Mary. “The teacher is here and is asking for you.”

Mary approaches Jesus and not a word is spoken to begin with.

v.32 – She just came in her tears, and fell down at His feet and then said – if only – if only. How many situations have there been in our lives when we would want to say – if only – if only?

If only I had not said that – if only things could be different – if only this were not the case in my situation – if only that decision had been made!

This is a highly charged emotional scene. Jesus is troubled and upset.

Here are things that God never intended to come into the world which he created – such sorrow – death – bereavement – suffering – sin.

In heaven, once we get away from all this, God will wipe away all tears and there shall be no more pain – no more sorrow – and no more suffering – and no more death. We read all that in the closing words of the book of Revelation.

Here is Jesus at a graveyard and God never intended there to be graveyards and cemeteries and crematoria.

O how sin has marked and marred and scarred this fallen world.

v.34 – Where have you laid him? Lord, come and see. Then we read the shortest sentence in the Bible. Jesus wept! This real man – this real human being who is God in the flesh – is not afraid to weep – and to be seen weeping. Here is a man who can sit where we sit, and He is God too.

Having shown Martha that he is God, Jesus reveals to Mary that he is a real man.

The Jews saw that Jesus loved Lazarus, but some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind have kept this man from dying?”

The critics are present again, but let’s bother about them today.

v.38 – Once again Jesus is deeply moved. He shuddered. He shook. Christ is angry at the consequences of sin. “Take the stone away.”

We were created to rule. Man was created to represent God over Creation, but when man fell he lost that total authority. He lost a lot when he fell. He still longs to rule and control and dominate but he no longer has that initial power of God.

When man fell he fell a long way – much further than many are willing to acknowledge.

That is why this world is in such a mess. Know why. And that is what Jesus Christ came to deal with – Acts Chapter 10 and verse 38 – God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with power and he went around healing people, and clearing up and cleaning up some of the mess.

"Bible verse and quote" from Jan Couns

Bible and Quote - February 10-14