Passage: [John 11:1-44]
I. Christ has Power over our Sufferings [John 11:1-4]
Christ has power over everything; even death. Christ is all-powerful and He can do everything that He pleases in accordance to His perfect will and nature.
We might be saddened over illnesses and death of loved ones just as Mary and Martha were anguished over Lazarus’ illness (John 11:1) and death (John 11:14). But, we should be reminded of the awesome reality that we could take comforting refuge in the perfect power of Christ over every kind of suffering and even death, knowing that, the all-powerful conquering death of Christ caused the death of death.
There are so many things which are beyond our control; just like the unknown and the unforeseeable future but Jesus Christ has complete control over it. He has perfect rule and absolute governance over every atom, molecules, stars, sky, moon, sun, all heavenly bodies, events in history, and over every little details of our lives. Therefore, we could solemnly trust in His perfect sovereignty. We can be at rest knowing that He is our Rest and He is powerful enough to give us rest and everything we rightfully need.
When we come to think of it, we are just the ones who are radically powerless. But praise be to God that Jesus Christ has immense power over all our sufferings. (John 11:4) Let us give every burden to Jesus Christ knowing that we are not alone. One word of the Lord Jesus Christ is sufficient to make us alive in whatever circumstances that harm and kill us just as when He commanded “Lazarus come forth”, and then, Lazarus was resurrected by the resurrecting power of the Resurrection and the Life. (John 11:25)
May we, by the amazing grace of God, increase our trust and dependence to our Lord Jesus Christ knowing that He has power over our sufferings.
II. The Power of Christ is Sovereign [John 11:5-16]
The sovereignty of God means that He has the perfect power to do whatever that pleases Him. Fortunately, Jesus exercises His overruling power in behalf of the whom He loves just as He loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. (John 11:5)
There are times in our lives that we might question God’s working in our lives because we think that God should act in our preconceived timelines but God’s ways are unfathomable. Who would have thought that He would stay two days longer in the place where He was instead of going immediately to the family of Lazarus? (John 11:6) We must always instill in our minds that His perfect will is over ours and His will always happen in His perfect timing not ours.
After two days, Jesus went to Lazarus in Judea (John 11:7) despite the opposing Jews who would stone Him. (John 11:8) What a magnificent, marvelous, and matchless love of Christ! Jesus Christ would always go an “extra mile” to show His love for you and me just as He did to Lazarus.
Jesus did this miracle of resurrection for our sake so that we may believe (John 11:15) that He is truly the Resurrection and the Life. (John 11:25) What an amazing love!
In verse 16, we see the pessimistic brutish heroism of Thomas. He would go with Christ to die with Christ. The succeeding verses say that there’s no harm that fell upon Christ and His disciples. So, assessment of Thomas of the circumstance is unwarranted and untrue. Praise God that our minds are so small and too limited to know the will of God in our lives. That is why, we are always amazed by the fatherly loving hand of Providence working in our lives. Nevertheless, may we be like Thomas who is willing to die with Christ and may we say with the apostle Paul that “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21) and “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20).
III. The Power of Christ is Saving and God-glorifying [John 11:17-44]
Praise be to God that we can never save ourselves with our sin-stained hands. Only the unblemished, unstained, and nail-pierced hands on the cross of Calvary can save me from the eternal punishment of my sins.
Despite the fact that Christ extended His stay before going to Judea (John 11:6), He is never late. There might be times in our lives that do not make sense to us but take heart and good courage that Christ is always on time to show His perfect love for you just as He arrived after 4 days in the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:17).
Jesus is sympathetic to our sorrow just as His loving and merciful heart was troubled when He saw the weeping of the family of Lazarus and other Jews (John 11:33). Our loving Savior was deeply moved to the point He turned the mess of sin to a miraculous message of resurrection. (John 11:43-44) It is very comforting to know that Christ is hurt by the things that hurt us.
This is just one of the many miracles recorded in the gospels. Jesus Christ did all these miracles so that we might believe that He is indeed the Son of God and that by believing we have everlasting life and happiness in His precious name. (John 11:42)
It is my prayer that our faith in Christ would increase all the more so that we would all see the glory of God in a much deeper sense. (John 11:40) May our sufferings not go to waste but may it rather be used by God for His glory and the good of others. Just as the circumstance of Lazarus was used by our Lord Jesus Christ to strengthen the faith of His disciples and other people, and most especially, the faith of Thomas.
And as we meditate upon this miracle in the gospel of John, may we be filled with thanksgiving like Jesus Christ (John 11:41). There are countless ordinary blessings we experience from God every day. May we never resort to a spirit of thanklessness but may we “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thess. 5:16-18)
APPLICATIONS:
A. Take heart. Christ has power over your sufferings.
B. Whatever the difficulty you are in, always trust the sovereign power of Christ in your life.
REFLECTION QUESTION:
How would you answer Christ in John 11:25 – 26?
“ 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?”
REFECTION ANSWER:
“Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” (John 11:27)
By grace alone 