God's Timing
Has God’s timing ever bothered you? Have you ever prayed and didn’t get an answer in what you thought was a timely manner? Have you ever felt that God was late? An incident in the ministry of Jesus puts God’s timing into perspective.
As John tells the story, “Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, ‘Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick’” (Jn. 11:1-3). There is no request or plea, yet the message implies a belief that Jesus could and would heal him.
Instead of immediately rushing to the scene, “When He (Jesus) heard that he (Lazarus) was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again’” (Jn. 11:6-7). Jesus deliberately waited for two days before He went to see Mary and Martha!
When Jesus finally arrived on the scene, He was greeted by Martha who said to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You” (Jn. 11:21-22). Later, when He met Mary she said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (Jn. 11:32). Both sisters said the exact same thing. They were not rebuking the Lord; they were simply expressing regret, but they certainly must have felt that His timing was tardy.
Why did not Jesus come sooner? John records the reaction of Jesus when He first heard the news. Jesus said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified in it” (Jn. 11:4). John adds, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (Jn. 11:5). First, Jesus said the sickness was not unto death, that is, it was not to have death as its final result. Rather, it was for the glory of God, meaning the Son of God might be manifested by it. By raising him from the dead, Jesus would demonstrate His deity. Second, Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters; therefore, He waited. The Greek word used for “love” here is different from the one used in verse 3. The one in verse 3 denotes passionate, emotional warmth. It is the affection of lovers, parents, etc. The Greek word for love used in verse 5 is a choice to do what is best for the person loved. The sisters used the more emotional word; John uses the loftier and yet less impulsive word. Jesus waited for the glory of God and the good of Mary and Martha. Waiting was good for them because in the end there faith was strength by what happened.
In other words, God’s timing is perfect to accomplish His purpose (Plummer; Morris). In this case, His purpose was to glorify His Son and to cause them to grow (cf. Jn. 11:4, 15). Had He immediately rushed to Lazarus’ bedside and healed him, he would not have died and Jesus would not have been able to manifest Himself in the greater miracle of resurrecting Lazarus from the dead.
© G. Michael Cocoris, 9/30/2009
As John tells the story, “Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, ‘Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick’” (Jn. 11:1-3). There is no request or plea, yet the message implies a belief that Jesus could and would heal him.
Instead of immediately rushing to the scene, “When He (Jesus) heard that he (Lazarus) was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again’” (Jn. 11:6-7). Jesus deliberately waited for two days before He went to see Mary and Martha!
When Jesus finally arrived on the scene, He was greeted by Martha who said to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You” (Jn. 11:21-22). Later, when He met Mary she said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (Jn. 11:32). Both sisters said the exact same thing. They were not rebuking the Lord; they were simply expressing regret, but they certainly must have felt that His timing was tardy.
Why did not Jesus come sooner? John records the reaction of Jesus when He first heard the news. Jesus said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified in it” (Jn. 11:4). John adds, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (Jn. 11:5). First, Jesus said the sickness was not unto death, that is, it was not to have death as its final result. Rather, it was for the glory of God, meaning the Son of God might be manifested by it. By raising him from the dead, Jesus would demonstrate His deity. Second, Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters; therefore, He waited. The Greek word used for “love” here is different from the one used in verse 3. The one in verse 3 denotes passionate, emotional warmth. It is the affection of lovers, parents, etc. The Greek word for love used in verse 5 is a choice to do what is best for the person loved. The sisters used the more emotional word; John uses the loftier and yet less impulsive word. Jesus waited for the glory of God and the good of Mary and Martha. Waiting was good for them because in the end there faith was strength by what happened.
In other words, God’s timing is perfect to accomplish His purpose (Plummer; Morris). In this case, His purpose was to glorify His Son and to cause them to grow (cf. Jn. 11:4, 15). Had He immediately rushed to Lazarus’ bedside and healed him, he would not have died and Jesus would not have been able to manifest Himself in the greater miracle of resurrecting Lazarus from the dead.
© G. Michael Cocoris, 9/30/2009