THEME: IF YOU BELIEVE, YOU WILL SEE THE GLORY OF GOD.
Bible Text: John 11:40
Date: May 18 2024
TEXT: JOHN 11:40 “Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
INTRODUCTION
Jesus had been told about the death of Lazarus. For one reason or the other, he couldn’t go there while he was still alive. He arrived after his death and burial. When the people saw him, they cried more because they believed if he had been there earlier, the man would have been healed before death.
Jesus told them that the man was not dead, he was only sleeping. They took him to the tomb and he asked that the stone be rolled away. Martha said he would be smelling by now but Jesus told her, “did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” The stone was rolled away, Jesus called unto Lazarus and the dead became a living soul again.
EXPOSITION
The raising of Lazarus was an eye-opener for the people during Jesus’ time. What they didn’t know was possible, was made possible in front of their eyes. Today’s text gives us, present day disciples of Christ, immense hope about what Jesus can do in a lifeless situation.
Sometimes, when we pray and we do not get answers to our prayers, we think it’s because God does not love us, or because we’re not his favourite, or our sin is so big that he chose not to listen to us. But that is far from the truth. It is most often our unbelief that stops the working of the miracle. “Can God really do this?” We wonder. We forget who God is. How mighty he is. We limit him. Put him in a box. We forget he is unlimited. That he is no human.
Then, in our own understanding, we start looking for alternatives, forgetting that the basis of being a child of God is faith. But if we remove the stone of unbelief, Jesus will bring life to a lifeless situation. God is our father, he loves us and he wants us to live in peace and good health.
In this era of fake prophets and fake miracles, in a world of broken promises, it is hard to believe and trust, especially when you have experienced a broken promise in your life. It might be hard to
believe in healing. But whatever you have been through in the hands of men, you must never forget what Luke 1:37 says: “For with God, nothing shall be impossible.”
It could be hard to believe sometimes when we are experiencing and going through tough times. Have you ever had moments of doubt, wondering if everything you ever believed and your faith in Jesus is actually true? “Believe,” Jesus says, “and you will see the glory of God.” We all have doubts – like Martha.
When Jesus asked the stone to be moved away from Lazarus’ tomb, she hesitated. Wouldn’t you have hesitated too? There may have been doubts about whether Jesus could do the impossible.
They rolled away the stone, and with one command, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead: ‘“Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out. Martha saw God’s glory right there – she saw Jesus raise her brother from the dead! She believed and saw the glory of God.
This miracle that Jesus performed was recorded to help us believe the promises of God. Like Martha, you and I have witnessed Jesus’ power, through His Word. Like Martha, we have heard His promises, and today Jesus invites us to believe, and as we do, He promises us that we too will see the glory of God. His resurrection power will bring life to your dead situations and give you victory!
Yes, we will all have days like Martha had; days of grief, fear, confusion and
sadness as long as we live on this earth. But His resurrection power is true and all of Jesus’ promises are true.
CONCLUSION
When Jesus arrived, Martha lamented that if Jesus had been there, her brother would not have died. And then she made an interesting statement: “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
Underneath her grief, she had faith. We too experience troubles in our lives; life can be very difficult, and sometimes we feel grief and sadness, like Martha. But underneath our dejection, do we still have faith in Jesus Christ and all of His promises?
Whenever we need help, we should lift our eyes to heaven and hold firmly unto the words of Jesus in Matthew 21:22 “if your believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” and we should not forget what Luke 1:37 says: “For with God, nothing shall be impossible.”
This should be our disposition when we are suffering from any infirmity. That God wants us to be better. All we have to do is have faith in him. And we will be made well.
May God grant to all of us faith that looks to Jesus for comfort and strength in difficult times. If there are stones of unbelief that prevent God from working in our situation, let us roll them away
so we can see God’s glory revealed.
Let us live each day in the power of Christ’s resurrection and it shall be well with us.
