In our series ‘The Miraculous & The Mundane’, we looked at the last of John’s seven sighs, miracles which Jesus did during His lifetime. (John 11:1-44) This sign is obviously the most spectacular, since to have the power to bring Lazarus back to life after four days in the tomb demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt the truth of Jesus’s statement, ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life.’ (John 11:25) Yet despite the very visible and popular nature of this miracle (which led to many people coming to believe in Jesus), we see also much that is confusing in this narrative.
This was not the only time Jesus raised someone from the dead (see Luke 8:49-56, Luke 11:7-12), nor the only example of this in the Bible (see 1 Kings 17:17-24, 2 Kings 4:18-37, 2 Kings 13:20-21, Acts 9:36-42, Acts 20:7-12). But we see clearly here the bewilderment of Jesus’s disciples, the pain and grief of Martha and Mary, and the confusion that arose because of Jesus’s delay in responding to the initial call for help. This reminds us that delay and confusion can be as much a part of the miraculous as anything else. Jesus clearly knew from the start what He was going to do and how this would bring glory to God, but still there was grief and anguish to endure.
We see in Jesus’s weeping at the tomb His total empathy with those who suffer and are reminded that He is indeed isaiah’s suffering servant (see Is 53:3) who never leaves us or forsakes us, even when we do not understand His timing or ways. His ultimate victory over death (echoed in 1 Cor 15:54-57) comes to show who us He is and what He can do, but this miracle still requires human help (to take off the grave clothes) and faith. We have a hope beyond the grave, for Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. There is nothing too difficult for Him, so we can call on Him today for deliverance and help, and He will surely come. Though we may have to wait for His arrival, He will not leave us; He will not forsake us. (Heb 13:5) Habakkuk spoke of a revelation of God and said, ‘Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.’ (Hab 2:3) Miracles may seem to linger and be delayed, just as Jesus waited another two days before setting off to Lazarus, but we can be sure that the Resurrection and the Life will come at the right time, and that when He arrives, we will be changed beyond the shadow of a doubt.
