We Have a Friend.
Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died" (John 11:21). Martha implied that Jesus had betrayed the family by not coming immediately when he heard that Lazarus was sick. Now it was too late.
Martha could not have known that Jesus permitted Lazarus to die in order to dramatically prove God's power to raise the dead. But this account illustrates three truths that can help us when death strikes close to home.
(1) Death is inevitable, even for the friends of Jesus.
Being a companion of Christ doesn't exempt us from dying. There is "a time to be born and a time to die" (Ecclesiastes 3:2). That includes Christians. We know this intellectually, but when a loved one dies, our emotions confuse us. Like Martha we complain, "Lord, if you had been here this wouldn't have happened!"
I once tried to comfort a teenager who was crushed at the death of her elderly grandmother. "It's just not fair!" she kept sobbing.
She was right in a sense. Death is not fair. It was not God's intended will for humanity. It is the last enemy to be defeated.
But that granddaughter didn't yet understand that death comes to all, even those who are friends of Jesus. No one is exempt from Satan's most effective weapon. "Man is destined to die" (Hebrews 9:27).
(2) Grief is natural, even for the friends of Jesus.
When I was a college student, the preacher of the church I attended lost his father. His father was over eighty years old and had been a good Christian man. The minister sobbed almost uncontrollably at his dad's funeral. I was a little disappointed. After all, he was promised eternal life. Where was the preacher's faith? I wondered.
Today I'm much more understanding. It's not that we don't believe in life after death, it's that separation hurts so much.
Since I have been the minister of the Christian Church in Lindsay, my dad, mother and big brother have all died. I do understand the hurt of separation.
Even Jesus wept outside Lazarus' tomb. Tears do not usually show lack of faith in God they often do indicate genuine love for the one who has died.
(3) Hope is available, but only to the friends of Jesus.
I once met with a thirty-two year-old Christian mother who was dying of cancer. The doctors had informed her that week that there was nothing more they could do. Barring a miracle she would die within weeks.
What should I have said to her? "Have faith. You'll get better. Everything is going to be all right"? That's not very realistic and probably not very helpful.
Sometimes this life is full of misery. But Jesus brought his friend Lazarus back from the grave. That gives us a true, firm reason for confidence. Therefore, I could say to that dying mother, "I'm sorry you're going through this. But let's remember that our friend Jesus is here. Let's ask him to heal you. But even if he doesn't, keep trusting him because he promised, 'He who believes in me will live even though he dies.' One hundred years from now, we'll all understand and rejoice in Heaven together."
David said, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me" (Psalm 23:4). Martha saw exactly what that assurance meant. So will we, one day .
Consider
1. If Jesus had been visibly present after a friend or loved one had died, what would you have said to him?
2. What are some ways non-Christians accept, rationalize, or deal with the reality of death? How would you respond to them?
3· What is your greatest fear about death? What answer can Jesus give to your fear?
Pastor Paul Leavens