“Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”” John 11:1-7
Lazarus was not just a name to Jesus—he was “the one You love,” as Mary and Martha wrote in their message. They didn’t ask Jesus to hurry or heal, only informed Him. Their trust in His love was deep; they believed love would be enough to move Him.
But Jesus didn’t go right away. He stayed where He was for two more days. That seems confusing, even painful—but His delay wasn’t a sign of distance. In fact, John reminds us: “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” His delay was because He loved them and had something greater in mind—something that would show His glory in a way that healing alone could not.
When God doesn’t move on our schedule, it can feel like He’s absent. But John 11 teaches that delay is not denial. Love sometimes waits. And in that waiting, Jesus is always working toward a greater purpose—one we might not see yet.
Something to prayerfully consider: How do I respond when God’s timing feels like a delay in my life?
