Continued from last week, Jesus delayed His going to be with Lazarus who was sick unto death.  This must have been painful for the sisters.

In vs 17 of John 11, we are told Jesus finally arrives and  ^“On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.”

Jesus had told His disciples that he was happy that He was not there when Lazarus died in vs 14; when He gets to Bethany though, Martha and Mary both tell him separately that if He had been there, Lazarus would not have died, verses 21 and 32.  ²¹ “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

Thank goodness for the faith of these sisters who believed Jesus; Mary says in vs ²⁷ “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

When Jesus got to where Lazarus was buried, there were critics who said, in vs ³⁷ But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”; when He they say Him weeping that Lazarus had died.  In your tough times, people will wonder where your God is?

Like the title of this message is, expect it to get worse, before it gets better.  Lazarus had been sick, then sick unto death, then he died and after he was buried and yet word was sent to Jesus and He was not around all through out this time.  Jesus delayed His coming and did not come back until Lazarus had been buried for four days. Why?  Because He said in vs ¹⁴ So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵ and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 

Jesus finally gets to the tomb where Lazarus’s dead body is and He says to them to take away the stone; the first person who says raises an objection is Martha, the sister. In vs ⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

Long story short, in vs ⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.   Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

Glory!

Expect it to get worse before it gets much better my brethren.  This story shows us that God hears us when we call and He will show up at the time where His glory will not be shared by anyone else.  Let faith raise in your heart when you are going through a tough or very hard time.  The story also helps to see that in the midst of our hard times, the enemy will try and whisper negativity into your ears.  No matter how bad it is don’t give up, God is faithful and the miracle worker.  

God says He will not share His glory with anyone else; no matter what you are going through right now, you have a history with God and God has the final say in your life, not man or the enemy.  How are you going to defeat the enemy in your life?  I want you to look back at what God has done for you.  You serve a Great God.  With every obstacle that comes your way, you will raise higher and accomplish your destiny in Jesus name.  God likes to show off in your life, I mean, Jesus could have arrived before Lazarus died but he delayed His going to Lazarus and when He got there, his friend had died and been buried for four days.  And yet, He did the impossible, He raised the dead, Lazarus.  

God is able.

PRAYER POINTS – Lord I thank you that you always hear me when I call on you; Lord move every stone of set back, every stone of closed doors, every stone of death, every stone of sickness, every stone of non achievement from my life in the name of Jesus; In my life Lord, I want to see your glory in Jesus name, amen.