Lararus is a unique story.

• There have been many shows, tv show episode names named after Lazarus like x-files, smallville.
• There have been 4 movies about Lazarus. In Interstellar they called it “The Lazarus Project” when they tried to find a suitable planet for the human race.

It’s unique because as far off as Hollywood and tv shows want to pull away from the Bible and God, they will still use the Bible and a source material. None of these shows are about Lazarus or Jesus but they have to get the foundation from somewhere!

It’s also unique because of what happened in the Bible story of Lazarus.

John 11:1-44

Mary and Martha were close with Jesus. Mary is the one who poured perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiped it with her hair. They were all close with Jesus. A walking talking friendship. This was a deep rooted friendship.

1 In the waiting 

In the waiting and in the quiet we can find God. We can hear from God. But also in the waiting we can have times of trouble, wonder, doubt, and maybe even anger. Mary, Martha and Lazarus probably felt this.

When you’re in the waiting will you choose to listen to:

• self doubt
• anger
• hurt
• wonder

God wants us to reset in the waiting. 

This is where He is talking. When we’re still. 

Palms 46:10 

Be still and know that I am God!

It’s easy when life is coming at us to get overwhelmed. That’s why God asked Martha, “do you believe I am God?”

He was resetting her. He was bringing her back to the main focus; which is Jesus.

What was the reason for waiting to bring Lazarus back? In Chapter 10 Jesus openly said He is the Son of God.

(Main scripture)

Micah 7:7

“But as for me, I will look expectantly for the Lord and with confidence in Him I will keep watch; I will wait [with confident expectation] for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.”

If you keep your confidence in Him and wait with confident expectation, God will hear you.

In the waiting comes the reasoning. 

2 The reasoning

There’s a reason why God wanted to wait 4 days. There’s a reason why He let Lazarus die.

Then Jesus wept (over Lazarus’ death)

This moment again shows us how close they all were. This shows the depth of the friendship.

“Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 

And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

The reasoning is so big here. Jesus could have healed Lazarus but then it would have  been like any other story.

Jesus could have been “on time” and prayed over him and walked with him. There’s a reason why he waited for 4 days.

It starts with showing people he’s the Son of God. He had to show them that He meant what He said.

But it’s also so much more deeper than showing people who doubted. It was the  belief. Believing was so crucial for this moment. Not just for the people around Mary and Martha, but also FOR Mary and Martha.

The shouting for Lazarus to come out is a proclamation and a declaration. 

Declaration definition: a formal or explicit statement or announcement. (authoritative public announcement) 

Jesus is using His authority in public telling Lazarus come out. To show he is the Son of God.

Proclamation: a public or official announcement, especially one dealing with a matter of great importance. (formal announcement sometimes personal and specific.) 

It’s a personal and specific statement because he’s talking directly to Lazarus, Jesus is his friend.

It’s starts with believing then the action of obeying 

If we don’t believe then how can we obey?

Habakkuk 2:3

“This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.”

God had Mary and Martha wait patiently and believe. Bringing back Lazarus wasn’t a delayed thing.

He was 4 days late but still on time.

It seemed slow for them, but God said it will take place and it did. It wasn’t delayed.

3 God is making a way

God is making a way even when you don’t see it.

God is making a way. What the enemy meant for evil= Lazarus’ death.

What the enemy meant for evil= Mary and Martha struggled with Lazarus’ death. That brought anger, sorrow and doubt.

But what did my God do?

God turned it for good.

He raised Lazarus from the grave. He made the promise. He kept his promise.

Lazarus woke up from a God encounter. He didn’t wake up from a diluted God moment. He didn’t wake up from his sisters or friends. He needed that God encounter. 

When you’re having your Lazarus moment you need a God encounter. You can’t find it or get it from anywhere or anyone else. 

It wasn’t Mary and Martha who healed Lazarus. When Lazarus is  having his “Lazarus moment” Mary and Martha aren’t the ones bringing him up. It isn’t himself bringing himself out.

It was Jesus. He needed that encounter.

For your Lazarus moment: are you gonna believe it’s Gods timing and he’s not late?

• Are you going to trust the waiting?
• Are you gonna trust the reasoning?
• Are you going to believe that God is making a way when our eyes see no way?

When we’re in the waiting, don’t understand the reasoning and if we don’t see that he is making away then we can get comfortable in our Lazarus tomb.

We can get comfortable in our Lazarus tomb. 

Mary and Martha could have been comfortable that Lazarus was dead. They could have been sad but ok that he passed and Jesus didn’t make it to heal Lazarus.

When we get uncomfortable, if we believe, if we know Jesus is working then that’s when the tomb is empty and we’re free.

Psalms 1:3: 

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.

When you’re planted in Jesus you won’t wither away. Lazarus didn’t wither away. He came out of the tomb.

Closing:

Will you believe?

• Will you believe in the waiting?
• Will you believe in the reasoning?
• Will you believe when God is making a way when you see no way?

Micah 7:7

“But as for me, I will look expectantly for the Lord and with confidence in Him I will keep watch; I will wait [with confident expectation] for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.”

Conclusion

What’s is the Holy spirit saying to you?