This morning I read this sentence from J. I. Packer: “It has become conventional to think as if we are all going to live in this world forever and to view every case of bereavement as a reason for doubting the goodness of God.”
And then I read this sentence from Jesus (John 11:14-15): “Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.”
It is very tempting to import our 20th century American viewpoint about death into Jesus’ sentence and indignantly think, “What? How dare He do that…!” (From the responses of the disciples, it seems they weren’t too far from having those thoughts.)
Why was Jesus glad He wasn’t there when Lazarus died? He was glad not for Lazarus death itself, but for the opportunity to teach the disciples some important lessons about death. So in His response to Lazarus’ death, Jesus reveals six things about the nature of death:
- Death is an extension of the love of Christ (vv. 1-3). Jesus did not allow Lazarus to die because He didn’t care for Lazarus. On the contrary, the text is clear (vv. 3, 5), that Jesus loved Lazarus and both his sisters. What Jesus did, then, was from the overflow of that love for them. Beware of saying, “If God loved me, he would…” If God loves you, He will do what He wills in your life, and whatever He wills is best.
- Death is (given) for the glory of God and the Son (vv. 4-5). Jesus not only did what was best for the family of Lazarus, but He did what was best to reveal the glory of God. There is a glory about God that is revealed in death, and sometimes His glory is best seen in death (e.g., Jn. 21:19).
- Death is purposefully intended by Christ (vv. 6-10). Christ could have prevented the death of His friend. He had previously healed others from a distance. Spatial limitations were no limitation to Him. No Jesus was intentional in waiting (v. 6) before departing for Bethany. His delay means that He meant for Lazarus to die. There is no death that is accidental. The Lord and the Lord alone numbers our days, which means that both our first day and our last day on earth are determined by Him.
- Death on earth is not final (vv. 11-14). “Sleep” is a common biblical metaphor for death (cf. also 1 Kings 2:10 [one of many similar OT references]; Acts 7:60; 1 Cor. 15:20; 1 Thess. 4:13). It is a reminder to the follower of God that what we view as final is actually only a beginning. When the sleeper awakes, he is awakened to an unending glory and fellowship with God.
- Death is for the stimulation of our faith (v. 15). Death is used by Christ to make us believe in Him and not in the permanence of life. How disappointing it would be to have this life only; death is a reminder that something better awaits the believer. And death is a stimulant to believe in Christ.
- Death is to equip us to follow Christ boldly (v. 16). For Jesus and the disciples to go back to Judea was to invite opposition and persecution and potentially death (cf. v. 8). Thomas believed that he was going to his death (v. 16), but he was so convinced that what Jesus had just told them was true, that he was willing to go. He wanted to go, even though he believed he would die with Jesus. When we really believe the truth of what death is and what it does, it removes fear, and produces boldness in our living.
Is death reason to doubt God? No. It is through death that we see some of God’s greatest glories. Death is time to delight in and trust God.
Words of Grace 