John 11:1–16 - 1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” 4 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 “But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 This He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep.” 12 The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. 14 So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.” 16 Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”
What does today’s passage say?
In today's passage, a message arrived for Jesus about His close friend Lazarus being very ill. Rather than rushing to help, Jesus stayed where He was for two more days, explaining that this sickness would showcase God's glory and His Son's power (vv. 1-6). Later, Jesus told His disciples they needed to go back to Judea. The disciples protested since people there had recently tried to stone Jesus to death. Jesus explained that those who walk in God's light would not stumble (vv. 7-10). Then Jesus told them Lazarus had died, but this would lead to something that would build their faith. Though the disciples feared returning to Judea, Thomas spoke up and said they should all go with Jesus, even if it meant dying with Him (vv. 11-16).
How can I apply John 11:1-16 to my life?
When life takes unexpected turns, our first response often centers on getting quick solutions. We want God to fix our problems right away - to heal the sick person, solve the financial crisis, or repair the broken relationship immediately. The story of Lazarus shows us how Jesus sometimes works differently than we expect. His timing does not match our schedules. His methods do not fit our plans. His paths often lead straight through situations we would rather avoid. The disciples found themselves struggling with these same issues. They watched Jesus delay going to His dying friend Lazarus. Then they heard Him announce a return trip to Judea where people had just tried to kill Him. Nothing about Jesus' choices made sense to their human understanding. This passage speaks right to our daily battles between faith and fear, between trusting God's timing and pushing our own agenda, between following Jesus and playing it safe. Jesus uses these moments of confusion and fear to build deeper trust in Him. He proves His perfect wisdom through circumstances that stretch our faith to new levels. Here are some basic principles from this passage that we should apply to our lives:
1. Trust in Jesus' Timing Even When It Is Hard to Understand (vv. 1-6): Jesus received news about His dear friend Lazarus being sick, yet He stayed where He was for two more days. Life is full of urgent problems that demand quick solutions. We pack our schedules, rush our decisions, and race against time. But God operates on a completely different timetable. His ways can puzzle us - especially when He seems to take His time during our emergencies. That sick family member, the financial crisis, the broken relationship - we want God to fix it now. Sometimes He does. Yet often, just like with Lazarus, God lets the situation get worse before He steps in. This feels backward to us. Our minds tell us that faster is better, that waiting means things will only get harder. Following God's timing forces us to loosen our grip on control. It stretches our faith until it hurts. In the middle of God's delays, doubts creep in. We question whether He cares or if He even hears our prayers. These moments of waiting expose what we really believe about God's character. Do we trust that He knows exactly what He is doing? Faith grows strongest in the soil of delayed answers. When circumstances press us to panic, God calls us to stay steady and keep believing. He sees around corners we cannot see around. His timing makes room for miracles that quick fixes would prevent. Our patient trust through delays speaks volumes to people watching our response. Hard as it is, waiting on God's timing transforms us in ways that instant answers never could (Psalm 27:14; Isaiah 55:8-9; Romans 8:28; 2 Peter 3:8-9).
Food for Thought: What situation in your life right now requires you to trust God's timing instead of demanding immediate answers? How has God used seasons of waiting in your past to build your faith and reveal His power?
2. Follow Jesus Even When Others Doubt (vv. 7-10): Jesus decided to return to Judea despite His disciples' fears about the threats that awaited them there. Following Jesus does not promise a trouble-free path. His call often leads straight into places and situations we would rather avoid. When God points to a direction that looks dangerous or unwise, people around us start raising red flags. Well-meaning friends and family members list all the reasons we should play it safe. Their arguments make sense from a human viewpoint - protect yourself, avoid conflict, stay comfortable. Yet Jesus calls His followers to walk by faith rather than fear. Walking in God's light means taking steps that the world sees as foolish or risky. Perhaps God is leading you to share your faith with a hostile coworker, make a career change that others call crazy, or forgive someone who deeply hurt you. The pressure to back down intensifies when respected people question your choices. In these moments, we must decide whose voice matters most. Jesus knows exactly what lies ahead on the path He chooses for us. He sees every obstacle and understands every risk better than we do. Our job is not to figure everything out first but to follow Him one step at a time. When we walk in obedience to His leading, we move in the light of His presence and purpose. The opinions and doubts of others, however reasonable they sound, cannot override God's clear direction. True discipleship means following Jesus even when the path He chooses makes no sense to anyone else (Proverbs 3:5-6; Matthew 16:24-25; John 10:27).
Food for Thought: What step of obedience is God asking you to take that others might not understand or support? How does knowing that Jesus sees the whole picture help you move forward despite the doubts of others?
3. Choose Faith Over Fear When Following Jesus (vv. 11-16): Thomas and the other disciples faced their fears about death as they prepared to follow Jesus to Bethany. Fear blocks our path forward in strange and powerful ways. It starts as a tiny seed of doubt, then grows into a thick wall between us and obedience to God. Some days we battle simple fears - speaking about Jesus at work or standing up for what is right. Then there are the massive fears that shake us to our core - losing someone we love, facing serious illness, or stepping into the unknown. The disciples stood exactly where many of us stand today. Death threats hung over Jesus. Following Him meant walking straight toward danger. Every rational thought screamed at them to turn back. Yet Jesus kept moving forward, and He expected them to follow. God's call often leads us into situations that trigger our deepest fears. Maybe He wants us to start a new ministry when we feel completely unqualified. Perhaps He pushes us to share our faith with that neighbor who always seems angry. Sometimes He asks us to trust Him with our children's futures when everything looks uncertain. Our fears feel completely justified. We create long lists of reasons why playing it safe makes more sense. But faith takes a different road entirely. It looks fear in the face and chooses to trust God anyway. When we step forward in faith, we discover something amazing - Jesus proves completely trustworthy. Each faith step builds our confidence in His character. Others watch us walk through scary situations and see God's power at work. Best of all, we learn that Jesus never abandons us on the journey. He walks beside us through every dark valley and proves that choosing faith over fear leads to life-changing growth (Joshua 1:9; Psalms 56:3-4; 2 Timothy 1:7).
Food for Thought: What specific fears hold you back from fully following Jesus right now? How has God shown His faithfulness to you in past situations where you chose faith over fear?
The disciples learned life-changing lessons through their struggles with Jesus' unexpected ways. Not theoretical lessons from a book - but hard-earned wisdom through battles with doubt, confusion, and raw fear. These same battles show up in our lives today. We hit walls in our prayers when God's timing moves slower than a snail. We feel the sting of raised eyebrows when His path makes no sense to anyone else. Our hearts pound when He points us toward situations that terrify us. Yet something amazing happens when we stay faithful through these tests. Our trust grows deeper roots during those long waiting periods. We discover unexpected strength to keep following Jesus even when respected voices tell us to turn back. Our faith muscles grow stronger each time we face down fear with simple trust in Him. The disciples' story is our story too. They watched Jesus turn their confusion into clarity, their doubts into determination, and their fears into stepping stones of faith. Nothing about following Jesus comes easily - but everything about following Him leads to growth we never thought possible. Through delayed answers, opposition, and scary situations, God shapes us into people who trust Him more completely. That kind of transformation changes not only us but also impacts every person watching our journey of faith.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
I pray that You would give me strength to trust Your timing even when nothing makes sense to me. So often I rush ahead, trying to force solutions on my own schedule. Help me to see that Your delays have purpose, just as Jesus had a greater plan when He waited to go to Lazarus. I pray that You would build in me the patience to wait for Your perfect timing.
I pray that You would give me courage to follow where You lead, even when others question my choices. Like the disciples facing opposition in Judea, I often feel pressure to take the safe path instead of the faithful one. Help me to focus on Your voice above all others and to move forward in obedience to Your leading.
I pray that You would help me push through my fears with active faith. The disciples had to face their fears about death to follow Jesus. I have my own fears that try to hold me back from full obedience to You. Show me how to take those faith steps even when my heart pounds with uncertainty. Help me to keep my eyes fixed on Your faithfulness instead of my fears.
Lord, use every delayed answer, every moment of opposition, and every fearful situation to transform me into someone who trusts You more deeply. Thank You that You never waste our struggles but use them to build stronger faith. Thank You that You walk beside us through every challenge, proving Your perfect wisdom and love.
I pray these things in the most precious name of Jesus, Amen.
John 11:4 - But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”
With His Blessings,
Pastor Corby
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