Jesus Raises Lazarus: Endless Compassion, Mighty Power
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
—Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV
The Lord is high and mighty, yet intimately involved in the lives of his people.
His power moves mountains, shuts the mouths of lions, and conquers giants—and yet his soft and gentle presence can soothe even the achiest of souls.
He is magnificently powerful. He is miraculously kind.
Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly… Psalm 138:6
Let’s explore the story of Lazarus, which exhibits these qualities oh-so-well.
(This story intertwines with my own story, as I’ve come to know Jesus as my personal healer—a note on that at the bottom.)
This account of Jesus is honestly so special. If you have a few minutes, go soak it all in here, but if you’re short on time, I’ll toss you a quick summary:
Jesus was friends with a group of siblings: Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. He loved them all so much!
Lazarus grew quite sick, and Jesus assured those around him that his sickness wouldn’t end in death… but was intended to display God’s glory.*
Fast forward a little while… and guess who dies? Lazarus.
Faithfully, Martha and Mary approach Jesus and both proclaim that they believe if Jesus had been there, their brother would still be living.
Jesus sees people in mourning, including Martha and Mary, and he is “deeply moved” in Spirit. He weeps with them.
Jesus approaches the tomb of Lazarus and is once again “deeply moved”.
Then… drumroll, please! Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead!
In John 11:1-43, we observe two incredible aspects of who Jesus is:
We see him execute grave-shaking power as he raises somebody from death to life.
We see him exhibit heart-melting compassion as he encounters those in the midst of grief.
God has power to change our circumstances, and yet he beautifully, meekly, meets us right where we are… with tender care and compassionate love.
In our day-to-day struggles, may we be encouraged to remember how Jesus was compassionate with Mary’s hurt in this story, even with an impending miracle on the way.
Jesus fully knew his intentions to raise her brother from the dead, and yet when he saw her weeping, his heart was “deeply moved”.
If you are undergoing hardship right now, do you know that Jesus cares about your pain? Because he really does.
If nobody has ever said it to you before, I’ll say it now: experiencing pain doesn’t make you a bad Christian.Feeling pain doesn’t need to mean you’re lacking in faith. Often, it simply means you’re human. And when you’re in a pit of grief, Jesus is not berating you for a lack of faith; he’s weeping with you.
In the account above, Jesus did speak the truth about how God would be glorified in the hardship of Lazarus. He acted in incredible power. And when he saw his people hurt, his heart was moved for them. He is powerful; he is compassionate.
Additionally, keeping this reality at the forefront of our hearts and minds can be so fun: Jesus is an observable example to us of who God is.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form… Colossians 2:9
Let’s never forget that God and Jesus (and the Spirit) are one. Just as we saw the compassion of Jesus play out in the story of Lazarus, so God is. God is kind. God is compassionate!
I could probably quote this verse every single month, but here it goes again:
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalm 103:8
Look to Jesus in hard times, and let his love lift your head. Sadness doesn’t need to be equated with shame. You are loved in your heartache.
But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. Psalm 3:3
Finally, I hope you remember that he is here to be with you. He is ever-present and full of love. He weeps with us.(And at the same time, he holds the power to change everything in accordance with his perfect will.)
You can trust his heart for you, wherever you’re at.
Love to you!
Annalisa
For more: Psalm 46:1, Psalm 34:5, Romans 12:15
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*A note about John 11:3-4: Can I be totally transparent here? I have been writing about this story all month… but I somehow missed that it contained a verse that is incredibly dear to me:
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.”
John 11:3-4 NIV
I shared my faith story a few days ago. (You can read it here!) And this was the very verse I stumbled across just hours before Jesus healed me, in a huge way, from depression. I was mentally and emotionally sick and this truth—that he is the one who redeems illness for the glory of God—sunk deep into my soul and encouraged me. And that redemption is exactly what he continued in my life. You can read the full redemption story below. Praise him!
