John 11:25. "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead yet shall he live:" LAZARUS IS DEAD. What are the reasons behind this death? He was going to bring Lazarus to life. There sometimes has to be darkness allowed before people will see the light. The night of grief and loss are needed in order for eyes to see. Tears sometimes wash worldly-focused eyes so clean, that we may learn from sin to flee.
vs.4, 40 The glory of God to many people is limited to His visible creation. But a greater glory is seen when there happens obvious resurrection. I have seen evidence of new life imparted in people who finally hear what God said. The light of understanding comes into one's eyes, and life-changes show they're raised from the dead.
v.15. Faith has to be developed; it involves much more than spoken words. Those who look on and see new life acknowledge this is of the Lord. A new creation in Christ Jesus certainly is hard to hide - The wholeness of new life is not just external; it really comes from inside.
v.26. Sometimes God works His will in ways beyond our comprehension - That He might elicit from His own people clear statements of their confession. We cannot tell others what happened to us without making a confession of faith. Others then can judge the reality of what I say by what has taken place.
v.45. The Gospel to may is hidden, they look on to see what is real. Many know they are lost in sin, but don't know where broken hearts are healed. When serious things happen to God's own children, they watch how we react to them. And when our testimony of faith in Christ is given, they know they can turn to Him.
v.47. There are the skeptics and atheistic unbelievers, who stubbornly refuse to believe Some works of God are unexplainable to them, but still Christ they won't receive. God allows them to unite in unbelief even though they refuse to trust. So God allows the darkness of their hearts to be seen through the light of faith in us.
v.53 The countdown to the cross began at a grave, but all the time God was in control. Sometimes God allows sickness and death to come, that the sin-sick ones can be made whole. If we have to hold a dying one's hand, or even follow that one to the grave - Let us remember that path to Calvary was necessary that we might believe and be saved.
"O Gracious God: it seems to me that sometimes the greatest lessons of faith are learned at an open grave. If my death were to bring life to others, Father God, I could count dying to be a privilege and a victory rather than just an inevitable end. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."