“Then he said, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.’” (John 11:11 NLT)

Jesus left Judea because the Jewish religious leaders there were plotting to kill Him. He wasn’t afraid of death; He just knew that the time for it had not yet come. Then He got a message that prompted Him to return.

Lazarus, Mary, and Martha were siblings who lived in the Judean village of Bethany. All three were followers and friends of Jesus. When Lazarus got sick, Mary and Martha sent word to the Lord. That set the stage for one of Jesus’ most remarkable miracles: raising Lazarus from the dead.

There are three takeaways from the story that are as important today as they were 2,000 ago. First, the Lord’s timing is perfect. Jesus could have rushed to Bethany and saved Lazarus on his deathbed. But the impact wouldn’t have been nearly as great. So Jesus waited. And neither His disciples nor Mary and Martha could understand why.

The right thing to do—and the right time to do it—seemed obvious to them. But they couldn’t see the big picture. That’s why it’s important for us to pray for God to work in His way and in His time.

Second, Jesus empathizes with us. Hebrews 4:15 says Jesus “faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (NLT). He also experienced all the same emotions we do. He laughed. He celebrated. He got angry. And He cried. He knew better than anyone else how Lazarus’ story was going to end. But when He saw the people mourning, He joined them. He hurt because others hurt. That’s why He’s able to comfort us so effectively. He knows not only how we feel but also how our story will end. He knows when our tears will dry and what good will ultimately come from the situation. And He gives us the opportunity to show the same kind of empathy and love to other hurting people.

Third, nothing is beyond the Lord’s power. Martha and Mary each showed a strong faith in Jesus. Both said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died” (verses 21, 32 NLT). But in their words, they also limited the scope of what they believed Jesus could accomplish. Yes, He had the power to heal Lazarus’ sickness. And yes, He had the power to raise Lazarus in the next life. But it didn’t occur to them that He could still raise Lazarus in this life.

Lazarus’ walk out of the tomb opened a world of possibilities for everyone who trusts Jesus. If He can give life to a corpse after four days, He can change the most stubborn mind. He can soften the hardest heart. He can cure spiritual darkness. He can reconcile the most unlikely people. He can ease the most intense fears. He can heal the most distraught mourners. He can bring something good from the worst circumstances.

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