One of the most common questions that come from skeptics of the Christian faith is “If God exists, why does human suffering and evil exist in the world?” This question is not only common among skeptics of the Christian faith but among Christians themselves. Why would a good God allow so much pain and suffering in the world?
This is a loaded question with many answers, and thankfully, God has provided us with clarity in the Scriptures as to why He would allow pain and suffering in the world. In this blog, we will unpack the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead in John 11 and how this account helps us understand why God allows suffering and evil in the world.
God’s Timing is Purposeful
In John 11, the apostle John records the story of Jesus miraculously raising a man named Lazarus from the dead. This man named Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha, both who were friends of Jesus. It is recorded in John 12 that the same Mary poured expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet and wiped His feet with her hair.
It is evident in the passage that Jesus was close to Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Early in John 11, both Martha and Mary come to Jesus to tell him that his friend Lazarus is sick (John 11:3). Jesus responds unexpectedly in John 11:5-6: “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.”
The response that would be expected from Jesus upon hearing that Lazarus was sick is immediate action to heal him. However, we see the exact opposite response. Instead of going quickly to visit Lazarus, Jesus decided to stay where He was for two more days. Why would Jesus not immediately go to heal Lazarus?
Verse 5 gives us insight into Jesus’ deep love for Martha and Mary, which rules out any temptation to believe that Jesus ignored the suffering of Lazarus because He simply did not care. His love for Martha, Mary, and Lazarus is clear throughout this chapter. So, Jesus must have had a good purpose in waiting to go visit Lazarus.
In verses 14-15, it is made clear that Jesus was waiting for the sickness to take Lazarus’ life. Furthermore, Jesus states in verse 15, “And for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” Jesus’ timing was purposeful. While Martha and Mary desired Jesus to come to heal Lazarus right away, Jesus had a timing that was even better and more purposeful.
Martha and Mary did exactly what most Christians do in response to pain or suffering. They asked their Lord for help. However, Jesus was not on their timetable and he is not on ours either. While Martha and Mary may have expected immediate action from Jesus, He had a more perfect timing that would provide a greater eternal impact.
It is made clear in John 11:15 that Jesus waited to go up to see Lazarus until he had died because He planned on raising Him from the dead, which would lead many to believe in Him as God’s Messiah. In seasons of our own suffering, it is imperative that we trust God’s timing in providing a resolution to the suffering because He has a far greater timetable that is purposed for His glory and the expansion of His Kingdom.
God Has Compassion For Human Suffering
In seasons in which people are facing suffering or loss, it is easy to conclude that God does not care. If he did care, he would do something about it. However, the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead in John 11 paints an entirely different picture and shows clearly the deep compassion that the Lord has for people experiencing pain or loss.
After Jesus was told that Lazarus was severely ill, he waited a few days before going to see him. In verse 32, we see that Mary approached Jesus upon his arrival. She was moved to tears and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
While this is not clearly stated, it is implied that Mary is expressing her frustration with Jesus’ late arrival. It sounds very similar to the complaints of many others who have experienced pain or loss, “God, if you would have done something, this would not have happened.”
Though Mary may have been frustrated, Jesus does not does not correct her. Instead, we see that Jesus is moved to do two things upon seeing Mary’s emotions. First, in verse 34, Jesus asks where they have laid the body of Lazarus. Jesus was moved to do something about the suffering that Mary and Martha were experiencing. Even though Jesus was not working on Mary’s and Martha’s timetable, he still desired to respond to their pleas on behalf of their brother Lazarus.
Second, in verse 35, we see Jesus moved to tears. In fact, the Scriptures record that “Jesus wept.” Jesus’ response to Mary’s pain was compassion, a compassion that was so deep that it moved him to tears. It is quite amazing that the Son of God would respond this way, and it tells us something about the character of our God.
Even though Jesus knew that He would soon bring Lazarus back to life, He was still compassionate for the suffering that Mary and Martha were enduring. This tells us that God Himself is not ignorant to human suffering, but rather cares deeply about our suffering. The tears of Jesus are evidence of God’s deep compassion amid human suffering.
God Receives Glory in Suffering
Many people ask, “Why does God even allow people to suffer?” While there are many reasons that we may not fully know, the account of Lazarus being raised from the dead in John 11 helps us understand why God may allow suffering to occur.
First, it is important to establish the fact that God is never the cause of suffering. James 1:13 teaches us that God cannot be tempted to do evil. God does not just act good, He is the standard of good and cannot commit evil. Therefore, suffering is a cause of the sin of mankind in a fallen world. God is not the cause of suffering, but in His sovereignty, He may allow suffering to occur.
Back in John 11:4, Jesus says something interesting in response to Mary’s and Martha’s message that Lazarus was sick. 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.” Right away, Jesus makes it clear that the sickness Lazarus was facing would be purposed to glorify the Son of God. This teaches us that God can use suffering in the world for a good purpose, just as He did with Lazarus’ sickness.
In John 11:42 and John 11:45, we see how Jesus was glorified in Lazarus’ suffering. Just before Jesus performs the miracle of raising Lazarus, He states in verse 42, “I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” Furthermore, in verse 45, after Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead the Scriptures state, “Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.”
It is made clear in both of these verses that God’s ultimate purpose in the death of Lazarus was to cause the people mourning Him to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. It was because of Lazarus’ death that Jesus received glory and that many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary came to believe in Him.
Conclusion
It is difficult to make sense of suffering, no matter how you spin it. However, the account of Lazarus being raised from the dead in John 11 helps us understand suffering in the world a bit more. This story reveals to us that God’s timing is purposeful in suffering, that God has great compassion for human suffering, and that God can use human suffering for His glory and the advancement of His kingdom.
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