Read John 11:14–45
Lazarus Raised from the Dead
Verse 38a: "Jesus therefore again groaning in himself
cometh to the grave."
Verse 57: "Now both the chief priests and the
Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where
he were, he should shew it, that they might take him."
Jesus experienced sorrow on His way to performing the
miracle. In verse 38, Jesus is groaning within Himself because
of the lack of belief of the people. You would think that after
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, there would have been much
more belief and support for Jesus and His ministry. Not so! At
the end of the chapter, we see the Jewish leaders trying all the
harder to capture Jesus.
You will find the same sort of fan club as you begin to pray
and follow the voice of Jesus. Don’t be discouraged when
others don’t understand what you are doing! Even when your
prayers are answered for someone’s salvation, healing or
deliverance, you may find doubt and skepticism from those around
you. These are simply the sufferings we must go through with
Christ: "It is given in the behalf of Christ, not only
to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake"
(Phil. 1:29). Part of the benefit of being misunderstood by man
is that it will help us to see if we are praying and obeying to
please God or to look good in others’ eyes.
Jesus will provide others who can rejoice with you as He sees
you need it. He will also help you to rejoice when you face
opposition. Keep your eyes on Jesus and He will carry you
through in victory!
