Igenlode Wordsmith

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. … So the sisters sent to Jesus, saying, “Lord, he whom You love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it He said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God …. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. [Therefore,] when He heard that Lazarus was ill, He stayed two days longer in the place where He was. (John 11:1, 3-4a, 5-6)

The Greek word in verse 6 is usually translated “therefore”—as in, “Jesus loved this family. Therefore, when He heard that they needed Him, Jesus deliberately stayed away till it was too late.”

What! That’s a strange way to love someone, isn’t it? You hear that their brother needs you desperately; therefore, you stay just where you are. Most people would call that hate, not love.

Jesus knows how it’s going to look and sound. The family will not understand until the end that God is doing this on purpose, to glorify Jesus. They will be hurt. Who can Jesus trust to bear that pain? Who loves Jesus enough to trust Him, even when He comes late with no excuse?

Mary and Martha love Jesus that way. And their trust is justified when He raises their brother from the dead.

We love Jesus because He died and rose to save us. And yet, we too have times when it looks like God has come to us “too late” for what we wanted or needed. What then?

WE PRAY: Lord, make me someone who loves and trusts You, even when I don’t understand Your ways. Amen.

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. … And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise’?” (Matthew 21:12, 14-16)

It’s interesting that the one thing the religious leaders bring up to Jesus is the fact that the children are crying out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” They don’t mention the merchants He drove out of the temple courts; they don’t mention the healings, though they saw them. Apparently they feel on safe grounds complaining about the children—who are recognizing Jesus as the promised Messiah of David’s family.

Jesus refers the leaders to Psalm 8:2b, which continues this way: “… because of Your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.” According to Jesus, the praise of the children comes directly from God; the complaints come from God’s enemies.

And no surprise, for what the children are saying is “Hosanna”—which translates, “Save us!” Jesus has indeed come to save them and all of us as well. Through His death He will break the power of God’s enemies, including the devil; and through His resurrection He will give life to all God’s children who trust in Him.

WE PRAY: Thank You for saving me, Lord. Amen.

And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, He began to tell them what was to happen to Him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over … and they will condemn Him to death … And they will mock Him and spit on Him, and flog Him and kill Him. And after three days He will rise.” (Mark 10:32-34)

I’m not surprised to hear that Jesus’ followers were afraid. I would be, too, if Jesus told me all about His suffering and death—and not for the first time, either (see Mark 8:31, 9:31).

But the really weird bit is that Jesus seems to be in a hurry to get there! He is walking ahead of them. Who hurries to their own execution?

Jesus does, apparently. He says while preaching, “I have a Baptism to be baptized with, and how great is My distress until it is accomplished!” (Luke 12:50). And He says to Judas when he goes to betray Him, “What you are going to do, do quickly” (John 13:27b).

It’s a very human thing, to want to get suffering over and done with. And Jesus is human, just as we are. But the hurry is probably more than that—because Jesus is on a mission to save us all, the people He loves, from the power of evil. He knows His own death and resurrection will set us free and give us life. No wonder He’s in a hurry!

WE PRAY: Lord, thank You for loving me so much. Amen.