Two days Jesus waited. Now, this is the only time, when someone asked Jesus to come and heal a loved one, He waited. Even when Jarius, a religious leader, asked him to come heal his daughter, He immediately turned to accommodate.

But when His home away from home family, His friends He loved, call for Him he waited two days. He waited until his friend died before He journeyed to see Him. And then He made a puzzling statement, “I’m glad I wasn’t there to prevent it.”

I feel as if the Holy Spirit spoke to me this morning in this story and I’m trying to understand. This is what I feel like He said, “Sometimes the delay in your deliverance is because We are waiting on a death. Not a physical death but a death to self, a death to the importance you have put on your desire, a death to discontentment. We are waiting on the death so that we can bring a resurrection.”

We all know the end of this story. Jesus finally arrives. He resurrects Lazarus and give him back to his family. The news spreads and God is glorified. But allow me this morning to prophesy the end of your story:

You may think all hope is gone, but Jesus will come, speak a word and resurrect your situation. He will restore and redeem and give you back your desire. God will be glorified. But before the resurrection there must be a death.

“And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.””
‭‭John‬ ‭11:15‬ ‭NLT