Jesus Stories: So That - John 11

We often confuse and conflate God's goodness with what's expected and what's easy to process. Sometimes however, God's good plans involve subverting our expectations so that we might gain a stronger faith through in the end. The story of Lazarus is one that we all know so well, but had we been there and were observing it in real-time, can you imagine our emotions? Can you imagine what Lazarus was thinking as Jesus delayed, what his sisters were thinking, and everyone involved? Jesus had healed over 30 individual people in His ministry, not counting the multitudes healed as He passed through town after town. Had we been there, we'd wonder why Lazarus' story would go any different. In this message, we learn that sometimes our lives take an unexpected direction, and God isn't merely passive, but rather active in these twists and turns. Even in our let downs, God is working so that we might be lifted up to a higher place - so that we might learn and take hold of Resurrection Life. Even though we fall, or die, we will discover that there is something greater being brought to life within us. It turns out the hardships are a necessary conduit for our spiritual growth. Therefore, we can lean into the let downs that we face, and trust that God will lift us up and lead us into a richer and more real relationship with Him.