How Can This Be?
The Voice of the Martyrs is a mission organization, and they publish a monthly mission magazine. In the March issue they tell us a story of pastor Han Chung-Ryeol, who was a missionary to North Korea martyred for his faith last year. Pastor Han and his wife had ministered to North Koreans in the Chinese border town since 1993. He trained new believers and then encouraged them to return to North Korea. His ministry was very effective and fruitful. He led many North Koreans to Christ. On April 30, 2016 Pastor Han received a phone call from one of his core church members and left home alone. That evening he was found in his car, in a remote area near the border. He was martyred by North Korean assassins. And now his wife and two children are questioning, “God, How can this be?”
Today we explore the seventh sign, the most dramatic and climactic sign in the Gospel of John. The story begins in this way: “Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha” (1). It looks likes they were very close to Jesus. Verse 5 says, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” When Lazarus got seriously ill, the sisters sent word to Jesus, saying, “Lord, the one whom you love is ill.” They were anxiously waiting for Jesus. But when Jesus heard this, he stayed two more days where he was (6). In other words, Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters, so he stayed two more days. He waited until Lazarus was truly dead. Why? How can this be?
To Martha
In today’s passage three different group of people ask basically the same question: “How can this be?” And Jesus answers in three different ways. First of all, Martha says to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (21). Jesus answers, “Your brother will rise again.” She says, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” In Jesus’ time the Pharisees and many Jews believed resurrection. Martha was one of them. But Jesus wanted to stretch her faith. So he says, “Yes, I am the resurrection, but I am also the life.” Here Jesus is saying, “Yes, Lazarus will rise again on the last day, but he is going to be raised now. In fact, he is not dead. He has eternal life now.” That’s why he says in verse 25 and 26 like this: “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live (resurrection!), and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die (eternal life!).” Martha had abstract, vague belief in resurrection in the future, but she didn’t have real, sure faith in eternal life today. So Jesus is now saying to her, “Martha, I AM not only the God of tomorrow (resurrection), but also I AM the God of today (eternal life)! Do you believe this?” Martha says, “Yes, Lord! I believe you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” As we are going through the valleys of despair, depression, grief, hardships, and suffering, we doubt and ask, “Lord, how can this be?” Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. I am your hope for tomorrow, and your strength for today. Do you believe this?”
To Mary
This time Mary asks the same question in verse 32, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” This time Jesus does not explain. Instead, he does weep (35). He grieves with her family. In verse 33 John says, “Jesus was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.” Here the phrase “deeply moved” is from the Greek verb embrimaomai. This word is used to describe an outburst of anger or fury. So Jesus is outraged and troubled. Why is Jesus angry? Is he angry with Mary or Martha? Of course not! Jesus is angry with the sin and its consequences – sickness, death, and so much sorrow and grief. So now Jesus is outraged and troubled. Some of us may think if that so, why doesn’t Jesus just get rid of all evil in this world and bring justice right away? Yes, he is able to do it. But if he does bring justice now, that means today becomes the Day of Judgment. In the parable of the weeds in Matthew 13 the angels said to the master, “Do you want us to go and gather the weeds right now?” But he said, “No, you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest.” God is patient and compassionate. He wants everyone to repent, be saved, and know him fully (1 Tim 2:4). So in the meantime, until the harvest, he shares our sorrow. He mourns with us. He suffers with us. He joins with us in everything. He is right with us always!
To the Jews
Jesus wept. Then, the mourners say, “See how he loved him! Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” (37) Again basically the same question for the third time, “How can this be?” This time Jesus confirms what he said “I am the resurrection and the life” by the miraculous sign. He says, “Take away the stone.” Martha says, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead for four days.” Jesus says, “Did I tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” Our common sense is that to see is to believe. But for Jesus, to believe is to see. So they take the stone. Jesus lifts up his eyes and prays. Then, he shouts, “Lazarus, come out!” Then, the dead man comes out. Jesus not only shares our sorrow, but also he gives us what we need today. For those who are in despair, he brings hope. For those who are in grief, he brings comfort. He gives us enough strength, enough encouragement, enough grace to get through the valleys. He shows us the glimpse of the glory of His kingdom, so that we may have strength and hope to hang on and keep going.
Called to Life
The story of Lazarus is not just an old, old story. We are to see ourselves in Lazarus. The Bible says, Lazarus is the “one Jesus loves” (3). He is a beloved child of God. You are a beloved child of God. Lazarus is us, you and me! Sometimes and even oftentimes we are bound by death in our current lives. We are bound by death in our past lives. We sit in the cave and say, “It’s too late. It’s too dark. It’s getting worse. It’s impossible. It’s dead. It’s over.” But look at the cross. The enemy thought that he had triumphed, and it’s over. But it was just a beginning. Jesus conquered death, the last enemy, on the cross and in the grave. After three days, he was raised from the dead. He came out from the grave. And he became the firstfruits of those who had fallen asleep. Today he lives! Today he comes to pastor Han’s wife and the two children in sorrow. Today he comes to Marys and Marthas in doubt. Today he comes to Lazruses who lie in darkness, in despair, and in the shadow of death. And today Jesus stands at the edge of our tomb, shouting, “Wake up! Arise! Come out! Come out now to me, the Light and the Life of the world.” “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live” (John 5:25). Do you hear his voice?
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