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WHEN ALL HOPE IS LOST: "LAZARUS, COME FORTH!"
When All Hope Is Lost: “Lazarus, Come Forth!”
Key Scripture: John 11:1–44 NKJV
Take your time reading this Scripture carefully. It is one thing to skim through a passage and say, “I have already read it,” but it is another thing to slow down, read carefully, and reflect on what is happening in each verse. There is so much within John 11 that we can easily miss when we rush through it. To understand the context of these verses, we need to understand who Lazarus was and the surroundings in which this story took place.
Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha, and they lived in a village called Bethany. The name Lazarus comes through the Greek form Lazaros, from the Hebrew name Eleazar, which carries the meaning “God has helped” or “God is my help.” Even his name is significant when we consider what is about to take place.
BETHANY: THE HOME OF MARY, MARTHA, AND LAZARUS
Bethany was a village near Jerusalem. The exact meaning of the name Bethany is debated, but it has traditionally been associated with meanings such as “house of figs” and, by some interpretations, “house of affliction.” These words give us something interesting to reflect upon. A house is a dwelling place, somewhere a person resides. Figs are associated throughout Scripture with fruitfulness, provision, and the land of Israel, while affliction speaks of suffering, distress, hardship, or trouble. Whatever the precise origin of the name Bethany, John 11 certainly takes us into a household experiencing deep affliction. There is also another Bethany mentioned in John 1:28, described as being beyond the Jordan, where John was baptising. This is distinct from the Bethany near Jerusalem where Lazarus, Mary, and Martha lived. Bethany was also the place where Mary would anoint Jesus with costly perfume and wipe His feet with her hair, an event John describes in John 12:1–8 NKJV.
THE MESSAGE ABOUT LAZARUS
While Jesus was away, Mary and Martha sent word to Him concerning their brother: “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick” (John 11:3 NKJV). The NLT brings out the closeness of their relationship: “Lord, your dear friend is very sick” (John 11:3 NLT). Their message was simple: the one You love is sick. They knew Jesus loved Lazarus, and they knew what Jesus was capable of doing.
When Jesus heard the message, He responded, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4 NKJV). The Amplified Bible expresses it this way: “This sickness will not end in death; but [on the contrary it is] for the glory and honor of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it” (John 11:4 AMP). Jesus already knew that this situation was going to reveal the glory of God, but what happens next is interesting.
JESUS WAITED
Usually, when we hear that someone we love is seriously ill or has died, our natural reaction is to move immediately. We want to get there, see them, comfort the family or friends, and do whatever we can to be supportive. But what captured my attention in this passage is that Jesus heard the message and remained where He was for another two days. John makes something very important clear. Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and yet He waited. From a human perspective, His waiting could have looked like He did not care at all; Jesus’ decision to remain where He was for two more days was not evidence of a lack of love. There was purpose in the waiting. Jesus knew what He was going to do.
WHEN WAITING DOES NOT MAKE SENSE
As I was writing this, a song called “Wait” by Hometown and Phil Wickham came on, and it immediately connected with what I was reading. It made me think about how difficult waiting can be. How many times do we rush ahead because we do not want to wait? How many times do we leave a place because waiting becomes uncomfortable? How many times do we assume that because God has not moved according to our timing, He is not moving at all? Waiting can be difficult when we cannot see what God is doing. But just because we cannot see His hand at work does not mean He is absent. God may be working in ways we cannot yet see or understand.
There is something God can teach us in the waiting. As we wait upon the Lord, we learn to trust His timing rather than our own. God sees what we cannot see, and He knows what He is doing even when we do not understand what is happening. Our posture becomes, Lord, move however You want to move. Do what only You can do. I will wait for You. Then another song came on, “Build My Life” by Pat Barrett, and it reminded me that our lives must be built upon Jesus, not upon whether our circumstances are unfolding according to our preferred timeline. When our lives are built upon Him, we can remain anchored even when we do not know what He is doing or how long the season will last.
WHEN ALL HOPE APPEARS LOST
There is an interesting tradition surrounding the four days mentioned in this passage. Later Jewish rabbinic writings record a belief that the soul remained near the body for the first three days, hoping to return, but by the fourth day, when decomposition became evident, that hope was considered gone. Because this tradition is recorded in later Jewish writings, we should be careful not to assume that Mary and Martha personally held this belief or that it was understood in exactly the same way during their lifetime.
What Scripture itself makes absolutely clear is that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Martha says, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days” (John 11:39 NKJV). From a human perspective, the situation was beyond recovery. The first day had passed, the second day had passed, the third day had passed, and now it was the fourth day. Everything appeared to say that there was no hope left, but Jesus was coming. What looked completely impossible was not beyond His authority.
JESUS GOES BACK TO JUDEA
After waiting two days, Jesus told His disciples, “Let us go to Judea again” (John 11:7 NKJV). The disciples were concerned because they knew the danger that awaited Him there. They reminded Jesus that the people had recently sought to stone Him, so from their perspective, going back did not make sense. Yet Jesus still wanted to go.
Jesus was not controlled by fear, threats, or the opinions of people. He was on assignment. This is something we see repeatedly throughout His ministry. Jesus said, “I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things” (John 8:28 NKJV). He also said, “I always do those things that please Him” (John 8:29 NKJV). In John 5:19, Jesus explains that the Son does what He sees the Father doing. Jesus lived in obedience to the Father. While the disciples could see the danger, Jesus could see the assignment.
WHEN FEAR DISGUISES ITSELF AS HUMILITY
The disciples’ response challenged me personally because their concern was connected to a very real danger. When Jesus said, “Let us go to Judea again,” they remembered that the Jews had recently tried to stone Him and questioned why He would return. From a human perspective, their concern made sense. They could see the danger, but Jesus knew where He was going. This reminded me of a time when I believed God was calling me to do something, but I hesitated because I was afraid of doing the wrong thing. At the time, I could have called my hesitation humility. I thought, I don’t want to get ahead of God. I don’t want to do something God has not asked me to do. I don’t want to make this about myself. What if I get it wrong? Those thoughts sounded humble, but eventually I had to examine what was really underneath them.
I realised that what I had considered humility was actually keeping me from doing what I believed God had called me to do, and I had to repent. That experience taught me an important distinction: there is a difference between waiting on God because He has told us to wait and remaining still when He has made the direction clear. True humility submits to God, seeks His direction, remains teachable, and obeys what He has made clear. Sometimes we ask, Who am I to do this? What if I am wrong? What if people misunderstand me? What if I make a mistake? Those questions can sound humble, but I learned to ask a deeper question: Has God already told me to move, and am I allowing my uncertainty to keep me still?
There is a time to wait, and there is a time to move. The important thing is that both come from obedience to God. So now, instead of only asking myself, “What if I get it wrong? What if I am judged, rejected, or face opposition?” I also ask, “What if God has told me to move, and I am still standing still?”
FOCUSED ON THE FATHER’S ASSIGNMENT
As I was writing this section, I could hear a song playing called “God Is With Us” by The Afters, and it made me think about how many of us know God has called us somewhere, yet we hesitate because of what we might face. How many of us have been called to speak, serve, start, go, write, give, pray, or simply obey, but remain still because we are uncertain about what will happen when we do? Jesus gives us a different picture. He knew there was opposition in Judea and what people had threatened to do, yet when it was time to go, He went. He remained focused on accomplishing the work His Father had given Him to do. The presence of opposition did not determine His obedience.
This does not mean we should impulsively label every desire as God’s instruction and act without discernment. We still pray, test what we believe we have heard, seek wisdom, remain teachable, and make sure what we believe aligns with Scripture. But once God has made something clear, we should not allow fear, uncertainty, or the opinions of others to keep us from obedience. Sometimes faith means waiting when God says wait, and sometimes faith means moving when God says move. In both, obedience is the goal.
THERE IS SO MUCH IN THIS PASSAGE
As we unpack John 11, we begin to see how many different lessons are contained within this one chapter. There is teaching about waiting, God's timing, fear, obedience, faith, grief, resurrection, and ultimately, the identity of Jesus. Any one of these truths could become an entire sermon by itself, but let us continue.
“OUR FRIEND LAZARUS SLEEPS”
When Jesus spoke to His disciples about Lazarus, He initially said, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up” (John 11:11 NKJV). The disciples misunderstood Him and thought Jesus meant ordinary sleep, so Jesus spoke plainly and told them, “Lazarus is dead” (John 11:14 NKJV). We see Jesus use similar language concerning Jairus' daughter. When people were mourning her death, Jesus said, “Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping” (Luke 8:52 NKJV). He then took her by the hand and called, “Little girl, arise” (Luke 8:54 NKJV). Death was real, but death was not beyond the authority of Jesus.
Jesus then said something that might initially seem surprising: “And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him” (John 11:15 NKJV). Jesus knew Lazarus was dead, yet He also knew what was about to happen. What looked like a tragedy was about to become an opportunity for His disciples to see something about Jesus that they had never seen in this way before. Their faith was about to be stretched, and their understanding of Jesus was about to become deeper.
JESUS ARRIVES ON THE FOURTH DAY
When Jesus finally arrived, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Martha went out to meet Him and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21 NKJV). Then she added, “But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You” (John 11:22 NKJV). There is tension in Martha's words. There is disappointment and grief, but there is also faith. She believed Jesus could have prevented Lazarus from dying. Then Jesus confidently told her, “Your brother will rise again” (John 11:23 NKJV).
MARTHA WAS THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE
Martha responded according to what she already understood: “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (John 11:24 NKJV). Martha believed in a future resurrection. She knew Lazarus would rise again one day, but Jesus was speaking to her about something she had not yet understood. Martha was looking toward a future resurrection, but the Resurrection was standing in front of her.
“I AM THE RESSURECTION AND THE LIFE”
This is where the passage becomes incredibly powerful. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25 NKJV). Then He asked Martha directly, “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26 NKJV). Martha answered, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world” (John 11:27 NKJV). Martha believed in Jesus and confessed that He was the Christ and the Son of God. Yet the conversation shows that she still did not understand what Jesus was about to do for Lazarus right then. She believed in the resurrection at the last day, but Jesus was about to show her His resurrection power in the present situation. Sometimes we can believe God can do something and still struggle to believe Him when the impossible situation is standing directly in front of us.
MARY HAD THE SAME RESPONSE
When Mary came to Jesus, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:32 NKJV). Notice that Mary and Martha both said essentially the same thing: “If You had been here...” Their minds were looking backward. If only You had arrived earlier. If only You had been here. If only You had stopped this. They believed Jesus could have changed what happened then, but they did not yet understand what He was about to do now.
JESUS WEPT
When Jesus saw Mary weeping and the people around her weeping, He was deeply moved. Then Scripture gives us one of the shortest yet most powerful verses in the Bible: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35 NKJV). The people saw His tears and said, “See how He loved him!” (John 11:36 NKJV). Others questioned, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” (John 11:37 NKJV). Once again, they were focused on what Jesus could have done, while Jesus was about to reveal what He could still do.
“TAKE AWAY THE STONE”
Jesus came to the tomb, which was a cave with a stone lying against it, and said, “Take away the stone” (John 11:39 NKJV). Martha immediately responded, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days” (John 11:39 NKJV). Martha was looking at the natural evidence. Four days had passed, the tomb was sealed, and the body was decaying. Everything she could see told her that it was too late.
But Jesus said, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40 NKJV). They could not raise Lazarus because only Jesus could do that, but they could move the stone. There are moments when God asks us to obey Him even when we do not understand what He is about to do. Their responsibility was obedience, but the miracle belonged to Jesus.
They removed the stone, and then Jesus lifted His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me” (John 11:41 NKJV). Catch this: Lazarus was still inside the tomb. Nothing visible had changed yet. Lazarus had not walked out, and the people had not seen the miracle. There is something powerful about how Jesus prayed: He thanked the Father before they saw the manifestation of what was about to happen. Jesus continued, “And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me” (John 11:42 NKJV) Jesus knew the Father heard Him and once again, we see the purpose behind what was happening: that people may believe.
“LAZARUS, COME FORTH!”
Then came the words that changed everything: “Lazarus, come forth!” (John 11:43 NKJV). The man who had been dead for four days came out of the tomb. The waiting, disappointment, stone, grave, and death itself did not have the final word. Jesus had the final word. When everyone else saw a dead man, Jesus called him forth. When everyone else saw an ending, Jesus demonstrated His authority over death. When everything around them said, “It is too late,” Jesus said, “Lazarus, come forth!” (John 11:43 NKJV).
“LOOSE HIM, AND LET HIM GO”
Lazarus came out alive, but he was still bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Then Jesus said, “Loose him, and let him go” (John 11:44 NKJV). Lazarus had come out of the grave, but what belonged to the grave was still wrapped around him. The grave clothes belonged to the place he had just been called out of. Jesus had called him from death into life, and what belonged to his former condition now had to come off. There are things God brings us out of that we were never meant to continue carrying. When Jesus calls you forth, do not keep living as though you are still in the grave.
WHEN ALL HOPE IS LOST
Mary thought Jesus was too late. Martha thought Jesus was too late. The mourners questioned why Jesus had not prevented Lazarus from dying. Lazarus had been dead for four days, the stone was in place, and decomposition had begun. From every human perspective, all hope appeared to be lost. But they were about to learn something greater about Jesus. He did not merely have the ability to heal sickness. He declared, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25 NKJV). Sometimes we are looking at what God did not do, while God is preparing to reveal something about Himself that we have not yet understood. Sometimes we are saying, “Lord, if You had...” while Jesus is asking, “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26 NKJV).
Sometimes we are waiting because God has told us to wait. Other times, as I had to learn personally, we may be standing still because fear has disguised itself as humility. We need discernment to know the difference. Waiting can be obedience when God has told us to wait, but when God has made the assignment clear, fear should not be allowed to keep us from moving. What appears to be the end of the story can become the very place where the glory of God is revealed.
So whether you are in the waiting, facing something that looks impossible, struggling to understand God's timing, or afraid to obey what He has placed before you, remember who Jesus revealed Himself to be.
He is the Resurrection and the Life.
When all hope appears to be lost, our hope is still found in Jesus, because the One standing outside the tomb is still the One who can call what everyone else has given up on and say,
“LAZARUS, COME FORTH!” (John 11:43 NKJV).
REFLECTION
Take some time to reflect honestly on what God may be showing you through the story of Lazarus.
Where have I mistaken God's delay for His absence, and what would it look like for me to trust Him in the waiting?
Am I still looking back and saying, “Lord, if You had...” instead of believing Jesus for what He can do in my situation now?
Is there an area where fear has disguised itself as humility and stopped me from obeying what God has already made clear?
What “stone” is God asking me to move in obedience while trusting Him to do what only He can do?
What grave clothes from an old season am I still carrying that I need to loose, let go of, and leave behind as I walk in the life Jesus has called me into?
Do not rush through these questions. Sit with them, pray over them, and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal what needs to change, what needs to be surrendered, and where you need to trust Jesus again.
A PRAYER FOR YOU 🕊️
Father, I thank You that You hear me. Thank You that even when I cannot see what You are doing, You are still working. Teach me to trust Your timing when I am waiting and to obey You when You tell me to move. Help me not to allow fear to disguise itself as humility or keep me from what You have called me to do.
Lord Jesus, when circumstances look impossible and everything around me says there is no hope, help me remember that You are the Resurrection and the Life. Strengthen my faith to believe Your Word above what I can see. Help me to remove whatever stone You are asking me to move and trust You to do what only You can do.
Father, teach me to pray with thanksgiving and confidence in You, even before I see the answer. I choose to trust You in the waiting, in the uncertainty, and in the places that appear beyond recovery. I pray my hope is not in what I see but that my hope remains in You Jesus. I pray all these things,
In Jesus' name,
Amen.
BE ENCOURAGED.
ALL GLORY TO GOD MOST HIGH 🔥
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