We should know that God’s love is different from our own and we should carry God’s love in our own hearts. I know that I still need reminding of the power of God’s love.
“3So the sisters sent to him, saying, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ 4But when Jesus heard it he said, ‘this illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it’… 14Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus has died’…23Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again’…35Jesus wept. 36So the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’…43When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’” – John 11:3-4, 14, 23, 35-36, 43 (ESV)
First of all I encourage the reading all of Chapter 11 to dive deeper into the love of God on display. Here we see that Jesus indeed was human and had emotions just as we do. Verse 3; “Lord, he whom you love is ill”. And verse 36; “See how he loved him!” Jesus had very dear friends and they weighed heavily on his heart. Don’t we all have friends and family that weigh on our hearts?
Jesus also did not forget that he was Lord. He waited for the death of Lazarus before he made any movement to go to him. He made sure that his love would be manifest for all to see in the glory of God. He reminded Martha and Mary that Lazarus would rise again, and that as they believe, they never die. Don’t we have a responsibility to believe as such?
Verse 35 speaks again to the emotion that overcame Jesus. Imagine your dear loved one passing, we cry. Jesus revealed his humanity. He is Lord and knew of the action he would take to raise Lazarus, yet, he wept in sorrow to demonstrate his love.
Finally we see in verse 43 the power of God’s love to overcome death. God’s love is displayed here to show us the power of his love to conquer even death.
“25Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’” – John 11:25-26 (ESV)
We have difficulty understanding the work of God because we think and believe what we see and touch. After verses 25 & 26, Jesus then demonstrates for us to believe. God’s love does conquer all and if we forget, we only need remember Jesus’ physical act of love as man and God to regain our understanding of the power of God’s love.
Do you doubt the power of God’s love? Look at your days and events, act on God’s love and see the power of God’s love at work. I wonder, do we really know that the power of God’s love indeed conquers all?
Trevor's Thoughts 