God Has a Purpose for Everything, Sometimes He Seems to Delay His Answers

(These delays appear to us to make our situations more difficult and less understandable: One of the most radical delays can be illustrated in Lazarus death and miraculous resurrection.)

Main Texts: John 11:1-43, especially verses 38-43 and John 12:1-11, especially verses 9-11, … the “him” in verse 11 = Lazarus and his testimony.
The Bible is united in the idea that everything that happens in the lives of His children, which He directly causes to occur or allows, has a threefold purpose: To bring Glory to God (John 11:40), to inspire or strengthen His children and to provide a witness or testimony to His truth and reality to others.
In the case above, Lazarus resurrection, God was glorified because of Jesus purposed delay, even more so than if He healed him while only sick. Jesus purposed delay (John 11:6, 14-16), was misunderstood by all His disciples, along with Mary and Martha. Notice Martha and Mary’s reaction to Jesus’ delay of 2 days (verses 6, 32) and His eventual plain talk in verses 14-15 “… Lazarus was dead…”; and Jesus claim that it would actually strengthen their faith.
Thomas reaction was even worse than theirs. Note, verse 16, “Let’s go and die with Lazarus and Jesus.” Martha’s response was a bit better but also not faith revealing verses 21-22, “If only you had been here,” now we only have hope in a future, last day resurrection (verse 24); but Jesus reminds her very strongly “I am the resurrection and the life.” (i.e., for the last days and for now verses 25-26). Jesus by His Spirit can meet our “mortal life” issues (Romans 8:11). Martha got part of the doctrine right but not fully as to who He is and what are His current capacities, even in the midst of a painful delay (see verse 27).

Mary was no better following the pattern of only limited human understanding, in verse 32; “Lord, if you had been here (i.e., you didn’t delay 2 days (verse 6) he would not have died.” And others around Him, even if they were good, Jewish followers could not see Jesus as the ultimate resurrection and life giver, at best He could do miracles like other Old Testament prophets (verse 3).
But what is the point of this story? If God in theirs and our eyes radically delays in His answers to the point that it boggles our human understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6) it is not = His no! The delay has a purpose, that again will glorify Him (1 Corinthians 10:3; Colossians 3:17; John 11:4) and more greatly bless us (note, Jesus’ prayer at the grave site, John 11:41-43, to fulfill His prophetic words in verses 4, 11, 14, 25: especially verse 41). Still this extraordinary miraculous event gave birth to many extreme reactions:

Thomas, Martha, Mary, others (see verses 16, 24, 27, 32) could not believe beyond their theology, so to speak, but at least Martha and Mary had some faith in this most difficult situation (see verse 22 - …” But I knew that even now God will give you whatever you ask”). Some faith buried under human limits to understand the ways of God, especially His delays and what that seems to cause. God has to miraculously show them in spite of their “little faith” and even doubt (see Thomas verse 16), after all Jesus caused the extra dilemma: and what He causes, He can repair.

Everything God does in and through our lives is not only to bring glory to Him, which He deserves but also give testimony, through out lives, to others. Note, this point is illustrated in John 12:9-10: They came to see the evidence of Christ’s power by wanting also to “… see Lazarus He had raised from the dead.” The real, not only perceived delay (verse 6), in the hands of God, produced a great effect of joy for Lazarus family, strengthening of their faith, that became sight, and the crowd that came to see both … continued to spread the word (see John 12:17-19).

My conclusion: What seem like and feels like a radical delay to us, of God’s answers to our prayers, that we reasonably think are according to His will, may result in a radically greater blessing to God, us and others, because in all things spiritual, God’s triadic purpose impacts all He does! Let’s continue to believe in this truth: see also Matthew 7:7-12.

AMEN