Jesus loved them. John says so. He loved all three of
them — Mary, Martha, and Lazarus (John 11:3, 5).

And that’s why he waited.

The sisters sent urgent news to the Lord. It was a sort
of first-century 911 call for medical assistance. And
they didn’t say, “Lazarus is sick,” but “he whom You
love is sick.” Jesus not only knew the identity of the
one who was ailing, but he recognized him as his dear
friend.

Jesus wasn’t that far away, either. He could rush to to
Lazarus’ side and heal him. All would be well, the
sickness would be over, and their lives would continue
as normal.

But oddly enough, Jesus didn’t make the trip. He didn’t
hasten to Bethany and “treat” Lazarus’ condition. There
was no hurried journey to see his beloved companion. In
fact, just the opposite. Not only did Jesus not go to
Lazarus (not that he needed to “go” at all — cf. Luke
7:1-10) as the sister’s anticipated, but he waited two
more days!

In a sense, the Great Physician failed to make a house-
call and, in-so-doing, lost his first and only patient.

Think about it. He waited. Hours. Days. Yes, knowing
Lazarus’ precarious condition, Jesus waited.

For a long time, I didn’t understand that. Evidently
Mary and Martha didn’t make sense of it either. They
both rebuked the Lord for His slow response (vv. 21,
32). “If You had only been here earlier…”

It was Jesus’ fault. He shouldn’t have waited; He
should have come immediately. He had wasted precious
time. If he really loved the family as they believed,
he would have virtually run to see about Lazarus’
welfare. Maybe he didn’t love them as they thought.

So, why did Jesus wait?

It wasn’t a matter of lethargy, lack of love, or
apathy, dear reader, it was a matter of faith. You see,
Jesus could have made his way to Bethany and healed
Lazarus, and Mary and Martha’s faith would have been
enhanced. Instead, Christ chose to wait until Lazarus
was dead, buried, and in the tomb (a total of four
days) and THEN raise him up.

Because he loved them, and because he was concerned
with the sister’s spiritual maturation, Jesus waited
until after Lazarus was dead and buried to show that
not even a crypt and a corpse could impede his wonder-
working power!

Rush to Lazarus’ bedside and effect a cure, or wait
until after he was dead and buried and then call him
forth? Jesus chose the latter because he really did
love (Greek — agapao) Mary and Martha and he wanted to
see their faith grow to an even higher degree (John
11:23-27).

I don’t want the doctor to wait when I’m in the
emergency room. I’m the emergency! I want the physician
at my bedside, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, with prompt and
accurate therapeutic care.

I’m the same way when hurting emotionally or
spiritually. “Lord, I need youNOW…!” “Come to
Bethany!” “I’m very sick!” And sometimes…because he
loves me…he waits.

Give it some thought.

–Mike Benson