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Summit Church
Hear The Claims Pt 2 | When Jesus Doesn't Show Up On Time | Jim Ladd
Locations & Times
Summit Church
7200 S Clinton St, Centennial, CO 80112, USA
Tuesday 12:00 PM
Tuesday 1:45 PM
Big Idea: Faith is not believing that Jesus will always do what I want. Faith is trusting Jesus even when I don't understand
John 11 is written for people who have wondered what God's love means when God doesn't do what love seems it should.
Study Skill:
It would be easy to skim straight to "Lazarus, come out!" and treat everything before it as setup. Don't.
John devotes nearly thirty verses to Jesus' delay, Martha and Mary's grief, and Jesus' visible emotional response before the tomb ever opens.
When you study Scripture, resist the urge to fast-forward through the hard middle to get to the resolution. The middle is where most of us actually live. God's Word doesn't rush through it, and neither should we.
Study Skill:
It would be easy to skim straight to "Lazarus, come out!" and treat everything before it as setup. Don't.
John devotes nearly thirty verses to Jesus' delay, Martha and Mary's grief, and Jesus' visible emotional response before the tomb ever opens.
When you study Scripture, resist the urge to fast-forward through the hard middle to get to the resolution. The middle is where most of us actually live. God's Word doesn't rush through it, and neither should we.
Good News for People in Pain:
1. His silence does not mean His absence.
1. His silence does not mean His absence.
Sometimes Jesus doesn't prevent the thing we beg Him to prevent.
Mary and Martha can only see what Jesus hasn't done.
Jesus knows something they don't know. “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory…”
They are living inside a story whose ending they cannot yet see.
And that's where most of faith is lived. Not after Lazarus walks out - but before.
For the person considering Christianity
Biblical faith is not pretending everything makes sense. Martha doesn't understand Jesus. Mary doesn't understand Jesus. The disciples don't understand Jesus. And John doesn't shame any of them for it.
Christian faith begins not with having every answer, but with deciding whether Jesus can be trusted when you don't have one.
For the person with an unanswered prayer
Be careful not to interpret God's heart through your circumstances.
“Jesus hasn't done what I asked” and “Jesus doesn't love me” are not the same statement.
John deliberately puts Jesus' love and Jesus' delay in the same sentence.
Your unanswered prayer may tell you something about your circumstances. It does not, by itself, tell you the heart of Jesus.
Mary and Martha can only see what Jesus hasn't done.
Jesus knows something they don't know. “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory…”
They are living inside a story whose ending they cannot yet see.
And that's where most of faith is lived. Not after Lazarus walks out - but before.
For the person considering Christianity
Biblical faith is not pretending everything makes sense. Martha doesn't understand Jesus. Mary doesn't understand Jesus. The disciples don't understand Jesus. And John doesn't shame any of them for it.
Christian faith begins not with having every answer, but with deciding whether Jesus can be trusted when you don't have one.
For the person with an unanswered prayer
Be careful not to interpret God's heart through your circumstances.
“Jesus hasn't done what I asked” and “Jesus doesn't love me” are not the same statement.
John deliberately puts Jesus' love and Jesus' delay in the same sentence.
Your unanswered prayer may tell you something about your circumstances. It does not, by itself, tell you the heart of Jesus.
2. Even in His power, He feels our pain
John 11:17–37
Now John slows everything down. Martha runs to Jesus:
“Lord, if you had been here…”
Then Mary arrives:
“Lord, if you had been here…”
Same sentence. But Jesus responds differently to each woman.
Martha gets a conversation.
Jesus meets her questions with truth: “Your brother will rise again.”
And then comes the claim around which the whole chapter turns:
“I AM the resurrection and the life.”
Not, “I know how to perform a resurrection.”
But, “I AM the resurrection.”
Christian hope is Jesus Himself.
Then He asks Martha the question John ultimately asks every reader:
“Do you believe this?”
And Martha makes her confession while Lazarus is still dead.
“I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God…”
But Mary doesn't have a theological conversation.
Mary collapses at His feet and cries. And Jesus cries with her.
“Jesus wept.” This may be one of the most important things Christianity has to say to a suffering world.
The Christian answer to suffering is not simply an explanation.
It is a Person who enters it.
Jesus knows He's about to raise Lazarus - And He still cries.
Why?
Because knowing the ending doesn't make the pain meaningless.
Now John slows everything down. Martha runs to Jesus:
“Lord, if you had been here…”
Then Mary arrives:
“Lord, if you had been here…”
Same sentence. But Jesus responds differently to each woman.
Martha gets a conversation.
Jesus meets her questions with truth: “Your brother will rise again.”
And then comes the claim around which the whole chapter turns:
“I AM the resurrection and the life.”
Not, “I know how to perform a resurrection.”
But, “I AM the resurrection.”
Christian hope is Jesus Himself.
Then He asks Martha the question John ultimately asks every reader:
“Do you believe this?”
And Martha makes her confession while Lazarus is still dead.
“I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God…”
But Mary doesn't have a theological conversation.
Mary collapses at His feet and cries. And Jesus cries with her.
“Jesus wept.” This may be one of the most important things Christianity has to say to a suffering world.
The Christian answer to suffering is not simply an explanation.
It is a Person who enters it.
Jesus knows He's about to raise Lazarus - And He still cries.
Why?
Because knowing the ending doesn't make the pain meaningless.
You gotta see the emotion of verse 33.
The Greek embrimaomai carries considerably more force than our English “deeply moved.” The word conveys indignation, anger, and intense emotional disturbance.
Jesus isn't standing detached from human suffering, saying, “Everybody calm down. Lazarus will be fine.”
Something about this scene profoundly troubles Him.
Death is not treated as a beautiful, natural friend - It is an enemy. And Jesus stands before what death has done to people He loves - and weeps.
Jesus is not disappointed by your tears. He has tears of His own because He knows our pain.
The Greek embrimaomai carries considerably more force than our English “deeply moved.” The word conveys indignation, anger, and intense emotional disturbance.
Jesus isn't standing detached from human suffering, saying, “Everybody calm down. Lazarus will be fine.”
Something about this scene profoundly troubles Him.
Death is not treated as a beautiful, natural friend - It is an enemy. And Jesus stands before what death has done to people He loves - and weeps.
Jesus is not disappointed by your tears. He has tears of His own because He knows our pain.
3. Jesus has power over death
John 11:38–44
Now we finally reach the tomb. Jesus says: “Take away the stone.”
Martha protests: Jesus, you don't understand. It's too late.
This isn't a sick man who needs healing anymore. This is a dead man.
And that's exactly where Jesus wants them.
Because John isn't trying to show us that Jesus can make difficult situations a little better.
He's showing us who Jesus is.
This is the sign.
But what does the sign point to?
It points back to the claim: “I AM the resurrection and the life.”
Now we finally reach the tomb. Jesus says: “Take away the stone.”
Martha protests: Jesus, you don't understand. It's too late.
This isn't a sick man who needs healing anymore. This is a dead man.
And that's exactly where Jesus wants them.
Because John isn't trying to show us that Jesus can make difficult situations a little better.
He's showing us who Jesus is.
This is the sign.
But what does the sign point to?
It points back to the claim: “I AM the resurrection and the life.”
Lazarus is the evidence. Jesus is the point.
Because Lazarus eventually died again.
John 11 isn't ultimately promising: Jesus will keep everybody you love from dying. Jesus promises something much bigger: “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.”
Christianity doesn't deny the grave. It claims that the grave doesn't get the last word.
Lazarus comes out of his grave because Jesus is heading toward His.
The raising of Lazarus accelerates the opposition that will culminate in Jesus' death. They meet to plan his death - and experience a Sovereign prophecy among thieves.
Except His tomb won't hold Him either. So John 11 is not merely:
“Look what Jesus did for Lazarus.” It is: “Look who Jesus is.”
Maybe you've been waiting for Christianity to answer every question you have about suffering before you trust Jesus. John doesn't give you every answer. John gives you Jesus.
John 11 isn't ultimately promising: Jesus will keep everybody you love from dying. Jesus promises something much bigger: “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.”
Christianity doesn't deny the grave. It claims that the grave doesn't get the last word.
Lazarus comes out of his grave because Jesus is heading toward His.
The raising of Lazarus accelerates the opposition that will culminate in Jesus' death. They meet to plan his death - and experience a Sovereign prophecy among thieves.
Except His tomb won't hold Him either. So John 11 is not merely:
“Look what Jesus did for Lazarus.” It is: “Look who Jesus is.”
Maybe you've been waiting for Christianity to answer every question you have about suffering before you trust Jesus. John doesn't give you every answer. John gives you Jesus.
Your Lazarus may not come out - But the grave is not the end.
You may be living in the four-day space right now.
John 11 gives you permission to say: “Lord, if You had…”
It gives you permission to weep.
It gives you permission not to understand.
But then Jesus asks you to place your faith somewhere deeper than the outcome you wanted: “I am the resurrection and the life.”
Trust Me.
You may be living in the four-day space right now.
John 11 gives you permission to say: “Lord, if You had…”
It gives you permission to weep.
It gives you permission not to understand.
But then Jesus asks you to place your faith somewhere deeper than the outcome you wanted: “I am the resurrection and the life.”
Trust Me.
SEE THE SIGN: Jesus has command over death
HEAR THE CLAIM: “I am the resurrection and the life.”
CHOOSE YOUR RESPONSE: “Do you believe this?”
HEAR THE CLAIM: “I am the resurrection and the life.”
CHOOSE YOUR RESPONSE: “Do you believe this?”
RESPONSE
- Pour out your pain to God
- Place your trust in the One who defeated death
- Pray for someone in your Oikos who is in Pain
- Pour out your pain to God
- Place your trust in the One who defeated death
- Pray for someone in your Oikos who is in Pain
Small Group Discussion Guide
Big Idea: Faith is not believing that Jesus will always do what I want. Faith is trusting Jesus even when I don’t understand.
Icebreaker
1. Are you naturally a patient person, or does waiting drive you crazy? What is something you really hate waiting for?
Discussion Questions
1. Read John 11:1–6.
Mary and Martha knew Jesus loved Lazarus, and they knew He could heal him. Yet Jesus deliberately waited. What surprises or bothers you about that part of the story?
2. Jim made an important distinction: “Jesus hasn’t done what I asked” and “Jesus doesn’t love me” are not the same statement. Why is it so easy to judge God’s love by what is happening in our lives?
3. Mary and Martha both eventually tell Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here…” Do you talk to God with this kind of honesty when you are disappointed, confused, angry, or grieving? Why or why not?
4. Sometimes we want to rush through the difficult parts of a Bible story to get to the miracle. But most of life is lived in the “middle”—before we know how the story turns out. What does it look like to trust Jesus while you are still in the middle?
5. Read John 11:17–27.
Jesus tells Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Why do you think Jesus points Martha toward who He is rather than simply explaining why He was late?
6. Martha says she believes Jesus is the Messiah while Lazarus is still in the tomb. What is the difference between trusting Jesus because He gives us the outcome we want and trusting Jesus because of who He is?
7. Read John 11:32–36.
Jesus knows He is about to raise Lazarus, but He still weeps with Mary. What does that tell you about the heart of Jesus toward people who are suffering?
8. The Christian answer to suffering is not simply an explanation. It is a Person who enters it.How could believing that Jesus enters our pain change the way we experience suffering—even when the circumstances do not change?
9. Read John 11:38–44.
Lazarus coming out of the tomb is the sign, but Jesus is the point. The miracle points to His claim: “I am the resurrection and the life.” What does this sign tell us about Jesus that is bigger than the miracle itself?
10. CHOOSE YOUR RESPONSE:
Jesus asks Martha, “Do you believe this?” Where are you today? Are you exploring whether Jesus can be trusted, learning to trust Him, or struggling to trust Him because of something that has happened? What would one next step of trust look like for you this week?
Icebreaker
1. Are you naturally a patient person, or does waiting drive you crazy? What is something you really hate waiting for?
Discussion Questions
1. Read John 11:1–6.
Mary and Martha knew Jesus loved Lazarus, and they knew He could heal him. Yet Jesus deliberately waited. What surprises or bothers you about that part of the story?
2. Jim made an important distinction: “Jesus hasn’t done what I asked” and “Jesus doesn’t love me” are not the same statement. Why is it so easy to judge God’s love by what is happening in our lives?
3. Mary and Martha both eventually tell Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here…” Do you talk to God with this kind of honesty when you are disappointed, confused, angry, or grieving? Why or why not?
4. Sometimes we want to rush through the difficult parts of a Bible story to get to the miracle. But most of life is lived in the “middle”—before we know how the story turns out. What does it look like to trust Jesus while you are still in the middle?
5. Read John 11:17–27.
Jesus tells Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Why do you think Jesus points Martha toward who He is rather than simply explaining why He was late?
6. Martha says she believes Jesus is the Messiah while Lazarus is still in the tomb. What is the difference between trusting Jesus because He gives us the outcome we want and trusting Jesus because of who He is?
7. Read John 11:32–36.
Jesus knows He is about to raise Lazarus, but He still weeps with Mary. What does that tell you about the heart of Jesus toward people who are suffering?
8. The Christian answer to suffering is not simply an explanation. It is a Person who enters it.How could believing that Jesus enters our pain change the way we experience suffering—even when the circumstances do not change?
9. Read John 11:38–44.
Lazarus coming out of the tomb is the sign, but Jesus is the point. The miracle points to His claim: “I am the resurrection and the life.” What does this sign tell us about Jesus that is bigger than the miracle itself?
10. CHOOSE YOUR RESPONSE:
Jesus asks Martha, “Do you believe this?” Where are you today? Are you exploring whether Jesus can be trusted, learning to trust Him, or struggling to trust Him because of something that has happened? What would one next step of trust look like for you this week?