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Humble Hero
sage to the Savior, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
They saw the violence of the disease that had seized their brother,
but they knew that Christ had shown that He was able to heal all
kinds of diseases. They made no urgent demand for Him to come
immediately but thought He would be with them as soon as He could
reach Bethany.
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They waited anxiously. As long as the spark of life was in
their brother, they prayed and watched for Jesus to come. But the
messenger returned without Him. Yet he brought the message, “This
sickness is not unto death,” and they clung to the hope that Lazarus
would live. When he died, they were bitterly disappointed, but they
felt the sustaining grace of Christ.
When Christ heard the message, He gave no sign of the sorrow
the disciples expected Him to show. He said, “This sickness is not
unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be
glorified through it.” For two days Jesus remained in the place where
He was. This delay was a mystery to the disciples, for His strong
affection for the family at Bethany was well known.
During the two days, Christ seemed to have dismissed the mes-
sage from His mind. The disciples thought of John the Baptist. With
the power to perform miracles, why had Jesus permitted John to
languish in prison and die a violent death? The Pharisees presented
this question as an unanswerable argument against Christ’s claim to
be the Son of God. The Savior had warned His disciples of trials,
losses, and persecution. Would He forsake them in trial? They were
all deeply troubled.
After waiting two days, Jesus said, “Let us go to Judea again.”
If Jesus were going to Judea, the disciples questioned why He had
waited two days. But anxiety for Christ and for themselves was now
uppermost in their minds. They could see nothing but danger in the
course He was about to pursue. “‘Rabbi,’” they said, “‘lately the
Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?’ Jesus
answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours in the day?’” “I am under the
guidance of My Father. As long as I do His will, My life is safe. I
have entered on the last part of My day; but while any of this time
remains, I am safe.”
“If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he
sees the light of this world.” The light of God’s guiding Spirit gives