Purpose in the Pain
Pastor Ryan Hurd
Part of Resurrecting Hope—Easter 2023
April 23, 2023

Introduction

Now a man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair, and it was her brother Lazarus who was sick. So the sisters sent a message to him: “Lord, the one you love is sick.” —John 11:1–3 CSB

Jesus apparently has a relationship and history with this family. He has spent time with them in their home.

Presently, the sisters are heartbroken because their brother, Lazarus, is sick and near death.

When Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was. —John 11:4–6 CSB

It’s easy to wonder “Where is God?” in the midst of our pain and sorrow.
Yet, Jesus declared that there is purpose in the pain.

JESUS SEES THE BIGGER PICTURE

The truth is that our timing is often not God’s timing.

Through John’s account, we see that Jesus, in His all-knowing wisdom, is strategic in His response.
He sees a way to make a Kingdom difference by staying where he is for two more days.

Each one of our lives is like a single piece of a massive puzzle.
Our lives fit somewhere in the overall story God is telling in the world, but we are limited by our inability to see the bigger picture.

When trials come and difficulties arise, it can be so heartbreaking because we simply cannot see how all of this can fit to make a beautiful picture in the end.

Jesus sees the bigger picture, and one day, on the other side of eternity, we will see clearly as well.

Arriving at the Tomb

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. —John 11:17 CSB

Their greatest fears have been realized — their brother, the friend Jesus loved, is dead.

Bethany was near Jerusalem (less than two miles away). Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Yet even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her. Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who comes into the world.” Having said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” As soon as Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Jesus had not yet come into the village but was still in the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house consoling her saw that Mary got up quickly and went out. They followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to cry there. As soon as Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and told him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died!” —John 11:18–32 CSB

This portion of the passage reveals such raw emotion and gives us a blueprint for how we are to respond to the losses that we experience in our lives as well.

The beauty of the Bible is that it is always so honest about the complicated relationship between creation and Creator.

JESUS IS NOT AFRAID OF YOUR FEELINGS

Mary and Martha are angry. They are confused. They are in anguish. — We would be too!
They once hoped that Jesus would come to turn things around, but now they have lost all hope.

What I love about this story is that Jesus never reprimanded the sisters.

When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who had come with her crying, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled. —John 11:33 CSB

As the sisters lay their raw pain before Him, we see Jesus bend towards humanity and comfort their weary souls.

Do not be afraid to speak to God with honesty about your hurt.
When we begin to live with this kind of honesty, I believe that is when we begin to experience resurrected hope.

The Bible tells us that God will use everything in our lives—the good, the bad, and the ugly—for His glory and for our ultimate good.

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. —Romans 8:28 CSB

Talk to God about how you feel. Let him have it. He will not turn away.

“Where have you put him?” he asked. “Lord,” they told him, “come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Couldn’t he who opened the blind man’s eyes also have kept this man from dying?” —John 11:34–37 CSB

Though Jesus, in His divinity, knew that He was going to resurrect Lazarus, in His humanity, He is moved to tears.

When you weep, Jesus weeps as well.
When you hurt, Jesus hurts.
When your heart breaks, Jesus’ heart breaks.

The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit. —Psalm 34:18 CSB

He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. —Psalm 147:3 CSB

Though we live in a world where sickness is a reality, disappointment is all too common, and relationships can be painful, we have a God who is not somewhere far off and distant.

We have a God who enters into our pain in order to bring us healing.

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. “Remove the stone,” Jesus said. Martha, the dead man’s sister, told him, “Lord, there is already a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” —John 11:38–40 CSB

Martha is instantly concerned because Lazarus has been dead for four days and there is no telling what kind of stench would have been present.

When we allow our hope to die, life begins to stink.

But Jesus reminds Martha and the others that faith is the key to resurrecting hope.

JESUS BRINGS DEAD THINGS TO LIFE

So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you heard me. I know that you always hear me, but because of the crowd standing here I said this, so that they may believe you sent me.” After he said this, he shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out bound hand and foot with linen strips and with his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go.” —John 11:41–44 CSB

This kind of story seems to be the theme of Jesus’ life and ministry.

He has come to bring new life to everything and everyone.

Though the puzzle piece in life that you have been given may not make sense, you can trust God that He sees the bigger picture and the story is not over yet.

Summary

Even when I think it is the end, it may just be the beginning. When Jesus’ friend, Lazarus, died it all looked like one big mistake. If Jesus would have been there, Lazarus would still be alive. Standing in front of the tomb where Lazarus was buried, it seemed like all hope was lost. Yet, this tomb was fertile ground for a miracle – and a foreshadowing of what would happen to Jesus and all who put their hope in Him. Allow yourself to hope – again – that God is still working and there is purpose in the pain.