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 11:5-6)
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?” (36-37)
One of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! You’re not considering that it is to your advantage that one man should die for the people rather than the whole nation perish.”
He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to unite the scattered children of God. (49-52)
Jesus loves us. But there are times he doesn’t act as we had hoped, and we struggle to understand why. During those times, it’s easy to start asking, “Does Jesus really love me?”
But the truth is, often times we know nothing at all. There are things that God knows that we are not considering.
That was most clearly seen at the cross. No one understood what God was doing. Not the priests. Not the Pharisees. Not Jesus’ disciples. Not Jesus’ mother. No one.
But the cross was the greatest expression of God’s love.
Are there questions you’re struggling with? “Why”s you can’t understand?
Let us be like Mary and Martha, who though hurting, didn’t stay away from Jesus, but ran to him. Who kept believing in him. Who kept obeying him.
And like them, the day will come when we will see the glory of God.
On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined before the ages for our glory.
None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, because if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written,
What no eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no human heart has conceived—
God has prepared these things for those who love him. (1 Corinthians 2:7-9)
