For God's Glory
The Lord's love and power are greater than human understanding, and He uses suffering to display His might and declare His Godhead.
J. Stuart Holden preaches about Martha's misconception when she said, 'Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died' (John 11:21), highlighting how she did not realize that Lazarus' death was part of God's plan to display His glory and Christ's power. Martha had to learn that God's love surpasses human understanding, always exceeding expectations and working in ways beyond our comprehension, preparing us for greater blessings even when we face denial or loss.
Text
"Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died"
(John 11:21).
Of course she was wrong. The plain truth of the matter is that Lazarus had died just because, in a truer sense than Martha could understand, the Lord was there! She did not know that her brother's sickness was "not unto death," that is, it was not part of Death's campaign and triumph, but was directly ordered "for the glory of God." It was actually planned by the Love that permitted it to take its course, and was meant to set the stage for the mightiest display of Christ's power, the most convincing declaration of His Godhead. But this Martha could not know. She had to learn--and she did learn--that His love outstrips all fleetness of the human mind, that it is always ahead of the conceptions and prayers of His followers, that when the lesser is denied it is as a preparation for the gift of the greater, that the measure of His power is "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think"--be our thoughts never so extravagant.
Sermon Outline
- The Lord's Presence in Suffering
- The Lord's Love Outstrips Human Understanding
- The Gift of the Greater
- The Lord's power is a preparation for greater gifts
- The Lord's love outstrips all human understanding
Key Quotes
“The plain truth of the matter is that Lazarus had died just because, in a truer sense than Martha could understand, the Lord was there!” — J. Stuart Holden
“His love outstrips all fleetness of the human mind, that it is always ahead of the conceptions and prayers of His followers” — J. Stuart Holden
“the measure of His power is 'exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think'” — J. Stuart Holden
Application Points
- We must trust in the Lord's love and power, even when we don't understand His plans.
- Suffering can be a preparation for greater gifts and a display of the Lord's power.
- The Lord's power is greater than our thoughts and conceptions, and it is 'exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think'.