It Will Not End in Death

When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4 NIV)

I've heard the Lazarus story many, many times. I've read the story often, I've heard sermons and lessons about it, and I've even taught it a few times.

But somehow, I've missed this little detail: this sickness will not end in death.

At the beginning of the story, Jesus hears of Lazarus's illness. Instead of heading to Lazarus (and healing him) quickly...Jesus lingers. And he does so knowing that Lazarus will die.

As the story progresses, other characters get involved. The disciples follow Jesus, thinking this is the moment that Jesus will either start the revolution or die trying. Martha meets Jesus on the road, keeps her cool, and Jesus finally claims his role as the resurrection for the sake of the world. Mary meets Jesus on the road, emotionally broken, and Jesus weeps with her despite knowing that he will raise Lazarus in a few minutes. Jesus finally raises Lazarus, and in the postscript to the story, the religious leaders decide to kill Jesus (and Lazarus, too).

It's a thick story, with lots of teachable material, but I want to dwell on Jesus' statement at the beginning of the story: this sickness will not end in death.

Because in fact, Lazarus does die. He's dead for days. If I were a disciple, this would be a faith-testing moment, because my rabbi/prophet/messiah made a claim that turned out to be wrong. Jesus knows the end of the story, but I don't.

And that reminds me of how many times in life we think a story is over. Done. Ended. The story ends in despair, depression, or death. And then, Jesus steps in and makes a miracle happen that we never would've believed possible. Jesus doesn't save us from the grief--and in fact, Jesus joins us in our grief--but Jesus doesn't let the story end in death. Ultimately, even death doesn't end in death.

It's a small part of a bigger story, but it's worth the moment to pause and remember: 

Our story will not end in death.

And that's good news.