Sermon Series: Out of Hiding and Into View            

Sermon – “Discovering Jesus in our If Only’s” – John 11:1-45

If Only Jesus….

  • The story reveals to us that Jesus had heard about Lazarus and waited two days before heading to Bethany to be with his friend. Ultimately, Lazarus’ death befalls the storyline. 

  • Both of his sisters offer a profound line that both show their belief in who he is, but Jesus’ lack of movement shows the loss of their brother has led to their deep sorrow. 

  • In both verses 21 and 32, they both say, “If You have been here…” They are sharing that their situation would be different if Jesus had shown up earlier. 

  • Yet, Jesus waited two days. Sometimes, even in our belief, the situations we are facing within ourselves or in other ways lead us to think Jesus doesn’t see us, doesn’t care, or is distant from our realities. We carry our own “If Only’s.”

Jesus Reminds

  • The central verse Jesus declares to Martha in verse 25 shows who he is and what he is about. Jesus brings life even when we think it happens later.

  • He tells Martha who he is and then asks, “Do you believe this?”

  • In the sorrow of our situations, Jesus reminds us that he brings life into our today and leaves us with the question, “Do we believe this?”

Jesus Meets Us in Our Sorrow

  • Jesus sees Mary. His response to her is about meeting her in her sorrow and meeting her where she is, and he weeps over the loss of his friend, too. 

  • She tells Jesus to “come and see” where our sorrow has led us. 

  • In our own stories of sorrow, Jesus sees us where we are right now. For many of us, we need to give Jesus the space to “come and see” us in our sorrow so he can meet us there. 

Follow Him to New Life

  • The resulting bringing Lazarus forth to life is a confirmation that Jesus is the bringer of new life in our sorrow today and not some day after we die. It enters our today.

  • Throughout this story, Jesus reiterates that this situation is about bringing forth God’s glory. (verses 4 & 40)

  • Their belief leads to God’s glory and, in turn, leads to others who come to believe. 

  • This reminds us that our situations as believers can bring about God’s glory, and through that, so others may come to believe in Jesus as the one who brings new life to us. 

(Resources provided by Gerald Sloyan & NT Wright)



Discussion Questions

  1. What is an “if only” you’ve experienced in your life? Where have you felt like things would be different if God had acted sooner?

  2. Why do you think delays from God feel so painful or confusing? How do you typically respond when it seems like God is not showing up when you expect?

  3. What does it look like to believe in Jesus not just for the future, but in the middle of your current circumstances?

  4. What makes it hard to let Jesus into our pain? What might it look like practically to invite Him into your current situation?

  5. How could God use a difficult or painful situation in your life to bring hope to someone else?