God's Ways are Higher than Our Ways
Picture yourself riding with someone to where they take a different route than you would ordinarily take. It might make you feel really uncomfortable because you think they don't know the way, yet they have a specific reason for taking that particular route. There is a purpose behind it.
The delay in returning to Bethany was for a purpose. Notice some of the statements that Jesus makes to his disciples: (1) "The illness does not lead to death..." (Jn. 11:4) [in the sense that it was only temporary; he wouldn't stay dead!]. (2) "Let us go to Judea again" (Jn. 11:7) [the disciples knew that his life was in danger if he returned, so they couldn't understand why he would want to do this]. (3) "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him" (Jn. 11:11) [Jesus knew that Lazarus had died, but he was going to raise him from death].
There will be times in our lives that we don't understand because God's ways are higher than our ways. Many things in life don't make sense to us but it's because we can't see the big picture. Just as Isaiah the prophet records: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Is. 55:8-9).
Death is Not the End
My preacher friend, David Morris has a statement that he makes most times at the graveside. He says in his final comments that we have come as far as physically possible with (insert name) since their spirit has departed the body. Even though the physical body is left behind, the soul lives on. Death is not the end by any means as there will be a final resurrection when Jesus returns.
Jesus had a conversation with Martha about the resurrection. It is clear from her response to Jesus in Jn. 11:24 that she believed in the resurrection on the last day. However, Jesus addressed the resurrection from two perspectives: physical and spiritual. Lazarus was to rise again on that day physically, but there was also a reference to the spiritual resurrection that is addressed elsewhere in God's Word.
Just because someone's body goes to the tomb, grave or crematory doesn't mean that's the end, as we know that something much greater remains. There is something that awaits all of us when we die. As we are asleep from a figurative sense, we are in a realm where we are waiting for Christ to return and judgment to begin. Jesus' explanation in Luke 16 with the rich man and Lazarus is very descriptive as to the conditions that both of these men were in once they departed this world. Their physical life ended, but their souls were still very alive waiting for eternity to begin.
Jesus Experienced the Totality of the Human Condition
God created us as human beings with the ability to grieve. When we lose someone close to us it hurts. Sometimes at funerals people will weep aloud as it is hard for them to contain their feelings for the departed.
When Jesus came to the tomb of Lazarus, he wept (Jn. 11:35). Though this is the shortest verse in the English Bible, it speaks volumes. The people present at that time were able to witness the love that Jesus had for Lazarus (Jn. 11:36).
We need to remember that Jesus experienced the totality of the human condition. Since Jesus put on flesh he not only experienced grief, but he was also tempted, tired, hungry, etc. Paul said Jesus was "...born in the likeness of men" (Phil. 2:7). The writer of Hebrews says "...he had to be made like his brothers in every respect..." (Heb. 2:17). When we go through so many things in our lives, it should matter that Jesus has been there and done that. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15).
Merrill Tenney says that this sign proves that Jesus is the master of death (http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/Ted_Hildebrandt/NTeSources/NTArticles/BSac-NT/Tenney-TopicsJohnPt2-BS.pdf). There are truly some great lessons that we can take as Jesus shows the power of resurrection with his friend, Lazarus. We need to know that God's ways are higher than our ways, as there will be many things we don't understand. We must realize that death is not the end, for there is something much greater waiting for us. We also need to be reminded that Jesus experienced the totality of the human condition, and this makes him a sympathetic high priest because of that. What wonderful lessons we can apply to our lives because Jesus said "Lazarus, come out" (Jn. 11:43).
