John 11:4 But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it."
Lazarus’s sickness (which is a result of the Fall) has a greater end than the death he deserves—the glory of God. God’s purpose for the sickness was to glorify (bear testimony to) His Son. Is this a unique situation? I think not. It’s what Jesus believed about all of life and every difficulty the Father placed in His path. He believes the same about every storm God wills that we face. Jesus in essence said, “Don’t look at Lazarus’s condition, trust in God’s purposes and power in Me.” He is saying the same to us today about whatever troubles, afflicts, or assails us. God’s purpose for all things in the lives of those He loves is to glorify Jesus in them. This is a distinctively Christian foundational truth to be applied often, everyday of our lives.
