QT 18 Sep 12, Why do we really believe in God?

John 11:1-17 (NIV) Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."

4 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."  5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

7 Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."

8 "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?"

9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. 10 It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light."

11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."

12 His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

14 So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."

16 Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.

NOTE: A number of things stand out. First, as others have commented, the Jews did not consider a case of raising the dead legitimate unless the person had been dead 3 days (all or part). Otherwise, it would be called a resuscitation. Technically, Jesus raising of Tabitha from the dead would be a resuscitation, as would be some OT miracles, although not all. But this leads to other natural implications.

One, Jesus did know that the sickness would lead to death, at least temporarily, but what would be fully classified as death. I wonder how Mary dealt with that truth if Jesus' word were relayed back to her. When Lazarus died, how did she view Jesus' promise? It would seem that his word had clearly failed, but it had not. So, even the most obvious event or contradiction of a promise does not mean that God has failed.

Secondly, Lazarus' death is a very intentional act of God or at least Jesus is fully aware in foreknowledge that he would die soon and that his death would be intentionally used by God as still another sign to Israel. Of course this leads to the argument of free will or determinism and I disagree with those who argued either position determinedly (pun intended). The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I believe in his sovereignty and the more I believe that our free will determines most of the events of our life. This is one case where rationality argues against me because my logic does not make sense, and yet I can't deny the firmness of my belief on this point.

Finally, Thomas makes himself clearly known as the cynic or partially agnostic. He will complete the profile later when he denies the other disciples' report of Jesus' resurrection. So, not all the disciples were gung-ho in their belief in Christ (some holding doubt), and Thomas' rationalism provides a fitting contrast in the story. How does one view Jesus' promise to Mary? Why does Jesus have to wait for the period of resuscitation to pass? Was the whole event pre-planned by God or was it a target of opportunity used by God or neither or both? And how could men like Thomas not believe sooner than they did when they saw a man actually raised from the grave? Is that not sufficient proof of the power of God and validation of the message? And maybe the whole point is that truly we choose to believe in God or against God independent of actual facts?!