I’ve been reading the story of how Jesus raised a man named Lazarus from dead to life.

(This story can be found in the bible book of John, chapters 11 and 12.)

Most of us read the story knowing how it ends: Jesus raises his friend Lazarus from dead to life and, as a result, crowds of Jews come to believe in Jesus. 

But, when we read it with the end in mind, we might skim over the other characters in the lead up to this mega-healing moment. 

First in the story, we have the disciples.

Jesus hears that his friend Lazarus is sick and here’s how his disciples respond:

[…] he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

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

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

Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

John 11: 11 – 16, NIV.

They also comment:

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

John 11: 8, NIV.

It’s easy to laugh at the disciples! They think Jesus is talking about sleep instead of death, they worry about Jesus getting stoned and then agree to go and die with Lazarus. 

But quite simply: They did not know what Jesus was going to do next. 

They didn’t realize that Jesus was going to wait until his friend was stinking dead and then raise him to life. They didn’t realise that this would cause an immediate crowd of mourners to believe in the one true God. They didn’t realise that Jews would then travel to see the risen Lazarus and also come to know Jesus. 

Lazarus’ death and resurrection caused people to follow Jesus. It started a mini-revival among Jewish citizens.

Yet, at the start of the story, Jesus’ disciples were totally unaware of what would happen. They were unsure of where Jesus was about to take them and what He was about to show them. 

They tried to figure it out. Thomas thinks they are heading towards their death. Others try to convince Jesus that sleep will heal Lazarus! 

I look at these guys and I see so much of myself in how I deal with the unknown. 

Maybe you are great at dealing with the unknown? 

I am not!

I like knowing what is going to happen.

Right now, there is so much change going on in my life and, in the midst of uncertainty, my mind often tries to predict what Jesus will do.

I mentally imagine all of the possible scenarios and assume God will be there in them. It’s like I am deciding on a set of scenarios and I just want God to pick one.

But here is what I feel God saying to us today: Allow Jesus to show you something you’ve never seen before. Something that will ignite wonder within you. Something that will cause those around you to detect the presence of God in your life. 

Here’s the thing: Jesus’ disciples were so incredibly, wonderfully naive.

And I feel like Jesus is wanting you and I to just be naive. Don’t try and work it out. Don’t try and second guess what might happen.

Through naivety we can access wonder. 

Sure, naivety can also result in pain. I am not asking us to be unwise and I don’t think God is either. 

But I do think He’s wanting to do things in our lives that are simply impossible without Him. And I do think that requires an element of innocence. 

Picture a little child marveling as wonder unfolds around them. I think of my kids when they wow at butterflies fluttering, as we walk along a leafy path. They just receive wonder and ask the most beautifully naive questions as we travel to the park. 

I feel like that’s how God wants me to be. To let Him lead, let Him show me the wonder. Be completely naive as He does something completely different and unexpected.

He doesn’t need me to work it all out. He doesn’t need me to create a bunch of neat options for Him to choose from.

He does want me to let go of my expectations. He does want me to trust Him. 

He wants me to wonder. To marvel and rejoice as He leads me to a wow-healing moment, which will subsequently cause others to notice Jesus.

It’s one thing to say you want your friends and family to come to know Jesus, but it is an entirely other thing to allow Jesus to do whatever healing He wants in you, knowing that His miraculous presence in your life will cause other people to desire a relationship with Him.

What I am trying to get at is: What if He’s about to do something so awesome in your life that it literally causes others to think – “That must have been God”? 

I always thought that Lazarus’ testimony ended when he was raised to life. But the end of the story, recorded in the book of John, stopped me in my tracks… People decide to try and kill the was-dead guy, because his healing causes crowds and crowds of people to put their trust in Jesus:

Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

John 12: 9 – 11, NIV.

Here’s where I often stumble: I look at the things that could go wrong. I consider the rejection I might face, I get annoyed about people that will possibly think I am bonkers. I think about the potential suffering I might face. 

But, I don’t think Lazarus was worried about the people trying to kill Him, do you?

I mean, Lazarus was so sick that he died four days and then he was raised to not only life but full and well life. He was properly healed! After that, crowds of people came to know Jesus. People came to find Lazarus and, when they saw him healthy, they pursued a relationship with his healer – Jesus.

I think we can assume Lazarus was confident in Jesus’ power after living this incredible miracle!

So, in response, here’s what I think you and I shouldn’t do:

1.Stop trying to figure it all out.

2.Don’t get trapped by all the could-go-wrongs.

And here is what I think we should do:

1.Wonder.

2.Just wonder what He might be up to.

Ponder. Naively follow. Be innocent and open to whatever joy Jesus is about to reveal to you. 

Now is not the time to try and figure it out. Now is the time to expect something even greater than the Lazarus experience.