Did I Not Tell You? Learning to Trust Jesus When Hope Feels Gone

Have you ever read the Bible story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and thought, “How in the world did Martha and Mary feel in that moment?”

I have read this story many times, and every time I do, something different stands out to me. Sometimes I notice Mary’s tears. Sometimes I notice Martha’s boldness. Sometimes I notice the timing of Jesus. But this time, one sentence jumped off the page and stepped right on my toes.

“Did I not tell you?” Well. That will get your attention.

This story is found in John 11, and it is one of the most fascinating accounts in the Bible. It is a story about sickness, waiting, disappointment, grief, faith, and the glory of God. In other words, it sounds a lot like real life.

When Jesus Doesn’t Come When We Expect Him To

Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha, were personal friends of Jesus. He had spent time in their home. They knew Him. They loved Him. They had seen His power and believed He could heal.

So when Lazarus became sick, I imagine they felt sure Jesus would come quickly. That makes sense, doesn’t it?

If one of your closest friends had the power to heal sickness, and your brother was dying, you would probably expect Him to drop everything and come running. I know I would. I would have been looking down the road every five minutes saying, “Where is He?”

Of course, they did not have cell phones, GPS, text messages, or Life360 to track Jesus’ location. They could not send a message that said, “Lazarus is very sick. Please come ASAP.” Then check to see if He had read it. Lol!

They had to send messengers, and travel took time. Jesus was about a two-day journey away. By the time the messengers found Him, Lazarus may have already been dead.

When Jesus heard the news, He said that the sickness would not end in death, but would be for God’s glory so that God’s Son would be glorified through it.

Then Jesus did something that probably confused everyone. He stayed where He was for two more days.

God’s Timing Can Feel Like a Delay

I wonder what the disciples thought when Jesus did not leave immediately. Maybe they assumed Lazarus would recover since Jesus said the sickness would not end in death. Maybe they were relieved that Jesus was not rushing back into dangerous territory.

But when Jesus was finally ready to go, He told them plainly that Lazarus was dead.

John 11:14-15 (NIV)
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.”

That is a hard sentence to sit with, isn’t it?

Jesus was not glad that Lazarus died. He was not cold or uncaring. He knew what He was about to do, and He knew this miracle would strengthen the faith of everyone who witnessed it.

Still, from Mary and Martha’s side of the story, it looked like Jesus was late.

Haven’t we all felt that way at some point? We pray. We wait. We hope. We wonder why the Lord has not moved yet. We know He is able, but we cannot understand why He has not stepped in.

Waiting on God can be one of the hardest parts of faith.

Martha Believed, But She Was Still Hurting

Before Jesus reached the house, Martha went out to meet Him. I do not know what her tone sounded like, but her words were honest and blunt.

John 11:21-22 (NIV)
²¹ “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

Now, I do not think Martha was trying to be disrespectful. I think she was heartbroken. She knew Jesus could have healed Lazarus. She had faith in His power, but she was grieving the loss of her brother.

That sounds familiar to me.

Sometimes we believe God is good, but we are still hurting. Sometimes we trust His power, but we are still confused by His timing. Sometimes we know all the right Bible verses, but our heart still aches.

Martha even told Jesus that she knew God would give Him whatever He asked. She believed in Him. She trusted Him. But she still could not imagine what He was about to do.

Jesus told her that her brother would rise again, and Martha answered that she knew he would rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

Martha had faith in the future resurrection. She just did not realize Jesus was talking about right then and there.

Sometimes, We Limit God Without Meaning To

I do not want to be too hard on Martha because, truthfully, I would have probably done the same thing.

She knew Jesus could heal the sick. She believed He was the Messiah. She trusted Him. But raising Lazarus after he had been dead for four days? That was beyond what she could imagine.

Isn’t that how we do sometimes?

We believe God can help us, but only in the ways we can picture. We believe He can open doors, but only the ones we already see. We believe He can answer prayers, but we quietly decide which answers are realistic.

Bless our hearts, we try to put the God of the universe in a box small enough for us to understand. That never works, but we keep trying.

Mary also came to Jesus and said almost the same thing Martha had said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Mary was weeping. The people around her were weeping. And then we read one of the shortest, yet most powerful verses in the Bible.

Jesus wept.

Jesus Is Moved By Our Pain

Even though Jesus knew He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, He still wept. That comforts me so much.

Jesus was not distant from their grief. He did not say, “Stop crying, I’m about to fix this.” He entered into their sorrow. He felt their pain. He was moved by their heartbreak. That tells me something important about the heart of Jesus.

He knows the end of the story, but He still cares about what we are feeling in the middle of it. He knows the miracle is coming, but He still meets us in our tears. He knows He has a plan, but He does not dismiss our pain.

That is the kind of Savior we have.

Take Away The Stone

When Jesus arrived at the tomb, He told them to take away the stone.

Now, Martha immediately protested. Lazarus had been dead for four days, and she knew what that meant. This was not a fainting spell. This was not a misunderstanding. Lazarus was dead, wrapped, and sealed in a tomb.

There was no earthly hope left.

Joe told me years ago, and I have no idea if he is right, so do not quote him like he is a biblical historian, that people used to hold wakes in their homes and stay with the body just in case the person “woke” up.

But Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. This was final. Everyone knew it. And that was exactly why God would get the glory.

If Jesus had arrived while Lazarus was still sick, people would have said, “Jesus healed him.” That would have been wonderful, of course. But after four days in a tomb, there was no room for excuses, explanations, or coincidences.

Only God could do this.

Did I Not Tell You?

When Martha objected to the stone being removed, Jesus answered her with the words that stopped me in my tracks.

John 11:40 (NIV)
⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

In John 11:40, Jesus reminded her that if she believed, she would see the glory of God.

Or as my mind heard it, “Did I not tell you?” Whew.

How many times did my parents say something similar to me growing up? “How many times do I have to tell you?” Apparently, more than once, because I was not always what you would call a first-time listener. Lol!

I can almost hear my mom saying, “Tania, did I not tell you to do that already?” And I probably had some very good excuses, none of which helped my case.

But when Jesus said this to Martha, He was not being cruel. He was calling her back to faith. He was reminding her of what He had already said. Believe, and you will see the glory of God.

How Many Times Does Jesus Have To Tell Us?

This is where the story gets personal. I can read about Martha and think, “Jesus was standing right there. Why were you doubting?” Then I look at my own life and realize I do the same thing.

• How many times does Jesus have to tell me not to be afraid before I actually stop living in fear?
• How many times does He have to tell me to love my enemies before I stop replaying what someone said or did?
• How many times does He have to tell me to ask, seek, and knock before I bring my needs to Him first instead of trying to fix everything myself?
• How many times does He have to remind me that He is with me, He has a plan, and He can bring life into places that look completely dead?

It is easy to believe when everything looks hopeful. It is much harder to believe when the stone has been rolled in front of the tomb.

But faith is not only for the days when things look promising. Faith is for the days when hope feels buried.

Jesus Can Still Call Life Out Of Dead Places

Jesus stood outside that tomb and called Lazarus by name. And Lazarus came out.

Can you imagine that moment? The shock. The fear. The joy. The shouting. The tears. The glory of God on full display.

What looked final was not final.
What looked hopeless was not hopeless.
What looked too late was right on time for the glory of God.

That does not mean God always answers our prayers the way we expect. It does not mean every situation turns out as we hoped. But it does mean we can trust Him, even when we do not understand His timing.

Jesus is never confused. He is never late. He is never powerless. He sees what we cannot see.

Trusting Jesus When Hope Feels Gone

I think one of the hardest parts of following Jesus is trusting Him when our eyes tell us the story is over.

Martha saw a tomb.
Jesus saw a testimony.

Martha saw death.
Jesus saw glory.

Martha saw delay.
Jesus saw the perfect moment for God’s power to be revealed.

That is what I want to remember when I am facing something that feels hopeless. I want to remember that Jesus is still Lord over the things I cannot fix, cannot understand, and cannot bring back to life on my own.

The last thing I want to hear when I meet Jesus is, “Did I not tell you?”

Did I not tell you not to fear?
Did I not tell you I would never leave you?
Did I not tell you to trust Me?
Did I not tell you that with God, all things are possible?

I want to believe Him the first time.

And when I struggle, because I will, I want to bring my doubts to Him instead of running from Him. Martha was honest with Jesus, and He met her there. He did not shame her. He strengthened her faith.

That gives me hope.

To GOD Goes The Glory!

Have A Blessed Day!

Let’s End With A Prayer

Lord, thank You for being patient with us when our faith feels small. Thank You for caring about our pain, even when You already know the end of the story. Help us trust You when Your timing does not make sense and when hope feels buried behind a stone. Remind us that You are still able, still present, and still working for Your glory. Strengthen our faith so that we believe what You have already told us.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.