Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40 ESV)
The story of Jesus raising Lazarus is one of the most precious narratives in the gospel records. In this powerful display of Christ’s miracles, Jesus identifies himself as The Resurrection and The Life, promising eternal life to all who believe in him.
We can focus on various aspects of this account, from the sisters of Lazarus wrestling with their faith, to Jesus weeping at the tomb – but this Sunday, we’ll focus on Jesus’ claim that this miracle was done in order to manifest the glory of God.
In the beginning of this narrative, John tells us about Jesus’ response to the report of Lazarus’ illness: “But when Jesus heard it he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’” (John 11:4). In this Sunday’s portion of the text, Jesus brings it all back to the glory of God (v40).
What does Jesus’ resurrection power have to do with the glory of God?
First, we need to establish what Jesus means here by God’s glory. He is not necessarily saying that the reason for the miracle would be that God would receive glory. Of course God does receive glory by consequence, but Jesus here is saying something distinct: Witnesses of what he’s about to do will see the glory of God.
This signifies that something will be seen that is, in some sense, concealed.
AW Pink defines God’s glory as, “The revelation of his excellencies . . . the visible display of his invisible perfections.”
That is, God is always glorious. He doesn’t achieve glory like man does, on His finest day, only to lose it the next day. Christ, God himself, is eternally glorious. While in His incarnation he concealed His glory, He never ceases to be glorious. Thus, Jesus is saying – “Watch this! When you see this, you will get a glimpse of my glory, a glimpse of who I really am!” He is pulling back the curtain.
The purpose of the miracle of raising Lazarus is that all who witnessed this event – both those in person and those of us who read about it today – would get a glimpse of the glory of God! Through this, we would know that Jesus is truly who he says He is: The Resurrection and The Life, and by believing in Him, though we die, yet shall we live.
As we come to this familiar climactic conclusion, may our hearts be pulled into the direction of God’s glory, and not the temporary, fleeting glory of this world, and in so doing, be once again captivated by the beauty of Christ’s perfections as we long for the day when we will see Him in full glory and splendor.