John 11
40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
These are the words Jesus speaks when Martha tells him not to move the stone from Lazarus grave because he has been decomposing for four days.
What is the glory of God?
This is what I asked myself when I read the passage.
I have sought the answer to this question as I seek to understand what are His promises for my life and what must I believe.
I quarreled with God for the past year for this verse:
John 14
13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
See, I asked healing in His name for a darling four year old little girl named Kinsley from cancer. Kinsley died in January 6, 2017.
My whole belief system was shattered, even though I was undergoing cancer treatment myself.
Today we had a wonderful church service that shed some light on this question with the story of Palm Sunday.
If you think that the glory of God is prosperity, peaceful times, easy life, and no hardship, how come Jesus said this and a little time later He would be crucified?
Well, the Jews made my same mistake on Palm Sunday.
When Jesus first said we would see the glory of God He had just brought Lazarus back to life. This began a wave of acceptance towards Jesus. Gossip began spreading of the miracle accompanied by rumors arising that He might be the promised Messiah. People started getting excited about this Jesus whom they at first had rejected and scorned as their coming hero who would deliberate them from Roman oppression. This is marked by how He was received that Palm Sunday.
Here came Jesus riding not even a full grown donkey, but a humble colt. And the people gave Him a hero entrance.
Here is how it is narrated in Matthew 21
8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Finally acceptance for Jesus! But why? Because He would fulfill all their expectations.
What were your expectations from walking a "Christian" walk?
What did you expect God would do in your life when you "gave" it to Him?
You would find a good husband or wife?
You would have a good family?
You would raise good children?
You would serve in a good ministry?
You would have a good life?
But... you do remember Jesus said to Martha she would see the glory of God in front of her brother's grave grief-stricken... right?
I immediately knew my cancer journey was to bring Him glory and I would see His glory in that journey, but I couldn't reconcile that truth in the death of a child.
Some things in our journey are hard to reconcile with the glory of God: cancer, disease, war, violence, death. The Jews were suffering from all of these and thought Jesus would deliver them.
And when these expectations where not met, they completely turned on Him and in a matter of days crucified Him on good Friday.
And the story goes: Jesus dies in the cross. Jesus is murdered in the cross. The people shouting "Hosanna" one Sunday are exclaiming "Kill him" next Thursday. And kill Him they do.
BUT!!!!!!
But...
...
Oh, the story doesn't end there.
OH! It doesn't end there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And His glory is seen!
I pray for my pastor friend, Tony, who still suffers greatly from the terrible passing of his 14 year old daughter Giana.
I remember dearly and still online-stalk every video of Kara Tippetts, a great mother and wife who lived fully for God and was taken home from breast cancer at the age of 36.
I pray daily for Kinsley's family and every family stricken with cancer and terminal illnesses.
I was recently diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It turns out it is most common after the cancer treatment of a specific cancer... You guessed right: breast cancer.
This is not the journey I thought God would use to show His glory. But I believe.
Even after all the pain and the ongoing struggle, I believe it.
And more importantly, I see it.
I see it in Kara, Tony, Kinsley.
Don't let your unmet expectations rob you from seeing that glory and turn you into crucifying Jesus.
I quarreled with Him and felt nothing but loneliness and misery. I longed for my Saviour so badly, yet felt so away from Him.
But He is such a loving God.
In the mist of all the hurt, the pain, the heartbreak, the unfairness, the injustice... ALL that is wrong with the world is not strong enough to keep you from His love. And ALL are able to show His glory because that is how great it is.
And the best part of the story:
The story doesn't end there. Not theirs. Not mine. And if you believe, not in yours.
“Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
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