“Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” ~Jesus

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Glory, Jesus, Jesus Sayings, John, John 11, John 11:40, Miracle, Summary

Miracles Happen

When I see miracles, I am seeing the glory of God. It happens when I believe. First comes the belief, then the glory of God in a miracle.

In this passage, Martha was doubting that Jesus could raise her brother Lazarus from the dead. Of course, we know how the story ended. She did not. She was at the front end of the miracle. It was hard to believe that Jesus could / would raise Lazarus from the dead.

There are lots of days that I am standing on the front end of the miracle. My job is to believe Jesus. When I do, I see His glory.

May I believe Jesus. May I see His glory.

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. ³⁹ Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” ⁴⁰ Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” ⁴³ When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” ⁴⁴ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” ^[1]

John 11:38-44

What does this verse mean for us today? I think it means that we need to trust in Jesus and his power over death and sin. We need to believe that he can do anything, even raise the dead. We need to believe that he has a purpose and a plan for our lives, even when we face trials and troubles. We need to believe that he loves us and wants us to experience his glory.

When we believe in Jesus, we will see the glory of God. We will see his grace and mercy in our lives. We will see his beauty and majesty in creation. We will see his wisdom and truth in his word. We will see his presence and power in his church. We will see his love and joy in our hearts.

• Do you believe in Jesus?
• Do you want to see the glory of God?

Then take him at his word, and trust him with your life. He will not disappoint you. He will show you great and wonderful things that you have never seen before. He will make you a witness of his glory to others.

Remember what Jesus said: “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

The Key Ideas:

• The words of Jesus in John 11:40 are a reminder of the power of faith. He said to Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” He then raised Lazarus from the dead, showing God’s glory to all who witnessed it.
• In John 11:40, Jesus challenged Martha to believe in him and his ability to do miracles. He asked her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” He then demonstrated his authority over death by bringing Lazarus back to life.
• Jesus spoke to Martha in John 11:40 before performing one of his most amazing signs. He said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” He then called Lazarus out of the tomb, revealing God’s glory and his own identity as the resurrection and the life.

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 11:38–44.