Tuesday 23rd July
Read John 11:41-42
“So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’” (NIVUK)
The dramatic tension is palpable at this point. The stone has been taken away, what will happen next? The obvious next step is for Jesus to perform the miracle. Maybe walk in and bring Lazarus out. But Jesus pauses and prays. He pauses and prays very deliberately so that the people all around can hear.
He does this to drive home the most important lesson of all, miracle or not. That lesson is that Jesus is the One sent by the Father. He demonstrates this by pointing out that the glory goes always and ever to God. Jesus’ greatness is not something he has manufactured from within Himself. He does not seek to make His own name great. He is always pointing to the Father.
How much of what we do points others to God? We may not perform the kinds of miracles Jesus was called upon by His Father to perform. Raising the dead is a rather high bar. But we are called upon to perform many things for God, each and every day. Do we undertake them in such a way that glory goes to Him rather than us?
