The Problem of Belief

You remember the story (John 11). Jesus and His disciples were informed of Lazarus's illness. Jesus didn't go. When He heard Lazarus was ill, "He stayed two days longer" (John 11:6). And Lazarus died. So they went to see him. Well, there is the whole sad exchange with Martha. "If You had been here, he would not have died." "Your brother will rise again." "I know, in the resurrection." "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:21-25). Martha didn't believe. So the sisters took Him to where Lazarus was buried and Jesus raised him from the dead (John 11:38-44). He walked right out of the grave, four days dead and all bound in burial wraps. Right in front of everyone.

Some believed (John 11:45), but some of the eyewitnesses tattled to the Pharisees (John 11:46). As a result, the council planned to kill Jesus and Lazarus (John 12:9-11). Now, I ask you. How does that make any sense? We're not talking about a speech, a teaching, a matter of interpretation, an opinion, or an idea. We're talking about a bone fide miracle acted out in the plain presence of hostile witnesses so glaringly clear that it could not have been interpreted as anything but a miracle. And what miracle? An actual resurrection of a dead man. Not in secret; right out in the open. And these witnesses and those they told about what they saw planned to kill ... the miracle and the miracle worker. How does that make any sense?

We think that this should be fairly straightforward. Give them the good news. Tell them the necessary Bible verses. Maybe the Four Spiritual Laws or the Romans Road or whatever 12-step program is currently in vogue. If you do it right -- you hit all the right points with the right feeling and the right conviction and maybe even the right heart -- people will believe. How could they not? So you'd think. But the story of Lazarus argues to the contrary.

A few takeaways, then. 1) A failure of your audience to respond as you'd hoped is not a reflection on you, your skills, your presentation, or your heart. Jesus executed the perfect resurrection and many of the witnesses did not believe. 2) It's harder to believe than not to. For fallen humans -- blinded by Satan, operating with a deceitful heart, hostile to God, dead in sin -- coming to faith makes no sense. The father of lies makes it hard. The cross is an offense (1 Cor 1:18). Faith and repentance come hard to unbelievers. 3) Given that it is not a matter of lack of evidence or poor presentation (The story of Lazarus offered both perfectly and you saw the results.) and the fact that Natural Man is naturally opposed to faith, we can rest with confidence in the One who has sent us to share the gospel. He will produce the results He intends. In that He cannot fail. The problem of belief is one that He can overcome at will. We get to be part of that by making disciples.