“Jesus said, Take ye away the stone . . .” John 11:39

Their loved one has been dead for four days.  They sent for Jesus while he was just sick, but Jesus spoke without wavering: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby” (John 11:4). Therefore, the Bible tells us He waited and didn’t immediately run to Lazarus’ side.

Now, He has arrived at the place of grief.  Acceptance of the situation has taken over and the loved ones and the people gathered there responded as any would.  Mary and Martha cried.  They mourned.  And much of what they were feeling, they probably couldn’t understand themselves.

The scene was heart-wrenching and troubling and now Jesus asked what seemed to some to be an unreasonable request: “Take ye away the stone.”

Unreasonable? Not in the least.

What Jesus was asking for was permission to gain access to the problem.

There are steps of faith and participation Jesus asks His followers to take. If you remember, back in 2 Chronicles 20:17, the people were told to get battle-ready and go out against the people even though they would not need to fight in that particular battle.  We are responsible for activating our faith in Him by following through on His requests even if it seems irrational or unreasonable.

God does not move according to our timetable.  Nor, does He move in ways that we think are right or not.  In fact, His ways of thinking and His plans are far out of our reach of human understanding (Isaiah 55:8-9).  And when He’s ready to move, we need to be ready to move.

By removing the stone they would not only be giving Jesus access to Lazarus, but they were giving Him access to their faith. When one opens their faith they give Jesus a chance to speak life into that place and do the impossible.

Many of us have areas where we could use a touch from Jesus.  Areas that need life spoken into them.

Stones, or blockades of any kind, act as hindrances to the miracles and moving of our Lord.  Are there stones in the way of you receiving something from Jesus?  Does He have full access to your life and faith?

Earlier, Jesus spoke, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).  Jesus’ objective is and has always been to give life.  Life here, and life for all eternity.  Take away the stones and give Jesus unobstructed access to your life.

Blessings ~

Copyright © Word For Life Says.com articles may not be copied or redistributed without the express written permission of the WordforLifeSays.com.  Sharing any posts or lessons can ONLY be done from the original article to social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc., using their specified buttons. All other “Sharing” and repostings are prohibited. Posts and other items of interest found on this site MAY NOT BE COPIED AND PASTED, downloaded, uploaded, etc to another website or entity not listed (physical or electronic).  See COPYRIGHT PAGE for more details.