Where Were You, Jesus? Mary and Martha on Grief and Faith

Hey, carpool crew. It's Pastor Justin, and maybe you're heading to school, grabbing breakfast, or just hanging out at home. I'm so glad you're here. Today's episode is about a moment when someone looked at Jesus and basically said, where were you? See, that's a tough question, but a real one. Here's what happened. Jesus had a close friend named Lazarus. He also knew Lazarus's sisters, Mary and Martha. They were like family. But one day Lazarus got really sick, so Mary and Martha sent a message to Jesus: Lord, the one you love is sick. That's from John chapter 11, verse three. But Jesus didn't come right away, and before he arrived, Lazarus died. When Jesus finally got there, Martha ran to meet him. And she said something so honest: Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn't have died. That's from John chapter 11, verse 21. Later, Mary said the exact same thing in verse 32. Lord, if you had been here, my brother wouldn't have died. In other words, Jesus, where were you? Why didn't you come sooner? Couldn't you have stopped this? That's not just sadness, that's grief. That's faith in Jesus, and that's a real life response. Here's the one thing for the ride I want you to remember. Jesus cares when we're hurting, even when we don't understand what he's doing. See, the Bible says, when Jesus saw Mary crying and others with her, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled. That's from John chapter 11, verse 33. And then just a few verses later, the shortest verse in the Bible, John chapter 11, verse 35: Jesus wept. He didn't get mad at their questions. He didn't say, don't cry. He cried with them. Jesus felt what they felt because he loved them so much, and he loves you too. Let me tell you about Ryan. Ryan's dog got really sick and had to be put down. He prayed and prayed that God would heal his dog, but it just didn't happen. He was so sad, and honestly, he was kind of mad at God. One night Ryan said to his mom, why didn't Jesus fix this? Doesn't he care? And you know what? That's a real question, just like Mary and Martha asked. And Jesus didn't push them away, he drew them closer. Here's what I want you to remember today. It's okay to cry. It's okay not to understand. It's even okay to ask Jesus, where were you? Because Jesus never stops loving us, and even in the hardest moments, he's right there comforting, listening, and sometimes even crying with us. And guess what happens next in the story? Jesus went to the tomb. He raised Lazarus from the dead. Even when it looked too late, Jesus had a plan. Sometimes we don't see it right away, but he's always working for us and for those who love and follow him. So don't forget, no matter what you're going through, you can be honest with Jesus. You can go directly to him and share with him how you are feeling. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. Parents, if you loved this episode, share it with some of your parent friends so they can tune in too. Before you go, answer this question together: have you ever wondered where Jesus was during a hard time? What would you have said to him? I'll see you tomorrow. I'm carpooling with Jesus.