In this expositional sermon on John 11:1–16, Pastor Kellen Hiroto explores the opening scene of the seventh and climactic sign in the Gospel of John: the resurrection of Lazarus. When Jesus receives word that His dear friend Lazarus is sick, He responds in a way that defies human expectations by staying two days longer where He was.

Why would Christ wait when those He loved were suffering? This sermon walks through three key scenes in John 11:1–16 that reveal the sovereign power and perfect love of Jesus Christ:

1. A Purposeful Delay & God's Glory (John 11:1–6): Discover how God’s glory takes priority over human comfort, and why Jesus’s delay was an act of perfecting love rather than pampering love.
2. A Divine Timeline (John 11:7–10): Learn how Jesus operated on a Father-ordained timeline that no threat or circumstance could disrupt.
3. The Foreshadowed Resurrection (John 11:11–16): See how Christ allowed loss and grief so His disciples’ faith might be deepened and grounded in His resurrection power.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding trials through a God-centered worldview and a God-glorifying life.
• Refuting the prosperity gospel by recognizing that God's primary goal for believers is conforming us to Christ’s image, not worldly ease.
• Reading life's circumstances through the lens of Jesus’s love, rather than measuring His love by our circumstances.
• How sovereign truth reshapes our prayer life during times of affliction.

Scripture References: John 11:1–16, Luke 10, Psalm 139:16, 1 Peter 1:3–7.

• 00:00 – Introduction: The Climactic Seventh Sign in John
• 02:15 – Scene 1: The News of Lazarus & A Purposeful Delay (John 11:1–6)
• 08:30 – Three Principles for Understanding God's Glory in Suffering
• 13:45 – Perfecting Love vs. Pampering Love
• 18:10 – Scene 2: Jesus on a Divine Timeline (John 11:7–10)
• 23:15 – The Comfort of God's Sovereignty Over Our Days
• 24:40 – Scene 3: "So That You May Believe" (John 11:11–16)
• 28:50 – Thomas the Twin: Courage in the Face of Peril
• 31:20 – Application 1: Why the Passage Explodes Prosperity Theology
• 33:15 – Application 2: Viewing Life Through the Lens of Christ's Love
• 35:00 – Application 3: How Sovereignty Transforms Our Prayers
• 37:10 – Closing Prayer