The Reason We Hope | When God Goes Dark
Joe Casiglia   -   February 20, 2023

Today’s Worship
You Hold It All Together
Such a Awesome God
Jesus We Love You
By the Blood of Jesus & You Came

When God Goes Dark: “The Reason We Hope”
Why wouldn’t ‘a GOOD God do something about…?
At the center of the GOSPEL, we discover that the WORST possible THING happened to the BEST possible PERSON.
John 11:1-45 
v.1 “Now a man named Lazarus was SICK.…”
v.4 “When He heard this Jesus said, This sickness will not end in DEATH. No, it is for God’s GLORY so that, God’s SON may be glorified through IT.”
v.5 “John tells us, Jesus LOVED Martha and her sister and Lazarus.”
v.6 “So when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, he STAYED where He was for TWO more days.
v.9 “Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours of DAYLIGHT…?
            Jesus is talking about OPPORTUNITY.
v.15 “And for YOUR SAKE, I’m GLAD I was not there SO THAT, you may BELIEVE.”
Our belief in Jesus is so important to Jesus He CREATED this MOMENT so that 2,000 years later you and I could carry HOPE into our futures.
v.22 “But I KNOW that even now, God will give YOU whatever You ASK.”
v.25 “Jesus said to her, I AM the RESURRECTION and the LIFE. Anyone who believes in Me will LIVE, even though they DIE; and whoever lives and BELIEVES IN me will never die. Do YOU believe this?”
v. 33 “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, He was DEEPLY MOVED in spirit and TROUBLED.
Even though Jesus knew exactly how this event would end, we see something in Jesus so that we can understand the HEART of our Heavenly Father:
v.38 “Jesus, once more DEEPLY MOVED, came to the tomb”…Jesus is ANGRY.
v.40 “Then Jesus said, Did I not tell you that if you BELIEVED you would SEE the GLORY of God?”
v.45 “Therefore, many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their FAITH in JESUS.”
“If you BELIEVE, you will SEE the GLORY of God.” John 11:40