约翰福音［第11章］
[我们的信心停在哪里了？]

1. 耶稣似乎“迟到” ？（V1–6）

马大与马利亚因兄弟拉撒路病重而紧急派人去通知耶稣，但耶稣却“刻意”延迟两天才动身，因为祂知道这病不至于死，而是为了神的荣耀。人人都认为耶稣应该马上动工，但祂按的是 天父的时间表，按天父的旨意而非只一味跟随人的需求。

2. 别跟错了焦点！（V7–16）

耶稣终于说“我们再往犹太去吧”，门徒困惑，也怕被石头打，对拉撒路的“睡了”误解成休息，直到耶稣明说他“死了”。” 门徒怕危险、怕不理解，信心卡在了“合理判断”，而不是“属灵判断”。

二、信心别困在「你若早到」的遗憾中（约11:17–37）

1. 马大的信心有限 (V17-27)

马大迎接耶稣的第一句话是：“主啊，你若早在这里，我兄弟必不死。” 这句话不是不信，而 是「只信到这个地步」。她信耶稣能医治病人，但她没有想过耶稣能叫死人复活。她甚至对耶稣说：“我知道末日复活的时候，他必复活。” 但耶稣马上回应她说：“复活在我，生命也在我；信我的人虽然死了，也必复活。”

2. 马利亚也有同样的“你若早到”(V28-32)

马利亚到了耶稣那里，也俯伏在祂脚前说：“主啊，你若早在这里，我兄弟必不死。”显出大 家的信心已经“定型”。我们常信神能医治，却不信祂能翻转绝境

3.耶稣为众人的不信而哭 (V33-37)

耶稣看见马利亚哭，看见跟来的犹太人也哭，“就心里悲叹，又甚忧愁。” 接着“耶稣哭了。”这群人看见过耶稣的神迹，但当真的问题来了，他们的信心完全崩溃。甚至有人质疑：“祂既然开了瞎子的眼，不能叫这人不死吗？”

三、信心的突破在「挪开石头」那一刻（约11:38–44）

1. 挪开己意，相信神应许（V38–40）

耶稣走到坟墓前，对他们说：“你们把石头挪开。” 而马大怎么回应？她说：“主啊，他现在必是臭了，因他死了已经四天了。”前面马大还说“我信你是基督”，现在却马上用“已经臭了”来挡住神的工作。这就是我们的矛盾：我们口头说信，却被现实的“臭味”吓退。

2. 挪开自我，看见神荣耀（V41–44）

石头被挪开之后，耶稣举目祷告。接着，耶稣大声呼喊：“拉撒路，出来！” 一个已经四天的死人，从坟墓中走了出来！这一刻不只是拉撒路出来了，大家的信心也复活了！那原本已经“定案”的事、连石头都封了的事、都能活过来！

四、信心的选择在于人的回应（约11:45–57）

耶稣已经显出祂的能力与荣耀，有人相信了，也有人仍然不相信甚至计划要杀耶稣。神迹不能改变每个人，除非心先愿意相信。即使神迹摆在眼前，若心不转向，仍然无法相信。

总结：让我们把拦住信心的石头挪开，让主的话和能力进入“我们以为不可能”的地方。

John 11
Where Does Our Faith Stop?

1. Jesus seemed to be “late”? (v.1–6)

Martha and Mary urgently sent someone to inform Jesus because their brother Lazarus was seriously ill, but Jesus “deliberately” delayed for two days before leaving because He knew that the illness was not fatal, but for the glory of God. Everyone thought that Jesus should start working immediately, but He followed the Father’s schedule and the Father’s will instead of just following people’s needs.

2. Don’t follow the wrong focus! (v.7–16)

When Jesus finally said, “Let us go back to Judea,” the disciples were confused and afraid of being stoned. They misunderstood Lazarus’s “sleep” as rest until Jesus clearly said that he “died.” The disciples were afraid of danger and misunderstanding, and their faith was stuck in “rational judgment” rather than “spiritual judgment.”

II. Don’t let faith get stuck in the regret of “if only you had arrived earlier” (John 11:17–37)

1. Martha’s limited faith (v.17-27)

The first words Martha said when she greeted Jesus were, “Lord, if you were here earlier, my brother would not have died.” This was not a statement of disbelief, but rather “faith only to this extent.” She believed that Jesus could heal the sick, but she had never thought that Jesus could resurrect the dead. She even said to Jesus, “I know he will be resurrected at the last day of resurrection.” But Jesus immediately responded to her, “Resurrection is in me, and life is also in me. Those who believe in me will be resurrected even though they die.”

2. Mary also had the same thought: “If you had been here earlier” (v.28-32)

When Mary came to Jesus, she also fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here earlier, my brother would not have died.” This shows that everyone’s faith has been “fixed”. We often believe that God can heal, but we do not believe that He can turn desperate situations around.

3. Jesus wept for the crowd’s unbelief (v.33-37)

When Jesus saw Mary weeping and the Jews who followed her weeping, “he groaned in the spirit and was troubled.” Then, “Jesus wept.” These people had seen Jesus’ miracles, but when the real problems came, their faith completely collapsed. Some even questioned: “Since He opened the blind man’s eyes, couldn’t He have saved this man’s life?”

III. The breakthrough of faith is at the moment of “rolling away the stone” (John 11:38–44)

1. Put aside your own will and believe in God’s promise (v.38–40)

Jesus came to the tomb and said to them, “Take away the stone.” How did Martha respond? She said, “Lord, by now he stinks, for he has been dead four days.” Earlier, Martha had said, “I believe that you are the Christ,” but now she immediately used “it stinks” to block God’s work. This is our contradiction: we say we believe, but we are scared away by the “stink” of reality.

2. Remove the Self and See the Glory of God (v.41–44)

After the stone was removed, Jesus lifted up His eyes and prayed. Then, Jesus shouted loudly, "Lazarus, come out!" A man who had been dead for four days walked out of the tomb! At this moment, not only Lazarus came out, but everyone's faith was revived! Things that were originally "decided" and even sealed with stones can come back to life!

IV. The choice of faith depends on one’s response (John 11:45–57)

Jesus has shown His power and glory, and some people believe, while others still do not believe and even plan to kill Jesus. Miracles cannot change everyone unless the heart is willing to believe first. Even if miracles are in front of us, if the heart is not turned, we still cannot believe it.

Conclusion: Let us remove the stone that blocks our faith and allow the Lord’s words and power to enter places that “we thought were impossible.”