You will see the glory of God

John 11:40 - Believing leads to seeing!

Jul 24, 2025

Image generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) using the DALL·E model.

“Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?””
‭‭John‬ ‭11‬:‭40‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus is talking to Martha, the sister of Lazarus. Those who are familiar with this recounting of the raising of Lazarus from the dead know that act infuriated the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious elite. At least the Pharisees (a subset of the Sanhedrin) believed in the possibility of resurrection; the Sadducees rejected that idea, so the fact that Lazarus was alive again was enough to set the plot to kill Jesus in motion.

Martha was perplexed by what Jesus was doing. He had brought Martha and Mary (the sisters of Lazarus), the disciples, and a crowd of onlookers to the grave of Lazarus, then asked for the stone closing the opening to the cave where he was buried to be removed. In John 11:39, the ever-practical Martha remarks to Jesus ““But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.””

‭‭Earlier, Jesus had explained to Martha that Lazarus would rise again… but she thought the Lord was referring to the ultimate resurrection. It never occurred to Martha that Jesus was talking about bringing her brother back to life now, hence her rather callous comment about the body of Lazarus creating “a bad odor”. Here are the verses in which Jesus lovingly corrects Martha’s misconception about the timing of her brother’s resurrection:

““Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.””
John‬ ‭11‬:‭21‬-‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As the stone is being removed, Jesus speaks today’s verse, gives thanks to the Father for what He has accomplished, and calls for Lazarus to come out. Can you imagine the emotions of the crowd as Lazarus walks out of the grave, wrapped from head to toe in strips of linen? For Martha, those emotions were joy, wonder, and overwhelming love for Jesus. The disciples, who knew Lazarus, were

Perhaps the best commentary I found on this single verse comes from Chris Tiegreen’s “The One Year at His Feet Devotional1”, as quoted on Precept Austin.

“Faith expects from God what is beyond all expectation.” —Andrew Murray
IN WORD One of the foundational dynamics of the kingdom of God is this principle: faith, then sight. How often we try to reverse the order! Our natural inclination—and probably that of Martha in this passage, as she mourns the death of her brother Lazarus—is to say we’ll believe when we see the glory of God. But throughout Jesus’ ministry, He is emphatic that we have it backward. We’ll see the glory of God when we believe. It’s the way of the flesh that says, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Jesus says, “You’ll see it when you believe it.” It’s one of the hardest principles for Christians to grasp. The work of almighty, sovereign God is often actually dependent on the level of our faith. It isn’t that we limit Him; it’s that He has limited Himself. His modus operandi in this world is to act in response to faith: the prayers of faith, the obedience of faith, the attitude of faith. As incredible as it seems, the biblical witness is that our belief prompts His intervention. And without belief, He often does not intervene.
IN DEED Do you find yourself in a difficult situation? Believe God, and you will see His glory. That doesn’t mean that we lay out a plan of action for Him and then complain when He meets our needs another way. Faith does not dictate God’s method of intervention. But it certainly invites His act of intervention—in His way and in His time. This will mean believing that God has specifically allowed your crisis in the first place. Jesus let Lazarus die— on purpose! He said His friend’s sickness was for the glory of God to be revealed (v. 4), and He intentionally stayed where He was for two days after hearing of Lazarus’ illness (v. 6). When a crisis comes, do we complain that God was not watching over us, or do we watch for His glory? Our inward response might have more impact than we think. Jesus is clear: “If you believed, you would see the glory of God.”

David Guzik on Enduring Word puts it much more succinctly:

Jesus was fully capable of this miracle without the faith of Martha or Mary. But if they would not believe, then they would never see the glory of God. They could see the end result and be happy in that, but they would miss the glory of working together with God in the fulfillment of His plan.

And from BibleHub:

Jesus emphasizes that belief is the prerequisite to witnessing God's glory. In our lives, faith often requires trusting in God's promises before we see their fulfillment.

Believing leads to seeing!

Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:

Today’s prayer comes from Prayerz.org:

Dear Lord Jesus, I come before you today claiming the promise that you spoke to Martha. I believe in you and I trust in your word that if I believe, I will see God’s glory. I pray that you will open my eyes to see your glory in every aspect of my life. Help me to trust in you and to have faith that you will work all things together for my good. Thank you for your love and grace that never fails. In your precious name, I pray. Amen.

BibleHub was accessed on July 22, 2025 for commentary on John 11:40

Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author.

Precept Austin was accessed on July 22, 2025 for commentary on John 11:40

Tiegreen, Chris (2011). The One Year at His Feet Devotional (1st ed.). Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers. ISBN 1414311508.