Riverside Church, Birmingham, Uk

Title: If You Had Been Here By: Nathanael Ballew Bible Reading: Book of John (Chapter 11, verses 17-36) Recorded: Sunday 17/05/2020 (Online Service) Longing For Hope: If You Had Been Here In amongst many stories of hope during this crisis, some of the most powerful reports have been about sacrifice on behalf of others. From the NHS staff risking their lives for strangers, to selfless victims giving up ventilators for others there have been beautiful moments of redemption. They have reminded us about the collective power of giving to others. And that’s why this encounter initially seems so jarring. Verse 6 confuses us. We’re told that Jesus cares about Lazarus (v5) and then he seems not to do anything about it as he simply stays where he is for a couple of days. And yet, as the story progresses we are given a more moving and life-changing portrait of Jesus than we had ever imagined. As Jesus does an incredible miracle by bringing Lazarus back to life, we are given two snapshots of Jesus. Each snapshot