John 11:4 “When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”
“When Jesus heard that” Lazarus was sick (John 11:3), He summarily tells us that those events that would occur in Bethany were providentially set to declare “the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby”. We now know that Lazarus did indeed die; but, his “sickness” was “not unto death”; that is, the ultimate purpose of his sickness was not to cause his “death”, but to Glorify God. The “glory of God” was on full display when our Lord raised Lazarus to life again for all to see. The demonstrated “glory of God” is integral to our belief. John tells us that the Lord’s miracles facilitated belief “on him” (John 2:11); that is, believing that He is entirely Omnipotent, has power over all things including “death” itself: “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.” (John 2:11). Even down to this very moment, by the implanted “substance” and “evidence” of our God-given “faith” (Hebrews 11:1; 12:2) we read of these things and tremble at the sights of “the glory of God”. These magnificent scenes compel us to our knees, where we worshipfully declare, “Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods” (Exodus 18:11) and “I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God” (John 11:27). The Psalmist worshipfully proclaimed, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.” (Psalms 139:6)! If we can, with the blessed eyes of “faith” see this “manifested” “glory of God”, “O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. … 6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” (Psalms 95:1-6).