Lazarus, come out!

Most of us know the story: Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. It was a tremendous miracle that showed that Jesus has the power to raise us from the dead, too. But the story contains even more and John includes some details that may have a deeper meaning for us today. I pray that if I share some of my thoughts with you, I'm not doing history wrong.

Notice the way John tells this story: Lazarus wasn't just any inhabitant of Judea—he was the brother of Martha and Mary, the Mary who loved Jesus so much that she poured precious anointing oil on his feet. The sisters summoned Jesus: "Lord, behold, the one you love is sick." (John 11,1-3). This sounds like a cry for help to me, but Jesus didn't come.

A deliberate delay

Do you sometimes feel like the Lord is delaying His answer? It certainly felt like this to Mary and Martha, but the delay doesn't mean that Jesus doesn't like us. Rather, it means that he has a different plan in mind because he can see something we cannot. It turns out that by the time the messengers reached Jesus, Lazarus was already dead. Nonetheless, Jesus said that this disease would not end in death. Was he wrong? No, because Jesus could see beyond death and in this case he knew that death would not be the end of the story. He knew the purpose was to glorify God and his Son (v. 4). Even so, he made his disciples think that Lazarus would not die. There is a lesson here for us too, because we don't always understand what Jesus really means.

Two days later, Jesus surprised his disciples by suggesting that they go back to Judea. They did not understand why Jesus wanted to return to the danger zone, so Jesus replied with an enigmatic comment about walking in the light and the coming of darkness (vv. 9-10). Then he told them that he had to go to raise Lazarus.

The disciples were apparently used to the mysterious nature of some of Jesus' remarks, and they found a detour to get more information. They pointed out that the literal meaning makes no sense. If he sleeps, then he will wake up by himself, so why risk our lives by going there?

Jesus declared, "Lazarus is dead" (verse 14). But he also said, "I'm glad I wasn't there." Why? "So that you may believe" (v. 15). Jesus would perform a miracle more amazing than if he had only prevented the death of a sick man. But the miracle wasn't just bringing Lazarus back to life—it was also that Jesus had knowledge of what was happening some 30 kilometers away and what was about to happen to him in the near future.

He had light that they could not see - and this light revealed to him his own death in Judea - and his own resurrection. He was in complete control of the events. He could have prevented the capture if he had wanted it; he could have stopped the trial in one word, but he did not. He decided to do what he had come to earth for.

The man who gave life to the dead would also give his own life to the people, because he had the power over death, even over his own death. He came to this earth as a mortal man to die, and what at first glance looked like a tragedy was in reality for our salvation. I do not want to claim that any tragedy that happens is in fact planned or good by God, but I believe that God is able to bring good from evil and he sees the reality that we can not.

He looks beyond death and masters the events no less today than then - but it is often as invisible to us as it was to the disciples in John 11. We just can not see the big picture and sometimes we stumble in the dark. We need to trust God to do things in the way he thinks best. Sometimes we may experience how things work for the better, but often we just have to take him to the floor.

Jesus and his disciples went to Bethany and learned that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days. The eulogies had been delivered and the funeral was long over - and finally the doctor comes by! Martha said, perhaps with a little desperation and hurt, "Lord, had you been here, my brother would not have died" (verse 21). We called you a few days ago and if you had come then, Lazarus would still be alive. But Martha had a glimmer of hope - a little light: "But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, we God will give you" (v. 22). Perhaps she thought it would be a bit too bold to ask for a resurrection, but she is hinting. "Lazarus will live again," Jesus said, and Martha replied, "I know he will rise again" (but I was hoping for something a little sooner). Jesus said, "That's good, but did you know that I am the resurrection and the life? If you believe in me, they will never die. Do you believe that?” Martha then said in one of the most outstanding statements of faith in all of the Bible, “Yes, I believe that. You are the Son of God” (verse 27).

Life and resurrection can only be found in Christ - but can we believe what Jesus said today? Do we really believe that "whoever lives and believes in me will never die?" I wish we all could understand this better, but I know for sure that in the resurrection we will receive a life that will never end.

In this age we all die, as does Lazarus, and Jesus will "have to raise us up." We die, but that's not the end of the story for us, just like it wasn't the end of the story of Lazarus. Martha went to get Mary, and Mary came to Jesus weeping. Jesus wept too. Why did he weep when he already knew that Lazarus would live again? Why did John write this when John knew joy was "just around the corner"? I don't know - I don't always know why I cry, even on happy occasions.

But I believe the statement is that it is okay to cry at a funeral even though we know that person will be raised to immortal life. Jesus promised that we would never die and yet death still exists.

He is still an enemy, death is still something in this world that is not what it will be in eternity. Even though eternal joy is "just around the corner," we sometimes have times of deep sadness, even though Jesus loves us. When we weep, Jesus weeps with us. He can see our sadness in this age just as He can see the joys of the future.

"Take away the stone," Jesus said, and Mary countered, "There will be a stench, for he has been dead for four days."

Is there anything in your life that stinks that we don't want Jesus to expose "by rolling away the stone?" There is probably something like that in everyone's life that we would rather keep hidden , but sometimes Jesus has other plans, because he knows things that we don't know and we just have to trust him. So they rolled away the stone and Jesus prayed and then cried out, "Lazarus, come out!" "And the dead came out," John tells us - but he wasn't actually dead. He was bound like a dead man with shrouds, but he went. "Unbind him," said Jesus, "and let him go" (vv. 43-44).

Jesus' call also goes to the spiritually dead today and some of them hear his voice and come out of their graves - they come out of the stench, they come out of the selfish mindset that leads to death. And what do you need? They need someone to help them get rid of their gravevine, get rid of the old ways of thinking that are so easy on us. This is one of the tasks of the church. We help people move the stone away, even though it may stink, and we help people who respond to Jesus' call.

Do you hear Jesus' call to come to Him? It's time to get out of your "grave". Do you know someone who calls Jesus? It's time to help them move their stone away. That's something worth pondering.

by Joseph Tkach


pdfLazarus, come out!