John 11: 1-4 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Well…he in fact did die. And there was a sad and frustrating funeral for this brother of Mary and Martha…and this good friend of Jesus.
Can you imagine how the sisters must have felt as they heard story after story as Jesus and the twelve passed through, stopping in Bethany for food and shelter on their ministry journey?
How often in astonishment, first-hand accounts were given of the life changing miracles that Jesus performed, authenticating that the Son of God was now with people. How exciting those stories must have been and how close they all must have grown together.
I would imagine that there was a healthy assumption that in their time of need, (their dear brother Lazarus was very sick) they would ask and Jesus would minister healing, right?
Jesus prophesied and spoke exactly what would happen. He said the sickness does not lead to death, He didn’t say that it wouldn’t go through death to get there, though. (Psalm 23:4)
And then we have on record one of the most amazing miracles that Jesus performed up to this point in time in His ministry. Jesus calls out Lazarus from the dead. His voice and authority are so strong that he calls a person from heaven, back to earth – and He restores a rotting body to complete health.
One of my favorite aspects of this story.
John 11:43-44 …he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
Jesus calls the man back to life. He could have made all the wrappings of death fall off the man, but he decided instead to have those around Lazarus untie the bound man.
Two things:
- Even though He was given life, he was bound.
Some people believe that the end game for a person is salvation. It is almost as if they think, “All I need to do is get this person saved.” Or maybe, “One day I will get saved and then I will be fine.”
We can make a mistake in believing that salvation is an end, when God means for it to be a beginning. In order to live and breathe, Lazarus had to be helped. Lazarus had to be unwrapped.
We are all wrapped in some sort of death cloth.
- Others around Lazarus had to touch his unclean body in order to help him.
That’s right, when Jesus asked those around to unwrap Lazarus, they had to touch death. I wonder what kind of theological gymnastics they went through rationalizing touching this man.
“Ok, he was dead but now he is alive, so am I touching death cloth or alive cloth? Am I in trouble with the law or not?”
Every person who has been saved has death cloth, and the way that God has designed His church, we are to touch those dead things and help unwrap people from them. I can imagine Jesus encouraging those around Lazarus, “It’s alright, go ahead, I’m right here, go on, do it.”
I can also imagine Mary and Martha with great love and excitement in the front of the pack pealing back the clothes to see their very much alive brother.
How excited are you in helping others grow in their faith? That’s what we do, the church that is, this is our calling.
Father, thank You for Your will. Thank You for the life-giving power of Jesus, Your Son. I also thank You for the involvement that we have in peeling back death cloth from those who are bound. Help us to have the love that Mary and Martha had, wanting desperately and lovingly to see their brother fully alive.
Blessings,
Pastor D
