"Loose him, and let him go."
John 11:44
These were the words of Jesus after raising his friend Lazarus from the tomb he'd been buried in...
John 11:44
These were the words of Jesus after raising his friend Lazarus from the tomb he'd been buried in...
Lazarus had died while Jesus was traveling. His sisters were grief stricken at the loss of their brother.
Mary, one of Lazarus' sisters, lamented, "Lord, if you had only been here, my brother would not have died." But to show them and the townspeople that He even has power over death, Jesus ordered the heavy stone which sealed Lazarus' body in the tomb, to be rolled away. He then commanded His dead friend to arise. And he did!
Alive again, Lazarus hobbled out of the tomb, still wrapped in the clothes he'd been buried in. Immediately, Jesus ordered those in the crowd to strip him of his foul garments, and to let him go.
It was a miracle! And one of thousands which the Lord Jesus performed while He walked amongst humanity. Lazarus got his life back, and his sisters got back their brother.
But now I'm seeing there's more to the story. Since Jesus can give new life to those who die physically, he can also give new life to those like myself who were dead spiritually. I was dead in my trespasses and sins. But when I repented of those sins and placed my faith in Messiah Jesus, he not only forgave me of them, but he birthed new life into me as well.
In this sense, Lazarus' story has become my story, too. My terrible sins, and the stench of them, have since been removed by my being cleansed of those sins and having them washed away through the Lord's shed blood.
I, too, am a type of Lazarus, and so is every person who has placed his or her faith in Jesus Christ. I have been raised from spiritual death unto eternal life. And along with this also comes the removal of my dirty grave clothes. Like Lazarus, I've been loosed, so I can now walk in the "newness of life" (Romans 6:4). Hallelujah!
D.B.
Note: The entire account of Lazarus can be
found in the eleventh chapter of John's gospel.
Mary, one of Lazarus' sisters, lamented, "Lord, if you had only been here, my brother would not have died." But to show them and the townspeople that He even has power over death, Jesus ordered the heavy stone which sealed Lazarus' body in the tomb, to be rolled away. He then commanded His dead friend to arise. And he did!
Alive again, Lazarus hobbled out of the tomb, still wrapped in the clothes he'd been buried in. Immediately, Jesus ordered those in the crowd to strip him of his foul garments, and to let him go.
It was a miracle! And one of thousands which the Lord Jesus performed while He walked amongst humanity. Lazarus got his life back, and his sisters got back their brother.
But now I'm seeing there's more to the story. Since Jesus can give new life to those who die physically, he can also give new life to those like myself who were dead spiritually. I was dead in my trespasses and sins. But when I repented of those sins and placed my faith in Messiah Jesus, he not only forgave me of them, but he birthed new life into me as well.
In this sense, Lazarus' story has become my story, too. My terrible sins, and the stench of them, have since been removed by my being cleansed of those sins and having them washed away through the Lord's shed blood.
I, too, am a type of Lazarus, and so is every person who has placed his or her faith in Jesus Christ. I have been raised from spiritual death unto eternal life. And along with this also comes the removal of my dirty grave clothes. Like Lazarus, I've been loosed, so I can now walk in the "newness of life" (Romans 6:4). Hallelujah!
D.B.
Note: The entire account of Lazarus can be
found in the eleventh chapter of John's gospel.
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