John 11: 25-57. Lazarus is dead. Jesus intends to use this situation to bring glory to God. He has divinely orchestrated the life of Lazarus to represent salvation to be recorded for generations to come-for our benefit. This is the seventh of seven miracles John deliberately chose to fulfill his purpose to prove Jesus as our Savior and describe the elements of salvation.
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies." (11:25) This is the profoundly simple truth of the gospel story. Jesus is grace, personified. While we were dead in our own sinful nature, Jesus died for us to reconcile us to God. Oh, how we desperately need Him to be resurrected in our hearts today. We need His life to come out of ours. How do we do this? Lazarus represents seven elements of salvation, as a part of our own story:
1. He was dead. He had no interest in God, the Bible, Church, or Christians.
2. He was decayed. There are differing levels of decay amongst lost people. These are represented by the three resurrections recorded in the Bible: the 12 y.o. girl who had just died (Lk 8), the young man dead several hours (Lk 7), and the older man, Lazarus, dead for several days. People are somewhere along this scale when they receive resurrection/salvation from Jesus.
3. He was raised and given life. Only Jesus can bring life. How? By the power of His word because He loves us. This is all for God's glory. Are we on board with living for His glory instead of ours?
4. He was loosed. He couldn't free himself from the bondage of his sins. Jesus called him out of death, but assigned us to loose him. We are responsible to support in community and make disciples.
5. He witnessed to others. He was a walking miracle, as every saved believer should be. He caused others to trust Jesus. How are you doing?
6. He fellowshipped with Jesus. Sit at His feet. Dine at His table. Spend time with Him. Show gratitude for the great mercy and love He has shown you. This is how we grow.
7. He was persecuted. Satan always fights a living miracle that testifies on God's behalf.
There was a story of a thief that accidentally syphoned out the black water of an RV instead of gasoline. Sin stinks. Jesus knows the devastating effects of sin. He also knows us intimately, including our weak faith and unbelief. This is why He wept. He has given the promise of resurrection. We doubt. But when He gives a promise, it's going to be okay. Roll that stone away and let your problems be exposed to Him. He can handle the stench. That's exactly what I found to be true in my life. That's where I discovered the power of His amazing love. I turned around and He was right there in my filthy stench. He had never left my side, though I had chosen to ignore His presence. It does require our honest transparency and vulnerability.
Delays are determined by Jesus for His glory and our good. Have faith that the longer He waits to respond, the greater the impact will be. The solution to our problems and frustrations is not in gaining that something we lack, but it's in the Someone named Jesus. He is all we need.
One reason for our unrest and imbalance is our distance from the cross. We lose sight of what was accomplished there amid our busyness, distractions, and stress. We need to regularly revisit the gospel story and realize the amazing grace extended unto us for eternal life. This stirs our spirits like blowing on coals of a fire. Being reminded of His great love inspires a positive response, brings life, and empowers us to overcome.
