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John 11:32-44

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

By: The Rev. Russell E. J. Martin

There Jesus stood before the grave of His dear friend, dead these past four days, beyond the capacity of any earthly power to intervene or reverse the lingering effects necrosis. Yet, the Good News is that Jesus is neither indifferent nor impotent in the face of death! Despite His own profound grief, the deep agitation and unrest in His soul, Jesus turns His eyes and heart to intercede with His Father, asking for the power of Heaven to manifest itself. We see that power displayed in Lazarus’ answering our Lord’s command to come out of the tomb, to literally walk out of darkness into light and life.

Everyone there, Martha, Mary, the other mourners, friends, and even Jesus’ own disciples see the magnificent glory of God revealed in both word and power. Nothing, not even the grave, can stand against the might of Christ nor can it confine or constrain those whom He calls into life. This of course is precisely the point John wishes to make. That Jesus truly is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6)! A point most readily perceive without much difficulty. This gives believers the absolute assurance that Jesus is not only exactly who He claimed to be but also His power is indeed supreme!

Moreover, this gives a sense of peace and a window into God’s heart with regard to all those children who are aborted, and never, as it were, had the chance to hear the Gospel. We can clearly infer from Jesus reactions to Lazarus’ death how He most assuredly grieves the little ones who never have the chance to be born and how His victory over death is one, which He shares with them as He did His friend, and all who turn to Him in faith. What a glorious message of hope for All the Saints, on the day we commemorate their labors, lives, and witness.

There is another, perhaps more subtle point that can be discerned by the careful reader and should be considered in light of Jesus call to Lazarus. As the Lord of Life, Jesus is singular in His authority over the grave and yet, His actions make it plain that the disciples have a part to play in this profound work, as do we in our own day. Before issuing His edict for Lazarus to come out of the tomb, Jesus issues two commands to those gathered alongside Him. First, He says in verse 39, “Take away the stone” and then in verse 44, He bids them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” If Jesus is the one who calls people into life, both mortal and eternal, then our first task as the church is to remove the obstacles or “stones”, which hold people captive. Our second equally important task is “unbind” those who were once trussed, hindered, or shrouded in death and darkness. What a blessing it is to the world for those of us who have been called into His marvelous light, who enjoy His grace and the blessing of new and abundant life to help unburden those formerly held in death’s grip! The only question that remains is what is keeping us from doing this vital work of the Kingdom?