Lazarus come forth

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” – John 11.40-44

While every moment of Jesus ministry on earth is vital and important and should be examined in detail and teach us lessons that we need every day there are certain moments that are what he today would call show stoppers.

This event is one of those very visible, very clear, very obvious, very public moments. His friend Lazarus had died. Lazarus’ sisters were stunned. How could Jesus let Lazarus die if He were truly the Son of God?

But He did. It wasn’t till four days later that Jesus showed up. Martha confronted Him and confirmed her belief in the resurection. When Jesus got to the tomb he told the men to unseal the tomb. ‘But,’ they said, ‘he’s been dead four days, he is going to stink!’

But they opened the tomb and Jesus called out ‘Lazarus, come forth!’

Can you imagine the anticipation as the assembled crowd waited to see what would happen?

But they was a shuffling in the shadows. From the depths of the darkness Lazarus, still wrapped in the grave clothes, came shuffling out. ‘Loose him,’ Jesus said, ‘let him free.’

If there was still any remaining doubt about Jesus or the power He had, it was not dispelled. He waited four days to come and raise Lazarus so there was not doubt that he was well and truly dead.

Jesus proved all of His assertions and claimed about who He was. He had power over live and death. He was God indeed. Nothing could defeat Him

And do today we can rest assured that death has no power. It may rob me of my body, but death cannot hold the real me for Jesus is the Victor over death and the grave.