Lineage Manger to Messiah
Lazarus: Raised from the Dead Manger to Messiah | Episode 14
There were persistent doubts amongst the Jews
about Jesus’ claims to His divinity.
They doubted whether He had raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead,
for she had only been sick for a short time
and Jesus Himself described her as being asleep.
John the Baptist had died a cruel and gruesome death
and Jesus had not intervened during his imprisonment or after his death.
Was He really divine? And did He have power over the grave?
Jesus would save His greatest miracle for one of His favorite followers.
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It was in Bethany, at the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus,
that Jesus often found retreat.
Jesus had no home of His own
and was dependent on the hospitality of others,
and here was a home with friends in whose presence He was comfortable.
It was in this home where Jesus taught the important lesson to Mary and Martha
about the importance of not getting caught up in the busyness of doing good things for God
without first spending time with Jesus like Mary did.
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Towards the end of Jesus’ ministry,
the word reached Him and His disciples that ‘The one whom thou lovest is sick.’
Thinking Jesus would come straight away,
they were no doubt encouraged when the word reached them
that the sickness was not unto death.
But as they watched the life slowly slip from their brother,
they were bitterly disappointed when he died.
When the word came back to Jesus,
He did not respond straight away but stayed where He was for two days.
His presence would no doubt have brought comfort to them,
but for seemingly no reason He stayed put.
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After two days, Jesus says, ‘Let us go to Judea.’
His disciples were scared that He might get imprisoned and killed,
but Jesus encourages them that He is doing the will of His father.
Jesus then goes on to say that Lazarus is sleeping
and He is going to awaken him out of his sleep.
Here Jesus explains death as a sleep.
His disciples, though, do not get the analogy,
and say if Lazarus is sleeping, there's not a problem.
Jesus then has to go on and say, ‘Lazarus is dead.’
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As Jesus comes near to Bethany there is a commotion around the house
as there are hired mourners who would cry.
Jesus sends word that He is nearby and firstly Martha comes to see Him.
With a grief-stricken face she says,
‘Lord, if you had been here, he would not have died.’
And then in faith she says,
‘But I know that whatever You ask of God, He will give it to You.’
Mary then comes and joins them and a crowd gathers
and Jesus asks to go to see the tomb here where Lazarus was buried.
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As the crowd gathers here at Lazarus' tomb,
the Bible records the shortest verse ever: ‘Jesus wept.’
Jesus was touched by the scene, both at the grief of the family present
but also how little those present understood His mission.
Jesus asks for the stone to be rolled away, and Lazarus's sisters object,
saying he has been dead for four days and will have started to decompose.
Lazarus had definitely died and everyone there knew it,
but Jesus was saving His greatest miracle for this moment
when there could be no doubt that Lazarus was dead.
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Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth.’
Some say that if Jesus didn't specify, ‘Lazarus,’
then all the dead in the graves would have come forth,
for there is creative power in the words of Jesus.
As Lazarus came from the grave,
other people helped him take his bandages off but he was alive and well.
There is power in the words of Jesus,
and even though today we don't see
this type of resurrection power happen very often or if at all,
we believe in a God who's coming back again.
There will be a resurrection and we will be reunited
with loved ones and friends that we have sadly laid to rest.
The Bible says we do not mourn as others do who have no hope,
for we believe in God who has power over the grave.