Lazarus, Come Out!
John 11:38-46
Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “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.” 40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 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.” 43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 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.” 45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
Nothing is impossible in Him, but I put a limit on my thought, and I have a limited knowledge of God and after-death. What a little faith I have, like the disciples and the followers who couldn't believe what they had seen. Actually, when I was in the tomb of my father and mother-in-law, the sadness was overwhelmed. If I were there, I couldn't believe my eyes, thinking I am kind of daydreaming or something else.
Why was Jesus demonstrating(showing) the raising of the dead? He could have loved him specially, but it would not be the answer, because he didn't have any favoritism on anyone else, though He praised someone through their faith and behaviors. He was planning to glorify God and also teaching people that they would be risen after death like Lazarus, which means death is not the end.
As Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life and the one who believes in me will live, even though they die(John 11:25).", believers would live at the last day. Even though we never know the time, but it would come some day. So there are no worries of this earthly life to believers, but there is only hope in Him to live a spiritually eternal life. We, believers of Jesus and God as well, would be risen like Lazarus and Jesus.
