Ummm...what tomb?

The story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead has been told time and time again, but as I was reading it again this morning, some things came to mind. First, Jesus told his disciples he was glad he was not there when Lazarus died.  Now, at first this may have seemed a little uncaring, but if you read a little further, you see he tells them since he wasn't there, this would be an opportunity for THEIR faith to grow.  He said to them, "And I am glad for your sakes that I wasn’t there. You’re about to be given new grounds for believing."  (vs. 15)  I wonder how many times we complain about Jesus "not" being where we thought he should have been at some moment in time, not realizing his "absence" was really the specific opportunity for us to receive "new grounds for believing"?  Probably more than we'd like to admit!  Second, he was not exactly going into friendly territory.  Many in the city had already been active in plotting ways to shut Jesus up -  permanently.  They saw him as a threat to their way of life - afraid his "interference" would just mess things up for them.  Isn't it sad to think Jesus would "meddle" in the comfort of our lives?  If he comes to disturb it, he just wants to make sure we don't turn into fossils!

Then he shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And he came out, a cadaver, wrapped from head to toe, and with a kerchief over his face.  Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him loose.”  (John 11:43-44 MSG)

Third, he has to deal with a whole lot of "wrong motives" along the way.  The disciples don't want to go back to the city - probably because they fear they will be caught up in the anger of the leaders who want to shut Jesus up.  Imagine what Jesus must have thought when he heard Thomas speak these words:  “Come along. We might as well die with him.”  (vs. 16)  We may as well die with him?  Sounds a little defeatist, does it not?  And this was on the heals of Jesus just telling them he was about to give them new ground for their faith!  I wonder how many times we just go along for the ride, not really all that excited to be part of the venture, but kind of there by some sense of obligation?  Jesus had immense patience, though.  He could have turned right there and encountered their lackadaisical approach to this whole "following" thing, but he didn't.  He simply walks on, confident they will follow.  They may not follow passionately at first, but they do follow.  I think Jesus knows we start out a little "cool" at times, but eventually we find the "warmth" he so eagerly desires!

Fourth, Jesus wasn't that far away - probably somewhere between a day or two's journey.  Yet, he "sticks around" where he is with his disciples for another two days after he hears Lazarus is sick "unto death".  Some see this as a little uncaring, but I see this as a little sacrificial on his part.  You see, Jesus loved Lazarus - scripture states he had a great relationship with him and his sisters.  They were close friends.  So, his delay actually probably hurt his heart a little - because he would not want his friends to suffer.  Yet, this delay was going to serve the purpose to further emphasize what he had been teaching in Jerusalem about him giving his life, having power over death, no man being able to take what he would sacrificially give.  His delay may have appeared senseless, but in actuality, it was another object lesson in his power.

Fifth, Jesus experienced anger. We are told a couple of times in this unfolding story of the anger of Jesus beginning the well up inside.  Isn't it wonderful to know Jesus experienced even the emotions which seem to give us so much problem?  He was moved by the mocking of the crowd, the constant questioning of his delay, and the senseless mourning of the "customary mourners" in attendance at the tomb.  At first, they mourned because Jesus was not there - he had not come in their timing, allowing Lazarus to die.  They thought they had a justifiable cause the mourn.  They didn't know Jesus intended something "faith altering" in this whole process.  I wonder how many times we mourn because we don't see the potential in the loss?  It may not be an enjoyable process to walk through, but God's timing is always perfect.  His anger is not so much over their mourning, but their continued mourning when he is present - maybe because they did not recognize his timing was perfect - he is never late.  I don't know the exact source or reason for his anger, only what scripture tells us - he was indeed experiencing this powerful emotion.  Look what he does with it though - he doesn't explode or implode.  Instead, he brings life from what was once dead.  Instead of allowing his anger to bring further "death", he turns it into something which produces life.  Amazing!

Last, but not least, the bindings of what has been declared dead in our lives don't have to limit our ability to walk.  Lazarus is bound in grave clothes - as a "cadaver" according to our passage.  Wrapped from head to toe - pretty limiting if you ask me.  Yet, Jesus knows as long as we remain IN the grips of our past - bound by the encompassing "grave clothes" - we cannot walk as freely as he intends.  He gives life, but he also removes the things which would only slow us down and keep us from freely embracing the grace we have been called to walk in.  Jesus calls Lazarus from the tomb - an act of grace.  In order to Lazarus to embrace life again, the grave clothes has to be removed.  He could walk, but just barely.  I wonder how many times we have our "tomb opening" experience when grace is extended in our lives, but then don't stand still long enough to allow others to help with the removing of the grave clothes?  Lazarus did not unwrap himself - it was those Jesus instructed who did the work of helping to loose him completely.  We need the faithfulness of those God places in our path at those "grace moments" - to help us "unwrap" the tightly wound grave clothes of our past!  

Thank you Jesus for the faithfulness of providing not only our deliverance from the tomb, but also the ones who will help us "unwrap" the past!  Awesome God!  Just sayin!

Grave clothes and tomb living

Six days before Passover, Jesus entered Bethany where Lazarus, so recently raised from the dead, was living. 

John 12:1

It would be easy to read over this passage and just miss entirely what John recorded for us about Jesus' entry into Bethany.  One very special event had transpired there that made Bethany a notorious place - Lazarus had been raised from the dead.  Not just the dead, but the tomb.  Already wrapped in burial clothes and scented with the herbs of burial, he laid there for three days.  His sisters were grief-stricken at the loss of their brother - the male head of their home.  Now, we'd miss the intention of these opening words if we were to just gloss by them on our way to learning about how Judas would betray Jesus.  

No words are recorded for us by accident.  They aren't in the Bible just to give the story some sense of "plot" or to "add character" to the passage.  They are each there by intention.  Therefore, when we see the words, "Jesus entered into Bethany where Lazarus, SO RECENTLY RAISED FROM THE DEAD, WAS LIVING," we need to pause to notice what that really says.

First, Bethany is noteworthy now for this miracle, but had a rich heritage.  A small town about 1.5 miles outside of Jerusalem, best known prior to this miracle for being a city with an "almshouse" - a place for the collection that would be distributed among the poor and sick in the region.  Bethany was also a town that catered to the needs of the sick.  It was kind of like a place to go when one was not doing well physically.  One other event in this town got people riled up - the dinner Jesus has in the home of Simon the Leper.  So, we also know this is a town with leprosy prevalent in it.

Second, Lazarus lives there with his two sisters.  It was a town populated by many peoples from various regions.  The last in a row of cities just prior to entering Jerusalem.  Many pilgrimages were taken each year into Jerusalem from all over the land of Israel - in honor of Jehovah and keeping of the feasts he had established.  Many would pass through this region.  Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha, would have opened their doors to many as they sojourned there for a rest prior to entering into the holy city.

Third, and the most important thing, Lazarus, once dead, is now living!  So recently raised from the dead - now living.  What a wondrous statement of fact!  What a tremendous message of hope!  In fact, if we really look at this, we can ask several questions that might give us insight into why this simple opening statement was penned for us to learn from:

• What is the purpose of resurrection?  To that we might say it is to give evidence that God exists, that his power is over everything that would attempt to destroy his people.  We might add that it is to manifest his grace and to display his glory. 
• What is the evidence of resurrection?  It is the opposite of the death - life.  There is a shift from one state of being into another.  The tomb is empty, the grave-clothes have no further purpose, and even the stench of death no longer exists.  
• What is the outcome of resurrection?  A changed life.  No longer the same - Lazarus was transformed by the miracle of his resurrection.  We are also transformed by the miracle of our resurrection.  Don't get too literal here on me - I know you were not raised from a crude tomb, wrapped in grave-clothes, and sprinkled with herbs of burial.  Yet, you were raised to newness of life in Christ.  The outcome is the shedding of all that is old - the "putting on" of all that is new.  The evidence is that the old no longer has a purpose in our life - we are living a new life.

Lazarus, who was one dead, was living - not bound by the past, freed for the present.  That is the result (outcome) of resurrection.  We sometimes attempt to "live" still bound by the grave-clothes of our past.  Not only is this impractical (as they bind us pretty tightly), but they reek of the past sinful lives we were living before Christ.  They carry the evidence of the old life into the present.  The work of resurrection for Lazarus was complete when he put on the fresh clothes and took dinner with Jesus.  He "put off" the thing that had him bound, and "put on" that which gave him freedom.

If we are walking around within the bonds of the "tomb", we exhibit the evidence of the hopelessness of the tomb in our lives.  If we are freed from the tomb, why would we want the "tomb-clothes" as our garments any longer?