Just a few weeks ago, we heard Jesus say to Peter “get behind me, Satan, for you are setting your mind on human things and not divine things.” Peter knew the prophecies of the Messiah, and had, what he felt, was a good understanding of what was going to happen when the Messiah arrived. What would happen in our lives if we put aside our human emotions and simply obeyed the commands of Christ? Lazarus, although he was dead, also obeyed the commands of Christ. Martha and Mary were distraught over the death of their beloved, and yet they put their human feelings and emotions away and obeyed the commands of Christ. Jesus proved that he had authority both in this life, and in the next. Although it would satisfy our human curiosity to find out, the most important thing is that, even after death had overtaken him, Lazarus still obeyed God’s command. The scriptures do not tell us what Lazarus was doing during those four days, nor is there an interview with Lazarus to find out. In just three words, Jesus was able to dispel the notions of death, proved the power of God, and exposed himself, yet again, as the only Son of God. Ignoring the comments from the gathered people, the stench from the open tomb, and the sly comments, Jesus said a short prayer to our Father, and then commanded Lazarus with a loud voice projecting not just his confidence in the miracle that was being performed, but with great authority. ![]() The stench that came out of the tomb was horrendous and did cause a number of people distress. But Jesus again ordered the tomb opened, and the family finally obeyed him and had the stone rolled away. The stench of the tomb after four days would have been too great. ![]() In those days, when somebody died, they were placed within the tomb as soon as possible, and the door was sealed. Unlike today’s mortuary practices, there was no embalming of the body, nor was there any air conditioning in order to preserve the body for any length of time. Upon arriving, Jesus orders that the tomb be opened, and at this, he was rebuked by Martha. Instead of caving into their distressed words, Jesus asks to be taken to the tomb. They were angry they were grieving and they were distraught. The sisters were upset, and they lashed out at Jesus by saying that if he had actually cared enough and come right away, then their loved one would still be here. When Jesus enters the house, one would expect that his reception was not a pleasant one. Martha and Mary are deep in their grief and they are sobbing at the loss of their beloved brother. You can only imagine the scene on that day. Both Mary and Martha believed that Lazarus was on his deathbed, and Jesus knew that Lazarus was dying, but he waited.įour days after Lazarus died, Jesus finally showed up in Bethany. Instead of dropping everything and making haste to get to his friend’s side, Jesus continues what he was doing and waits. But Jesus does not react in the manner in which anybody close to him would expect. Surely he would move quickly to save somebody that he actually knows and loves. After all, this is the same Jesus who has healed complete strangers from every multitude of pain, deformity, and disease. ![]() When Lazarus fell ill, his sisters, Martha and Mary, immediately sent a messenger to Jesus to inform him of the impending death with the expectation that Jesus would save their family from this pain immediately. Lazarus was a close personal friend of Christ’s. Jesus knew Lazarus personally, and he loved him deeply. Lazarus was not just some person living in the area whom Jesus had never met. You can hear the sternness of Christ’s voice as he commands his servant with a loud voice, powerful enough to bridge the gap between life and death.
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