Lazarus, Come Out!

Last week, I began meditating on the story of Lazarus. I truly believe the Lord speaks to us through the Word we encounter each day; arriving at this passage just one week before Resurrection Sunday felt like a divine appointment. It is such a profound reinforcement of the power of our Almighty God that I hope you’ll allow me a brief detour from our usual chronological study of every miracle in the Bible.

I’ve been reading my way through the Bible for two years now, and the account of Lazarus in the Gospel of John felt particularly resonant this week. John reminds us that Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, were dear friends of Christ. When Lazarus fell gravely ill, they sent a messenger to Jesus, confident He would come.

Yet, upon receiving the message, Jesus stayed where He was for two more days. To the disciples, this delay likely felt like a safety precaution—after all, Jesus had nearly been stoned the last time He was in that region. But when He finally announced it was time to go to Bethany, He revealed a deeper truth: Lazarus had died, and the risk was worth the glory God was about to receive.

Before Jesus even reached the city gates, first Martha and then Mary met Him with the same heart-wrenching cry: “Lord, if you had been here…”

Jesus didn't offer a lecture; He felt their despair. He wept alongside them. He mourned with them, even while knowing that their tears of sorrow were moments away from becoming tears of joy. He wept knowing exactly how God would be glorified.

At the tomb, Jesus commanded the stone be rolled away. Martha, ever the realist, reminded Him that Lazarus had been dead for four days—the sights and smells would be grim. But Christ redirected her focus to her faith.

He called Lazarus by name. Suddenly, a man appeared in the doorway, still bound in grave linens.

• Four days his heart had been motionless.

• Four days his lungs had stood still.

• Four days his family believed his story was over.

While both stories end in an empty tomb, the differences are striking. Lazarus’s death was involuntary; if given the choice, he likely wouldn't have chosen the grave. Jesus, however, voluntarily laid down His life. He was obedient even unto death.

Furthermore, Lazarus emerged needing help to be unwrapped from his burial linens. When the disciples found Jesus’s tomb, His linens were neatly folded—He had put His life down and picked it back up again by His own power. There is no greater miracle than this!

To those in the midst of a trial that makes no sense; to those in the midst of a loss that feels final; to those in the midst of a situation where you have zero control:

Remember that you are Christ’s beloved friend. He has not forgotten you. He will arrive at just the right time so that God may be glorified. He will cry with you in your pain, and then He will free you from every burial linen that binds you.

Happy Resurrection Day!