Risen: Readings for EasterSample

Jesus is risen! He was dead but now He’s alive!

This is where our hope lies. Over the next five days, we’re going to look at what resurrection means for us in our everyday lives, both in who we are and in how we live.

Today we’re going to read the story of Lazarus, one with which you may already be familiar. In this story, a man Jesus knows (Lazarus) gets sick and dies while waiting for Jesus to travel to his village to heal him. There’s much sadness and regret that Jesus was delayed on his way there, but Jesus is undaunted.

They travel to the tomb where Lazarus’s dead body is buried, which Jesus orders to be opened back up. Martha, Lazarus’s sister, objects. Lazarus has been dead for four days, and his body has already started to decompose.

Or, as the King James version memorably puts it: “He stinketh.”

Still undaunted, Jesus sticks to his guns, the stone is removed, and Jesus miraculously calls Lazarus back from death into life, not only saving the day but also foreshadowing his own death, burial, and resurrection.

But what qualification did Lazarus have for resurrection? The only thing we know in scripture is that he was dead, he was loved by Jesus… and he stinketh.

That’s it.

He didn’t earn his way to resurrection. He didn’t build a massive treasure chest of wealth to insure it. He didn’t bribe his way there or guilt everyone into wanting it because he was such a nice guy.

He was dead. He was loved. He was smelly. The end.

This is who Jesus’ resurrection power is for. In other words: all of us. We all qualify. We all meet the standards.