Messengers of the GospelSýnishorn

Out of the Grave

Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" (John 11:40 NIV)

My spouse and I are about as opposite as you can find: One of us is an introvert, and the other is an extrovert. One is an only child, the other is a rambunctious "baby" of 7 children. One is a quiet bookworm, while the other finds a quiet house intolerable. As the old saying goes, "opposites attract."

While opposites may attract, it is not guaranteed that they will stick together. Not long after a whirlwind romance, our relationship faltered and eventually became a mess. We were exhausted, angry, and frustrated. We were certain that the brokenness of our relationship could not be fixed. From our perspective, our marriage was dead.

The good news is that Jesus understands death. He not only sympathizes with us in our loss, but also empathizes with us. He has been there and felt what you feel. The story of Lazarus gives us a front-row seat to the empathy and power of Jesus.

One day, Jesus received a message from his friends, Mary and Martha, that their brother, Lazarus, was extremely ill. It was an urgent plea, requesting that Jesus come right away. Two days after receipt of the message, Jesus headed to the home of His friends. By the time he arrived, Lazarus was already dead. Martha came to Jesus and voiced her frustration, saying that Lazarus would not have died had Jesus come sooner. Martha's sister Mary then came to Jesus and began to weep.

Jesus wept with her. Let that settle in for a moment. Jesus wept alongside Mary in her loss of a brother and the loss of His close friend. Do you ever picture Jesus weeping?

Tears flowing?

Sobbing?

Not worried about appearances or saving face, Jesus joined them in their mourning. When you talk to Jesus about loss, He gets it. He feels it, and He mourns with you.

After wiping the tears from his cheeks, Jesus came to the tomb and said, "Take away the stone." (John 11:39 NIV)

Everyone thought He was crazy, but He reminded them that they could have faith in Him.

"Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" (John 11:40 NIV)

Then Jesus prayed and shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" (John 11:43 NIV)

Do you know what happened next?

Lazarus walked out of the grave.

The man who was dead was no longer dead. Jesus brought him back to life. The family was reunited, and the Bible later tells us that many of the eyewitnesses put their faith in Jesus after seeing Lazarus come back to life.

Jesus has the power to raise dead things to life.

What are the dead or dying things in your life right now? Your marriage? Dreams? Career? Finances? A friendship? Your health? A relationship with a loved one? Is an addiction threatening to destroy you or someone you love? Does your relationship with God feel dead?

We often see no way that the mess can be repaired. The situation feels so dead that it is actually rotting and stinking. It looks hopeless. We don't know anything else to do but give up, bury it, and try to make it through the grief. We mourn what might have been, what should have been.

But Jesus reminds us, "...if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" (John 11:40 NIV)

So it was with our marriage. When we could not see a way, God saw a way. When we did not think God was hearing our prayers, He was listening and acting on those prayers in His way and His timing. Now, thirty-five years later, our marriage is alive, restored, and stronger than ever. Through the power of Jesus, we have seen the resurrection of our marriage. His glory is displayed every time we share our testimony of how He brought our marriage back to life.

We are witnesses that nothing is impossible for God.

Reflection:

What are the dead or dying things in your life right now? Bring these to Jesus today and ask Him to bring the dead things back to life. Consider inviting a friend or your group to pray with you.