Hope in Defeat

This morning I am once again reflecting on the the raising of Lazarus from the dead.  I love this story for it reveals so much of Jesus' care for His friends, as well as the hope we should have in Him.  Today I am just focusing on the the final bits - John 11:34-35,38-44 NIV:

[34] “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

[35] Jesus wept.


[38] Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. [39] “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

[40] Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

[41] So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. [42] I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

[43] When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” [44] The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

I love Jesus last words  - "Take off the grave clothes and let Him Go!"   What freedom, what a celebration that must have been!  I am sure they were all standing there like, "What should we do?"  They were probably wondering if it was really Lazarus?  They probably didn't have the Zombie TV shows we have these days, but I am sure they were all shaken to the core when they saw this body walking out of the grave.  He had cloth around his face so they couldn't have known immediately that it was Lazarus, plus people who have been dead 4 days don't often look like themselves.  Imagine their joy when the cloth is removed and they see their brother or friend standing there fully alive and restored!  We know from the next chapter (Luke 12:2) that Lazarus was completely normal following his raising from the dead, for he is reclining at the table and  dining with Jesus during a celebration in Jesus honor.  Talk about a stupendous event!

This morning I feel like the message is hope in the face of absolute defeat!  The sisters had sent a message to Jesus when Lazarus was getting seriously sick, and yet the Father had told Jesus to wait, and not visit Lazarus and heal him.  They had done everything they could and yet, Lazarus had died.  He was already in the tomb 4 days, likely buried the same day he died, or early the next day, so he was dead 4-5 days.  The sisters were heart-broken, they were mourning, they were without hope.   Their hope had likely died with Lazarus slowly in the days following Lazarus' death, even though I am sure they had heard of some of the stories of people Jesus had raised, like the widow's son in Nain (Luke 7:11-17), but in most of those cases the person had only been dead a very short while.  Here he had been dead too long... and his body had begun to decay.  I did a study a while back on the decay that is present after death - if you are interested n the process, see my Blog: https://amomentwithgod-srh.blogspot.com/2017/02/gods-promises-are-good-it-is-never-too.html.

Anyway, Jesus demonstrated that it is never too late for God! Jesus demonstrated that He was truly the Resurrection and the Life, as he had told Martha (Juhn 11: 25).  He spoke and a man dead 4-5 days walked out of the tomb completely restored!

So the question this morning is what hope had died for you?  What promise from God seems to be too late to be fulfilled?  Are their grave clothes wrapped around your hopes?  Are there chains of despair and hopelessness that seem to strong to break?

Jesus said He was the Resurrection and the Life and then He proved it!  Let us rekindle our hope in Him for it is never too late for God!  Let us throw off the chains, toss aside the grave clothes and rise up in the new life He has for us!

Amen!!