"LAZARUS, COME ON OUT!"

Lazarus had been buried in a cave, and Jesus asked that the stone sealing its entrance be taken away.  Martha objected because after four days, Lazarus' body must have began to decay.  (John 11:39)  From a human standpoint what hope was there?

The stone was rolled away, and Jesus cried out with a loud voice: "Lazarus, come on out!  What happened? "The man that had been dead came out." (John 11:43, 33) Can you imagine the joy of the people there?  Whether Lazarus was their brother, relative, friend or neighbor, they knew that he had died.  Yet, here he was-the same dear man-standing among them again. That must have seemed too good to be true.  Many no doubt embraced Lazarus joyfully.  What a victory over death!   

Jesus did not claim to perform this amazing miracle on his own.  In his prayer just before calling out to Lazarus, he made it clear that Jehovah was the Source of the resurrection.  (John 11:41, 42)  This was not the only time that Jehovah used his power in this way.  The resurrection of Lazarus is just one of nine miracles of this kind recorded in God's Word.   To read and study these accounts is a  delight.  They teach us that God is not partial,  for the resurrected ones  include young and old, male and female, Israelite and non-Israelite.  And what joy is described  in these passages! For example, when Jesus raised a young girl from the dead, her parents "were beside themselves with great ecstasy."  (Mark 5:42) Yes, Jehovah had given them a cause for joy that  they would never forget.  

Of course, those resurrected by Jesus eventually died again.  Does this mean that  it was pointless to resurrect them? Not at all.  These Bible accounts confirm important truths and give us hope.  

Next time: LEARNING FROM THE RESURRECTION ACCOUNTS

From the Book: What Does the Bible Really Teach? 2005 and 2006