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RAISING OF LAZARUS
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28
John 11:38-44

1 Corinthians 15:50-58

 

Jesus is the resurrection

and the life.

 

RAISING OF LAZARUS
 
We should mark the words which our Lord addressed to Lazarus when He raised him from the grave. We read that He “cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:43). At the sound of that voice, the king of terrors at once yielded up his lawful captive and the insatiable grave gave up its prey. At once “…he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes…” (John 11:44).
 
The greatness of this miracle cannot possibly be exaggerated. The mind of man can scarcely take in the vastness of the work that was done. Here, in open day and before many hostile witnesses, a man four days dead was restored to life in a moment. Here was public proof that our Lord had absolute power over the material world! A corpse, already corrupt, was made alive! Here was public proof that our Lord had absolute power over the world of spirits! A soul that had left its earthly tenement was called back from Paradise and joined once more to its owner’s body. Well may the church of Christ maintain that He who could work such works was “over all, God blessed for ever” (Rom 9:5).
 
Let us turn from the whole passage with thoughts of comfort and consolation. Comfortable is the thought that the loving Saviour of sinners, on whose mercy our souls entirely depend, is one who has all power in heaven and earth and is mighty to save. Comfortable is the thought that there is no sinner too far gone in sin for Christ to raise and convert. He that stood by the grave of Lazarus can say to the vilest of men, “…come forth… Loose him, and let him go” (John 11:43-44). Comfortable, not least, is the thought that when we ourselves lie down in the grave, we may lie down in the full assurance that we shall rise again. The voice that called Lazarus forth will one day pierce our tombs and bid our soul and body come together. The “…trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Cor 15:52).
 
THOUGHT: The funerals of our loved ones only have the appearance of finality. There is a God who raises the dead.
PRAYER: Father, may I live with the assurance that I have a better life to come.

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