I love the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11) for many reasons. In it, we see the humanity of Jesus as he wept over the loss of one he loved. We see the raw emotions of the Mary and Martha as they struggle with trusting Jesus, while grieving the lose of their brother. We witness Jesus challenging them in their faith by saying Lazarus would rise again and that He, Jesus, was the resurrection and the life and it was through him this would be accomplished. But greatest of all, Jesus stands at the entrance of a dark and cold tomb, one reeking of death and makes the bold proclamation, “Lazarus, come out!” He could make this proclamation because he knew His Father was faithful to answer as He always did.

This passage has took on more significance in recent days for me, in part, because on Friday, I led a memorial service for a family who lost their 26 year old son, brother, uncle, grandson and friend. As I looked into the faces of the people who were there, I saw grief, sadness and despair. Yet, even through the tears, they still held out hope on account of the faith they professed in Jesus, that they would one day see their son again. That hope didn’t take away the pain of their loss, but it gave them something to hold onto as they move forward into the future. But as I shared in the service, we have a great God who hears our cries and will answer. He even promises to turn mourning into dancing (Psalm 30). Although it might not be immediately or even as quickly as we might want, God is faithful. And in His faithfulness, God can and does bring life out of death and joy out of grief.
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As I think about the resurrection of Lazarus and the death of this man at 26 in light of what God can do, I realize how much the world around us needs to hear this story. It would seem that though plenty of people put on a strong face or have the perfect smile, there is still darkness and grief in their lives. There is a struggle of wanting and hoping for something more, but the faith is not there to believe, let alone accept, it. For this reason, I believe as a Christians who strives to live like Jesus, we need to walk into the lives of these people and proclaim with complete conviction and confidence…”Come out of darkness into the light of Christ, come out of despair into the joy and hope of out Savior, turn away from sin and experience life and freedom!” There are people all around us who are hurting and afraid, people who want and need hope and assurance that things will get better. Are you willing to go to those people and share the good news of Jesus? Will you proclaim a message of hope and grace to those who need to hear it because you know God always hears and He will respond?

God bless you,