The Lazarus Effect

God's ways are truly higher than ours.  Our vision is sorely limited and often focused on peripheral things, but God sees the whole picture at once.  This aspect of God is portrayed wonderfully in John 11 when Jesus raised His friend Lazarus from the dead.

Jesus received word that Lazarus was sick, yet He waited for two days before going to visit him.  Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, hoped Jesus would quickly visit them at their request to heal their dying brother.  What seemed like an unnecessary delay set in motion a pivotal moment with eternal consequences.  Lazarus died, and many Jewish mourners gathered to comfort Martha and Mary (John 11:19).  Jesus knew of the death of Lazarus before they began their journey to Bethany, and said in John 11:14-15:  "Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵ And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him."

After meeting with Martha and Mary, both deeply grieved for their brother who had been dead four days by that time, Jesus asked to be shown where Lazarus had been laid.  John 11:31 again spoke of the Jewish comforters:  "Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."  Jesus wept, and His response showed His love and compassion.  Then, to the surprise of everyone, Jesus commanded the stone to be rolled away from the mouth of the tomb.  In verse 39 Martha protested:  "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  And that was the point.  Yes, Lazarus was dead, and the decomposition process was already advanced.  John 11:40 says, "Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"

When the stone was rolled away, a foul stench wafted from the tomb.  I imagine eyes watered and noses were quickly covered in disgust.  The four days Lazarus laid in the tomb is reminiscent of the four barrels Elijah commanded be filled with water three times and poured on the sacrifice and altar on Mount Carmel when he battled the prophets of Ba'al in 1 Kings 18.  Elijah did this to prove beyond any shadow of doubt there was no trickery.  To consume the waterlogged sacrifice with fire was only possible through the power of the one true God worthy of worship, the One who answered with fire from heaven at his request.  Jesus lifted His eyes to heaven in the midst of the smell of rotting flesh with the same desire, that the people would believe He indeed had been sent from God.  Jesus called out, "Lazarus, come forth!"  As quickly as the fire fell from heaven on the mount, the figure of Lazarus bound with grave clothes appeared at the door of the tomb.  He had been miraculously resurrected, a clear sign Jesus was sent from God and is the Son of God, the promised Messiah.

Something I never noticed before was what Jesus Christ accomplished through the miracle of the physical resurrection of Lazarus:  He provided eternal salvation to the comforters who saw and believed.  They came to comfort, but it was they who were comforted with eternal life and rejoiced in the consolation of seeing Lazarus alive and well.  Their souls had passed from death to life, even as the physical body of Lazarus.  The body of Lazarus was raised to life and would someday physically die again, but all who trusted in Christ would never taste death spiritually, for Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.  John 11:45 says, "Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him."  The miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus goes far beyond Lazarus, but the salvation of souls who recognised the glory of God by faith.  Isn't God amazing?  When all hope was lost, Jesus brought life and eternal hope to people who needed comfort only He could provide.  He still does this today!