Our Lazarus Moments

Today's post is from Charmed

Not too long ago, my husband brought a message on Lazarus. A little background info, (you can read John chapter 11 if you want) Lazarus was a friend of Jesus who was really sick. Lazarus' family sent for Christ, and Christ delayed leaving to see Lazarus for a couple of days. By the time Christ arrived, Lazarus was dead, and had been for 4 days. Lazarus sister's were pretty upset with Jesus because he didn't come earlier, and save their brother from dying. They visited the tomb where first, Jesus thanked his father, God, and then spoke into the tomb and said "LAZARUS, COME FORTH!" The man had been dead for 4 days, he stunk, he had maggots crawling out of him he had been dead so long, he was wrapped in linens, had the death scarf on his face, and was wrapped in mummy-like clothing, and here he came, walking out of the tomb, just as alive as I am.

So, why did Christ let his friend die? Why did he put his friend's family through losing their brother just to raise him from the dead 4 days later? What did Lazarus do to deserve this? Was he sinful? Was he being punished? Were his sisters being punished? Was this some test of their faith?

No.

In the same scriptures the story is told to tell us the answer.

Christ waited to raise Lazarus from the dead instead of healing him while alive as a benefit for those around Lazarus. So they could see God's power and glory in the feat. He knew it would reach more, and have a greater impact, for Christ to raise a man from the dead than to heal a man.

Think about it, if you saw a man heal another man, would you believe it? Would you think the medicines the man was taking from the doctor worked and the man was just taking credit for the healing? Probably.

But if you see a man speak to a dead body, and that body sits up and walks out of the grave.... well, that would just shock the daylights out of you. So you tell me, which would have the greater impact?

Lazarus wasn't being punished, he was being used by God to show others about Him.

Today when Christians see other Christians hurting, injured, sick, tragedy happening in their lives, we as humans tend to think, "I wonder what he did to deserve that?" I myself have asked the same questions when something devastating has happened in my life. "What have I done?"

Maybe instead of asking what have I done, I should be asking what is God doing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
"Charmed" is a PK, PW, and mom to 5 PK boys, living in North Carolina, where her husband of 21 years pastors a small rural church. She always said she wouldn't marry a preacher, and she didn't, God saw fit to call her husband to ministry after they were already married! Visit her blog at http://pantylesspreacherswife.wordpress.com/.