When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘’Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, ‘’Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
Please forgive me if I am reading too much into this passage, but I think that there might be a living metaphor here for us. Lazarus has gone where no man wants to go. He is dead and buried, decaying in the flesh. He has become a perfect symbol for the effects of sin on the human condition.
Into the darkness where his body lies, decaying, comes Jesus’ voice: “Lazarus, come out!” At the command of Jesus, the corrupted flesh of the dead becomes new again. The heart starts beating again, the brain functions again, and the body moves. In coming back to life, Lazarus becomes the symbol or metaphor of what Jesus wants for all people: to come back to life in Him.
Let’s Discuss: What is it like to respond to the voice of Jesus?
All too often we do not want to take the grave clothes off somebody else to set them free, and for that matter we don’t want others to take off our grave clothes.
Tad,
Interesting take on this, and very true. We do tend to cling to what we know, and unfortunately what we know is generally tainted by sin. Thank you!
I believe it is very freeing. We may not initially want to cooperate, but if we do it is life. John 8: 31 – 36.
Rich,
So true! Thank God our Lord is patient with us!! He has done so much to help me be free of death’s grip, and to know Jesus truly is life.
And then…is it possible the Lord wants us to, in Jesus name, call forth those we meet to come out of the darkness and into His light.
Once released from our ‘tomb of death’ can we now help unwrap another’s grave clothes?
Hi DJ,
Interesting thought! Jesus did say: “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12)