The Revival of Lazarus

Imagine receiving news that a loved one is critically ill, and you can do nothing to help. This is the situation Mary and Martha find themselves in as their brother Lazarus lies dying. But they know that Jesus has the power to heal their brother, so they send for him. When Jesus hears that his friend Lazarus is sick, he could have rushed to his bedside and healed him immediately. Instead, he delays, planning to perform an even greater miracle than healing his critically ill friend. By the time Jesus finally arrives in Bethany, Lazarus has been dead for four days. Martha and Mary are desperate and accuse Jesus of not coming earlier to heal their brother.

How would you have reacted in that situation? You have a friend who is an excellent doctor, but instead of saving your brother, he shows up only after your brother has died. We would likely be disappointed, hurt, perhaps even angry. Sometimes in our lives, we pray to Jesus, begging for his intervention, but the miracle we so desperately need does not come. We don't get the job or the apartment, cancer returns, or a friend dies in an accident. Where is Jesus in these situations? Why doesn't he intervene supernaturally?

Often, we don't understand situations, especially when they involve such great suffering, like the death of a loved one. But just as Jesus had something big planned for Lazarus, so it is with you and your life. How amazed would you have been if you had read that Jesus had healed one more person? He healed so many people, both physically and spiritually, and only a fraction of them made it into the Bible. But raising someone from the dead? That was new and the next level.

And sometimes in your life, something has to die so that God can perform an even greater miracle. Jesus meets Martha and Mary with deep compassion and assures them that Lazarus will rise again. His words remind us that Jesus has power over life and death and that our faith in him gives us hope in the midst of despair.

Next Step: Reflect on areas in your life where you need hope. Pray that Jesus brings you the same power of resurrection and hope that he brought to Lazarus and his family.