Week 5: Resurrection

Come Out of that Grave

We continue our resurrection reading today with Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus, where he was headed in yesterday's reading. One of the best ways to read this text is through the lens of a different character. As you read through the text, ponder a bit on what is happening from each different perspective.

What is it like from the perspective of Martha? What is she feeling as the oldest sister? What does she think about Jesus?

What about from the perspective of Mary? How does her relationship with Jesus change because of this event?

What about from the perspective of the other disciples? What are they now thinking and feeling about Jesus? What does this do to their faith?

What about even from the perspective of Jesus? What does the passage tell us that he feels and experiences? Why do you think he is so emotionally moved?

Finally, it is easy to read this narrative through the lens of Mary, Martha, or even Jesus, but what if we read this narrative through the lens of Lazarus? Lazarus is laboring in the sickness that will lead to his death. His sister sent word to Jesus, but he did not come despite his love for Lazarus. What are those fleeting final moments of Lazarus’ life like? Does he stare through the bouncing eyes of every labored breath at the door, waiting, wishing, hoping for the Messiah? For his friend? Does the darkness that finally overtakes linger long like pain or is it as fleeting as a good night’s sleep? Is he scared when he suddenly awakes? Is it a hard, painful cough or a long deep breath? What is it like to try and sit up in burial clothes pulled so tight they cut into every orifice? Or has the power of God released even this pain?

Does he stumble in the dark of the tomb, blinded by the cloth on his face, till he finds the gap and stumbles out? Or does the echoing voice of the Messiah give him immediate direction and intimate hope?

Am I anything more than a tightly wrapped corpse in the darkness of death longing for the voice of the Messiah to give me hope and new life?

Surely when Jesus resurrects Lazarus, he is also thinking of his own forthcoming resurrection, but is he also thinking about every single one of us that he will call out of the tomb? Do the words to Lazarus reverberate through every grave that bears his followers for the last thousands of years?

“Come out,” he calls, “take off the graves clothes and let him go.”