365 Days of the Great Names of God, Day 226: God of Lazarus

God of Lazarus

"Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, 'Lord, the one you love is sick.' When he heard this, Jesus said, 'This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.' Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 'Take away the stone,' he said. 'But, Lord,' said Martha, the sister of the dead man, 'by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.' Then Jesus said, 'Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?' So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, 'Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.' 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.'" (John 11:1-4,38-44 NIV)

If ever there was a guy who could have counted himself out of commission for God, it was Lazarus.

Lazarus wasn't just slow of speech, like Moses.

He wasn't just doubtful, like Thomas.

He wasn't just disobedient like Jonah.

Lazarus was dead. DEAD.

God was careful to inspire the Apostle John to record these words in his account of Lazarus' death and subsequent resurrection: "there is a bad odor" (John 11:39)...or, as many versions bluntly put it, "He stinketh."

This was the stench of decaying flesh, lest anyone try to explain away Jesus' power by insinuating Lazarus was merely sleeping or unconscious.

So Lazarus was dead. DEAD. Game over.

Except that with our English equivalent of three words that were not merely life-changing but life-restoring—"Lazarus, come out!"—Lazarus was back in the game for God.

Jesus called him out of the grave, ordered a wardrobe change, and sent him on his way. But it had to be a new way: the way of a person who has witnessed firsthand God undoing what is done, restarting what is finished, beginning what is over. The testimony of Lazarus' (new) life still revives us all these centuries later because of how far toward death it had gone: all the way.

Sweet friends, are you feeling dead today? I ask this question with gut-wrenching awareness that some of you are so drenched in death, you're barely breathing. Others of you may be smelling the stench of rotting dreams or relationships or plans or desires of your heart. 

I never want to minimize this kind of pain and suffering or to brush it away by suggesting "all" it takes to move from death to life is some quick, three-step process.

But Lazarus' story is proof that "God's specialty is raising dead things to life and making impossible things possible" (Beth Moore).

So I pray that however deep in the cave you might feel you're buried, you'll soon hear God put your name in the blank—" ___________, come out!"—and that you'll take off your grave clothes and go a new way.

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Oh, God, today I pray for those who count themselves among the walking dead. I ask you to take away the stone sealing them in the dark of hopelessness or grief or despair and let them hear your loud voice calling, "Beloved, come out!"