The Power of Jesus pt 2

"And when He had said these things, He cried out in a loud voice, ' Lazarus, come fort.'" John 11:43

Wow. This verse, much like the story of the demoniac, should just blow your mind. Here was a man who was dead four days and is now living. He came forth from the tomb, all wrapped up like a mummy, after hearing the voice of Jesus.

Now, there are a few things to note about this verse, and an understanding of Hebrew culture would be beneficial. First of all, the Jews believed that when you died, your spirit hovered over your body for three days. This is significant because Jesus would have known this. The fact that He specifically waited four days to come should show us that He was waiting until, in the Jews' minds, the spirit had gone. This would have made the resurrection of Lazarus much more amazing to them.

Secondly, as I said before, Lazarus was already wrapped up and covered in herbs and such to preserve his body. Sometimes that stuff could weigh as much as 100 lbs. Even with all of that, when hearing the voice of Jesus, he had to come forth, spices and all.

Thirdly, and this should give us great joy and comfort, Jesus promises the same to us. He promises that the grave will not hold us, and that we will rise again. Our bodies will come forth from the ground or the sea and join our spirits in Heaven, and we will be transformed gloriously. Jesus said in this verse "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die." What an awesome promise. I challenge you to ponder this story and this promise, and see if it changes your perspective on life!