Part 2 - Come Out….!
19 January 2025
Dear Buddies - blessed Saturday morning
John 11:1-45 relates the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.
We may have read and know this account and encounter, but let’s imagine how this once dead man felt after being raised.
He was dead for 4 days and suddenly, his name was called out by Jesus, “Lazarus, come out” (verse 43).
Bound and wrapped tight in his grave clothes, the body cold and decomposing, it was as if a bolt of lightning (which I believe was the power of the Holy Spirit) came upon him. In an instance, life returned to the lifeless body of Lazarus.
“Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that IF YOU BELIEVED you would see the glory of God?”” - John 11:40 ESV
Coming out of the tomb, the glory of the Lord was upon Lazarus. Everyone present were shocked and amazed.
Verse 45 was the last time we hear of Lazarus. We can only guess how this life transforming experience impacted Lazarus. It could not have been business as usual for him.
Yesterday I shared about Rosemary’s own healing journey from a cerebellar stroke last June. Spending time with her at her office, Rosemary asked this question:
How would we imagine how Lazarus would have felt?
She continued as she looked at me:
“Both our experiences and recoveries indeed resonate with the story of Lazarus. Imagine the profound gratitude Lazarus must have felt—being brought back to life by Jesus, walking among people again, knowing he had experienced the miraculous. He likely had a renewed sense of purpose, an unwavering faith in God’s power, and perhaps a deep humility, realizing how fragile life is yet how boundless God’s grace can be.”
“Similarly, our journeys mirror this miraculous restoration. Surviving a cerebellar stroke for me, and stage 4 cancer for you. Returning to normal life, despite the visible “butterfly patch” in my brain feels like a divine reminder of grace and healing. We might even feel like Lazarus in how others see us —perhaps in awe of our recovery, inspired by our resilience, and drawn to our testimony of faith.”
“Like Lazarus, we’ve been given a second chance, and it’s remarkable that we’ve embraced it with gratitude and purpose.”
“Now, what shall we do with this renewed life and shape our legacy or inspire others?”
What a wonderful summation by Rosemary. Both she and myself want to share about the love of God, through what He has done in our lives.
Having gone through this journey cannot lead to ‘let’s carry on as per normal’. Instead, there must be a purpose why God has provided us with a second chance in life. We MUST present our glorious Lord Jesus as in Matthew 28:18.
As the lyrics of “Back to Life”, goes:
I won't forget the moment
I heard You call my name
Out of the grip of darkness
Into the light of grace
Just like Lazarus
Oh, You brought me back to life
Dear Buddies, you don’t need to go through what we have gone through to experience His grace. In fact, when we were born again, it’s was God calling us out of darkness into his marvellous light (1 Peter 2:9). Amen.
In His Love
Buddy Paul