Lazarus, Part 7 - Take Away the Stone
John 11v38-44a
2nd December 2022
On Jesus's return to the village of Bethany, Lazarus's sisters, Martha and Mary, both came to greet Him. Deeply moved by their brother's death and their grief, Jesus went into battle on their behalf:
John 11v38-40
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
odour, for he has been there four days."
Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory
of God?"
Jesus was once more deeply moved when he approached Lazarus's tomb. The sin in this world, and the damage it does, makes God angry. It should make us angry too.
Jesus approached the dead man's tomb, and commanded, "Take away the stone." This must have shocked the people there. Even Martha, who had recently been given the revelation that Jesus is "the resurrection and the life", responded by saying, "But, Lord, by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days."
Even though she recognised Jesus as Lord, even though she'd told Jesus, "I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask", even though she'd acknowledged, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world", she still didn't really believe that Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead.
Maybe you and I, despite our conviction that the Bible is true, despite 2,000 years of Christian history and theology, despite our own experience and our friends' experience, still doubt Jesus's power to do whatever He chooses. Let's get this clear in our heads: God is perfect. His love, His power and His wisdom are perfect. God will always do the right thing, the best thing. Of course He will. There is no miracle He can't perform. Of course there isn't.
We should never doubt God's goodness or His power. When God doesn't do what we imagine He should do, that doesn't demonstrate God is imperfect, it demonstrates that our understanding is imperfect, as it surely is.
Jesus had already raised Jairus's daughter (Mark 5:22-43) and the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-17) but that was soon after they'd died. Perhaps some people tried to claim that they hadn't really been dead, but Lazarus had already been buried for four days. His body would have started to decay (especially in such a hot climate). There was no doubt he was dead. Nevertheless, Jesus said, "Take away the stone." There are times when it seems crazy to obey God, but it's really crazy not to.
John 11v41-44
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."
The miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead would be undeniable, at least by honest people. It was even more remarkable because Jesus spoke about it with certainty, in advance. See what confidence Jesus displayed in the power of the Holy Spirit and in the Father's response when He said "Take away the stone,"! Then He thanked God in advance that a great miracle was about to be done.
John 11v43-44a
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.
In verse 4, Jesus had promised, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." Now God delivered what Jesus had promised. He is trustworthy, even when things seem very dark indeed. What God has spoken will come to pass, even if we can't see how it can. God can do the impossible. And He will always do the right thing.
In life and in death, in sorrow and in joy, glory be to the name of Jesus, our Saviour and our Resurrection!