Lazarus, Come Forth
And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. ~John 11:43
The name Lazarus means “whom God helps.” The Hebrew rendering is Eleazar. The Lazarus whom we are referring to this morning is the one whom Jesus raised from the dead. We want to examine this man’s life and glean some lessons that will help us live a victorious life in Christ.
Lazarus was a sibling.
He was the brother of Mary and Martha. Mary and Martha have more prominent mentions than Lazarus, but Lazarus is the one on whom a great work of God was done. Lazarus was greatly loved by his sisters and by our Lord. He is a reminder that God loves all of His children the same regardless of our personalities.
Lazarus had a sickness.
This sickness was so serious that he is described as being sick unto death. He eventually died from this sickness. The Lord made a profound statement about this sickness. He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God...." A serious sickness brings anxiety and concern to all of us, humanly speaking. From God’s perspective, we must remember that the sickness allowed into our life is ultimately for the glory of God. What looked to be a tragedy eventually became a source of triumph.
Lazarus had a second chance.
The sisters beckoned the Lord to come and heal their brother. The Lord delayed His arrival, and Lazarus died. The sisters were grief-stricken. However, the Lord purposed to go to the tomb, and there He called out Lazarus’ name and told him to come forth. Lazarus was raised from the dead! Lazarus got a second chance at life! Lazarus pictures a resurrected life: a life that was raised up by the power of the Lord. Jesus said, “Lazarus, come forth.” The power of Jesus' Word was enough to raise him up. Not only that, it set him free from the bondage that the old life had over him. The power of the Word of God gives new life and a new start! The power of God’s Word gives a second chance to live our life.
Lazarus is at the Lord’s side.
This second chance changed him. When you get saved, you are changed! He wanted to be close to Jesus. He wanted to be wherever Jesus was and be as close as he could be. A resurrected life should desire closeness to the Lord.
Lazarus is a soulwinner.
John 12:11 tells us that by reason of Lazarus, many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus. People thought of Lazarus as a spectacle. He was beyond that! He became a soulwinner. The resurrected life resulted in people believing in Jesus. This is a blessed picture of how a life that is under the power of the Lord is a fruitful and productive life.
We need Christians who live and walk like a Lazarus. I’m referring to people who demonstrate that they are stewarding their second chance at life carefully and making a difference in the lives of others. Let’s be a people whom God helps! Let’s live a "Lazarus" life!
Have a God-helped God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 1 Kings 8-9