Roll Away the Stone

The story of the raising of Lazarus, recorded in John 11, brings us to see perhaps the greatest miracle Jesus performed, but also gives us vital information to seeking our victory over death. Lazarus was dead and Jesus had been summoned by the family. The delay of Jesus' arrival brought about another problem. When he got there, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Still, Jesus had ordered the stone which covered the tomb to be removed. 

 John 11:38-44

 ³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹ “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.” ⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”  ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² 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.”  ⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ 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.”

Can you see parallels between the death of Lazarus, and the spiritual death of those without Christ? Those in such a hopeless condition have the same needs as Lazarus, and that need is LIFE. Think of the events which led you from your spiritual deadness to the life that Jesus gives.

When the stone was taken away, Jesus prayed. He prayed that those who witness the events about to happen would come to believe he was sent by God. Perhaps we would do well, to pray that God's working in and through us, will be a testimony to others.

When the stone was rolled away from Jesus' tomb, only his grave clothes were found inside. Anything that was associated with his death would contradict his resurrection life, so they remained in the tomb.  Now notice Lazarus. He was alive, but still bound by the clothing of his deadness. Jesus said, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."   The relics of his deadness were making poor testimony to his new life.  Likewise, when Jesus brings us life, we should get rid of the remnants of our deadness. Think about any "grave clothes" you need to discard.  Your new life in Jesus then becomes a testimony because "the old has passed away; behold the new has come."

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