November 8 - Lazarus is Dead

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it." Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. "But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." This He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep." The disciples then said to Him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover." Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. So Jesus then said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him." Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, so that we may die with Him." John 11:1-16 

Fallen asleep in this passage, as Jesus explains, literally mean to die. Lazarus is dead. The disciples were confused thinking that Jesus meant that Lazarus was only resting…but not so, he was dead. No chance of just waking him up. The idea of “fallen asleep” is also written about in several other passages in the Bible. One, written by Paul long after Jesus death, that should bring comfort to Christians at the loss of a loved one or to explain the rapture is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. Jesus didn’t want His friends Martha and Mary to grieve. He wanted them to rejoice as God the Father glorified His Son, Himself, through the resurrection of Lazarus.  

What do you think of when you hear the word “glorified” or even “glory?” Mostly we think of glory as being something that will happen in heaven with angels singing around the throne of God—but it does happen here on earth in some churches on Sunday—God receives glory in true worship. It is that kind of awesome respect and adoration that makes you want to fall on your knees. It’s an adoration that is not just what the Wise Men did when they brought gifts to Baby Jesus—but it is ours today when we give ourselves completely to focusing on God as…well, GOD. As omnipotent, omnipresent divine creator, sustainer, merciful judge, compassionate healer, light of the world and ruler of all Heaven and Earth, He is worthy of our praise and honor every day, not just on Sunday. Don’t stumble around in the darkness—see the light—He is Jesus. These red letter words that He spoke to His disciples, He is speaking to us. Feast on His words. Go with Him and allow Him to shine His truth in your life that you would bring Him glory. And as in 1 Thessalonians—have hope, for one day Jesus will return for us—to meet us in the air. What a glorious day that will be! 

Pray—Dear Jesus, be glorified in my life today. Let your light shine in me and through me that others would be drawn to You, that You would receive even more glory and honor.

© 2012 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).