Learning from Lazarus

If you’ve been around here at all with me the last few months, you have undoubtably figured out by now that sometimes I get stuck in a chapter or a passage and I just can’t seem to let it go. I get to wandering around and around and I don’t always even want to find my way out. So it’s not surprising then that I’ve been reading and rereading John 11 and 12 for the last week now. There’s something about this story of Jesus bringing his dear friend Lazarus out of the tomb and letting him go that just won’t seem to let me go. On its face, I suppose, it’s a fairly simple story. Pretty straightforward. 

What do I have to go and make such a big deal out of it for? 

It’s one of many miraculous signs Jesus performed as He walked with us on earth. But this one, this one was different. This was one of the more rare times when Jesus’ power and person was brought to bear in a miraculous way on one of those to whom He was so close. Lazarus was an intimate friend. There’s a lengthy lead-up to the miracle itself in which we see something of Jesus’ heart tenderly revealed, and following the miracle we see the impact of that ripple out in amazing — and sometimes unsettling — ways. 

Will you permit me to explore this Learning from Lazarus for a couple of days?