Lazarus Come Out

"Lazarus Come Out" - John 11:43b

Of all the stories in the Gospels, the story of Lazarus being raised is one of the few in which I can imagine myself being present. I can see myself in the crowd wondering what the teacher is going to do. I can relate to Mary and Marthy telling Jesus "If only you had been here sooner." I can understand myself agreeing with the objection to removing the stone from the tomb. I can imagine my doubt when Jesus says "Lazarus Come Out." Sure, Jesus was a great teacher, and he has been able to do some amazing things, but this man has been dead for FOUR DAYS! He has already started to decompose! Does Jesus really expect Lazarus to Hear his voice? It's IMPOSSIBLE!!

I'm sure there were many doubters there that day, I would have been one of them. Yet, the impossible was accomplished. Lazarus heard the voice of his Lord and came out of the tomb. It truly was a miracle. Jesus gave life to a dead man.

Jesus calls out to us as well, he commands us to repent and to believe the Gospel (Mar 1:15). Although it does not seem like it to most Christians, this command from our Lord is equally absurd as Jesus saying "Lazarus Come Out." By ourselves, we are spiritually dead in our trespasses and sin (Eph 2:1). Jesus commanding a spiritual thing, namely repentance and faith, from a spiritually dead person is no different than him comminding the physically dead Lazarus to come out. In both cases, there is no way for the person being commanded to fulfill the command. Lazarus did not hear the command of his Lord and decide to come out of the grave. He did not perform 7 steps to be raised from the dead. He did not decide to come from the grave of his own free will. Yet he came out of the grave, only by the power of the Word of God.
In the same way that Lazarus' physical death prevented him from obeying the Lord's command, our Spiritual death prevents us from repenting and believing of our own free will. It is only by the Holy Spirit working through the Word of God (whether is is present in the Written Word, Preached Word, or the Sacraments) that the command is obeyed. It is only by Grace that we are brought to faith in Jesus Christ. It is only by Grace that we are saved.