It is always amazing for to read a section of the Bible for probably the hundredth time, and to still be able to find something new in it. Having recently read Genesis 1 and 2, it was a joy to realize that even before our ancestors Adam and Eve first sinned, God was already using Adam and Eve to point forward to our Savior Jesus Christ and his relationship to us, the Church.
We know the story very well. God creates man and sees that he is alone, and that this is not good. Of course, God knew all along that it was not Good for man to be alone, yet he created Man first anyway. One has to wonder why. If God knew that it would not be good for man to be alone, why not create man and woman at the same time? Because by creating man first, Adam and Eve could be used as a picture (type) of the relationship between Christ and the Church. After all, Jesus existed before the church just as Adam before Eve.
When God created Eve, he did not do it in the same way as he did for Adam. God did not simply form another body and breath life into it, but he made Eve from Adams rib. He cause Adam to fall into a deep sleep, and while sleeping, he took the rib from Adam to create Eve. Again, God did not have to do it this way. Eve could have been created in the same way as Adam. Even using Adam's rib, God could have simply painlessly removed the rib while Adam was awake. But he didn't. He put Adam into a deep sleep, foreshadowing the deepest of sleep that Christ would experience for us, death. God did not miraculously remove Adam's rib, but opened him up to do so (and of course closed him up afterwards - Gen 2:21). Adam's side was pierced in order that Eve might have life. Jesus' side was pierced for us as part of his ultimate sacrifice that we might have life. Without Adam's sacrifice of a rib, there would have been no Eve. Without Jesus' sacrifice of his Holy life, there would be no church.
I don't think this is coincidence. God knew all along that his beloved creatures would fail him. Even before we did, he gave us some very clear signs pointing towards the Savior to come. There had been no sin, but the idea of a Savior was already clearly there.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
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.
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.
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