The Voice of the Lifegiver

John 11 tells a story…

Jesus gets a message from Mary and Martha, telling Him that Lazarus, “he whom Thou lovest,” is sick. Jesus waits a few days, and then tells His disciples He’s going to Judea again because Lazarus is dead and He (Jesus) is going to bring Lazarus back to life. At this point, the disciples remind the Savior that the Jews want to kill Him and that going into Judea isn’t worth it.

They tried to prevent Jesus from going near one who was dead because it wasn’t worth it.

Jesus goes, despite His disciples’ opinions on the matter. He meets the sisters, Martha and Mary, and eventually asks where Lazarus is buried. The women take the Lord of life to the grave of their brother. 

They brought Jesus close to the dead brother.

Jesus asks the people there to remove the stone. Martha protests. “He’s been dead for four days. He stinks! What’s the point?”

Her faith wasn’t strong enough to grasp the idea that the Lifegiver was about to work a miracle.

Jesus calls Lazarus to come out of the tomb. And Lazarus obeys, waddling out of the tomb as best he could, wrapped head to foot as he was with strips of cloth and having his face covered with a napkin.

Jesus spoke life to a dead man. And that newly-awakened man crawled, waddled, or scooted with all his blinded strength to get closer to Jesus.

Jesus tells the people who are standing there gawking at the sight to help the poor man by unbinding the grave cloths and uncovering his face.

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I see myself throughout this story. Jesus tells me to take Him close to a heart that is dead in sin. I tell Him that not only is it not worth it (“He/She will never listen anyway”), it’s dangerous. I am a fearful, doubting disciple.

Finally I choose to be like the sisters and take Jesus close to someone who is dead inside. But I still doubt the power of the Lifegiver. And then, when Jesus speaks life into a dead heart, when that brother or that sister comes groping out of their tomb, I gawk. I shouldn’t! I should be waiting, expectant, for the miracle to occur, because the One who speaks life is nearby. I should be ready to immediately help the newly-awakened brother by breaking the cords that bind his hands and his feet so he can move and by taking away the napkin from his face so he can see clearly.

This, friends, is evangelism.

Bring the Lifegiver close to a heart dead in sin, so He can speak life to it. Stand on the alert, ready at the first whisper of sound emanating from the tomb that would indicate the first motions Christ-ward, to help the brother or sister be free from whatever Satan has bound them with. And then move to the next tomb and do it again. Because too many have never heard the voice of the Lifegiver.