Jesus gives three commands. 1. Take away the stone. 2. Lazarus, come out. 3. Take off the grave clothes and let him go.
There is a lot we could discuss about the fact that Jesus did not enter the tomb, he didn’t touch Lazarus, he didn’t give him medicine or a shock or anything else. He simply commanded him to come out.
But the part that I think has an application to us are the grave clothes. Lazarus was bound up. His hands were bound, a cloth covered his face so he couldn’t see. At this point, he was alive but he wasn’t free. Jesus’ command to Lazarus and to us is not only to believe and live, but to be alive, free of the baggage of the tomb, and to go.
Our sins are forgiven when we turn them over to Christ, but many of us carry them around with us. We are bound up by our past transgressions, by our sins, our failures, our faults. The bind us and blind us. But, when Jesus gives us new life, when we commit to Him, we are commanded to take off these grave clothes and go, to be let go.
Our grave clothes do not define us. Lazarus death does not define him, Jesus’ love does.
Are you ready for some new clothes? What binding is still holding you to the grave?
My Answers:
9.
That people would see this was God and “that they may believe that you sent me.”
10.
a.
Lazarus, come out – Take off the grave clothes and let him go.
b.
We are dead in sin, but Jesus has the power and authority to bring us out of that death into life. The gift of spiritual life is greater than even the gift to Lazarus because Laz would physically die again, but his and our spiritual life is eternal. We will be able to enter with God and the Spirit will move in us, we will be free and resurrected with Christ
11.
j10: Thief comes only to steal and kill, come so they may have life to full – Jesus gives full life, filled w/spirit
j17: at cross – glorify son that may glorify you, authority over all people to give eternal life to all give Jesus
e2: We have all been dead in our transgressions, God in mercy made us alive in Christ even while dead
c3: raised in Christ, set eyes on the eternal. Old life hidden in Christ.
1t4: For the Lord himself will come down and call the dead in Christ to rise first
The Notes are Good 