The apostle John wrote after Martha and Mary the sisters of Lazarus plead to Jesus, He asked, “Where have you laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him. And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself came to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take you away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, said unto him, Lord, by this time he stinks: for he has been dead four days. Jesus said unto her, Said I not unto you, that, if you would believe, you should see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. And I knew that you hear me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that you have sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth”, and in chapter eleven and verse forty-four of his book John shared how, “he that was dead came forth” where we read:
And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
The verse reads, “And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes:” John began with the words, “and he that was dead” which means “and he, Lazarus, who was lifeless, inanimate and expired” “came forth” or “arose and was resurrected”, “bound hand and foot” which means “fastened, knit and tied” “with grave-clothes” or “with bands, swathes or winding-sheets which are linens for tying up a corpse”. John shared how Lazarus “rose” from the dead with his body wrapped in linen burial clothes.
The verse continues, “and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said unto them, Loose him, and let him go.” John added the words, “and his face” whose name means “and Lazarus' countenance, appearance, look and visage” “was bound about” which means “was enwrapped and bound around” “with a napkin” or “with a handkerchief which was a cloth for wiping perspiration from the face for cleaning the nose or swathing the head of a corpse”. “Jesus said unto them” which means “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate whose name means Jehovah is Salvation uttered, declared and proclaimed to the people near Lazarus”, “loose him” or “untie and unfasten Lazarus”, “and let him go” which means “and allow and permit Lazarus to leave, depart and be set free”. John shared how Lazarus' “face” was also wrapped with a “handkerchief” when he rose, and Jesus directed the people near Lazarus to “untie” him and set him “free”.
When we meditate upon John's words in this verse, we see how Lazarus obeyed the command of Jesus to “rise” from the grave, and when he came out of the tomb, he was still wrapped in the burial clothes the people put upon his body. Jesus directed those around Lazarus to “unwrap” him and set him free. What a miracle Jesus performed! He who was dead rose again, and Lazarus was alive! This is what Jesus desires to do with the “spiritual death” that is caused by sin. Sin separates people from God, and when they believe in His Son Jesus, they will be forgiven of theirs sins and “unbound” from the “wrappings” of “unrighteousness”. God loves every person, and those who are wise will obey Jesus' command to “come forth” and put their faith and trust in Him.
Next time John shares how, “many of the Jews which came to Mary, … believed on him”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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