Lazarus, Come Forth - John 11:43

John the apostle 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 in chapter eleven and verse forty-three of his book John shared how Jesus, “cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth” where we read:

And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

The verse reads, “And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, ...” John began with the word, “and when” which means “and at the time and moment” “he thus had spoken” or “he, Jesus, had said, uttered, declared and proclaimed those words”, “he cried with a loud voice” which means “he, Jesus, shouted aloud with a great tone and sound” the following words. John shared how Jesus finished speaking to His Heavenly Father and began to “shout aloud” the following words.

The verse continues, “... Lazarus, come forth.” John added the word, “Lazarus” whose name means “whom God helps”, “come forth” which means “arise and appear outside or outdoors”. John shared how Jesus shouted Lazarus' name, and told Him to arise from the tomb.

When we consider John's words in this verse, we learn how Jesus turned His attention from His Heavenly Father toward Lazarus as He “shouted” for him to “arise from the grave”. Jesus spoke to “Lazarus” specifically, and He shouted words that must have startled everyone who was watching. Of course, the next thing that happened would determine whether Jesus was out of His mind or if He had the power to make “Lazarus” alive again. We shall see the result in our next verse, but for now let it suffice us to know, Jesus is the Creator of the Universe, and nothing is impossible for Him. Should He have called every person to rise from the graveyard, they would have “come forth”. Jesus wants every person to believe and trust in Him to avoid the penalty of eternal death which is the result of their sins and unrighteousness before His Father God, and when they put their faith and trust in Him, they shall arise from their state of “spiritual death” and become “alive” in their relationship with God. Let all who read these words believe in Jesus and “come forth”.

Next time John shares how, “he that was dead came forth”, 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".