Lazarus Was Safe Behind The Stone

The biblical account of Lazarus presents itself in a way that would, at first glance, seem a little odd. Here we have Jesus, who is going about doing good and healing all manner of sick folk from all their diseases, yet with His dear friend Lazarus, Jesus allows him to die. His disciples were not able to understand what was happening, with even the sister of Lazarus, Martha, actually accusing the Lord of causing the death of her brother. Oh ye of little faith! Where was anyone’s faith? Now you know why Jesus wept. Now we all know how this story ends. Jesus raises Lazarus in a gorgeous type picture of the Pretribulation Rapture of the Church, everyone rejoices, and in the very next chapter of John we see Lazarus enjoying a ‘fellowship lunch’ with the church. All’s well that ends well, right? Not so fast. Let’s wind the clock back to the fourth day where Lazarus’ body was decomposing and stinking. Or was it? Your King James Bible tells you that Lazarus was in a tomb, sealed in by a stone that lay upon it. Christian, is there any safer place to be? The death and resurrection of Lazarus is showing you in dramatic fashion what it means to be ‘saved and sealed’ unto the day of redemption! To the untrained eye, it might have appeared that Lazarus was draped in the rags of death and rotting, but I submit to you that he was ‘resting comfortably’ and quite content. On this Sunday Service, I’d like to bring you a much-needed message on being ‘safe behind the stone’.