John 11:32 When Miryam came to where Yeshua was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Yeshua saw her crying, and also the Judeans who came with her crying, he was deeply moved and also troubled. 34 He said, “Where have you buried him?” They said, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Yeshua cried; 36 so the Judeans there said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “He opened the blind man’s eyes. Couldn’t he have kept this one from dying?”
38 Yeshua, again deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying in front of the entrance. 39 Yeshua said, “Take the stone away!” Marta, the sister of the dead man, said to Yeshua, “By now his body must smell, for it has been four days since he died!” 40 Yeshua said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you keep trusting, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they removed the stone. Yeshua looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I myself know that you always hear me, but I say this because of the crowd standing around, so that they may believe that you have sent me.” 43 Having said this, he shouted, “El‘azar! Come out!” 44 The man who had been dead came out, his hands and feet wrapped in strips of linen and his face covered with a cloth. Yeshua said to them, “Unwrap him, and let him go!” (Complete Jewish Bible).
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This preview of life beyond death is the most dramatic of all. It takes courage to rewrite the entire script at God's direction. As Jesus comes to the tomb where Lazarus is buried, he says to Martha, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" Jesus speaks to the Father for the sake of the crowd, so that they, too, might believe.
Then Jesus calls Lazarus out. The dead comes to life--not just healed. Jesus gives the surprise ending of freedom from death. Here we see a preview of his own death and resurrection. Here is a preview of the new, resurrected life promised to each of us. The glory of God shines.
As we look ahead in faith, it is sometimes hard to wait for the wonder of eternal life and God's happy ending. Keep watching the preview; the best is yet ahead.
God of glory and might, your vision for our redeemed life is beyond my ability to imagine or grasp. Expand my belief and stretch my sight so that your previews of eternal life become my life now. In gratitude and praise, I give my heart to you. Amen.
Betsy Dartt, '81
Visitation Pastor, Our Savior's Lutheran, Spring Valley, Minn.
John 11:32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved.
34 He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see."
35 Jesus began to weep.
36 So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"
38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.
39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days."
40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me.
42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me."
43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"
44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." (New Revised Standard Version).
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