The Bible tells
two true stories about men named Lazarus. They are separate people with very
different circumstances. But there are also some amazing similarities.
Lazarus 1 was
a poor, crippled beggar who was laid at the gate of a rich man’s house so he
could ask passersby for sustenance. He had sores on his body, and the dogs
licked them. Jesus told this true story. (It's not a parable.) And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried
by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. The
rich man wanted water and a favor, that Abraham would send Lazarus
back to earth to warn his five brothers about hell. Abraham answered him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them
hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the
dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the
prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead (Luke 16:19-31).
Lazarus 2 and his
sisters Martha and Mary were some of Jesus’ closest friends. They lived in the
little town of Bethany, just outside of Jerusalem. When Lazarus got sick, his
sisters sent word to the Lord. When
Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory
of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha,
and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he
abode two days still in the same place where he was. After two days, Jesus
traveled with His disciples back to Bethany. He said, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of
sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit
Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest
in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for
your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let
us go unto him. (Lazarus had been in the grave four days when Jesus approached
Bethany.) Then Martha, as soon as she
heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not
died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give
it thee. What amazing faith she had!
Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha
saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last
day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that
believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth
and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him,
Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should
come into the world. And when she had so said, she went her way, and called
Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As
soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.
Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she
fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my
brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also
weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And
said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus
wept.
Then, Jesus went to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus
said, Take ye away the stone. They did. (Doesn’t this remind you of Jesus’ own burial? He showed before His own death
that He was Lord over death. I think maybe the cave and stone foreshadow Jesus’
resurrection, don’t you? In Lazarus’ case, the stone was rolled back to let him
come out, and when Jesus rose, the stone had to be rolled back to let people
see He was not there!)
And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank
thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but
because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou
hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus,
come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with
graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto
them, Loose him, and let him go. (John
11:1-44)
There’s so much in these two men’s lives and deaths. Let’s
look at how they’re similar:
Both Lazarus 1 and Lazarus 2
were believers. Lazarus 1 went to “Abraham’s bosom” when he died because he had
faith that God would provide the Messiah. He had put his faith in Jesus, though
he didn’t yet know His Name. Lazarus 2 was Jesus’ personal friend. (Anyone in
Scripture who’s referred to as a friend
of God is a true believer.) When he died,
he also went to heaven, but he was called back to earth by the Son of God
Himself.
And now, what’s different:
Lazarus 1 suffered on this
earth. He was a crippled man with no means of supporting himself besides
begging. The rich man despised him. Lazarus was sick, and his only companions were
dogs. Nevertheless, he trusted in God and he will spend all eternity with his
Savior. Lazarus 2 had a fairly comfortable life as far as we know. We don’t
know if he was ever married, but he lived with his sisters in a house in
Bethany. He had food to eat and a roof over his head and the best companionship
in the world—family, and Jesus as his personal Friend. Though he had to go
through death twice, he too will forever be with the Lord.
An interesting observation about the two:
When Jesus tells the true story
about the rich man and Lazarus 1, the rich man begs Abraham to send Lazarus
back to earth to warn his brothers. Abraham refuses. The rich man disagrees and
says, Nay, father Abraham: but if one
went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he (Abraham) said unto him, If they hear not Moses and
the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. Obviously,
this Lazarus remained in heaven and didn’t go back to earth. Abraham said his
brothers wouldn’t be persuaded, even when they came face-to-face with someone
who had returned from the grave. Wow!
So, what happened after eye
witnesses saw Jesus raise Lazarus 2, who had been dead and buried for four
days? Read the immediate response: Then
many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did,
believed on him. But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told
them what things Jesus had done. . . . Then from that day forth they took
counsel together for to put him to death
(John 11:45-46, 53). The Bible says many believed, but others plotted to
kill Jesus.
But that’s not all; they also wanted to kill Lazarus. Why? Because Lazarus was living, breathing proof of Jesus’ resurrection power—and they didn’t like it! (I guess they didn’t consider that Jesus could have raised him a second time, as easily as the first!) Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. . . . Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus. (The story of Palm Sunday is here, and the passage closes with eye-witness proof of Lazarus’ being brought back from the dead.) The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record (John 12:1-3, 9-11, 17). Even though one (Lazarus 2) came back from the dead, they didn’t believe!
Have you believed in Jesus?
If you believe in Jesus, are you spreading the gospel?
Jesus has power over death. He died as a substitute for sins. And He
rose again! Praise Him!
Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where
is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin; and the strength
of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the
victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye
stedfast,
unmoveable, always abounding in the work of
the Lord,
forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not
in vain in the Lord.
(1 Corinthians 15:54b-58)
(Photo courtesy of www.lumoproject.com, Free Bible Images.)
