John 11 Sanctification

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John 11:38–44 KJV 1900

Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest 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 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.

Jesus gets to Lazarus after he had been dead for four days.

There was absolutely no life left in him.

And laying in a cave in the Middle-eastern heat must have been foul

What does Jesus say to this foul smelling dead man?

After praying to the Father Jesus tells Lazarus to come out.

For Lazarus it was four days in the tomb

For us it was years in the tomb of this world

And at a time the Lord determined He called us to newness of life

Jesus didn’t come when it was convenient for Lazarus or Mary, He doesn’t come before death

He comes in a way that glorifies the Father.

He comes to us and calls us to life…out of our tomb.

But that was just the beginning, then the grave clothes need to come off...

I see Paul’s put off/put on principle at work here.

Leave behind the old life, remove the old man and put on the new man.

What was the result of all this?

The Father is glorified.

Lazarus is given new life.

Mary and Martha are reunited with their brother.

What happens in verse 45

As Lazarus declares the saving grace of Jesus Christ by way of his newness of life others are brought to newness of spiritual life.

But I think had Lazarus just came out of the tomb and walked around in the grave clothes the stench would have been too much

He had to change.

He needed to remove the old clothes…the ones stained and smelling

He had to remove them and put on something clean, something pure.

Then as he went about glorifying people were not put off by one that smelt like death and proclaimed life

He smelled like life and proclaimed a message that matched.

I think this account of Lazarus is an account about salvation but also about sanctification

And when we look at Lazarus it is clear to me that there are three parties at work here.

Jesus calls Lazarus to newness of life and begins the process

Lazarus and others begin the process of removing the old cloths and Lazarus puts on the new.

Lazarus and others proclaim the saving grace of Jesus

It begins at salvation but the declaration becomes stronger as we take off the grave clothes

We need to take off the sin that clings to us like the grave clothes clung to Lazarus

When we think about how we behave,, how we talk, how our attitudes are, lets let our minds picture those people unwrapping Lazarus

Picture those who were taking off the clothes that marked him as a dead man

This picture is what God calls each of us to every day

The process of removing those things that mark us as a dead man.