1. Today’s Gospel lesson is about Lazarus, but it is also about Jesus, and it is also about you and me. First, let’s look at Lazarus. He was a friend of Jesus. He had two sisters, Mary and Martha, who were also close friends of Jesus. They believed that Jesus was the Christ. They had heard his teaching and they knew about his miraculous healings. So, when Lazarus became very sick, they sent a message to Jesus who was in Galilee. They told Jesus that their brother was very sick and about to die, so they wanted Jesus to come and heal him. Jesus decided not to come to Judea and heal him, because Jesus knew that he would die and that he would raise him to life again. Jesus wanted to do it this way so that his disciples would believe in him more strongly. Meanwhile, Lazarus died. He was buried in a cave tomb with a heavy stone for the door. It would be a tomb similar to the one Jesus would be laid in. I think it might have been similar to an old Okinawan style tomb where bodies would be laid in. Jesus commanded that the stone be removed. Then he called out, “Lazarus, come out!” And Lazarus did come out, wrapped still in the linen strips. “Unbind him, let him go, set him free.”

2. The story is about Jesus. We see that Jesus is in control. We see that Jesus knew how sick Lazarus was and he knew that he would die. Jesus knew the future. Jesus had power to raise the dead. Jesus revealed the glory of God. He showed that he was the Christ. He was doing the work of God his Father. Before raising Lazarus, he prayed to God. He did not need to pray, but he prayed out loud so that everyone could hear him and could know that he was doing the work of God. He said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”

In this story we also see the wonderful love of Jesus. He loved his friends Mary and Martha and Lazarus. He was so overwhelmed with sadness and love that he cried. These are not tears of weakness, but they show the strength of the bond of love. That is why he came to the town of Bethany near Jerusalem at a time when the Jews were already threatening to arrest and kill him. It was dangerous, but he came anyway because he loved his friends. Love brought Jesus into a place of danger. In fact, it was this love that Jesus had for the world that he came to his dangerous world. Because of that love he died on the cross.

So in this story we see two things about Jesus. We see his glory, that he can raise the dead. And we see his love, which motivates him to raise the dead.

3. This story is also about us. We see ourselves in the persons of Mary and Martha. First, they loved their brother, as we love our family. Then they sent for Jesus to heal their brother, just as we pray to Jesus that he would heal and help those that we love. They knew that Jesus was the Christ, and so do we. When calamity came, they took care of the funeral and were surrounded by friends to comfort them. Just as we come to funerals and give comfort to those who have lost loved ones, and we too are surrounded by friends who help us and pray for us when we are suffering or in grief. Both Martha and Mary said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (v.21, 32). I see in these words two things. One is a firm belief in the power of God and the power of Christ. We too know that God does have the power to heal the sick and to prevent accidents and natural disasters. The other thing I see in these words is complaint. They seemed to say that it is the fault of Jesus that Lazarus died. Jesus did not come in time. Perhaps they doubted the love and compassion of Jesus for their brother. We too wonder about God’s timing. Why does he heal some people and not others? Why does God let horrible accidents happen? Why does God let horrible wars happen? Why does God let horrible natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunami and hurricanes and tornadoes happen????

And yet our faith is very much like Martha’s. Listen to her full speech, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you” (v.21-22). She believed in the resurrection at the last day (24). And she confessed her faith in Jesus, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world” (27).

This is the same faith that we have. It gives us strength and hope and comfort -- at the time of a funeral or accident or failure or disappointment. We believe in the power of the resurrection and know that Jesus can give us new life right now. When our hope is dead, when we feel dead in our sin, when we want to give up on life, Christ calls to us in our dark caves. He calls to us as he called to Lazarus, “Come out!” It is resurrection, it is new life, it is new birth. We take off the grave clothes and are freed to live the life of Christ.

Amen.

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