In our story, Lazarus was very ill, and his sisters sent a message to Jesus to come and heal him. As his sisters waited for Jesus to arrive, their brother died.
17 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. 18 Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, 19 and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” 23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” [1] John 11:17-23
Lazarus’ body had been in the grave for four days, but what about the soul of Lazarus? Where did that go? The Apostle Paul writes in Hebrews 9:27, And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment.[2]Judgement? Yes, judgment. A person who has faith in Jesus as their Savior will go to heaven to live in the house of the Lord. A person who does not faith in Jesus will descend into hell for ever and ever.
Jesus came into this world to die for our sins so we could place our faith in Him as our Savior and be forgiven. Simply put, without Jesus’ death on the cross for our sin, no one would have eternal life. Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.[3] John 14:6. In this statement, Jesus declares the reason for His birth, death, and resurrection. It was to provide a way to heaven for sinful mankind, who could never get there on their own.
Have you taken the step of faith by placing your faith in Jesus as your Savior? The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Cor. 2:6 –For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. [4]
Don’t wait one more second if you have never placed your faith in Jesus. Call on Him now and confess your sins and ask Jesus to come as your Savior. If you are a believer, take time to give thanks to Jesus for calling you to faith.
Listen here to hear the whole story of Lazarus: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/series/journey-with-the-divine-intruder/the-divine-intruder-and-lazarus
[1, 2, 3, 4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Jn 11:17–23, Heb. 9:27, John 14:6, 2 Cor. 6:2). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.