Day 30: Didn't I Tell You ... ?

Jesus had such a beautiful friendship with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Here was a relationship which was distinct and separate from that which He had with the disciples. These three were siblings whom He had spent much time.

Arriving in Bethany, Jesus is given the news that Lazarus has been in the grave for four days. Seeing Mary weeping, Jesus Himself weeps and asks:

“Where have you put him?” (John 11:34, NLT)

Mary responds with telling Jesus the facts. Four days. He was dead as a door nail. Without the embalming process, his body was decaying and smelling. Mary was presenting the reality to Jesus. Jesus tells her, and those with her, to roll the stone away from the entrance to the grave. Then He asks:

“Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” (verse 40, NLT)

Jesus prays, calls Lazarus to come out from the grave and the dead man, obeyed – he came out, grave clothes and all.

So often we take our hurt and our memories and we stuff them down inside our hearts. We leave them there to fester, decay, and rot. We are bound by wrappings, some not of our own doing, and need to be set free.

And Jesus asks, “Where did you put them?” He desires to bring glory, His glory, into our lives as we believe. Christ wants to raise us from the living dead. He wants us to be alive in this life. Alive to Him. Alive to His purposes for us each day.

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32, NLT)
“So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” (Galatians 5:1, NLT)

In His prayer at the grave, Jesus thanked His Father for hearing Him. He prayed as if what He was about to do was a done thing, for freedom has already been obtained for us.

“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
(Hebrews 12:1, NIV 1984)

May we not put those grave clothes back on.
Throw them off and RUN!

This is Day 30 of 31 Questions Jesus Asked. You can find the entire series here.