Life Spark: It’s not too late for new life. (John 11:39-47)
Jesus arrived in Bethany too late. Four days late. Standing before His friend’s tomb He commanded something ridiculous: “Roll away the stone.” But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” (John 11:39b, NLT)
As some friends put their back to the heavy stone, Jesus told Martha “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40, NIV)
The glory of God is a person who is alive with miraculous new life. The glory of God, the bright splendor of God, is that He offers a kind of life that trumps death.
Before Jesus spoke to His entombed friend, He spoke to the Father, asking Him to release a miraculous burst of eternal aliveness. When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43, NIV) Imagine the incredulous doubters who were shocked to see mummified Lazarus sit up on his cold stone ledge and then try to walk, or hop, into daylight. Jesus involved willing spectators in the Lazarus miracle a second time when He said, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” (John 10:44b, NIV)
This story teaches some important things about God’s aliveness. First, I see in this story that it’s not too late for God to bring life into our dead places. Is God calling out to something dead in you? A dead part of your body? A stiff marriage? A hopeless financial situation? A departed dream? Something you pictured yourself doing that you’ve given up on? You may think it’s too late, but He doesn’t.
Second, God may ask me to play a part in someone’s new life miracle. He may want me to be a stone-roller or a grave-clothing-remover. Only God can give new life, but He might want me to be an accomplice. He might ask me to do something ridiculous.
Third, don’t expect everyone to be enamored with the idea of new life. Some of the spectators marveled, but some of them ran to the religious leaders and tattled. Instead of rejoicing, the clergy fretted. “What do we do now?” they asked. “This man keeps on doing things, creating God-signs”. (John 11:47b, MSG) Wow. Some people ignore God-signs. New life (life as it should be and could be) may appear to threaten life as it is.
Life-action: Invite God again (the Bible says “keep asking”) into a dead area in your life, and tell Him that if He gives life, you’ll become one of His best stone-rollers.