Resurrected and then Put on a Hit List
Lazarus just followed instructions…
It Wasn’t His Fault
His body lay there. Dead.
Then he was given an order.
And he obeyed.
All he did was follow instructions. So, why did some people want him dead again?
Lazarus who?
There are two men named Lazarus in the New Testament. Jesus spoke about a poor beggar with that name in one of His parables.
And then there was the other Lazarus, Jesus’ friend. That’s the one we’re focusing on.
What about Him?
The New Testament doesn’t share a lot of information about Lazarus.
Here is what we know:
- He lived in Bethany, just outside of Jerusalem.
- He was the brother of Martha and Mary.
- He had a close relationship with Jesus, though the Bible doesn’t fill in any details.
What Happened?
Lazarus was sick. So his sisters sent word to Jesus, expecting the one whom they believed to be the Messiah to show up and heal their brother.
Except Jesus didn’t show up and Lazarus died.
And then Jesus stayed put on purpose for another two days.
Because it was part of the plan.
As Jesus had previously told his disciples: “Lazarus’ sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” John 11: 4 New Living Translation
Jesus to the Rescue
When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus’ body had already been wrapped in burial clothing and placed in a tomb. The man had been dead four days.
They led Jesus to Lazarus’ burial place. When he arrived there, Jesus looked heavenward and then prayed:
“Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” John 11:42 New Living Translation
Then in front of numerous witnesses, Jesus loudly commanded the dead man to walk out of the tomb.
Lazarus simply followed the instructions of his Lord and walked out alive, his burial clothing still intact.
Kill Jesus and Lazarus, too!
And now the enemies of Jesus wanted Lazarus dead (again).
Jesus had ruffled plenty of feathers during his brief three year ministry. His enemies had already tried to arrest him. Some had even threatened to stone him a couple of times.
And before Jesus ever went anywhere near Lazarus’ tomb, his enemies had already been thinking up ways to kill him.
But why Kill Lazarus?!
Lazarus was undeniable proof that what Jesus had been saying all along was true: He was the long-awaited Messiah.
And the miracles He performed backed it up. Lazarus’s resurrection was only one of those miracles.
When all of the people heard of Jesus’ arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead. Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus too, for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them and believed in Jesus. John 12:9–11 New Living Translation
Afterwards
Before the Passover celebration, Jesus returned to visit Lazarus and his sisters at their home. Lazarus is mentioned as one of the people who ate with Jesus.
And that’s the last we hear about Lazarus. The Bible doesn’t reveal any more information about the man they tried to kill because he’d been resurrected.
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Thanks for your time. Thanks for reading.
