You often hear a comment in sporting comebacks – that this is the biggest comeback since Lazarus. The reference concerns a team that is losing suddenly and surprisingly finding a way to win. But do people understand what that saying actually means? We know that’s it’s about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.
This story is found only in the Gospel of John. But we need to understand that this is not merely a miracle of restoration but a profound revelation of who Jesus is and what his authority is over life and death – as he will tell Mary and Marthy – I am the Resurrection and the Life.
This story reminds me of Job. If you’re not familiar with Job – Satan asked God for permission to test Job’s faith. Satan believed that Job only had faith in God because God kept blessing him. Take away his blessings and Job will curse you, said Satan. God gave him permission to take away everything Job had but God said to Satan you can’t touch Job. Satan does that and Job still blesses God – naked I came to this life and naked I will leave. So Satan asked to up the ante. Skin for skin. God permitted Satan to physically strike Job but he couldn’t take his life away from him. So Job is struck with painful sores – but still has faith in God as he tries to understand his suffering. In this we learn that God has power and authority over life and death. God sets the boundaries.
Jesus explained that in Matthew chapter 10 when he said – Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And here Jesus shows that authority over life and death also. Here we will see the depth of God’s love, the power of faith, and the promise of eternal life. The scene begins with Lazarus, the beloved friend of Jesus, falling ill. His sisters, Mary and Martha, send word to Jesus, knowing that He has the power to heal. However, Jesus intentionally delays His arrival. Why would He choose to wait during a time of crisis? Isn’t that a question we ask sometimes? Why doesn’t God answer my prayer for healing when I ask? This moment illustrates a fundamental truth about our relationship with God: God’s timing often differs from our own.
Martha and Mary were deep in grief, surrounded by mourning and despair. But also they were disappointed with Jesus – Lord if you had been here our brother would not have died. How many times have we found ourselves in similar circumstances of disappointment? The story reminds us that grief is a part of our human experience, but it does not define our identity. Remember what St Paul told the Thessalonians – let us grieve – but not like those who have no hope. Hope is our identity. We have hope in Jesus being the resurrection and the life.
So Jesus responds to the disappointment with profound words of hope: “Your brother will rise again.” Martha acknowledges a future resurrection but doesn’t grasp the present reality: Jesus declares, “I am the resurrection and the life.” This is another of Jesus’ “I AM” statements – also unique to John’s Gospel. And just like St Paul who speaks of God’s promises being present realities – Jesus says “I AM” to create hope NOW.
What does this mean for us today? It means that we are not just waiting for a distant promise of resurrection; we can experience the power of Christ’s resurrection in our lives here and now. Jesus meets us in our pain and suffering, inviting us to believe in His ability to bring hope from despair, life from death, and joy from sorrow. Jesus is moved deeply by the grief surrounding Him. He weeps with Mary and the mourners, showing us that He is not distant in our suffering. As the book of Hebrews says – we have a High Priest who empathises with our sufferings. His compassion is real – He feels our sorrow – literally.
Yet, what follows must have felt incomprehensible to those present: “Take away the stone,” Jesus commands. In the face of death, He asks them to take an action that required faith. Jesus invites us to participate in His work, even when it seems futile or beyond hope. What doubts, fears, or past failures do we need to lift from our lives? What is blocking the doorway for God’s miraculous work to be revealed. Finally, with a loud voice, Jesus calls, “Lazarus, come out!” This is Jesus taking control over death.
Just like he took control over the wind and waves when he told them to “be quiet”. This is St Paul’s declaration in Philippians being fulfilled: God gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
And much to the amazement of all, Lazarus emerges from the tomb, alive and unbound. But death was not giving up – so Jesus commands again: Unbind him and let him go. This miracle is a foretaste of the greatest act of resurrection: Jesus conquering death itself. It’s only a foretaste because Lazarus will have to face death again. Lazarus serves as a symbol of our own spiritual awakening as we await our full resurrection to eternal life.
We, too, have been called out of the darkness of sin and death into the marvelous light of Christ. The same power that raised Lazarus is at work in us daily, transforming our lives, renewing our spirits, and enabling us to walk in newness of life. As we reflect on the story of Lazarus, let us remember that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. He invites us to lay our struggles at His feet and to believe in the power of His love and to keep hope in him even when it seems he has delayed his answer to our prayers. Whether you are facing the grief of loss, the weight of sin, or the uncertainty of the future, Jesus stands ready to bring life where there seems to be none.
Let us walk in faith, trusting in His word and roll away the stones obstructing our view of God’s glory.
And let us rejoice in the truth that, through Him, we have eternal life—a life that begins now and continues forever. Amen.
