Gospel

Come Out

by Roland Crim
05/25/21
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When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” John 11:43-44 NIV

Herein we have Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.

What is the first word out of Jesus’ mouth in this reading? No, this is not a trick question. The first word He utters here is the name of His friend, Lazarus. Jesus was friends with Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. He knew each of them by name.

You know, of course that Jesus also knows you by name. Just as Jesus had a friendship with Lazarus, Martha and Mary, He also yearns for a relationship with each of us.

Christ calls us each by name. He tells us to come out. To come out from where? He calls us to come out from the darkness that covers the earth, the dark which covers our heart and soul. He calls us to come out from that which is of this world. He calls us to come out and into the Great Light, the Light which is Truth.

As long as we choose to live in darkness, we are dead, maybe not physically, but we are definitely dead spiritually. We are enslaved to this world and the influences of it. We are blind to the Truth, and our spirit is dead. Yes, our spirit is dead as a “cloth” keeps us from seeing the Truth.

When Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb, He told those who had moved the stone to remove the grave clothes from the resurrected man. What are the grave clothes which must be removed from us when we are called to the Light by Jesus?

Our grave clothes are our sins and sinful living. When we come to the Light, accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, He wants to bless us with the Holy Spirit. There is now no room in our lives for our old self. We have been made a new creation in Jesus Christ. We must turn our will and our life over to the care of God and live with the indwelling Holy Spirit directing us.

After having the grave clothes removed from Lazarus, He told those who assisted with the grave clothes removal to let him go.

When you give yourself over to Christ, your sins have been forgiven you, and you no longer live in the bondage of sin. The chains of sin have been removed from you. You now have a freedom which was impossible to possess util you gave your life to Christ.

Just as Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, so He does for you. Come forth from the grave which had been your residence. Live in the freedom of Jesus Christ.