Thursday, August 09, 2018

“Unwrap Him And Let Him Go!”


Unwrap Him
And
Let Him Go!”
Scripture
John 11
32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him,  and he was deeply troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them. They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 
35 Then Jesus wept. 
36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” 37 But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”
38 Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. 39 “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.
But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”
40 Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” 41 So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 
43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!
Observation

This has got to be my favorite story in all of the Bible or at least it is one of my top 5!

If at all possible I always try to share this story or at least part of it at every funeral I preach! Why? ... Because it is so powerful!

Take a minute and read the entire story. It is found in John 11.

This story shows us Jesus' heart. It is a story that is full of emotion. It is full of God's power! And this story reveals God's glory! It is full of God's love for you and it is full of God's love for me. It is proof for us that Jesus has power over death, power over the grave!

Jesus wept. Jesus was angry. Jesus commanded, “Roll the stone aside.” Martha protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” They rolled the stone aside. Jesus prayed. Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” Dead man came out … then Jesus said, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

One day this will be my story! One day I am going to die. But the moment I breathe my last breath here on this earth will be the moment I begin to live forever! I am never going to really die. When this tent that I am now living in is finally taken down that is when Eddy really begins to live!
How about you? If you were to die today where would you spend Eternity – Heaven or Hell?
2 Corinthians 5:1-3
For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies.
Romans 8:10-11,38
And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God.  The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
Application
I will hold on to the promises in John 11, 2 Corinthians 5, and Romans 8 about my future. How about you?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, the grave can't keep me down. My death is not final. It is only the beginning for me. I believe. I am convinced that nothing can ever separate me from Your love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither fears for today nor worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate me from Your love.
Daily Bible Reading: Jeremiah 3,4; John 11



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