Don’t you feel rotten bad mouthing someone who does something really, really nice for you two seconds later? And it’s about a hundred times worse when you discover that the nice thing they did was the plan all along!
Ouch!
And it REALLY turns the knife when you start rehashing not only all the trash talking you did, and the way you acted, but even also what you thought about this extremely nice person.
REWIND
That’s where we left off. If you need to catch up on this three part deal—read this, then this.
Up to speed now?
Good.
Now Jesus is about to reveal that he’s not only still the great all around guy they thought he was, but actually, even better! And, once again, I turn to one of my favorite new authors for some incite into this. Here’s what Michael Steele, author of Flashbang, had to say:
Jesus said, “Roll the gravestone aside.
You see that weight you stuck in front of his escape? You see that label you attached to his life? Well. guess what, you get to move it. You and those like you. Roll it away.â€
The sisters protested, concerned for the smell. But Jesus responded the way—in our unfortunate society—God often has to respond to our surprise at His greatness.
“Didn’t I tell you?â€
Then Jesus told Lazarus to come out of the hole in which he’s been buried. And Lazarus did. Wrapped up like a mummy and smelling like four days of decay, Lazarus came out. Lazarus was alive.
But this is not where, “The End†belongs either. Because God’s breath of life into Lazarus was not enough to complete the miracle.
Lazarus was still bound. Bound with the cloth coffin those who loved him decided he now belonged in. They had determined “The End†by dressing him for death. And that is when the most curious thing of all took place.
Jesus, who had the ability to breath new life into Lazarus’ lungs. Who could wisk away Lazarus’ entrapments with the lift of a finger—this Jesus did not choose to take the final action of freeing Lazarus for Himself. Instead, He made another command.
“Unwrap him, and let him go.â€
Jesus, having every right to fix out messes Himself, decided that the most healing option for all those around would be for the doubters to also be the rescuers. For those who had a tendency to apply bandages and chains to also be the ones to occasionally remove them.
Jesus asked the people to unwrap those He resurrected.
And He still does.
I’m glad.
 P.S. Hey men, (yeah, you!), it’s time to man up again. This coming Monday morning at 6:15 AM in the Video Cafe at Southbrook Church will be our second meeting of the totally testosterone filled titans!
Be there this Monday (March 3rd) and bring a friend!